1956 Ford F100

Business partners Paul and Mike acquired the F-100 from a Columbian lawyer in 2021. Paul was actually living in Columbia at the time and spotted the truck for sale. After an inspection and a test drive, a deal was made and the truck was imported back to the UK. On arrival on this side of the pond last July, Paul and Mike set about bringing the truck up to UK standards. Their goal was to take what they believed was a very nice and solid pickup and make it even better.

According to Mike the F-100 lived in Columbia for many years and was likely restored there as well. It was originally painted a light blue, which was later changed to the current colour scheme, with the red and white re-trimmed interior more than likely added at the same time.

The 1956 F-100 now has a 302 V8 mated to a C4 3 speed transmission, which adds more than enough V8 muscle to make this pickup get up and go.

Nothing says 1950s America more than an old pickup truck and this 2nd generation F-Series simply oozes that period charm and character. The candy apple red paint makes this truck pop and Mike notes that the Columbian paint job was to a good standard and just needed a good detail to make it really shine. The sellers state it presents well with only minor blemishes and they would give the paint a 9/10, though prospective buyers would need to view the truck in person to confirm this for themselves.

Keen eyed truck fans will note that the front and rear chrome bumpers have been removed, giving the pickup a nice clean look, which further enhances the F-100’s gorgeous curves. The door handles were also shaved and the locking mechanism is now operated by a remote key fob (a manual override pull cable is located under one of the wheel arches). - this might not be something to be noted publicly but disclosed to the new owner).

Paul and Mike made the correct decision to retain the iconic Ford V8 chrome grill. It presents well with just some minor blemishes to the chrome, which adds to the trucks character. The F-100s badges and other exterior trim are also present and again these have a nice patina.

Of course one of the stand out features of any American pickup truck is the rear bed and the deck of this half ton pickup presents very well in the photos. Paul and Mike stripped the bed down and cleaned and sanded all the wood. They painted what they believe to be a Columbian hardwood with 4 coats of boat varnish. The beds aluminium spacers were also cleaned and the deck was refitted to ensure a flush and level finish.

Attention was also given to the trucks glass, with the front and rear windscreen rubbers renewed.

The F-100 is fitted with a set of Cragar Keystone Mags alloys which set the truck off nicely and the Hankook tyres are said to be in good condition.

The exterior candy apple red colour scheme continues on the inside, with the minimalist dash and steering wheel retaining the retro look that makes these trucks so popular. As mentioned earlier the seats and doorcards were re-trimmed in Columbia in two tone red and white vinyl and the headliner was likely redone at the same time. New carpets were also installed along with sound deadening material underneath to quieten things down a little on the road. Modern inertia reel seatbelts are also installed, with the fitting of seatbelts actually being an option on the F-100 in period.

Mike and Paul stated that the gear shifter that came with the truck was a bit agricultural, so they upgraded to a B&M Shifter, which they say works well. They also added a neutral switch override for the transmission, which is located at the rear of the centre console.

Other improvements included a new billet gas pedal and new rubber for the brake pedal to smarten the appearance on the drivers side.

The trucks electrics were also gone through and improved. A battery cut off was added inside the glovebox and the single windscreen wiper was replaced with a twin wiper kit, with a new switch installed in the dash. The truck also has electric windows, which coupled with the power steering and power brakes will certainly make this a comfortable drive. Paul and Mike also added electronic ignition for peace of mind and reliability.

Other details to add are the gauges, which are by Stuart Warner which retain a nice period look. The sellers note that the speedo currently doesn’t work and they believe a transducer, one specially for a Ford C4 transmission in needed. This could very well be a straightforward fix for someone more familiar with American automatic transmissions. Mike added that the trucks current mileage is probably the distance it has covered since its restoration back in Columbia, but he can’t guarantee that.

The sellers also note that the truck doesn’t currently have a heater installed and having spent a lot of its life in the warmer climes of Columbia, such an item wasn’t really of concern for its previous owner.

Under the hood resides the 302 V8 engine which is topped by an Edelbrock carb, air cleaner and cam covers. The engine bay presents well in the photos with the sellers stating that the engine, gearbox and diff have been serviced with fresh fluids. They add that the truck starts and drives very well but note that the carb could benefit from having a choke fitted.

On the underside Paul and Mike fitted new fuel lines and they also had a new reconditioned Hauser diff installed. The F-100 benefits from disc brakes upfront with drums at the rear and the brakes were checked over and bled with new brake fluid added. The sellers also note that there is plenty of meat left on the brake pads.

On the underside the F-100 chassis and bodywork presents well in the photos and having come from a warm climate, the sellers say it is solid and rust free. Any surface rust that was present was wire brushed back, treated and sprayed with black stone chip. It certainly looks very clean under there.

Those with a keen eye will have spotted that this F-100 now sports an independent front suspension, with coil springs on all four corners. Mike reckons the front suspension is Mustang based but he isn’t 100% certain on that. It will certainly transform the ride over its old factory setup and the current ride height is just right for this truck.

The Ford F-100 comes with a V5C which shows zero previous owners here in the UK. It is not known how many owners the truck had in Columbia. Also in the history file are a number of registration and official documents from its time in Columbia. Some of these are from the 1960s and suggest the truck was in Bogota at some point. They also mention its chassis number, colour and engine number. However one interesting detail in one of the documents suggest that this F-100 was imported to Columbia on 14/12/1955 and was registered on 1/1/1956, which suggests it spent most of its life in South America. Its colour was noted as being “marfil rojo”, which translates as ivory red. So some further research could prove to be a fun little project for the new owner.

Also with the trucks paperwork is a Spring 2021 Parts Catalog from CMW Trucks, which covers F100 parts from 1953-1956.

As mentioned earlier the F-100 has been serviced by the sellers. Due to the F-100 being a historic vehicle it is MOT exempt. And it comes with 1 set of keys which includes the remote fob for the door locks.

Nothing quite beats the look and sound of an American V8 pickup truck and this Ford F-100 with its shiny red paint and its 302 V8 rumble will turn heads everywhere it goes. Paul and Mike have certainly put a lot of hours into the project and the list of upgrades and improvements should make it an ideal cruiser for the summer months ahead. They have also left room for the next owner to put their own stamp on it. We think a heater and some air conditioning would be a good choice and with summer just around the corner, some cool cruising in this even cooler F-100 would be just the ticket.

With an estimate of between £23,000 - £28,000 we expect there will be a lot of interest in this retro pickup.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.