My Dads '56 Ford Pickup

This 56 Ford F100 has been in our extended family since new. It was originally purchased in Pixley, California. Yes, that's right; the one over by Hooterville, Crabb's Corner, and Petticoat Junction. Pixley is the only real town named in those old shows. Anyhow someone in my mother's family passed away so her dad went to California from Yoncalla, Oregon to retrieve it and bring it back to the ranch they lived on. Being a short-narrow box, it wasn't much use on the ranch so it got parked under an oak tree where it sat for at nearly 15 years. I never saw Grandad drive it in my memory which goes back to around 1965-66. When he passed away my mother inherited the truck and my pop went to restoring it, around 1976. He went through the motor pretty quickly and discovered it was mechanically sound although aesthetically a wreck. The paint, seafoam green, with the white top, was completely oxidized, and the wood plank box floor was rotted out. After getting it ambulatory again he had a local fella redo the bench seat in a simple vinyl, bought some wide Road Huggers (70s in front, 60s in back) and chrome wheels, and slapped a cherry bomb underneath it for the appropriate growl. Then my senior year he presented me they keys so that I could drive the two and a half blocks to school. That was 1979. It still had all the original glass, which was pretty pitted, and as I recall when I got to school first thing I would need to go wash the black residue off my hands. The moisture over the years had seeped into the steering wheel and softened up the plastic. Still it was a joy to drive—very cool looking and sounding, although the automatic transmission wasn't to my liking. I left home later that year for college, without the '56, but its been fun over the years to see how its been transformed. Pop worked in body shop for a few years and in his spare time he got the paint just right. Its been lowered now and the interior nicely redone in cloth.

I got to drive it again for the first time in years about a month ago. I was visiting the folks and dad say to me, "Wanna go to the dump?" The landfill is only 2 miles from town so lots of folks like dad can't see paying for garbage service when you can drive it up there yourself. Well I knew what he was hinting at. He wanted me to drive the '56. So I say "Sure, Pop. Lets go." We take a nice drive through town and he's telling about the suspension work, and boy can I feel it. Drives great. We head up the hill, a nice 6-7% grade up to the landfill. Sounds real healthy. We get to the top. Land fill is closed. Its always closed on Mondays. That's alright. We took our garbage home and enjoyed the drive.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• '56
• Ford
• short
• narrow
• Pickup
• F100
• Oregon
• auto
• Fordomatic
• restored

[rockVrsmv]

Beautiful and well optioned. Love it!! with the custom cab, chrome grille. Is that a 272 or 292? I had a 55 F100 which I loved and drove like a madman when I was young. Went thru stock 272 motor, and put in a 312 Thunderbird V8, from a wreck - it went crazy. What memories of youth. You are so very lucky to still have that truck, and what wonderful condition. Thanks for sharing

[gtrglenn]

@rockVrsmv Its a 272 with the oil bath air cleaner. The engine is virtually original although I do think my dad did change the headers for dual exhaust..

[ab115511]

Very nicely done restoration. Also good to hear it's still used to do some work as all trucks should.

[classicpickupsgarage]

Very nice tribute

[saltododges]

@gtrglenn i had 3 of these f100 in brasil two where 272 and the other i put a 292 from a galaxie but my 272, they had bigger carbs i think its holleys bi-jet that carb i saw in your truck looks smaller i saw carbs like yours in the mercs and the first y-blocks like the 53-54 line

[pickensdoodle]

My only 2 small problems with the "56 F100s as compared to the "53,-4-&5 is that the gas tank in the "56 is in the cab behind the seat, where it takes up space, whereas in the "53-4-&5, it's underneath. Also, the fuel filler on the "56 is on the right, whereas on the "53-4-&5, it's on the left. And fordawesome, take a good look at the video, This man got a nice looking set of wheels & blackwalls, & ended up with 1 gorgeous truck, so who needs whitewalls & hubcaps if theyre all that expensive?

[geovettes]

that thing turned out really good. my dad got a '56 f100 back in '83 and he still has it. they're one of the best years for f100's.

[fordawsome100]

my dad and i are restoring one of these ALL original. not one of those crappy rat rods. right now trying to find white wall tires and hub caps. (Friken EXPENSIVE!!!)

[TheTkirk]

That's one of the nicest trucks I've seen!

[ThEc00lEr]

very nice man i wish i had a truck like that right now im fixing up a 90 ford f150 and a 79 f100 nice and simple but ohh well maybe in a few years i can find a truck like that =)