Every now and again, you’ll find a classic vehicle that’s so pristine that the owner is afraid of even a slight speck of dust entering its atmosphere; other times, you’ll find a cool classic that is set up for a different purpose: to be driven. Our Pick of the Day is the latter — this chop-topped 1953 Ford F-100 Pickup is currently listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private owner in Peoria, Arizona.
Ford advertised its 1953 pickup line was “designed with the driver in mind” thanks to its “DRIVERIZED” cab, wider seat cushion, now-standard Synchro-Silent type transmission, and “scores of new time-saving features.” It’s possible Ford Motor Company never foresaw this pickup and others would become prime candidates to receive modern upgrades like power steering and air conditioning to make life easier for the person behind the wheel.
With an exterior loosely inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s 1955 Ford F-100 in “The Expendables,” this Ford is finished in primer black paint but, instead of being a direct clone, this street truck’s exterior is topped off with red-outlined purple flames. Other exterior features include a wooden bed and new Summit Racing wheels wrapped in new Cooper Cobra raised white-letter tires.
One glance inside the interior and you’ll notice late-model bucket seats, woodgrain steering wheel, tilt steering column, and aftermarket gauges. Take it down the road and you’ll enjoy the modern comforts of power steering, power windows, and an aftermarket air conditioning system.
If you were to special order this truck in 1953, you’d have the option of five different engines. The Oldsmobile 455ci V-8 that’s currently installed here blows all factory choices out of the water. Mated to a three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 400 automatic transmission, the engine includes a four-barrel carburetor, aluminum radiator, and plenty of chrome to show off at your local car show.
Underneath, this street truck is equipped with power brakes, Ford Crown Victoria-sourced front suspension, adjustable air shocks, and a dual exhaust system that provides distinctive Olds tones to announce its presence long before it enters anyone’s eyesight.
Accompanied by thousands of dollars’ worth of receipts, this 1953 Ford F-100 Custom Pickup is “NOT a trailer queen.” That also tells you that, for $32,000, it is one that you can take to work with no worries — after all, weren’t they built to be driven?
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
