1956 Ford F-100 Restomod is All Show and All Business
Daily Slideshow: Half a century after being acquired for the family business, this vintage Ford F-100 fell into years of disrepair. That was until the owner's son and grandson gave it a second life.
This old girl
The truck above was already eight years old when Skip Novak's father purchased it in 1964. In an article published on Hot Rod Network, Skip recalled that upon delivery, its engine was blown. But after a new Y-block was installed, the truck was put to work in the family's electrical business. Life was simple back then, and so were the trucks. But after a few years, the family replaced the F-100 with a newer pickup and this classic fell to Skip, who, as a teenager at the time, didn't need it for much. A lot of people would have probably junked the thing, and it's a testament to humanity's nostalgic tendencies (or is it their hoarding natures?) that they didn't, because fifty years later, Skip and his son have brought this old girl back to life.
Photos courtesy of Hot Rod Network.
Languishing in storage
Not that sixteen-year-old Skip had any inkling that his truck would one day look like a show car, but he did have the sense to hang onto the truck even after it no longer served his needs. He put her into storage and moved on with his life, leaving her alone to rot and rust. But as Skip got older and his interest in old trucks was rekindled, he realized that the Ford would make a great restoration project. He disassembled her down to the frame and began to dream about all the possibilities.
Photo of above depicts what the 1956 Ford F-100 looked like new.
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The playhouse
But his dreams were interrupted by college, then work, and eventually marriage, and what was left of the F-100 was returned to storage. Years later, after his kids were born, the truck was repurposed, and used as "a playhouse, Jungle Jim, and hideout." But through all that, the dream never died.
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The restoration begins
Fifty years after it first arrived, Skip, now retired, and his son Nick pulled the old girl out and began to put her back together. They pretty much resumed where Skip had left off and sandblasted the chassis, boxed the rails, and C-notched the frame. Everything needed to be rebuilt or replaced and they started with the suspension, adding a Fatman Stage III front end and triangulated four-link back end with QA1 coilovers all around. The setup featured power steering and sway bars, a Ford 9-inch running 4.11 gears, and an Eaton Detroit Truetrac.
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Where rubber meets the road
Wilwood 12-inch disc brakes with a CPP power booster were added, and an aluminum tank was dropped between the rear frame rails to free up cab space and eliminate the old gas fumes. Michelin tires with Foose rims completed the look.
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560 horses running wild
Under the hood, you will find a Roush 427 V-8 crate motor with a steel crank, H-beam rods, forged pistons, roller cam, MSD ignition, and aluminum CNC ported heads, good for an impressive 560 horsepower. Borla mufflers and a 2.5-inch exhaust system were teamed with an Inglese eight-stack electronic fuel injection setup, giving the truck an old-school, multi-stacked look with a modern fuel injection functionality. The engine cools to a SPAL 16-inch electric fan and Griffin aluminum radiator.
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Six forward speeds
The transmission is a three-speed C-6 automatic controlled by a Hughes Performance shift kit, Lokar linkage, and Gear Vendors overdrive.
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Classic modern inside
Inside the cab, we find that the dash holds a set of modern Dakota Digital gauges, and a new custom-built center console houses all the electrical fuses, relays, and a computer. They spent an entire winter looking for the Mustang power bucket seats that are now fitted into the truck and everything from the seats to the door panels and headliner were covered with synthetic black leather and red stitching. Other upgrades include electric windows, door locks, and windshield wipers, and an ididit steering column holds a Grant wheel. A new Vintage Air system and a Pioneer/Scosche sound system complete the work.
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Nips and tucks
On the outside, Skip wasn't interested in adding extra bodywork, only fixing and replacing rusted areas, closing gaps, welding heater vents, and fabricating the wheel wells to handle the larger 14-inch wide rear tires. One of the biggest changes he made was adding in a large back window. Since many portions of the truck were either missing or irreparably damaged, fenders, running boards, bed, etc., were sourced from Mid Fifty, an aftermarket F-100 online parts store. These parts were smoothed into the body and painted to match the exterior. Tri-Bar halogen headlights and 1937 FORD LED taillights were incorporated and high gloss hickory planks were fitted into the bed. The final step on the outside was the paint: PPG Gloss black.
After fifty years in the family, this old girl is young again, and stronger than ever. No matter how many auto shows she attends or miles she puts behind her, my best guess is that this truck's going to be in the family for another fifty... and probably more.
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