It’s one thing to be able to build a 1,050-horsepower, big-block, drag-racing machine that can run in the low 9’s and pull an impressive wheelstand while doing it – but to accomplish that with a 1973 Ford F-100 pickup that is also street legal surely deserves our spotlight. Before you watch a video or two of this beastly Ford truck dominating the dragstrip, check out Cliff’s note on what went into building what he calls the “Iron Gladiator:”

“Take a look at my 1973 Ford F-100 tube-chassis race truck. It's called the ‘Iron Gladiator.’ It was built in 2009. When we first put it together, it was powered by a 557-cubic-inch, big-block Ford with 1,000-plus horsepower and an automatic running through a Ford 9-inch rear with 4:56 gears and a spool. Originally it was built for the Pro Class and it was heavy (at 3,850 pounds), so we ran 9.70’s at around 135 mph in the heat of the summer days. Our home track is Woodburn Dragstrip (www.woodburndragstrip.com) in Woodburn Oregon.

“The Iron Gladiator has only 53 percent of its weight on the front tires, and 47 percent on the rear tires – which is pretty good for a pickup. To achieve this, we set the engine back 10 inches and moved it up about 8 inches. Today, it is powered by 606-cube BBF built on Ford A-460 Motorsports block with highly ported heads and a 2/8 swapped cam that is lifting .950 inches. It uses a Tunnel Ram with twin 1,000-cfm 4135’s on top. Our auto box sports a 2.75 first gear and runs through a 9-inch rear diff fitted with a 4.33 gear.”

“It now weighs 3,975 pounds and has run a 9.21 at 142 mph with a 1.25-second 60-foot time. The truck rides on rectangular-tube chassis with a 4-link suspension . . . and it is both street-legal and licensed. You can check out some of the Iron Gladiator videos on YouTube under ‘Cliff Mansfield Inc.’ Enjoy.”