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Written by Justin Banner
This 1956 Ford Pickup started life as farm truck in Blythe, California before Jesse got a hold of it. He found it while working on a customer call from his day job as a copy service technician. From its meager farming life, it was left sitting until he bought it and took it home. While it"s probably puzzling you as to why we"re talking about a 1956 Ford Pickup, you"ll see in a moment. Looking beyond that, it was the style of the truck that caught Jesse’s eye and he knew had to have it.<br />So, why are we talking about a 1956 Ford pickup?It was challenging work and dedication that transformed it into the truck you see now. Under that amazing body is a F-body Camaro front clip welded on, with a carbureted Corvette L99 sitting between the frame rails. Sending the power from that former Vette engine is a rebuilt 700R4 automatic transmission which runs into a four-linked F-body rear axle. That killer static look is thanks to an air ride system that Jesse built himself as that"s one of his side jobs. What"s more impressive is that this allows him to tackle the corners like C5, perhaps even better than a C5.<br />So, why go through all that trouble to make a Ford into a Chevrolet? Cost and sourcing parts, explains Jesse, "I would have loved to go with Ford parts, but GM parts are readily available and cheaper for a build." Well, it is as they say, you can find Chevy parts everywhere, even at your local 7-11. However, that"s not to say that the build isn"t high quality.<br />This isn’t just some budget build.Equally impressive is the interior and metal work he"s done. The original driver"s side fender once held the spare tire but that"s been sold and replaced by a passenger side fender, since they are shaped, and bolt on the same. Also gone is the worn-out wood bed and, in its place, is a four-plank version Jesse did himself. Inside, the interior has been completely removed and replaced with custom touches, including a Vintage Air air conditioning system sitting behind that all metal dashboard. The original speaker hole in the center of it has also been welded and filled for a smooth finish.<br />The final point to this story?It"s the question posed earlier. Would you drive this truck with its show quality looks daily? Well, Jesse does and without fear. However, that doesn"t mean it hasn"t had its share of accidents, either. The front has been wrecked and replaced as well as the rear bumper and tailgate. That last part was especially tough to repair. The man who originally painted Jesse"s truck had passed away prior to that last accident and a new painter had to match the tailgate to its original scheme.<br />Despite that, he continues to drive the truck daily. In fact, that"s how we met him, in the parking lot of a Stater Bros getting groceries. "There’s only one reason you would choose to drive a car daily: you only live one life and you build the car for your satisfaction and happiness," he said, "The only challenge that I think I would have would be that people respect your car as much as you do and not destroy it." Well, even after two accidents, this truck is still running strong.<br />Everywhere Jesse goes in his 56 Ford, people slow down, take pictures, and remanence about their own builds or former dreams of a vehicle like his. Some even offer to buy the truck off him, cash in hand, for more than even he put into it. Even so, this has been his own dream vehicle and he"s yet to take an offer. "If it was going to go overseas, then yeah, I"d probably sell it," he said just before we parted, "I wouldn"t be able to bear seeing it after everything I"ve been through with it."At the end of the day, we can"t blame him.Gallery [double click for full-size resolution]: #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" />
Date written: August 24, 2017
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 8946
This 1956 Ford Pickup started life as farm truck in Blythe, California before Jesse got a hold of it. He found it while working on a customer call from his day job as a copy service technician. From its meager farming life, it was left sitting until he bought it and took it home. While it"s probably puzzling you as to why we"re talking about a 1956 Ford Pickup, you"ll see in a moment. Looking beyond that, it was the style of the truck that caught Jesse’s eye and he knew had to have it.<br />So, why are we talking about a 1956 Ford pickup?It was challenging work and dedication that transformed it into the truck you see now. Under that amazing body is a F-body Camaro front clip welded on, with a carbureted Corvette L99 sitting between the frame rails. Sending the power from that former Vette engine is a rebuilt 700R4 automatic transmission which runs into a four-linked F-body rear axle. That killer static look is thanks to an air ride system that Jesse built himself as that"s one of his side jobs. What"s more impressive is that this allows him to tackle the corners like C5, perhaps even better than a C5.<br />So, why go through all that trouble to make a Ford into a Chevrolet? Cost and sourcing parts, explains Jesse, "I would have loved to go with Ford parts, but GM parts are readily available and cheaper for a build." Well, it is as they say, you can find Chevy parts everywhere, even at your local 7-11. However, that"s not to say that the build isn"t high quality.<br />This isn’t just some budget build.Equally impressive is the interior and metal work he"s done. The original driver"s side fender once held the spare tire but that"s been sold and replaced by a passenger side fender, since they are shaped, and bolt on the same. Also gone is the worn-out wood bed and, in its place, is a four-plank version Jesse did himself. Inside, the interior has been completely removed and replaced with custom touches, including a Vintage Air air conditioning system sitting behind that all metal dashboard. The original speaker hole in the center of it has also been welded and filled for a smooth finish.<br />The final point to this story?It"s the question posed earlier. Would you drive this truck with its show quality looks daily? Well, Jesse does and without fear. However, that doesn"t mean it hasn"t had its share of accidents, either. The front has been wrecked and replaced as well as the rear bumper and tailgate. That last part was especially tough to repair. The man who originally painted Jesse"s truck had passed away prior to that last accident and a new painter had to match the tailgate to its original scheme.<br />Despite that, he continues to drive the truck daily. In fact, that"s how we met him, in the parking lot of a Stater Bros getting groceries. "There’s only one reason you would choose to drive a car daily: you only live one life and you build the car for your satisfaction and happiness," he said, "The only challenge that I think I would have would be that people respect your car as much as you do and not destroy it." Well, even after two accidents, this truck is still running strong.<br />Everywhere Jesse goes in his 56 Ford, people slow down, take pictures, and remanence about their own builds or former dreams of a vehicle like his. Some even offer to buy the truck off him, cash in hand, for more than even he put into it. Even so, this has been his own dream vehicle and he"s yet to take an offer. "If it was going to go overseas, then yeah, I"d probably sell it," he said just before we parted, "I wouldn"t be able to bear seeing it after everything I"ve been through with it."At the end of the day, we can"t blame him.Gallery [double click for full-size resolution]: #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" /> <br style="clear: both" />
Date written: August 24, 2017
More of this article on the LS1 Tech website
ID: 8946
