Chesley & Carter Randolph's 1969 Highboy

Written By Chesley Randolph

When I was a kid my grandfather always had f100s and my father did too. We were what you can call a Ford family.

My first truck was a 1981 f100. I bought my first bumpside when I was 17, and that’s where it all got started.

I owned several over the years, but I always wanted a highboy, in 2015 I found one on market place in Jacksonville Nc. So I loaded up the family and hauled it home. It was rougher than I imagined but I was only going to use it around the house.

After getting it home I realized it needed power steering. So I backed it in the garage in late 2015 and started a 78/79 gearbox install. During this time I noticed it needed a lot of work. I had no plans to restore a truck, not sure what happened but the next thing I noticed I had the entire truck and drivetrain removed and I was painting the frame. Ha!!!

My son Carter (who is autistic) started helping me in the garage, he was only 8 at the time. I decided I would love to teach him how to work on trucks, weld and just kinda pass down what skills I had. . . hopefully.

I started ordering parts and realized this was much more than I could afford. I had bought a parts truck to get the bed to use for $800. And then ended up selling the parts I didn’t use on the f100 Facebook groups.

After I sold all the parts I had made over $2000 and I kept the bed. A little light came on in my head, and bought another one. I figured out that this is a way I could pay for me and my sons restore on this highboy.

Over the past 6.5 years I know we have owned over 40 bumpsides. Some we parted out , some we got running and resold. It’s turned itself into a business called Carter’s Bumparts.

It took us 6.5 years to restore this highboy. We ended up using a f250 camper special body. Me and my son did all the work with exception of paint and body. We did the fab work tho. Built a rotator for the bed so we could blast it and the used it to paint it on.

This will be my sons truck to keep and have one day. I hope when he sees it, he will remember all the good time we had together.

I wouldn't say it's my favorite part of the story. . . but it is meaningful to me. In 2022 we took it to the Grand Nationals f100 show. . . .We won best in class trophy.

Here are some of the details of our build.

1969 f250 4x4.

* 1968 Lincoln 460 engine bored to a 466ci

* 1977 highboy c6 automatic

* 1976 NP205 transfer case

* 1976 dana 44 front axle for the disc brake

* Stock Dana 60 rear converted to disc brakes

* 1969 f250 camper special body.

* Paint is single stage harbor blue and Wimbledon white

* Speed performance hydro boost brake booster.

* Cvf surp belt conversion.

* Eledbrock air gap intake and 750cfm carb.

* Custom grind cam from cam research.

* Champion aluminum radiator with dual electric fans

* Engine pre/luber

* Vintage air conditioner

* 1969 white steel grille I send and had chromed

* All new upper and lower trim.

* R&B stock radio conversion to FM and Bluetooth

* 1988 f150 seat recovered in Morgan and Giles leather.

* Painted steel f250 hubcaps , I sent out and had chromed

* 1995 f250 steel wheels powdered coated with 9:00-16 sta super lug tire (36 inch tall)

* All new carlite ford glass

* Pertronix distributor

* 78/79 steering gearbox with crossover steering. Borgeson steering shaft and custom made stand to clear fenderwell exit headers.

* Auxiliary power steering cooler

* Headman hustler fender well exit headers , I had ceramic coated.

* All bolts and fasteners re zinc coated.

* F600 gauge cluster with speedway motors tach.

* New DC tailgate and hardware.

* Chrome bed bolts and bully steps.

* Stainless brake line and bradded hoses