Ford F100 (Second Generation)

Let me say this, trucks aren't really my thing. I understand that they have a purpose on the road, they haul heavy loads from point A to point B and can go almost anywhere off road, but they have never really appealed to me–except for this one.

 The second generation of the iconic Ford F-Series truck ran from 1953 to 1956 and created the blend of style and durability that Ford would become known for. When I think of a classic truck qor even a classic Ford for that matter, this image is what pops into my head. With that being said, let's get into the truck itself.

Ford's F-Series of trucks began in 1948 with the first generation of the, now iconic, Ford F-100. While this generation was the semi-powerful workhorse  Ford wanted it to be, something still didn't feel right – it was the styling. Back in the 1950s, Ford was known for creating sleek and beautiful vehicles, see the 1953 Customline (top) and 1952 Tudor (bottom) as examples.

       

And while the first generation F-100 was without a doubt a good looking truck, with it's flared wheel arches and vented hood, it fits more in line with what we today might class as being a hot-rod. Ford wanted none of that so they raised the ride height slightly, gave it a longer back end and removed the hood vent. However, they kept the oversized wheel arches so the truck wouldn't get too boring.

In the second half of 1954, a revised model of the second generation  F100 was released, this time featuring the all new 239 Y-Block V8 engine replacing the earlier 239 Flathead V8. The new engine set up gave the truck 130bhp. However the most powerful variant of the truck came in the final year of the second generation F100. In 1956, for a small racing competition, a mechanic at Ford decided to take the 363 Lincoln Y-Block V8 and try it out in the F100. A small side note, the 363 Lincoln Y-Block V8 was Ford’s first OHV, overhead valve, V8 engine. Anyway, this gave the truck a whopping 300 horsepower. This final version of the second generation F100 was given a large V8 badge on its hood to show its powerful place in the F100 lineup. Original versions of this model are quite rare nowadays. If you see one using the Lincoln engine setup, you have most likely encountered a modified truck. However, the 300bhp F100 still lives on in the digital world as it is the version that appears in the Forza Horizon racing game series

Overall, I really do love this truck. Everything from the raw sound of a 1950s Ford V8 to the unique styling make this one of the most desired classic trucks on the market. If you really want to own one yourself, you can probably find a working one in pretty good condition for around six thousand dollars. However, if you want one that drives well and still has its original parts, or close to it at least, you’ll have to look a little bit harder. This, sadly, is due to a couple of factors. The first one is that being built over 60 years ago,  wear and tear will have taken its toll on the vehicle. Not to mention the fact that original or proper replacement parts are becoming harder to find and, as such, more expensive.

The second reason an original build in good condition is so hard to find is due to this truck’s well-known reputation as both a hot rod car and drag race car. For quite some time now, people have been lowering the suspensions on these trucks, redesigning the interior, painting it in bright colors and dropping a 550bhp Nailhead V8 into it. While most of these builds end up looking and sounding cool, it just makes an original that much harder to find.