56 Ford short box

Truck Shop

Well-known member
The first rig I ever owned was a 56 Ford short box with a 292 Y block that I later changed out for a 390 and a C-6 auto. Mine was black with
59 Lincoln wheels, Lincolns had 5 on 5 1/2 15" x 8" wheels. Hard to get in those days.

Truck Shop

56FordTruck.JPG
 

rzucker

Well-known member
It wasn't my first, but in high school I had an all original '55 F-100 with a 272 and 3 on the tree. Ugly old robins egg blue with surface rust coming through the paint in places where the sun baked it badly. I found it on a dryland wheat farm south of Kennewick/Finley Wa. paid 200 bucks and drove it home. It wasn't long 'til a 283 Chevy and TH350 replaced the old 272 oil burner and the 6 volt electrics but I left the outside all original except a set of chrome spoke wheels.
It's kind of a funny story how I found it, I was scouting some back roads to "sneak" some scrapers to another job and went down his mile long driveway by mistake, OOPS. He was a bit perturbed by my trespassing, but calmed down when we got to talking and I assured him I was not out stealing stuff. The old guy had some neat old equipment and old medium duty trucks too. I did go back and visit several times up into the late '80s, later his children put him in a "home" and he died 6 months later. I did get the scrapers moved through his back road that week, however.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
When I was in high school there was a kid that had a '56 F100 with a 392 Chrysler hemi. Now that was a combination.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
Hey, I liked that Robins egg color. Of course, I'm a Carolina boy.
I guess it wasn't all that bad. I did enjoy just tooling around looking like an old farmer in that truck. My brother had a '56 F-250 with a flatbed that had the same look to it. We made a few bucks hand stacking hay with that old beast.
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Once I get the REO done I'm going to look for a 50s Ford pickup or even dually. I love the style of that cab! An R Series IH is on that list too, I just like the curvy fenders.
 

rzucker

Well-known member
Once I get the REO done I'm going to look for a 50s Ford pickup or even dually. I love the style of that cab! An R Series IH is on that list too, I just like the curvy fenders.
Got a guy locally that has a '53 Ford one ton dually that is an ex fire department rig, low miles with the flathead engine. Still has some pump gear under the flatbed. But... he thinks it's a $5 grand project toy.

I'd like to have an R series too, I think I would throw an 8.3L Cummins and a 6610 roadranger in it. But a big K series is higher on my list. I think that goes back to the K's my Grandfather was running in the 60's.
 

DMiller

Well-known member
I still miss the '53 I had. Flathead V8, Fordomatic two speed auto(Factory) but could not keep converter together or front pump seals in it. Short bed F-1. Sold it to a guy that basically cut it up for a Rodder.
 
Top