When Thane A. saw the ‘56 Ford F100 pickup towed into the “car corral” at the Roamin Angels Car Show at the fairgrounds five years ago, he knew it would be his. Having had one when he was in college, he had a special fondness for those “fat-fendered” Fords and leapt at the chance to get another. True, this one was not perfect. In fact, it was missing the running gear, interior and glass. But the body was rust-free and Thane would have replaced all that other stuff anyway. So he told the owner not even to drop it in the corral to sell. Just deliver it right to his house.

About a year later, Thane set to work. During that time he acquired an ‘82 Lincoln to be a donor. The owner was going to junk it and Thane bought it for salvage value. The body was rough, but it had what he needed to make his Ford run: a 302 CID engine with an auto trans with overdrive. It also had a rear end with good brakes, McPherson strut front suspension with disc brakes and air conditioning. Although other projects took Thane away from the Ford for a while, about a year and a half ago he began working on the Ford in earnest. He put all the running gear from the Lincoln into the Ford. While pawing through the paperwork that came with the Lincoln, he found that the original motor had been replaced only about 30,000 miles before, so it did not need rebuilding. All he did to it was put on a new intake manifold and carburetor. He put in a tilt steering column from a postal van because it did not have the ignition lock on the column and he wanted keep his on the dash. He had it painted in metallic gray and had all the upholstery done in maroon with gray carpets. Thane plans to have his Ford return to the Roamin Angel Car Show at the fairgrounds on the second week of September this year. However, this time it will be under its own power and won’t be sold at the car corral.

With the Lincoln suspension, the F100 sits lower and rides smoother. The wheels were made by Vintique in the style of the classic “chrome reverse rims.”

The small-block engine leaves plenty of room in the F100's engine compartment while easily moving the truck on down the highway.

Thane used a Budnik steering wheel because he could put leather around it to match his interior. Sounds come from an Alpine AM/FM/CD.

A guy from Rough and Ready named Mark Maldonado painted it – the color is Titanium from an 02 Jaguar. It's still a work in progress, but aren't they all.