Happy to tell everyone I have been following the HAMB for a while and wanted to tell the masses I picked up a 56 f100 small window. I can't believe the deal I got, guy had it sitting in his driveway with a for sale sign for a few weeks. Absolutely no rust in the lower quarter of the truck, all original steel panels, runs and drives, minimal body work needs to be done, ect.ect.ect. Guy gave me 2 rear fenders, running boards, 272 y block, 3 speed, tailgate and a few others.... Can anyone guess how much I spent? I'm thinking of doing the front end upgrade and possibly doing an engine update after a while... right now it sits in a BRIGHT yellow rattle can paint job. It's original color seems to be either tan or beige. I'm open to have a ring what the masses have to say about the direction and possible good people to help me get there. I will upload pics when the forum allows.
so now i have some questions on the extra parts i received. the block is stamped with=5-1A-1006-A, I noticed it is bored 40 over... heads stamped with= ECK-O intake =ECW9425-A anyone know what car this came off of? the engine in the truck is said to be original once i get time i will check out the block and update. thanks in advance HAMBers....
Looks good. I've got a '54 on the back burner. It drives but has been mostly parked for the last two or three years. Maybe I can piggy back off you.
so far the plan is to do a ton of research here on the HAMB and when i decide to start tearing it apart i will do a build thread... i have done a few cars in the past and want to be able to drive this one while under construction... minus the times the bed is removed and drive train overhaul.
I have a 56 also. Have messed with these F100's off and on for almost 40 yrs. They are simple and a lot of fun. The 56 in my mind is like the 32, nothing else like it.
You have a great looking truck for a great price. If it were me, I would just drive it for awhile as is and enjoy it instead of tearing it down. They make great, dependable daily drivers. My '54 is my main vehicle. Have fun with your new ride!
Thanks for the kind words fellas... I have not decided what route I want to go yet but when I do I'll keep you guys posted.
Man that yellow brings me back. I bought a canary yellow 56 F-100 in 1984 to replace my 77 Cheyenne that took an untimely and fatal plunge to the bottom of the Mississippi River here in old New Orleans. My 56 had a 272 with a cruiseomatic. It was the best truck I ever owned! The tranny was a 3 speed affair, with low being a granny gear. Drove it in second and high gear like a powerglide. When the need arose to pull a boat out of the water or any heavy pull job the lo-lo gear as we called it would get the job done! The F-100 was rugged and easy to work on. Also parts were cheap. The starter drive broke and a $5 buck drive fixed it right up. Another thing if the stock brakes are in proper repair they will STOP the truck as well as any disc I have had. I made a big time panic stop with the stock brakes (in new condition)and they hit so hard that the cab flexed and one door popped open while the chassis unloaded so hard it broke a rear shock! Of course I did weight 290 at the time, which combined with the instant adrenaline blast enabled considerable pressure on the petal! If you find yourself in need of a parts I do have a few miscellaneous items left over from the truck, including a few grilles.
$2100.00? great deal. I had one in 79/80, sold it and have regretted it ever since. hold on to it if you can.
You could turn a few thousand profit on ebay with that, It sure doesnt look like a rattle can paint job in the pics.
Lowbudget: yah I could turn it into profit overnight but I grew up riding in my dad's f100 so I'm partial to turning it into a truck my son can grow up with. I stand corrected on the paint job he sprayed it 8 his garage with a single stage yellow... He started to color sand it and gave up... I'm going to sand the yellow off and get it back to the original teal I think it is..
I've owned a '53 and a '56. Neat trucks. My '56 had a 351W in it, and my '53 had a 327 SBC. I sold the '53 to a friend in '92 and have been trying to buy it back from him ever since! I like the yellow. But let's face it, pretty much any color looks good on a '53-'56 F-100!
OK so I have started the build. I need a frame tho... I know it will upset a few people here but you can't please everyone. I want to build a truck my kid can drive in 12 years. 1- frame. Box in and IFS with 4 link in rear. Air ride or adjustable coil overs. 2- either ford big block or LSX with 6 speed or 4l80e. Place cab over frame and drive till the wheels fall off... If anyone knows where I can buy a frame to build while still driving the truck it would help greatly.. thanks again!
I did a '53 F-100. You can see it in my avatar and more details in my profile. I'm from Denver, Colorado, and back in the '53 - '59 era there was a new Ford dealer in Denver that was customizing F-100's brand new right off the showroom floor with louvers, custom paint jobs, scallops, custom interiors and even performance modifications. My pickup is a replica of one of those customs. There was an article in the December, 1956 issue of Hot Rod Magazine (page 40) about this dealer and his custom pickups. I chose to make mine period-correct as far as all the visible customizing goes and add more modern engine and transmission and front suspension and brakes it to make it more everyday driveable.
Why do you 'need a frame'??? The frame that came under '53-'56 F-100's was a perfectly good frame. In my honest opinion, a 4-link rear suspension has NO advantages over the stock rear suspension whatsoever unless you want to build an all-out drag racer....And because of the inherent weight distribution of a pickup (and ESPECIALLY an early F-100!!) it will NEVER be a successful drag racer anyway!! All the 4-link will do is drain your wallet and potentially be a source of problems. There are several good ways (and some bad ways!) to improve the front suspension and steering that are both relatively inexpensive and will give you some usefull improvements. If you are thinking of swapping to a late model frame, I feel you are asking for trouble and a HUGE reduction in the value of your truck. Just my honest opinion.
Jgmagoo. I hear what you are saying. That's the reason I want a second frame. I want to be able to have the original frame at my disposal so if I ever need to sell I can put it back under and get full original value...
OK! A second original frame! So you can drive it while you're working on the modifications. I misunderstood and thought you might be considering putting a late model frame of some kind under it, which I consider to be a BAD IDEA on such a nice looking truck as you have there..(Again....my opinion.) By the way.....$2,100 was a STEAL, and I too like the yellow color!
Yah 53 -56 frames all work for the application. I just want to be able to build a reliable truck my wife can drive and have fun with too. I think going with the second frame for the economy style and keeping the original for when the time comes will be a wise decision. Thanks for the input guys.
Several companies are making new frames, either bare bones or with everything on it: Art Morrison in Washington Fatman Fabrications The Roadster Shop in Illinois (don't let the name throw you off, they make frames for the F100 and one hell of a IFS set up too.) are but a few for you you to check out. Bob's F100 Parts in Riverside California might have used frames for sale. There are likely others Smart move to work on a second frame with the modifications and drivetrain you want and then transfer the cab/doghouse and bed over. For parts, one of the most extensive parts book on the market is from Mid-Ffity F100 Parts in Golden Valley Arizona. 1-800-252-1956 (that's all they deal in is 53 - 56 F100 parts, both stock & custom) The other guy thats good but not as extensive is Sacramento Ford in California.
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