From the very first Ford pickup to roll off the assembly line in 1925, the most popular model to catch the attention of dyed-in-the-wool truck customizing enthusiasts is the '56 Ford F-100. The distinctive one-year variation on the '53-55 F-100 styling exercise has won over fans from the most hardcore of brand devotees. To the chagrin of Ford loyalists, because they brought their Chevy engines with them, even some Chevrolet fanatics have forsaken Bow Tie pickups to join the ranks of '56 F-100 owners.
The first time Marvin Sanders of Fallon, Nevada, became the owner of a '56 Ford pickup he bought it brand-new from the Ford dealer in Bishop, California, where he worked as a lot boy for a little over $1,700 while a teenager. Marv's spanking new '56 came equipped stock with a 272-inch Y-block and compound four-speed transmission but it wasn't long before Marv was at the vanguard of those who discovered the '56 F-100 was a natural-born target for customizing tricks. Among some of the modifications Marv made to his original '56 was to hang dual 27-inch glasspacks on which earned him a noise ticket the first night he drove it through town. The trusty Effie served Marv well until 1958 when he went into the service.
Years later, some around forty, Marv decided he would like to own another '56 Ford F-100 to use as his daily driver. The original-owner pickup Marv had located with a 223-inch OHV six-cylinder engine and three-speed transmission he knew wouldn't match the performance of his first '56, but it was a good start. The truck was shipped down to Marvin's old stomping grounds in Big Pine, California, where Jerry "Moon" Horton at Horton Brothers Auto Painting disassembled the F-100 down to the bare frame and worked his way back up. Every part of the small-window '56 was blasted down to the bare metal, and then preserved with an etching primer. From there Jerry went after the rust damage on the passenger side caused from years and years of rain water filling up through the vent louvers and collecting in the lower hinge pocket by meticulously welding in steel patch panels. With the welding completed Jerry moved onto metal finishing the area, and then sealed it back up with etching primer. When it comes to choice bodywork, Jerry Horton is known as an absolute fanatic. After months and months of intense labor the totally dismantled parts were ready for Jerry to spray in urethane enamel mixed to match Ford Klondike Yellow. As soon as the paint began to cure it was color sanded and rubbed out. Meanwhile back in Fallon, Marvin was on the phone to Dennis Carpenter, Mid-Fifties, and Sacramento Vintage Ford ordering polished stainless steel bumpers, chrome grille, door handles, mirrors, and emblems including the two denoting the '56's custom cab. On the interior of the cab the stock '56 bench seat was recovered with an upholstery kit from Mid-Fifties. A reproduction '56 steering wheel from Dennis Carpenter combined with power steering from Mid-Fifties eases the steering chores considerably. Marvin fabricated the brackets needed to adapt the power steering pump to run off of the inline engine's front pulleys.
Under the hood, the factory-original 223 received a mild overbore and enjoys slightly higher compression thanks to the head being shaved while the valve job was getting done. The induction is handled by a Holley one-barrel carburetor, which is stock, but the exhaust exits through a tubular header that help to give six-banger a healthy note that reminds Marv of his first '56. Inline six-cylinder engines are known for their bottom-end torque, and when combined with low rearend gears it adds up to some pretty good off-the-line grunt. Marvin installed 4.11:1 gears, which all factory overdrive Ford trucks came with in '56, and made sure the three-speed overdrive tranny he found was in tip-top condition before the driveline was buttoned back together. After investing around $45,000 to bring the '56 back to life, Marvin uses his '56 as a daily driver instead of having spent the money to buy a new vehicle he knows wouldn't last.