I don’t care what your favorite flavor of speed is; we can all agree that pre-runners are absolutely spectacular. If you're not on board yet, you really need to check out the latest upload to Autotopia LA’s YouTube channel. The star of the show is a 1973 Ford F-100 pre-runner that’s in full party mode at all times, that’ll leave you with the itch to build your own. Even die-hard purists can’t deny it, despite the fact that it’s rolling with a Small Block Chevy under the hood. The F-100 Pre-Runner With Deep Family Ties Autotopia LA, YouTube This absolutely killer 1973 F-100 belongs to Alex Dalpe, also known as RadF100 on social. He inherited the truck, finishing it for his late uncle. Like many Fords, it lived a long life as a farm rig but has now been repurposed as a full-blown race truck that Dalpe and his friend Jacob Osier at Jacob Osier Race Cars, JORaceCars on social, built themselves.Dalpe and Osier aren’t exactly greenhorns, and their work shows for it. Only a few parts of the project were handled by other shops, like the roll cage that was built by Solo Motorsports. That’s a lot to take in, considering the sole remaining part of the truck that hasn’t been modified is the VIN.Autotopia LA, YouTube The frame is a custom chromoly piece fabricated for this beast. With that comes a completely custom off-road suspension and driveline setup. The cabin is all steel, but the hood, fenders, and bed are all fiberglass, helping the truck retain a weight of just 5,580 pounds. Believe it or not, that's on the lighter end of what these trucks typically weigh in at.At first glance, you can tell this F-100 is the real deal. It’s rough around the edges, with plenty of scuffs and dings, paired with meaty 37-inch BF Goodrich tires that tell you it’s built to thrash. As a matter of fact, it was just used at King of the Hammers prior to filming. Thankflly, you don’t have to use your imagination to see this thing in action, as Dalpe doesn’t hold back when the test-drive section of the video commences. Small Block Chevy Makes The World Go Round Autotopia LA, YouTube One of the first details revealed about this truck is that it doesn’t have a Ford engine under the hood. Instead, the powerplant of choice is a small block Chevrolet that’s been built into a 383 stroker. The engine’s never been dynoed, but Dalpe estimates it’s cranking out somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 horsepower.This build is a reminder that the small-block Chevy is one of the most versatile performance engines ever built. No, it’s not the biggest or meanest powerplant, but it’s a cheap, reliable engine that could make good power with easy-to-follow build plans that are available anywhere you look. Long before the LS became the king of engine swaps, it was the go-to for over-the-top custom builds like this.Those of you more hung up on the fact that a 500-horsepower engine isn’t enough for a three-ton truck, Dalpe’s with you on that. He’s actually building a big block Chevy to take its place. The 383 was simply a placeholder for them to get the rest of the truck finalized. So, as rowdy as this thing is already, it’s about to become way more ridiculous. Build It To Your Standards And Forget The Rest Autotopia LA, YouTube Despite how insanely cool this truck is, you’re still going to have someone boiling over with rage because it doesn’t have a Ford engine. Does it really matter, though? The truck is clearly being driven and shown a ton of love, which isn’t the same for the countless other retired farm trucks that are rotting away with the original engine under the hood. Not to mention, if you had the chance to get behind the wheel, you'd probably forget all about anything to do with branding as, no matter what's under the hood, this thing is a riot.If you’re still mad about it and feel like a Ford powerplant would be better, you should build your own truck to prove it. No, seriously, do it because you’ll only be bringing another amazing rig into the world. Even if you’re wrong, it’s a win-win situation.