Nicely built Ford pickup with all the upgrades. 350 Chevy V8 with 700R4 automatic overdrive, 4-wheel disc brakes, power steering, cold A/C, comfortable interior. Runs and drives well, cool period colors. Great truck ready to hit the road!

For reasons we don’t understand, Chevy trucks of this period bring more than Fords. On the one hand, it’s puzzling because this handsome Ford looks great in its two-tone ‘50s color combination. But on the other, it kind of represents an opportunity, because an Advance Design Chevy 3100 built like this would cost $15,000 more. So maybe it’s both a bargain and a great truck. It’s all steel and the Ford’s handsome good looks show quite well with the two-tone blue and turquoise paint job. Nothing has been chopped or shaved, so it has a traditional look and we’re impressed with the overall fit and finish. The build is probably 10 or 12 years old at this point and it has been driven, so it’s not perfect, but the fact that it has been used as intended means that the hardware is fully sorted and all the bugs have been worked out. And it shows rather well, with few signs of age and use—nothing beyond a few VERY minor chips that come from hitting the road. You’ll also find nice chrome and stainless trim, an oak floor in the pickup bed, and just a few updates like the modern side mirrors that almost look like they were born there. Nothing radical, just a clean truck that was built right.

The interior is a nice step up from the original vinyl bench and rubber floor mat. The split bench is from a late-model and fits in the vintage Ford cab perfectly. The cloth upholstery is all-day comfortable and there are features like 3-point seat belts and a fold-down armrest that make this truck ready to cruise. You also get a tilt steering column from a late-model Ford, so the wheel matches properly, and there’s a modern A/C unit tucked under the dash. Vintage-looking Dolphin gauges monitor the basics and fit in a clean billet panel that fits in the original gauges’ slot. The dash has been smoothed and cleaned up a bit, so they stashed a Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo in the glove box, and it’s a lot nicer than a lot of installations we’ve seen. And just in case you’re hitting the highway, there’s a CB radio under the dash. The cab is well insulated, so it’s pretty quiet and cool, and someone spent the time and money to finish it right—check out the custom door panels and headliner. This wasn’t a cheap build.

Please save us the “Chevy in a Ford” E-mails, because this pickup simply works like it should. The engine is a 350 cubic inch Chevy V8 with the usual upgrades: 4-barrel carburetor, electronic ignition, an aluminum intake manifold, and a mellow-sounding dual exhaust system. The block was painted to match the bodywork and there’s some chrome dress-up under the hood, so it looks well detailed and the hardware is robust. The transmission is a 700R4 4-speed automatic with overdrive, making this a relaxed cruiser that will make long highway drives with ease. Handling comes from a custom front crossmember with A-arms and power rack-and-pinion steering, so it no longer feels much like a truck from behind the wheel. It also offers 4-wheel disc brakes for a welcome upgrade in the braking department. A Ford 9-inch rear end has what we believe are 3.73 gears inside, so it feels punchy and energetic around town. There’s also a custom gas tank under the bed with a filler built into the bed floor—getting it out of the cab is certainly a good idea. The stance is just about perfect and it sits on polished aluminum wheels and 215/75/15 Michelin blackwall radials.

If you’re looking for a truck that can still get a lot of attention at shows, drives well, and all the heavy lifting is already done, look no further than this beautiful 1950 Ford F1. We’re impressed with its engineering and while it isn’t radical, it’s solid, easy to drive, comfortable, and reliable. We think all those are things that matter in a hobby car, and this cool pickup definitely delivers. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.