Daily Slideshow: 1958 F100 Resto Project Start to Finish
Forum member F-100CustomCabTBC documents the restoration process of his 1958 F100 pickup.
Restoring a Classic
Forum member Blaine Maus, AKA F-100CustomCabTDC on FordTrucks.com is the owner of this clean and classy 1958 F100 Styleside. Restored trucks like this one pop up time and again, but it is not too often we get to see the restoration process from start to finish. Fortunately for us, F-100CustomCabTDC documented his journey of breathing new life back into a truck that had seen better days.
Rusted & Corroded
The F100 had apparently been sitting for over a decade before Blaine decided to start working on it. But first, he fired up the old girl and drove her around for 6 months before the process began. He explains that it had been poorly repainted at some point in its life and the biggest obstacle in the restoration was likely going to be sprucing up the body as rust had eaten up the bottom half of the cab. After being quoted $18,000 for bodywork alone, F-100CustomCabTBC decided a donor cab would be the least costly alternative for his build.
The Heart Transplant
First order of business was stripping the truck down to its bare frame, which received a small patch before being coated in black. The 272 cid V8 was sent off to the machine shop for a proper going through, but unfortunately, had main bearing web cracks that resulted in the block being written off. F-100CustomCabTBC found a 239 cid block at the local junk on the cheap to replace the 272. While parts ended up costing substantially more for the 239 V8, it would eventually serve as the powerplant for the F100.
Patience is a Virtue
Several years would pass before the rebuilt engine and Ford-O-Matic transmission were mated to one another and installed in the truck. In the meantime, F-100CustomCabTBC managed to find a clean cab to replace the rusted-out original. With the cab, engine & transmission, and steering column mocked-up, the truck was taken to a local muffler shop where a new exhaust system was fabricated.
A Traditional Truck
F-100CustomCabTBC continued to refurbish components where he could because the plan was always to keep the truck as original as possible without adding any modern amenities such as power steering, disc brakes, etc. Restorations take time as is evident by the trim pieces being sent out for re-chroming, painting of the steering box/driveline/etc., the fuel tank being cleaned/coated inside and out, and the fabrication of parts that are no longer available. Maus mentions that he turned to LMC Truck on several occasions for replacement parts, and even bought a new cover from them for the bench seat that he installed out of his dad's old 1981 F250 since the original was in such bad shape.
Classic Color Chip
After one final mock-up, the body was disassembled for paint. The floorpan, underbody, and underside of the hood were sprayed with a chip guard paint for durability. F-100CustomCabTBC opted for a classic two-tone white/blue finish that really pops when under the sun. While the paint shop may have been largely responsible for the exterior finish, F-100CustomCabTBC hand-painted several chrome bits, including the hood emblem, that adds a nice finishing touch to the truck.
Its Alive!
After receiving the F100 back from paint, it was largely a job of reassembling everything for one last time. Fresh glass was installed, as were the bumpers, grille, emblems, and exterior lighting. With everything wired up and filled with fluids, F-100CustomCabTBC was able to fire the engine up nearly 6 years after the project had begun. While he may still have needed to tie up a few odds and ends on the interior before the truck was complete, he likely felt a huge sense of accomplishment as the old V8 roared to life.
Awarded As He Goes
With the truck finished, Blaine Maus decided to take it out to a local car show and deservingly won the "Peoples Choice" award for trucks. A couple of weeks later, he drove it out to another car show and the truck won another award. The following day he drove the F-100 100 miles to the Kornfest Car Show in Holmen, WI to win his third consecutive award! Hats off to F-100CustomCabTBC on the beautiful restoration of his 1958 Ford F-100 and congratulations on the well-deserved awards for his great work!
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