Before the F-150 became American’s favorite means of personal transportation, Ford had the F-100. And before it, the first generation in half-ton flavor was called F-1.
Also known as the Bonus-Built Ford, the original was manufactured from 1948 to 1952 with a GVWR of 4,700 pounds (2,132 kilograms) from the get-go. This fellow here, however, isn’t a bare-bones workhorse but a rather tasteful restomod with low miles.
Listed at $67,500 on Gateway Classic Cars, the one-of-one restomod shows only 1,364 miles (2,195 kilometers) on the clock since completion. That’s peanuts for the Coyote V8 hiding under the hood, the Gen 2 engine with 435 horsepower (441 PS) on deck.
The motor alone costs almost $8,000 without options such as the control pack, and as you may have guessed by now, the tranny isn’t stock either. A Ford 6R80 automatic transmission sends the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the rear wheels, and 3.08 gears translate to comfortable cruising at highway speeds in this 68-year-old pickup.
Currently located in the selling vendor’s Orlando showroom, the F-1 can handle its own in the twisties as well. Not exactly a pro-touring build but way better than the original, the truck features a Mustang II front end, electric power steering, and power brakes.
Matte-finish white paint and black garnish dominate the exterior, and up front, you’ll also notice a set of modern headlights. Black SVE magnesium wheels and a white-painted wood board for the bed are also featured, along with a 5.0 badge on the tailgate.
The interior is beautifully simple in presentation, starting with the vinyl bench seat and tilt steering wheel. A modern stereo is concealed in the glovebox, air condition is also featured, and the finishing touches come in the guise of two gauges and two cupholders.
Nitto drag radials wrap each wheel, and given the Coyote’s torque rating, the super-sticky compound should prove useful on the blacktop. With premium fuel, the Coyote Five-Oh develops more than 400 pound-feet (542 Nm) of torque at the crankshaft.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News