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1955 Ford F100
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Most street rod projects start out with a pile of parts and an arbitrary plan on what to do with them.
This was one of those projects. Actually, I bought this collection of rusty fenders and bald tires from a guy who had a game plan, which he later decided to abandon. The torch was passed to me in the Spring of 1981.
When I took over this project, the only advantage I had was the fact that the former owner invested substantial time and money in modifying this truck's powerplant. A Clifford Research "6=8" intake manifold with a 390 cfm (4 bbl carb) was bolted onto the original straight-six engine, along with a set of "Viper" headers. I later added the dual exhaust stacks (made from an old set of Thrush aluminum side pipes).
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The first thing I did to the body was replace the (rusted-out) front fenders with a set of fiberglass repro's.
I was extremely fortunate to find an old tandem-wheeled F350 in decent shape at a local junkyard. Since the F350 cab was very similar to my F100, I was able to make use of a (badly needed) rear window, a passenger door, a front bumper, and a bench seat. The step-side bed was refurbished with new oak flooring, and two sheets of 1/8" steel plate were welded to the sides. A new tailgate and a rear bumper were made from scratch, using some steel stock acquired from a local welding shop.
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After spending several months piecing the body together, installing new wiring and a new brake system, the truck was finally prepped for paint. In the Fall of 1982, three coats of "Autumn Red" lacquer were applied, and the bench seat got a new cover at a re-upholstery shop.
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