This awesome 1956 Ford F100 CusAtom Pickup “The Bronze Bomber” is the ultimate restomod American classic truck. It was the product of a frame off nut and bolt restoration that was recently finished with only 210 test miles since completion. The Cherrywood Bronze exterior and Cherrywood Bronze w/ tan leather interior is an amazing color combination. This truck is in show quality condition and loaded with many custom features such as Budnik 18” wheels, air conditioning, power windows, power steering, power four wheel disc brakes and C5 Corvette suspension system. It’s powered by a Smith Racing Engines built 351W V8 w/403HP and a Ford AOD transmission. Dare to compare!
The truck was owned and restored by well-known automotive enthusiast John Bickford. If you haven’t heard of him just google his name. John started the restoration in April of 2014 and completed it in April of 2017. Receipts and photos of the restoration are included with the sale. MS CLASSIC CARS purchased the truck directly from John in 2020. MS CLASSIC CARS put our touches on the truck which is documented with the invoice in the photo gallery. John shared a great story that is quoted below.
The exterior of this awesome truck is absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word. The factory design of this truck is timeless. This truck was tastefully customized during the restoration which turned it into a spectacular piece. It’s truly like artwork when you study the design right down to the color and wheel selection. The truck retains the original cab and doors. All of the remaining sheet metal including the entire bed was replaced. The body is very straight with very nice gaps lines throughout. The hood and doors close very nicely. The hood opens and tilts forward on the custom No Limit Engineering aluminum hood hinges and hood pump system. The body was finished in Cherrywood Bronze which is a 1961 Pontiac color. This is a beautiful color especially on this truck. The paint is in excellent condition and was recently detailed to show quality shine. All of the tinted glass was replaced new and the factory side vent glass with molding was removed for a clean look. The front windshield has stainless trim and the rear window has black rubber trim. Everything on the exterior has been restored or replaced such as the chrome grille, headlight buckets and bumpers. Some of the exterior custom features include chrome wipers, chrome custom dual mirrors, chrome door handles, covered key holes, modern headlights, 1932 Ford tail lights and license plate holder. The truck has a perfect stance on new Budnik “E85 SKO” 18” wheels that are polished with a Bronze center. The wheels are wrapped with new Pirelli P Zero tires that are 245-45-18 on the front and 275-45-18 on the rear. MS CLASSIC CARS added these wheels and tires which were special ordered with a cost over $6,000. The custom 5-spoke aluminum 15” wheels that were on the truck are included. Those wheels are wrapped with Optimo ME04 225-70-15 tires on the front and General Grabber HTS 265-75-15 tires on the rear. The new rear bed was completely painted and dressed with stainless steel bolts throughout. The bed has a new wood floor with chrome rails and chrome tailgate hinges. The custom gas filler is discreetly placed on the rear of the wood floor.
The interior is this awesome truck is also absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word. It’s very comfortable and spacious for all types of driving. The entire cabin was painted the body color which looks amazing. The headliner, door panels and bench seat was upholstered in brown and tan high grade leather which also looks amazing. It’s equipped with seat belts that are also brown. The entire floor was covered with custom carpeting that is a mixture of the interior colors of brown and tan. The dash was completely customized and painted the body color. Custom vents were added to the dash as well. Some of the interior custom features include an Ididit painted tilt steering column with a brushed mounting bracket and billet levers, Budnik “Shotgun” steering wheel with a Bronze center that matches the wheels, Vintage air conditioning with controls located in glovebox, Specialty Power Windows, drilled window cranks, drilled door handles and billet pedals. A custom panel was made under the bench seat that has a power outlet, wiper motor knob, headlight knob, Kenwood stereo and two Dayton Audio speakers. The fuses are located behind the bench seat and covered with a custom carpeted cover.
The engine compartment is like a jewelry box and highly detailed throughout. It’s loaded with many custom parts. The backside of the hood was painted the body color and looks great. The entire engine compartment was also painted the body color and looks great. The truck is powered by a Smith Racing Engines built 351W V8 w/403HP. The dyno sheet is included with the sale. This engine was built with a ton of high performance parts such as HYPT pistons, Comp camshaft, chrome moly push rods, aluminum roller rockers, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads, Edelbrock Victor series aluminum water pump, double roller chain, etc. A complete breakdown of the entire engine build is included with the sale. It’s equipped with a Mr. Gasket fuel pump, Holley carburetor, MSD ignition system, Ford Racing black wires, braided lines and a Streetdrive pulley system with March pulleys. The engine is dressed with aluminum valve covers and a custom air cleaner that were both painted to match the body and then stenciled with Ford V8 in the same shade of tan that matches the interior. The engine is cooled by a custom aluminum radiator with electric fan and aluminum overfill canister. The radiator hose has heat shrink clamps. The engine breathes through JBA headers and a Borla Pro XS dual exhaust system that sounds so sweet. The engine is coupled to a professionally built Ford AOD automatic transmission with Hughes 2500 stall converter. The transmission is equipped with a transmission cooler and a TCI transmission pan. The power is transferred to a Currie 9” rear end. It has 31 spline axles, 3.78 gears and a Hendrick Motorsports center section directly from the race shop. The rear end was painted to match the body. This driveline is awesome!
The undercarriage is highly detailed throughout with many custom components. This undercarriage is nice enough to display with mirrors at a car show. The frame was painted the body color which looks great. The stainless fuel tank was also painted the body color which looks great. It’s equipped with power steering that works excellent. It’s also equipped with power four wheel disc brakes with a CPP master cylinder and red calipers. The entire front suspension system is from a C5 Corvette that includes polished control arms, coilover shocks, etc. The rear suspension is a torsion bar setup with Competition Suspension, Inc. shocks. This truck drives and handles the road excellent.
