OUR 51 – F1 TRUCK
The truck’s life started as a shop truck in a gas station in Santa Ana, California. How it made its way to Northern California, we do not know. We found the truck in the backyard of a friend of ours. He had a collection of cars, which most were complete. However, this truck was far from complete.
The front end was sitting on a pallet in a pile of mud. The hood was removed and placed next to it. Along with 30 years of patina, rust, flat tires, and a non-functioning motor, we decided to purchase the truck for $2,000. It was time to bring this unwanted baby home.
After arriving home, it sat for a couple years while we finished work on a Mahogany Runabout boat. Our plan was to tow the boat with the truck. Once our beautiful boat was completed, it was time to bring this truck back to life.
Upon starting the cleanup and taking it apart, we found a 3-inch thick pile of rat droppings in the seat cushions. Apparently, this was a home that we disturbed years back.
We then started with the basics. We built a 302 Ford Engine with a C-4 Transmission. All four fenders were rusted through where they attached to the running boards. After many hours of metal fabrication and sanding, it was ready for paint. The truck was painted in pieces on our driveway and reassembled. We chose the color Cranberry Metallic for a basecoat and a clear finish. This is the same color as our boat seat upholstery. For Christmas this past year, she received four new wheels and is now ready to be shown off.
A majority of the parts came from LMC Truck. Thanks to you, it made our job a lot easier. Our F-1 truck is back on the road ready to tow our boat this summer.
Story by Ron Tamez & Brenda Portillo