THE INTRUDER

A Fresh Take on a Classic

From the first time you see this beautiful ’57 Ford Ranch Wagon, you know it’s special, both in its concept and its execution.
You might also know this is the latest creation from one of the Midwest’s elite rod builders, Troy Trepanier, a guy who has been doing it his own way since he first started shaping specialized vehicles back in the late 1980s. Since that time, Troy and his crew have been stopping people in their tracks with fresh, leading-edge designs, and their latest innovation certainly carries that tradition into a new era.
After taking possession of another Trepanier creation, the ’54 Plymouth known as the Sniper, George Poteet decided he wanted Rad Rods By Troy to rework another car that he had been thinking about for some time. As with all such projects, it began simply enough, but soon a well-worn Ford station wagon was well on its way to an entirely new life.

Chassis and Suspension Engineering

The original chassis was discarded, and a new one was built based on a four-tube frame built from 3×4-inch 11-gauge rectangular steel tubes drawn together with several crossmembers that also serve as mounts for the transmission and other components. In front, Heidt’s independent suspension components have come together with Air Ride Technologies airbags and Hal’s 12-point adjustable shocks. A power rack-and-pinion unit from Ford Racing and a custom sway bar from Hotchkis complete the package that plants the 245/45ZR17 Billet Specialties rims fitted with BFGoodrich Comp T/As.
To stop them, Trepanier looked to Baer’s 13-1/2-inch rotors fitted with a pair of its monster four-piston calipers, and a new adjustable proportioning valve to keep everything in balance. You’ll find another set of Baer calipers displacing their power through even larger 14-inch rotors at the ends of a 9-inch Ford rearend fitted with 3.50 gears and huge 20×10 Billet Specialties rims with BFGoodrich traction. Rad Rods’ own triangulated four-link suspension and another pair of Air Ride Technologies bags and Hal’s shocks make sure everything stays in place, no matter what challenges come along.

Powerhouse: The 351ci Ford Racing Engine

One element of the car that is sure to test the strength of the chassis is the beautifully detailed 351ci motor from Ford Racing. This fine beast quietly delivers 510 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque thanks to a number of special modifications.
These include a set of Ford Racing aluminum heads fed by a Trick Flow fuel injection manifold that makes the most of a centrifugal supercharger, also from Ford Racing. This was incorporated with custom-mounted brackets along with Aeromotive’s electric pump, fuel filter and fuel rails, which house the pressure regulator.

Custom Airflow and Cooling Design

Another interesting aspect of the engine is the air intake system. Airflow begins at the custom airdam in the lower middle of the front bumper before flowing up the left side of the radiator core support that houses the air filter. (This support cradles a Griffin aluminum radiator assisted by Vintage Air’s thermostatically controlled electric fans.) Finally, the air continues across to the mass airflow sensor positioned near the right side of the inner fender, adjacent to the supercharger.
Additional engine hardware consists of an MSD ignition system and a set of Ford Racing headers that feed a custom exhaust system that flows directly through the frame to allow more ground clearance. It also incorporates a balance tube just ahead of the Flowmaster 70-Series mufflers, and the entire exhaust system has been HPC-coated in silver. You should also note that the exhaust exits through special openings in the rear bumper just to the sides of the license plate.

Transmission and Drivetrain

Optima batteries are mounted inside the right rear quarter panel, and Auto Meter’s battery tender maintains them with help from Powermaster’s 180-amp alternator.
A special bell housing from Summit Racing attaches the stout motor to an equally beefy Borg-Warner 6-speed transmission, the same one used in every Dodge Viper. However, the stock clutch has been replaced with a Center Force clutch assembly for added bite.

Interior Craftsmanship

Next we come to the large interior, which provides plenty of room for even more innovation. This comes through Kip Kiper’s wonderful layout of brown leather that covers the Tea’s Design seating as well as the door panels and adjoining areas, while matching suede covers the headliner.
Additional detail can be found in special moldings and a custom console that brings an entirely new look to the interior. The Auto Meter gauges and Vintage Air A/C were activated through a Painless Wiring system, and an ididit steering column is finished off with a Billet Specialties 14-inch aluminum steering wheel. Imagine combining all of this finery with the quality sound system incorporating several Kicker amplifiers, speakers and Monster Cables that feed off of a Pioneer P-7000R CD unit, RDS tuner and KQ5 equalizer.

Body Design and Paintwork

While many aspects of this car are certainly special, it’s the body that deserves the most attention. The headlights are from a 2000 Jaguar, while the taillights are another Rad Rods creation using specially molded red Lexan lenses and custom deflectors for the bulbs, with cool body mods making them one with the car.
Another neat touch is the milled bar-stock grille that dominates the nose of this wild wagon, and the reworked bumpers and valance panels at both ends. The removal of the drip rails and the absence of handles and trim bring a further level of refinement to the body.
Of course, the biggest changes came with the full-length tinted side windows, which run from the slanted B-pillars all the way back to the C-pillars, nearly six feet away! Accenting these fine features is a unique combination of PPG’s Burnt Orange and Champagne paint with special graphics and Intruder identification designed by Bob Thrash, and painted by Larry Cheffer and Warren Lewis.

The Legacy of the Intruder

As with previous cars created at Rad Rods By Troy, Poteet’s amazing Intruder has expanded the boundaries of current thinking, while encouraging the builders of an entirely new generation with a shape of things to come.