Sherbert 1955 F-100 is a Swingtime Classic

Period Correct

'50s Ford F-100 hot rods are a dime a dozen these days. Typically, builders slam them down, fit modern drivetrains in them, and paint them all sorts of fancy colors. But if you're looking for a proverbial breath of fresh air, look no further than this gorgeous 1955 Ford F-100.

It was designed from the start to be a '50s-era period correct hot rod. And it turned out more than nice enough to score a full feature at, you guessed it, Hot Rod Magazine.

Truly Old School

Also fittingly, the truck was built by Henry Laird and later sold to his buddy Bob Bradley, who like to call themselves "old buzzards." Thus, everything about this build is decidedly old school, from the methods used to paint and mechanicals.

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Lincoln Power

That starts under the hood, where you won't find the typical small-block Chevy or even some 302 ripped from a Mustang. A 1978 Lincoln donor car coughed up its 400 V8 for this project, which now sports an Edelbrock 650 cfm carb and intake. 

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Organ Donor

That same donor car provided a number of suspension components, including the front end (which has 2.5-inch drop spindles), power steering, brakes, and rear end. A C6 transmission handles shifts, while factory exhaust manifolds breath through Thrush mufflers.

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Old and Trusted Techniques

Of course, it's the bodywork that proves to be a real crowd pleaser on this Ford F-100. But even that was done with a decidedly old-school approach. Instead of resorting to body filler, traditional lead techniques were used to get this sheet metal straight as an arrow. They even utilized block separation paint techniques that haven't been popular in decades.

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Spooky Mods

This wouldn't be a period correct hot rod without some kind of body mods, however. So you'll find things like twin hood scoops and a front-tilt hood to jazz it up a bit. The front bumper was ditched and the grille painted body color. And if you look close enough, you'll see a skull with light-up eyes behind it.

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Playful Touches

On the inside, you'll find that the original bench seat has been recovered in black and grey leather. Skulls and buzzards adorn the dash, and there's even a devil's head for a shift knob. Those playful touches give this Ford F-100 a truly unique personality befitting of the builder.

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Modern yet Vintage

There are a few modern amenities to make this F-100 more livable, of course. They include TPI-Tech Instruments, a Kenwood stereo, upgraded speakers, and a CD changer. But some shag carpet adorns the headliner, just to let you know you're still driving something from a different era.

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Busy Bed

The bed of this truck has lots of cool details, including an integrated toolbox made from the hood of an import. The custom fabricated rear pan has a recessed license plate, and the taillights are from a '59 Cadillac. Finally, the rear fenders are fiberglass pieces 2-inches wider than stock.

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Perfect Throwback

Those wider fenders make room for 15×8 Steely spinner rims wearing 60-series Marauder Maxis tires. Up front, you'll find 15x6 steelies wrapped in 70-series rubber. But the finishing touch is a Big Bad Orange and gray paint job with loads of hand-painted pinstriping. It's the perfect finishing touch for a truly unique throwback!