Gorgeous ’54 F100 Gives Us Mixed Feelings
It’s perfect, if you can overlook one big issue.
It seems like people have been hot-rodding the second-generation Ford F-Series since it hit showrooms back in 1953. There’s just something about its upright cab, slight wraparound windshield, bull nose, and low, stylized grille that’s just irresistible. Nevermind that it was available with the infinitely-moddable flathead V8 or massive 392 cubic inch Y-Block, these things look just as cool standing still as they do going fast.
And from the outset, this ivory white and deep red ’54 F100 has a ton going for it. It’s being offered at Mecum’s Las Vegas auction from November 15 to 17, and is already earmarked as a star of the show. It benefits from a recent frame-up restoration (finished in 2013) and is done up in a classic street truck look.
The good… and the not so good.
There’s a binder full of build documentation. The interior is beautifully done and completely custom. There’s chrome everywhere. The wood bed looks amazing. Four-piston Wilwood brakes and 11-inch drilled and slotted rotors handle stopping. Heidts front and rear suspension handle all the upgrades.
Then we get to the engine. The good? Well, 502 horsepower. A Tunnel Ram intake. A Compushift electronic control module. Electronic fuel injection. Sanderson headers. A four-speed automatic transmission. And… it’s all thanks to Chevy.
Yes, this classic Ford has a new 502 cubic inch high-output GM Performance V8 from Chevrolet. We get dropping in a junkyard LS motor for cheap speed in a project car. But for a build with this much care and attention to detail, why didn’t the owner go with a crate Boss 351 from Ford? Not only would it have stayed entirely Blue Oval, but it would also have made more power, 575 ponies to 502.
Still, we can’t fault the builder. This is a gorgeous F100, and we’re happy to see it on the road. Still, if we were bidding, you’d better believe we’d have some money budgeted to drop a Ford engine under that beautiful ’50s-style hood.
Photos: Mecum
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