Keeping the Hobby Alive

For Mike H., part of the car hobby is handing down the passion to the next generation, and even the one after that. After selling a car last year, he was looking for something that he could make an "old school" hot rod, doing much of the work himself and keeping it reasonable in cost. He found a good candidate in a '55 F-100 Ford short bed, stepside pickup that fellow Roamin Angel Pat Carr was selling because he had other projects. Although there was still work to be done on it, it was drivable and had that look of hot rods that Mike had driven many years before. It had been lowered and all the chrome was shaved (removed and holes filled). It had a custom grill, a louvered hood and flat-black paint. The running gear had been changed to a 302 CID engine and five-speed manual trans from an '88 Mustang with a nine-inch Ford rear end. The interior had Volvo bucket seats. In true hot rod style, it was a combination of parts from a number of cars. Mike considered it about 80% completed, at least in the way he wanted it done. So he set about doing the rest of the work. He has installed aluminum door panels, new carpets and replaced or rewired all the gauges. The engine ran, but he has given it a complete tune-up. As with any modified vehicle, he has also had numerous sticky problems to solve. Along the way he has been helped with advice and/or work by Roamin Angels Don Forster of Metal Mending, Duke Klement of Gin's Little Valley Auto Service, Bob Madsen, and especially Larry Eckman of C & L Enterprises. Mike wanted some graphics on the sides of the truck, so he went to YouTube for advice. There he found airbrushing demonstrations and followed those to add some color to the black paint. There are still things Mike plans to do on the truck: shorten the drive shaft to reduce vibration, swap out the unused air conditioning compressor for a pulley, replace some of the glass, add a sound system and even try his hand at some more graphics. But Mike is glad to be able to drive his truck around town in the meanwhile. And one of his greatest pleasures is to take his grandsons, eight-year-old Eli and six-year-old Ezra, cruising in it. On his private road he even lets sit between his legs and steer as they creep along, showing them how to shift. They love the rumble of the exhaust and the chance to actually drive a hot rod, even if at a slow speed. Mike is happy that they love cars as much as he does and plans to pass the F100 and his '67 Mustang coupe down to them someday. After all, that's what keeping the hobby alive is all about.

The '55 F100 is one of the fat-fendered models so loved by rodders. Mike likes that it is reminiscent of the cars he had in his youth: a bit rough around the edges, but fun to drive.

Mike's F100 is very basic, with no P/S or P/B. The A/C compressor is not used and scheduled for removal.

Using a colorful blanket for a seat cover is very popular with the latest craze, rat rods. Mike used it because he liked it.