This Ford F-100 Can Hit 80+ MPH Over Whoops in Total Comfort, Then Pickup the Kids in AC-Comfort

Desert racing demands serious hardware, but most prerunners sacrifice comfort for capability. Alex from Twisted Monkey Racing decided he wasn’t having any of that compromise. His ‘73 Ford F-100 prerunner proves you can have your cake and eat it too - complete with air conditioning, luxury amenities, and enough suspension travel to handle whatever the desert throws at you.

This isn’t your typical weekend warrior build. Alex and the crew at Tribe 16 took what started as a basic extended cab F-100 and transformed it into something that can tackle the NORRA 1000 while still being comfortable enough for daily driving. The truck runs 23-24" of travel up front and 28" in the rear, which means it can float over whoops that would send most vehicles airborne.

The beauty of this build lies in how much engineering is hidden beneath that classic F-100 silhouette. From a distance, you might mistake it for a nicely restored truck with some modern wheels. Get closer though, and you start noticing details like the custom grille work housing Baja Designs lighting, the massive air filter setup, and those dual 37" spare tire carriers out back.

Alex runs this rig in the 6100 class for Best in the Desert racing, but he’s also planning to campaign it in the NORRA 1000 - a legitimate 890 to 1100 mile race broken up over multiple days. That’s where the luxury appointments really make sense. When you’re covering that kind of distance through brutal desert terrain, having working air conditioning and heat isn’t just nice, it’s practically essential for maintaining focus and endurance.

The powertrain setup is equally impressive. A crate LSX 454 putting down just over 430 HP to the rear wheels provides plenty of grunt without being excessive. Too much power in desert racing just means you’ll be replacing rear tires more often, especially in sandy conditions. The motor is backed by a proven Turbo 400 transmission, and everything is cooled by an extensive system of radiators and coolers positioned throughout the chassis.

What really sets this build apart is the attention to street-legal details. This thing has proper turn signals, brake lights, mirrors, and even uses the original F-100 key. Alex can literally drive this to pick up his kids from school, then head straight to the desert for some high-speed prerunning. The fact that it’s legal in all 50 states makes it even more versatile.

The interior strikes the perfect balance between race-ready functionality and daily driver comfort. PRP seats keep you planted during aggressive driving, while the full fire suppression system and race radios handle safety requirements. The large navigation screen serves double duty for both street navigation and race course mapping, and there’s even a proper center console with cup holders.

Suspension tuning was still ongoing, but it’s performing: Hitting 80+ mph over 2.5-3 foot whoops while maintaining composure is exactly what separates a proper prerunner from a lifted truck with some shocks.

The lighting setup deserves special mention. Instead of the typical light bar mounted high on the roof, Baja Designs integrated everything into the grille and bumper area. S2 Sports provide driving lights, while 10" bars handle the serious illumination duties. There are even custom green accent lights that tie into the truck’s color scheme. When darkness falls, this setup can light up the desert for 250-300 yards ahead.

Storage and utility features show this truck was built by people who actually race in the desert. The rear cargo area houses a 70 gallon fuel tank, spare parts storage, and even room for a cooler. The MaxTrax recovery boards are positioned where both driver and co-driver can easily access them, while also serving as tire shields to protect the rear window from flying rocks.

You can follow Twisted Monkey Racing’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram to see more of their builds and racing activities.

This F-100 represents everything great about modern prerunner culture. It respects the classic lines and character of the original truck while incorporating cutting-edge suspension technology and race-proven components. The fact that Alex can drive it through a Whataburger drive-through and then straight to a desert race course perfectly captures the versatility that makes prerunners so appealing.