1956/1979 Ford F-600 Dubbed ‘Beastie’ Is One Big Project…Literally
This giant Ford isn’t the owner’s first such project, but we’re betting it’s going to be his best one yet.
Common sense might tell you that fixing up a bigger truck likely entails more work. After all, you’re working with a bigger frame, bigger body panels, and larger suspension components. But that extra work certainly doesn’t scare off Ford Truck Enthusiasts member NotMeOfficer. In fact, he’s rebuilt his fair share of large Ford pickups over the years, including lots of vintage F-600s. But his latest project, which he’s affectionately named “Beastie,” appears to be his most ambitious yet.
“My next project – a 1956 cab/1979 F-600 4×4 chassis, FDS-75 front axle, H106 rear, 6.17 gears, and Rockwell two-speed. Ex-utility truck with a 30k pound center mount Garwood PTO winch, 5-speed, 390 (which is going to disappear in favor of a highly modded six), and 22.5’s
I have newly built axles sitting in the shop with front and rear lockers and locking hubs. I may do something unusual like air suspension. This is going to get a custom built aluminum chassis-mount camper and a complete resto.”
Unfortunately, this build also marks the end of a long road for the OP, too.
“I’m building one last truck. I’ve been selling off all my F-600s and Dentsides to a friend who has a fleet of them. As well as a shipping container full of parts. But I’m saving some gold for my last build. I can’t drive them all. I spend thousands on them and hundreds of hours and then I sell them for a small fraction what I have in them. If I saved all the money I spent on trucks, I could be living in the Santa Barbara foothills instead of Redding. But I’ve had fun, made friends, and learned a lot of fabrication skills along the way.”
In other words, this old Ford is going to turn out awesome thanks to the OP’s vast experience. But as with all projects, it has to start by, well, coming apart.
“I started disassembly. Pulled the dump body and ram, it was a bolt on and weighed about 1,500 pounds. Removed the big Braden winch, which also weighed about 1,500 pounds. I’m going to incorporate light duty ’73-’79 poly mounts in place of the 1/2” piece of rubber the PO used as body mount cushioning. The rear mount will be a new OEM ’56.”
Before long, the drivetrain was out and the OP managed to score a very interesting new setup for his vintage Ford.
“I stumbled across this combo for $1,800: Cummins 6BT medium-duty with an Allison 4-speed out of a school bus. It has 150k miles and it’s turbo’d and intercooled.”
As of now, the cab is off and the OP is beginning the process of sandblasting everything and doing bodywork. But we’re obviously very interested to see how this thing turns out. Given the OP’s previous experience and the parts he’s collected so far, we bet this Ford is going to turn out awesome. So be sure and head over here to stay tuned as the plan continues to come together!
Photos: Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
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