1955 Ford F-100 - Modern-Day Magic

Now that Bill had the chassis and powerplant issues squared away, it was time to search for a reputable paint and body shop to carry out the laundry list of metal alterations. After searching for the perfect shop for the job, Bill found them right in his own backyard. Robles Auto Body in Riverside took the truck in and began to smooth the cab to perfection. The top was chopped 4-1/2 inches to accent the low attitude of the truck, while the rest of the metal extremities were molded in to create a unibody Effie. Smoothing the outer door skins was done by first shaving the factory door handles and grafting handles from a Toyota Celica. A custom roll pan was welded in out back and filled with billet taillights to smooth the tail-end appearance. Up front, the original sheetmetal was replaced with a custom fiberglass tilt front end, which was designed to be hydraulically operated. The keen eye will notice a fully molded front clip as the fenders flow seamlessly into the hood, and a custom roll pan bumper resides below. Moving back toward the rear, the F-100's factory box was molded up and smoothed to appear as one piece. The rear fenders were molded to the bed sides and running boards, to further promote the smooth scene.

After the metal was smoothed, sanitized, and successfully passed Bill's visual inspection, the pros at Robles rolled the truck into the paint booth and laid down a classy paint scheme to complement the extensive metal modifications now present on the exterior. The main hue gracing this heavenly Ford's skin consists of '91 Cadillac Pearl white spicing up the front and rear fenders, lower door skins, bed sides, tailgate roll pan, and hood. Up top, from the A-pillars rearward, the truck is doused in Dunn Edwards Purple paint complemented by an Orange stripe separating the hues for definition. Two orange stripes were laid into the purple in the upper door region and continue forward onto the hood for a little extra flash. Once the spray guns were put down and the fresh liquid was color-sanded and rubbed to a brilliant shine, inside spice was the only thing left to complete the F-100 of Bill's dreams.

Before any threadwork was performed, the truck was dropped off at The Audio Shoppe in Riverside for a kick-tail stereo system to liven up the cruising experience. Working with such small cab confines, the crew at The Audio Shoppe did an amazing job of designing a system that delivers tunes to driver and passenger ears with a vengeance. A custom speaker box was installed under the seat, housing two 10-inch Juggernaut subwoofers from MMATTS Audio in Riviera Beach, Florida. The professional sound experts at The Audio Shoppe fabricated a custom sheetmetal enclosure, which drops halfway through the floorboards to conserve space. Down in the cab's kick panels on each side rests MMATTS Audio 6.5-inch mid-bass speakers coupled with 4-inch mid-range speakers and a 1-inch silk soft dome tweeter. A pair of MMATTS Audio 1290 rear fill speakers throw tunes from the rear of the cab forward. Powering this impressive audio collection are three MMATTS Audio amplifiers, including a SQ2150 that drives the front speakers, a 1400 model that helps rock the bass, and a SMP 1290 model that delivers power to the rear cab speakers. An Eclipse 55090 head unit rests in the custom leather-covered center console, while the highly modified dash holds a DVD unit for passengers viewing pleasure. A second DVD unit acts as a rearview mirror and will display activity behind the truck on the in-dash screen. Now that the cab housed a state-of-the-art audio ensemble, some eye-appealing threads were put in place to complete the picture.

To capture the visual goals of style and functionality, Modern-Day Magic's interior was left to the capable stitching hands of professional upholsterer Ron Mangus of Fontana, California. Starting with a Tea's Automotive bench seat as the base, Mangus shaped the cab innards into a fabric work of art using miles of purple leather with orange trim thrown in for contrast. The leather was stitched over the seat, door panels, and the custom center console, and flows seamlessly onto the dash. A polished billet steering column topped by a Budnik steering wheel sets off the driver side of the cab, while VDO instruments housed in a custom cluster make the dash even more visually appealing. A Vintage A/C unit capped by billet vents helps maintain cockpit comfort.

Bill Allen has done an amazing job of bringing this old workhorse Blue Oval back to life and spends much of his spare time traveling with the truck to show off his efforts at several events. What started out as a modest project has resulted in an ultra-clean, take-no-prisoners show hauler that is a force to be reckoned with on the showfield. The craftsmanship and quality engineering present on this pickup are self-evident. It just goes to show that great things can be accomplished with patience and commitment.