1951 Ford F-1 Restomod

Description

On the surface, building a truck as amazing as this 1951 Ford F-1 pickup may seem easy, but when you look at the details that make it so seamless, you realize that a lot of talent and a big pile of money were required. You could probably build one like this yourself, but since it would take years and cost a big pile of cash, why not just take this one home instead?

That beautiful copper paint is a great look on a vintage pickup truck and while it was done a few years ago, it still looks great thanks to the many virtues of two-stage urethane. On the curvaceous Ford sheetmetal, the design seems to emphasize every little detail and has a cool period look. Note the subtle eyebrows over the wheel openings, the shoulder that extends the hood line all the way around the cab, and the shape of the grille opening, all details that often get overlooked with ordinary paint. The nose is a one-piece fiberglass unit that tilts forward, there's a subtle chop on the roof, and the tailgate is smoothed, so it looks very slick from any angle. The running boards were painted to match the bodywork and the bed is beautifully finished with oak planks so it's probably too nice to use as a truck these days. Most of the chrome was painted body color or shaved, and there are trick carbon-fiber details on the hood that resemble vintage vents.

A full luxury interior was stuffed inside the pickup's cab, including a nicely upholstered tan bench seat that's stylish yet appropriate. Matchng door panels made it easy to get everything to work together and putting plush carpets on the floor helps to control noise and heat. The original dash remains, augmented by two custom inserts full of Auto Meter gauges and an Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo where the original AM radio might have lived. They created a custom lower panel that follows the curves of the dash, so it looks OEM and houses stuff like the A/C vents and controls. A polished steering column and 3-spoke wheel make it easy to get comfortable in the driver's seat where you'll quickly forget you're in a 60-year-old pickup truck. You can see that there's a lot of money just in the interior alone.

A lot of credit for the high-end feel has to go to the 302 cubic inch V8 under the hood, whose effortless power makes this truck a true pleasure to drive. It's been rebuilt to a substantially stronger spec that includes a Holley 4-barrel carburetor, polished Edelbrock intake manifold, and MSD ignition system. With plenty of horsepower on tap, it feels like it could pull all day without breaking a sweat, and looks like a million bucks doing it. A few dress-up pieces like the Ford Racing valve covers and matching air filter make it great to look at, and with a big aluminum radiator, it never gets cranky in traffic. It also uses a serpentine belt drive system for reliability. Underneath, the chassis offers a Mustang II front suspension, including power steering and 4-wheel disc brakes, as well as a great-sounding exhaust system with tips that exit just ahead of the rear wheels. An automatic transmission feeds a custom 9-inch rear end with highway gears that make it a fantastic highway cruiser and the lowered stance is just wicked. Flashy Torque Thrust wheels and staggered 215/65/15 front and 295/50/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials help with the high performance look.

This is the kind of truck that few guys get to own, but everyone wishes they could. Well, now's your chance, so call today!