1956 Ford F-100 - Easy Effie

George Cotter says he's not a patient man. When you consider that he has built three cars in the last four years, he may be the type who can't sit too long in a chair without squirming around. Maybe he was burned out, too, which might account for the thrill he felt when he and his wife Kristy found this '56 Ford F-100 at a swap meet in Pomona, California, and discovered that it was almost finished. Its owner at the time, Paul Pritchett, of Bakersfield, California, had already taken care of most of the hard upgrades before he decided to let go of the truck. With the bodywork, frame, and engine out of the way, George and Kristy were able to focus on the fun stuff: paint, interior, chrome, tires, and wheels.

Paul's part of the Effie was hardly easy. He installed a Mustang II IFS with drop spindles onto the truck's stock frame, front and rear disc brakes, and '72 Chevy steering. His rebuilt 350 Chevy motor spins a 700-R4 tranny and Lincoln Versailles rearend and blows the bad air out of a Jet-Hot-coated tubular headers and Flowmaster exhaust system. He also put an 18-gallon gas tank behind the diff. Extensive bouts with bodywork led to a custom-built roll pan with flush-mounted taillights and an oaken Bruce Horkey bed kit.

George's portion of the buildup capped six months onto Paul's almost seven-year project. He and Kristy chose black paint seared by blue flames. Santini Paint and Body Werks in Westminster, California, applied the paint scheme and buried it under three layers of clear. Santa Ana Auto Glass in Santa Ana, California, replacedall the windows and windscreens. George installed custom Budnik wheels, wrapped in Dunlop tires measuring 18 inches in the front and 20 inches in the rear for a rakish, hot rod stance. He also added a pair of Holley four-barrel lungs with a billet Edelbrock air cleaner cover to the Pritchett-modified powerplant, as well as billet valve covers.

Radi's Custom Upholstery in Garden Grove, California, adorned the interior for George, laying black leather with blue trim on the 40/60-split Glide Engineering seat. Painted black to match the truck's exterior, the dash was moderately modified to accommodate a VDO gauge cluster and relocated HVAC controls, as well as the addition of an Eclipse head unit, amp, and speakers. Black carpeting and black leather floor mats complete the package. The result is shiny-on-matte-on-flat-black spiked with blue and silver, for a mild but distinctive custom classic.

Cruising is normally a weekend activity for George and Kristy. But, it would be a shame to park an Effie that's so easy on the eyes in a garage for 260 days a year. Apparently, the Cotters agree, which is why they stretch this weekend privilege across the entire calendar. That's 365 Sundays a year, driving Easy Effie. May Monday never come.