Three rebuilds, eight years of work, and 42 years of ownership have this classic Ford F1 looking incredible.
Totally Worth It
Trucks are a true love affair. Why else would we spend years of our lives and countless dollars working on them? It seems crazy to those who don't share our love of classic iron, but to us, the end results are well worth what it takes to get there. And judging by the way Bobby Jenkins' 1950 Ford F1 turned out, we're betting that the eight years it took for him to finish it was well worth it, too. Especially since Hot Rod gave the beautiful truck a full feature and photoshoot recently.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod
Numbers Game
The numbers behind this build are indeed astounding. Amazingly, Jenkins has owned this F1 for a whopping 42 years after buying it from his brother at the tender age of 13. At that time, Jenkins enlisted his friends and a local paint and body shop to get his truck looking right with a fresh brown paint job.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Award Winner
The Ford stayed that way for quite a few years before its next rebuild, which was much more serious this time. With the help of his brother, Jenkins stripped the truck down and painted it Porsche red, redoing just about everything that needed redoing. The result was so good that the F1 took home multiple show trophies in the years after its completion.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
World Class Rebuild
Incredibly enough, the truck stayed that way for 20 years before its third (maybe final?) rebuild. This time, Jenkins teamed up with a couple of master metal fabricators to make this old Ford something truly world-class.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Semi-Professional Build
The amazing thing about all of this is the fact that Jenkins did all of the work in his family garage on nights and weekends. Which also explains why it took eight years to finish. But he wanted something that looked like a proper professional build, and we'd say he certainly accomplished that lofty goal.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Like It's on Rails
The first step was to upgrade this F1's suspension to modern standards. That started with narrowed Fatman control arms, rack-and-pinion steering, a C-notched rear, a 9-inch diff, and a four-link setup. Jenkins left drum brakes in the rear but upgraded the fronts to 11-inch Wilwood stoppers. The finishing touch is a RideTech air ride setup that hunkers the F1 down on its 18-inch Billet Specialties wheels.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Exterior Upgrades
On the outside, this F1 received a ton of subtle visual upgrades. They include a tucked '40 Ford front bumper, custom aluminum grille bars, hood louvers, new running boards, and even a new roof to rid the truck of its sunroof. And interestingly enough, the headlights came from a Jeep Wrangler!
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Big Blue Oval Power
Like many older hot rods, Jenkins' old Ford originally ran a small block Chevy engine for many years. But he wisely chose to switch back to Blue Oval power with his latest rebuilt. This time around, he sourced a 460 from a 1971 Lincoln and gave it dual-quad carbs, ported and polished heads, a Comp cam, and headers.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Timeless Interior
As good as the engine bay looks, the interior arguably looks even better. Saddle Brown leather covers a Ranger split-bench seat, which is surrounded by contrasting PPG Deltron Sienna Brown. Pretty much everything else that could be covered in that delectable leather was, while AutoMeter gauges and a classic "banjo" steering wheel give this truck's interior a timeless look.
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Do It Again (and Again)
Fresh off its third (and best) rebuild, it's safe to say that this Ford F1 is probably going to stay this way for many years to come. But you can bet that when the time comes, Jenkins won't be afraid to tear it down and do it all over again!
>>Join the conversation about this restomod 1950 F1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.
