This is how my 1954 restoration started out. The first time, that is. I was 14 in the mid 1970s and had a paper route. Everyday I would pass this truck while on my route. I went to school with the Man's son and ask him if he thought that his Dad would sell it. He said to ask him the next time that I collected for the paper from him. I did and the man said that he would take $100- U.S. for it. If I remember correctly, I had my Mom drive the Station Wagon that we pulled it home with. Now this was the 2nd vehicle to make it to the house on a rope. The first was a 1961 VW slider roof Beetle that was across the street from the truck. Me and my younger brother drug/dragged it home with the Craftsman riding mower. The truck was little to heavy to use the mower.

1st picture of the 1954 F100. This is in 1975. The new 1974 Chevy Wagon was used to pull it home.

At the time this was my only vehicle project. I disassembled most of the body and took the engine to a local Machine shop. At some point after the rebuild of the engine I couldn't get it to start again and decided to install a 400M and auto. Someone wanted to buy the 400M so I decided to put a 390 FE and a C-6 auto in it out of a 1968 Galaxie. By 1977 I bought a 1965 Mustang, 6 cyl, 4speed Dagenham. In 1978 I sold the first Mustang to my brother and bought a 1964.5 Mustang that had a 302 and 4 speed in it and proceeded to drive it every day and through College Up until late 1981. Went back to the University but drove a 1974 Dodge van until 1985.
Back to the truck. I came back to north Alabama from Auburn and me and my younger brother that I always seemed to do car stuff with decided to go out from town a bit where land was cheaper, unrestricted and no nosey neighbors to contend with, to buy a couple of acres with a shop building to work on our cars. The '54 came out along with everything else and it may have moved a few things too. Because we were in to Mustangs it didn't take long for the public to find that we were there. Before you know it customer work took everything over. By then the old truck was doing double duty as a river runner, picking up and dropping of my canoe and then at work as a shuttle vehicle to go out back behind my shop to get a part or take something out there. One day someone asked if it was the "yard dog". I guess that it was for a little while until the 390 was taken out to put in a 1967 Falcon. After that it sat a while, at least 18 or 19 years. Back in 2009 I bought another running chassis. A couple of years later I started buying some new cab corners and full cowl side pieces. For Christmas around 2014 Brother also gave me two roofs and some door window frames that had been cut off bad doors. He knew that I always wanted to chop the top on it. I have all of the pieces necessary to do such If I decide to go that route. But I do really like the traditional look of the original roof.
Currently the cab and bed is still bolted to the old chassis and a bunch of front end pieces are totally missing. I kind of remember something about a very large rubber tire articulating fork lift running over a stack of good stuff when crusher people were on the property crushing 20 junk LTDs and such. They made a mess and will never do that again. So I'm gonna need several parts.
The running chassis has always been protected since I bought it. It now resides in an 8'x50' Sea(C)box. I've had a problem with one of the container doors lately and one last hinge is hanging on and can not open the door and roll the loaded frame out until I fix the door. Most of the past 5 or 6 weeks, in my spare time that is, has been spent on the cab at lunch at work or a little time coming up with a way to fix the door to the box. occasionally I've started the 2nd chassis and keep fresh gas in it. The sea box is not a very ideal place to work on it but it is mostly weathertight.
I will be adding update info as I work through this project and I wish that I could say it is the only vehicle that I'm working on for now but it is not. At work there is at least ten going on or about to be and 4 are active and current. So be patient if it seems like I'm slow. In April I turned 60 and 2 years ago I survived a mild stroke and I'm good now. I'm very thankful that my Wife was at home Memorial day Monday to take me to the Hospital. It was a quicker ride than waiting on the Rescue Squad, then wait on an ambulance etc. I'm ready, willing and able!

 

I'm pretty sure a mod will move your thread to the appropriate place under builds if necessary.

Cool beginning to your Effie story. I look forward to hearing what happened the next 45 years.

 

@fatfenders I put a link there to link to here. Thanks!
A few weeks back during lunch I removed all of the switches out of the dash and also remove the electric wiper assembly. I want to use a later model Ford wiper motor (12 volt) and intermittent wipers. Maybe 1979 Ford truck wiper motor and delay switch or 1997 Explorer or maybe 1993 Mustang wiper motor and delay circuit out of it. I'm open to ideas.

1954 F100 wiper assembly is in very good shape. It hasn't had much run time.

1997 Explorer wiper motor. One of the possibilities.

 

Looks like you found the time to get back to the 54 - that's Great! I've had my 54 since 1978. Ask me anything and I'll likely have an answer or know who to send you to.

 

Saturday late my Dennis Carpenter 1956 pair of rocker panels arrived. They shipped well and the quality is real good.


Panels

Another view.

 

Hi ranger, thanks for the history of your 54. I'd say keep it simple and get her on the road and enjoy her again.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of parts that I bought recently.

Recycled roof skin, the original grill support and new side cowl panels. Can you see the guard monkey in the picture?

Left lower cab corner.

 

I've only been able to work on the chassis for the last couple of weekends. I spent some time making more room for my back fender stand/cart. I don't have any current pics of the truck project. I won't be able to work on the cab until I finish what I'm working on at work. Here is a picture of that. At some some point, somewhere, I may start a thread of the 1970 Mustang Convertible 351 Cleveland powered restoration. Picture below.


From the factory 351 Cleveland 4bbl, FMX trans, Power disc brakes ,Power Steering, 9" differential ,Deluxe Interior. 2021 upgrades Borgesen PS box with Saginaw pump, Custom Autosound Stereo. New from Coker Tire Magnum 500s with BFGoodrich tires. Factory in dash AC added from several parts vehicles. Thank goodness for Carlisle PA Ford show, Brother was able to find the missing pieces that we didn't have from another parts car ('69 Cougar). Rotary compressor under hood.

 

As I look for parts occasionally either I find a part from my truck that I misplaced or I locate one somewhere here in the lower 48 that I can purchase and have shipped to me. Last week I found my old 3 on the tree shifter column rod. The hand shifter part was not with it and I haven't seen the column cover. I have yet to look in my old bus storage area for missing parts. In the 1970s I had installed a 1968 FE 390 and C-6 and was shifting with one 1/2 of the 3 on the tree. When I would park it then I would shift in to the other half of the 3 on the tree as a theft deterrent.
Recently I located a 1953-55 Automatic shift column. As my dead Chevy friend would say "It's made of unobtainium".


I want to thank the Octogenrian out in the desert southwest who 40 years ago had the foresight to collect, save and protect the antique parts that he is now selling in his later years.
EDITED-In order to correct any incorrect information, I decided to ad this. This IS NOT an Auto column. I had located one but it turned out to be one for a 1956 F100 which has a shorter column tube and steering shaft. If the person who "educated" me on this reads this, thanks and I have learned many more things about these trucks in the process.
Added 2-5-22 A few months back and 4 months after I purchased this column, I was able to negotiate a partial refund.

 

Quick question for you guys. Was the 1956 column the first year column to have the P R N D L indicator on top of the column?

 

No, 54 Fordomatic has it too.

 

A little update. I have been purchasing parts for my truck project here and there and even from some of you members. Thank you all! I will get some pictures of the parts and post them soon.
Recently I purchased a running driving Ford for the donor engine for the 1954 F100 project. A 1997 Mercury Mountaineer 5.0. Actually I will be using the complete drivetrain. It has a 4R70W automatic behind the 5.0 and an 8.8 differential in the back of it.
I don't have an under hood picture of before I started working on it. It had a leaky water pump and I wanted to get that straight before it caused future problems. The work space to get to the pump is limited and requires removing quite a bit of parts to get down to the pump. So much that I might as well replace the timing chain and gears while I'm down in there. These are about the best 5.0s that FoMoCo built in the past before they quit making them. A plus for the project is that all of the power steering pump and AC etc is all on this engine and will work with the power R&P and AC that will be added to the old truck.
Here are a couple of under hood pics, dirt and all.

 

Look forward to seeing your project take shape! But now it looks like you will need to change your username to "1954F100mountaineer" .

 

@BTclassics LoL. The Mountaineers are Explorers...
Being winter and having more time to think about working on vehicles than being able to work on then as much as the non-winter time of year, I have been studying and thinking about the different front suspension possibilities. When I fixed up my truck the first time, I didn't do much to the old front end. Being a teenager in the mid '70s I figured that was just how these old trucks are supposed to drive. I'm sure at the time replacement parts were available. But now there are upgrade parts for the original straight axle design. Disc brake kits. Toyota power steering
In the '70s though, people were clipping front snouts off of Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, RTS Trans Ams. Also the clips off of Dodges, Chryslers and Plymouths. A friend has an F100 clipped with a Dodge front end and a 440 in it. But you didn't see the trucks clipped with a Falcon, Mustang, Maverick, They didn't have frames as did the other makes. Just a unibody structure. Not very clip-able.
It was later in the '70s when you started hearing about Mustang II (2) front suspensions being used in smaller hotrods. Then fabers like Heidt's started making 1/4" plate front crossmember kits that utilized the Mustang II components. In the case of the F100s, Heidt would make the crossmember wider than the Mustang II to match the truck's tracking width. Recently I saw someone near me use a 2003 Crown Vic aluminum crossmember. The tracking width is a little wide for my personal taste, but even those can be professionally narrowed taking a chunk out of the middle. If one takes out 3 inches then a 1979-93 Mustang R&P can be used to make it turn.
ADDED: Don't forget about the Jag and Vette front end options.
It looks like it would be a bit complicated to clip a 1995 to 2001 Explorer front clip to the old F100 truck frame. They have rack & pinion steering and torsion bars under the front much like an old Dodge from the early '70s.
After I was unable to get an original steering box good and cheap I decided that I won't be using an original front end under this project.
If I ever find a 1953 F100 with a Flathead and automatic. Red with red interior, I will keep it original. My final F100 dream.
.

 

More parts purchased 2021 and Jan 2022

Painted Wimbledon White. What was the original paint code?

Rear 1956 lamps. Cheap. Has plastic housings from Ching Chang. They will do for now. More than likely to get damaged and need replaced later.

Head lamp assemblies. Good used condition.

Tilt hood kit. Import. I can work with it. There is no way that I could make one for as cheap as this was.

Radiator support. Good condition. Just needs a tad of welding.
There are a few more parts that I have purchased recently. Pictures not available today. Ordering black Epoxy primer soon. I will be piicking up sand for blasting locally.