Aussie 1956 F-100 Receives Beastly Coyote Transplant
Finding an old F-100 in Australia isn’t exactly easy. And that’s what makes this restomod project even more intriguing!
Here in America, we often complain about how hard it is to find a suitable old Ford truck to work on. As prices and interest have risen in recent years, the availability of solid trucks has predictably dried up. But if you think you’ve got it bad, just think about our friends across the pond. In places like Australia, it’s seemingly impossible to find something like an old F-100. So when Ford Truck Enthusiasts member bryangtho scored a right-hand drive ’56 F-100 recently, we took notice!
“I have been looking for RHD ’56 F-100 for a long time now. Finally got my hands on one a few weeks ago. I picked it up from the Dandenong ranges in Victoria, a week ago. I plan on putting a lot money into it. It’s not in terrible condition, but it will need a lot of work. The motor is 272 Y block with matching chassis and gear box.
My plan is to use an Art Morrison GT Sport chassis and around a 500 hp Ford Racing engine. I have it in my mate’s shed now and have to wait for an engineer to come and have a look at it. It is so hard to get an old car re-registered over here. But it makes it a lot easier if it is RHD. And parts are very hard to get over here for the ’56.”
After a deal for a supercharged 5.4-liter falls through, the OP decides to just order a brand new Coyote. Which we’d say is the better option, anyway.
“Just got back from Herrod in Melbourne and bought a brand new 2017 Coyote with a 6-speed manual gearbox. I also got a new power steering and A/C unit from Vintage Air. Ordered a custom front end for it as well. It will take about 8 weeks to build it. And I’m still waiting on my Stage 2 Edelbrock supercharger, which should help it put out about 730 hp.”
But as soon as the OP starts mocking things up, he discovers a pretty big problem.
“l have been having trouble trying to match the supercharger to the Coyote with the A/C and steering pump. It will not work, so I’ve got a mockup using a Roush supercharger. The front end should be here in the next few weeks and I’ll be running 330 mm Baer brakes with 6 piston calipers. I’ve also ordered a full floating differential and will be running 300 mm Baer 4 piston brakes out back.”
