Ford has never been afraid of bucking the status quo for innovation and improvement. In 1960, they proved this by offering their F-series pickup as a unibody construction, a first for any pickup from the Big 3. The advantage for Ford was a simpler assembly process, allowing for lower cost of production. The bed and cab were no longer separate pieces, as the bedsides were spot-welded directly to the door sills, making the cab and bed one solid piece. As innovative as it was, the public preferred the traditional separate cab and bed on frame, and Ford ended production in 1962, making the unibody trucks very rare and desirable in the truck world.
This example from 1961 was treated to a museum-quality, nut-and-bolt restoration to return it to original factory specifications. Starting with a rust-free Southwest truck, the body was repainted in the factory two-tone combination of Academy Blue and Corinthian White. All chrome was replated, the trim was polished and a set of Firestone whitewall tires with matching spare was added. It’s powered by a 292ci V8 engine, backed by a 3-speed manual column-shift overdrive transmission. Under the hood is incredibly detailed and period-correct, right down to the hose clamps and battery. The underside has been completely cleaned and detailed to showroom condition as well. Inside, the soft surfaces were reupholstered with the factory-correct padded dash, armrests and bench seat. It also is equipped with factory temperature controls, cigarette lighter, AM radio and a white steering wheel with a chrome horn ring.
With a no-expense-spared restoration focusing on quality and originality, this is a premium example of classic Ford innovation.
