Lucky7 Lives: Darren Parsons’ Outrageous Ford F-100 Prerunner

Darren Parsons’ Far-Out Ford F-100 Prerunner

Back when Darren Parsons first unveiled this truck, it gave off a menacing vibe somewhere in between the cold, calculated nature of Darth Vader with the predatory pounce of the Batmobile. As dark and chilling as it sounds, these two descriptions may still not even totally peg down how demented Darren Parson’s 1975 Ford F-100 was. Obviously, it still is—don’t get it twisted. It has recently received a facelift and other upgrades that have since increased its appeal. For those questioning the origins of this Ford, let’s clear the air—yes, this is the old RPM / RoadHazard truck. It changed aliases as it changed hands, but since Darren purchased this rig, it now responds to the name Lucky7—and it has a whole new persona to go along with it.

Surely, you’ve seen Darren’s old ’90s Ford Ranger dubbed #1447 that underwent numerous build phases with the latest arising from a gnarly multiple-flip crash that ended up in flames. Darren builds and drives his trucks to withstand heavy abuse, and even though his Ranger was designed for the most lethal of beatdowns, Lucky7 has been revamped to take on even more punishment if you can imagine that. Oh, and did we mention that this thing still has a fully functional AC and heat system too?

If you’re now just laying eyes on Lucky7, we can’t say that we’re surprised. It’s hard to keep something this rad under wraps these days, but Darren did his best to stay tight-lipped about the truck’s re-evolution until it was nearly complete. While his #1447 Ranger sported a cool throwback ’90s style after it was rebuilt from the fire, Darren thought it would be fun to focus on even more killer nostalgia. To set the truck apart as its own, he envisioned giving it a groovy ’70s casino vibe, and the boogie-oogie tri-colored graphics and other mods that followed accomplished just that.

With the style of the F-100 turning out just as Darren envisioned, he continued to make a few tweaks to the truck’s performance roster. The 2011 GM LSX 442 ci powerplant from Danzio Performance was further souped up and backed by an equally beefy Dirt Matic 4L80 transmission. This combo gave Darren’s ’75 the necessary muscle it needed to keep up with his unique style of driving. Darren soon had this part of the puzzle well taken care of, but the next phase of the build would prove to be just as critical to improving the truck’s abilities at the races.

Harnessing the F-100’s power output is a full 4130 TIG-welded, 2-inch tube chassis that has been decked out to eat up the extreme conditions it was designed to conquer. The front end boasts 24 inches of travel, while the rear articulates up to 34 inches—an impressive feat that is made capable with all-new King 3.0/3.5-inch and 3.0/4.5-inch front and rear shocks respectively. 17-inch KMC Impact wheels and BFG KR3 desert racing tires were then added to ensure superior handling capability and rugged good looks— important characteristics Darren would never have to worry about lacking. Next, Evan Weller Racing then blessed the 6-year-old 10-inch differential with an updated set of 5.43 gearing for heightened performance while Lucky7 is out on the prowl.

While there was nothing wrong with how the F-100 looked when Darren first took ownership of it, he had to put his own spin on its appearance to solidify the name change. While the addition of the flaked-out yellow, gray, and burgundy color design inspired by Alloy Armor’s livery didn’t demand a complete overhaul, it still created the exact attitude adjustment Darren was hoping for. To cast necessary lighting onto the landscape once nighttime settles in, a network of KC HiLiTES units including four SlimLite 8-inch, two SlimLite 6-inch, 18 Cyclone, and five Carbon Pod LED housings were then wired up and set into position.

With the F-100’s exterior looking as fly as could be, Darren then moved onto the interior next. Even though the cabin was still quite functional and outfitted with everything needed to continue enjoying the truck as-is, there were a few changes scheduled to roll out before he allowed himself to get too excited. The truck’s existing seats were removed and replaced with a set of PRP Echo composite seats that were expertly pimped out by J&M Upholstery in what Darren refers to as Tiger King fabric. After seeing these wild seats inside of the truck, they are clearly the only buckets allowed to grace Lucky7 from this point forward. While Darren jokingly claims that the pair of fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view is the highlight of the interior renovation, just know that he is only kidding and knows darn well what draws the most attention.

This legendary F-100 is fresh out of the gate once again, but this time it’s undeniably crazier than ever before! Even though Darren had to sacrifice selling his old Ranger to help fund the purchase and upgrades to create Lucky7, he has zero regrets about it. In fact, it’s quite apparent that making the move was one of the best decisions he’s made throughout his entire racing career.

1975 Ford F-100

Owner: Darren Parsons

Ridgecrest, CA

Terra Crew

Engine & Drivetrain: 2011 LSX 442 ci by Danzio Performance, Menifee, CA; Holley EFI and Dominator fuel injection; Balanced and blueprinted; SCAT connecting rods; Ross pistons; Custom camshaft; Callies rotating assembly; Flowed LS3 cylinder heads; Factory intake manifold; RPM 2-inch headers and dual 3-to-5-inch exhaust system; MSD ignition; Dailey dry sump; 2024 Dirt Matic 4L80; Custom shift kit; B&M shifter; Dalenzie torque converter; CBR transmission cooler; Driveline by DriveshaftPro; 4-inch H&M chromoly housing

Chassis & Suspension: 2011 Brandon Wells Racing 2-inch tube chassis; 138-inch wheelbase; Skyjacker center-mount chassis lift kit; King springs and 3.0 shocks; Brandon Wells skid plates; Power Steering Solution box; Pyrotect 65-gallon fuel tank

Wheels, Tires & Brakes: 17-inch KMC Impact wheels; BFGoodrich KR3 tires; Wilwood 6-piston brake kits; Hydroboost

Body & Paint: Black paint by Jesus Villa, Ridgecrest, CA; Custom graphics by Ryan Abbatoye @ Rad Custom Graphics, Ridgecrest, CA; Factory grille; KC HiLiTES JK headlights and assorted LED housings; Danny Giannini Metal Design bumpers; Custom bodywork by McQueen Prototype Design

INTERIOR: PRP Echo composite seats; Tiger King fabric by J&M Upholstery, Ridgecrest, CA; 2-inch race-legal cage by Brandon Wells; Racepak dual 6.86-inch displays; MOMO steering wheel; PCI Trax Plus radio; Four-seat configuration with 30,000 BTU AC/heat