1963 Ford F100 Bubba's BBQ

[Chuck Most]

Since 2009, Bubba's BBQ has been serving customers in central Michigan at the restaurant, and around the Great Lakes region with their mobile catering services.

David Michaels started the business after being encouraged by several people who'd tried, in particular, his grilled chicken, and told him he was wasting his talent managing an injection molding plant and not letting the world find out about his skill at the grill. After being let go from said plant, he gave his professional BBQ career a go, first as a mobile caterer, and then with the fixed location restaurant in 2015. Despite being the founder, owner, and face of the company, Dave himself is not Bubba... that was the nickname of his Uncle Frank, the guy who got Dave interested in BBQ in the first place.

This is the "company truck", a 1963 Ford F100 found on central Michigan craigslist. Dave's mission was simple... He was going to buy the first truck he saw from his birth year, 1963, for under $5000. It could have been a Ford, a GM, or a Dodge. Could have been a Studebaker or (like he had hoped) an Intentional. As it turned out, he found this clean but non-running 1963 F100. It had been treated to a small block Chevrolet swap at some point in the past. It even had a weird period camper top.

Upon getting it home, it seemed that the "major engine issue" the seller described was more like "there's some scrap cast iron where the engine should be". One of his cooks suggested a diesel swap, and mentioned the ability to run on biodiesel. Dave was intrigued enough to call a couple guys he heard were experts.

Enter Dan and Jason Pierce of Pierce Brothers Fabrication. Known around the world for their Cummins 6BT swaps, a little synchronicity happened when it occurred to them they'd never done a 4BT swap.

"Jason and I were talking about how we really ought to try a 4BT one of these days. That was on a Wednesday. Early Friday morning we got the call from Dave with a project he had in mind." Says Dan.

The truck was treated to a Cummins 4BT, mated to the truck's existing four speed manual transmission. Dan says the 4BT is a much easier swap, seeing as how the 4BT is a third shorter than the 6BT with which they're so familiar. The fuel tank was also moved to the rear of the truck, along with the set of dual batteries. The brothers say, relatively speaking, it was probably the most straightforward Cummins swap they've done to date.

After a brief shakedown, the truck got a new set of shocks, and was fitted with four wheel discs. The steelies with wide whites gave way to Ridler 610 wheels and BF Goodrich radials, 20" in front and 21" in back. The Pierce Brothers and Dave were both impressed by how little the truck needed to be a dependable driver, aside from the obvious engine swap. 

Dave himself did the door graphics, over the existing matte green paint job. "It's an odd shade, but I like it." Dave says. Since Bubba's frequently helps injured veterans, he also added the flags to the "loft" above the cab. In addition to his talent with BBQ, Dave isn't a bad graphic artist either. Though in the interest of full disclosure, it was his granddaughter Amanda who drew the pig mascot.

Other than filling out the camper with all the utensils and supplies a traveling BBQ truck might need, Dave spends a lot of time driving the F100 in his off time, too. Eventually it will be fitted with a hitch for towing around a BBQ trailer. But, that's a project for late spring/early summer.

The AMT 1963 F100 was built mostly out of the box, with the obvious exceptions of the Ridler 610 wheels and tires from Jay's Resin Wheels, the 4BT from Lazy Custom Models, and some Moebius West Coast mirrors. The graphics are from Gofer Racing (at this point I feel like I should be the Great Lakes Region Sales Agent for Gofer Racing 🤣). The odd but pleasant shade of green is Rust-Oleum Satin Leafy Green.

[espo]

Great looking build and the story helps envision what it is you're looking at and explains what all has been done. Like the body paint and door signage. You're right about the od shaped camper shell. Don't recall ever seeing one like that but that doesn't mean it didn't exist. Like the stance along with the wheel & tire setup.    

[Phildaupho]

I really like it. Well done.

[PappyD340]

Another awesome build!

[Steamboat]

Very cool, super clean build!

[Zippi]

Now that's pretty slick looking Chuck.  

[thatz4u]

really like this one, especially the camper shell decal, well done

[slusher]

Great build and a great story, Chuck!