Streetwise: We Drive the Velocity Restorations 1970 Ford F-100

The turn-key restomod truck industry is big business these days, with shops like Icon, Gateway Bronco, and Velocity Restorations thoroughly revamping classic iron into powerful and comfortable off-roaders. Now Velocity is is branching out into two-wheel-drive pickups, and is also offering its services on early Mustang fastbacks.

While we've ventured off-pavement-just barely-with the company's 4×4 offerings in classic Bronco, Blazer, and F-250 guise, its 1970 F-100 was the first model we've driven without a solid front axle and knobby tires.

Our first impression behind the wheel was that Velocity's Street Series F-100 reminded us of Ford's Mach-E-swapped 1978 F-100. While that pickup is one generation newer, the cab and seating position are similar. Visibility is fantastic as the greenhouse is almost all glass, and despite the single-cab configuration and upright seating position there's still plenty of leg and knee room, an abrupt contrast to modern cars with their boxed-in footwells.

A Tastefully updated interior is one of Velocity's strong suits. Like the exterior, the cabin of its 1970 F-100 is still that of a 1970 F-100, just well-appointed and modernized beneath the surface. For example, the Dakota Digital gauge cluster has the appearance and font of a 1970 F-100, but integrates a tachometer with a sweeping bar that ties in nicely with the wide-sweeping speedometer. While the analog gauges maintain the 1970 look, a digital odometer and trip odometer are paired with two small screens, one that displays the gear selection, and another that is customizable to show various engine data and bridge the technology gap.

Velocity pairs its Blue Oval builds with Gen III Coyote V-8 engines and Ford's current 10-speed automatic transmission. The 450-hp 5.0L V-8 is perfectly at home in the classic pickup. Heading out onto suburban streets, the restomod feels far more like a modern car than a vintage truck, with heavier, more precise steering. Shifts are smooth, not at all abrupt, and keep the 5.0-liter in its powerband under moderate throttle. Back off a little and the transmission turns the high-revving V-8 into a docile cruiser.

Like its 4×4 brethren, this F-100 rides on a Roadster Shop chassis with modern brakes-16-inch Baer rotors in this case-that are well-equipped to deal with the increased grip of modern tires. The Roadster Shop Spec chassis is far more rigid than the factory frame and allows for wider tires, which are put to good use thanks to a triangulated four-link in the rear, and an independent suspension with rack-and-pinion steering up front, with Fox coilovers all around. The lowered ride height and wide tires made the F-100 feel incredibly planted, although with the steering wheel so low and a bench seat that offers nothing in the way of bolstering, it's certainly not set up for serious high-performance driving. Roadster Shop offers an entirely different chassis if that's the goal.

We were particularly impressed with how well the Fox coilovers soak up bumps and give a comfortable ride despite the 20-inch wheels. In addition to the smooth ride, the F-100 offered a much quieter experience than Velocity's F-250 as it's not equipped with massive mirrors that up the wind noise. In its context as a backroads-ready weekend driver, there's nothing we would change.

If you're familiar with our other quick drives of Velocity products, you'll notice that the F-100 fits right in with the company's ethos and style. Likewise, it carries a big price tag. The Signature Series, which features the same attention to detail as other Velocity products, is hand-built to the tune of $280,000. The price on the Street Series like this one raises that to $340,000, essentially matching the rest of the high-end restomod market.

We wouldn't be surprised if it changes soon, but for now, Velocity is the only business of its kind offering vintage Ford-and soon Chevy-street trucks quite like this one.