Vehicle Description
If you're like me, you glanced at the photos and said to yourself,
"Wow, what a pretty truck!" This 1951 Ford F-1 has a classic look,
but it's also been very tastefully upgraded to create an awesome
resto-mod that gets just about everything right, including the
bargain price tag.
The soft blue paint on this truck isn't quite an original Ford
color, but it's not totally wrong, either. The 1950s were all about
pastels and it works as well here as it did on, say, a vintage
Crown Victoria. The redesigned F-1 is one of the best looking
trucks of all time, so they didn't try to reinvent it when this one
was built, so it keeps a very authentic look. The bumpers and
grille are still traditional white and all the factory trim remains
in place. Finish quality is quite good, with clean bodywork and a
nice shine to the light blue paint. The body and bed are steel and
it all works together to create an iconic truck that will stand out
everywhere it goes. The few chrome bits still on the truck are in
excellent condition and we love the way they painted the Ford
script on the tailgate to make it stand out. Of course there's wood
in the bed, and it has a fantastic dark stain that contrasts nicely
with the paint, a trick that gives the truck an upscale
character.
The interior is simple, with the original bench seat reupholstered
in black vinyl with original-looking pleats. The bright blue paint
wraps onto the door panels and the dash was finished in black to
keep it from becoming pastel overload. The factory gauges were
replaced with a beautiful set of dials that were built just for
this application and there's a big wood-rimmed wheel that adds
warmth to the interior. The rest appears to be fairly stock, from
the crank windows to the rubber floor mat, so it still feels like a
vintage pickup truck when you slide behind the wheel. Attention to
detail matters and this Ford manages to create an old truck feel
that doesn't feel antiquated.
Reliable power comes in the form of a 302 cubic inch V8 from a
late-model, with a chassis borrowed from a '70s pickup. As a
result, it's no slouch in the performance department, sporting a
Weiand intake manifold, Holley 4-barrel carburetor, a modest
camshaft, and a big radiator up front. A serpentine belt drive
system helps with reliability, and that donor truck also supplied
power front disc brakes and power steering, so it's a joy to drive.
The twin I-beam suspension is built to work and there are leaf
springs out back, so that bed isn't exclusively for show if you
have some light hauling to do. A custom Flowmaster exhaust system
sounds awesome and the C4 3-speed automatic transmission feeds a
9-inch rear end that's virtually indestructible. Handsome chrome
wheels with baby moon hubcaps give it a bit of an old-school look
and carry 275/60/15 white-letter radials.
A truck that looks great and drives even better, this pretty Ford
attracts a lot of attention but the guy who will enjoy it most is
the one sitting behind the wheel. Call today!