1955 Ford F-100 Pickup - Engineered Effie

To make the engine look as good as it performs, Dale splashed the motor with a B&M polished aluminum air cleaner, Ford Racing aluminum valve covers, and polished and chromed brackets. Polished inner fender panels lend additional detail to the rest of the polished aluminum and chrome. The whole ensemble is viewed using a polished stainless front tilt hood kit produced by Classic Performance Products. Backing the beast up when the throttle is planted is a Ford C6 transmission beefed up with a B&M Shift Improver Kit and linked to a custom driveshaft, which hooks up to a stout Ford 9-inch rearend. Once the drivetrain was completed, Dale set out to clean up the rough, 47-year-old sheetmetal that had received quite a beating during the truck's hunting and off-roading days.

Since the body was fairly beat up, Dale replaced items such as the rear fenders and running boards with fiberglass units to save time on bodywork chores. Before serious metalwork began, PSC Metal Stripping dipped the front sheetmetal, bed, and cab to remove old paint and body filler. The front steel fenders were straightened, while the stock tailgate was smoothed of its original Ford logo and complemented by a custom roll pan, which has been filled with Billet Specialties taillights. A Starbucks LED third brake light was frenched into the back of the cab for additional body mod styling, while filled cab seams, heater grille, and airscoops further smooth out the scenic picture.

A set of Quartz halogen headlights from RB Obsolete accentuate the front end features, and a stock stainless steel bumper and painted grille bezel complete the front end nicely. A Hagan Street Rods fuel door was cut into the lower cab region for easy fueling at the pump. Underneath the hood, Dale took the extra time to smooth the firewall in order to clean up the now-spotless engine compartment. The stock door handles and badging were left intact to capture the timeless classic truck appearance, and the whole truck was expertly coated by Dale in a classy PPG Silver Mist hue with House of Kolor Blue Pearl laid into the clear top coats. As the buildup entered the homestretch, the truck was well on its way to achieving show success and magazine attention.

For cruising entertainment, Dale installed a JVC CD head unit backed up by Cerwin Vega 6x9-inch speakers, and Polk Audio DX mids and separates located in the kick panels. A glance at the factory dash reveals the elimination of all factory holes and the ashtray. Dale Mastell has created one slick F-100 with elegant styling and superb detail and craftsmanship. Eight years is a long time to wait for a dream to take shape, but based on the results, it was well worth it to be patient with the buildup. Engineered Effie is the result of a strong family working together to achieve a custom truck goal. The most commendable part of the reconstruction is the fact that the majority of it was done at home by a dedicated enthusiast; it's a refreshing exception to the trend of farming out custom trucks to paint, interior, suspension, and performance shops. It looks like Dale's ego is in for a serious boost, as this Effie is sure to get a ton of attention and bring home a lot of gold.