We have all seen the T-shirts and memes with Henry Ford’s disapproving mug staring down at us with some disapproving line about putting a Chevrolet engine in a Ford. While Henry passed on long before this became a thing in hot rodding, I am sure he would likely disapprove given the fact that Ford has produced suitable engines for almost 120 years. However, necessity is often the mother of invention, or fabrication in this case. Have a look see at this 1957 Ford F-100 for sale on eBay out of hard to pronounce Honeoye, New York. This competently crafted shop truck is looking for a new home and bidding has risen to $6,700. With just 3 days left in the auction, will this blasphemous Ford find a new home? Belated thanks to Larry D. for the find!
You can’t help but sympathize with what we believe are Henry Ford’s feelings on the matter. Ford has produced many engines that proudly represent the brand and can go like heck when properly built. Still, you cannot deny the ubiquitous nature of a small block Chevrolet V-8. They are simply everywhere in the car world. When the nuclear war we keep getting promised finally occurs, survivors can crawl out of the ruins and immediately find a small block Chevy to put in their Mad Max ride. Points and carburetors will rule again!
Looking at the doors of this truck allude to it being a shop truck for a hot rod shop. Maybe it was. Maybe this is just a theme, considering that the truck is located in New York and the “chop shop” depicted on the doors is in Grants Pass, Oregon. The Jo. -Co. represents Josephine County, which the town of Grants Pass is located in. While an internet search does not give us any information about a shop of that name, let’s run with the idea that it was put together as a legitimate shop truck.
A hot rod shop would obviously need a truck to use for parts running and such. You can also count on most hot rod shops operating on a shoestring budget. They almost always have a ton of parts laying around from project vehicles. Why not combine those parts with a cheap truck, cast out the original engine and transmission, and toss in whatever engine runs in the shop? What shop doesn’t have a small block Chevy laying around somewhere? Find a Turbo 350 and a decent rear end to bolt up behind it, fabricate some mounts and a driveshaft, and away you go!
The seller alludes to building this truck up as a project but is selling it because they have no time to drive it. It was built with a 327 cubic inch small block from a Corvette of undisclosed vintage. The transmission is, in fact, a Turbo 350 that has been freshly rebuilt. No word on the rear end. Perhaps one of our eagle-eyed readers can identify it for us. The package was enhanced by the addition of a tilt steering column, a lowered suspension, low profile tires with the required monster rims, and LED headlights.
A new gas tank and a set of door seals were also added during the refurbishment. The truck also has a FITECH Go EFI system, but that is not currently spraying fuel into the engine. Perhaps some bugs needed to be worked out and the seller got tired of fiddling with it. Back to a tried-and-true carburetor for the time being. The seller also tells us that the truck does not have windshield wipers at the present time.
Looking at the whole package, this is a pretty cool truck with a patina that matches the whole shop truck image. It will likely need some refinement and fiddling to make it a reliable runner. Is it worth more than the last bid of $6,700, which has not passed the reserve price? As a sum of the parts? Probably not. As a sum of the parts AND the talented labor that brought it all together? Maybe.
Tell us what you think the truck is worth and where you stand on the whole “Chevy engine in a Ford is blasphemy” thing in the comments.
I’ll be the first to say it….It’s a Ford….needs a Ford motor…sorry seller
A nice 351 C 4 bbl trans C4 or C6 then it’s worth it. In the old days ok GM in Ford’s but today.. Naaaa Ford with Ford and I am a Mopar guy. Sorry I still don’t understand the mind set with this set up. I hope the new owners will dump the GM engine and do the right thing.🐻🇺🇸
Had a 57 step side pickup back in the 90’s. Ford in a ford, and that for was a PI 429!
Awesome truck, usual rust and all.
Wish I still had that one.
I would definitely keep my hands away from the fan area…that fan is ready to chop off somebody’s hand..
I agree. That distant fan with no shroud might work up in western New York, but down south where I’m at, that’d be an engine fryer in traffic. I’m kinda questioning the quality of this build. This may be more rat rod than a regular road flyer.
Naturally, this bothers me, kind of the equivalent to droopy pants and those ear rings that elongate the earlobe down to their shoulders. As a purist, the ’57 Ford pickup was a one year deal, making them extremely rare and am appalled at the outcome here. I realize, slowly, this, for some unGodly reason, is what’s attractive today. I can start at the front and work back what I think is wrong, but a moot point, this is what sells. Since it’s so bastardized, may as well put a Fiat motor in it,,,such a shame, on 2 ( or more) counts. 1st, it should remain stock, the Y-block was a great motor, and 2nd, if this is the future of older trucks, not sure what the guy I sold the squarebody to is going to with it,,but I’m overjoyed to be done with it.
Jeff, in response to your questions, I think the sale price should be between $12K-$15K. Chevy into a Ford isn’t blasphemy to me, but I am delighted it irks the elitist purists. You might want to include a disclaimer in the title of these articles to warn of offensive material contained in them. You wouldn’t want to induce heart attacks, now would you?
I like this truck for a lot of reasons. First the 57 body style is just way cool and it has been overlooked compared to other years. As for engine choice, I have owned many Hot Rods and the basic premise of owning and building a modified car (a hot rod) is you can build it the way you want it, PERIOD, NO RULES! I have had lots of cars ,with lots of drive train combinations. Several have been Fords with Chevrolet engines. I have a 34 Ford Coupe, with a small block Chevrolet and since I have had it (59 years) it has had 3 flat heads, a small block Ford, and a Chevrolet. I also have a 53 Ford F-100 with a 390 big block Ford. WHY? because they are mine ,I built them and it was what I wanted to do. I was just at a show with the F-100 and a spectator went out of his way to complement me on my engine choice a Ford in a Ford and said he and I were the only people that understood ,that was the right thing to do. I smiled and didn’t say anything. What I thought was I was just welcomed to be a member of a cult I don’t want to be part of. The great thing about our hobby is you can be who you want, diversity is welcome and there is no right or wrong, it is and should be freedom of choice. Your car your creativity ,your choice, no one has that power to choose, but you.
Bravo! Well said!
I’m with you Joe. I built a1940 Ford Deluxe Street Rod and just to irk everyone I put a 340 engine out of a 1970 Dodge Challenger in it. All the Ford lovers like that it’s not a Chevy……until they see it’s a Mopar. All the Chevy lovers like that it’s not a Ford……until they see it’s a Mopar. My build, I can do it the way I want it.
I see upper control arms on this, which is not stock. An improvement, nonetheless.
It’s pronounced Honey-oiy (rhymes with boy) and it’s in my back yard. Might have to go have a look see. And right when the fall foliage is at peak colors. Yeah, leaf watching is a thing around here, go figure.
The reason it has a chev engine in it is because it has a chevy clip in it. Gonna be hard pressed to put a Ford back in it with that setup.
I’m not sure this roach even has 1/2” clearance between the top of the rear axle tubes and the frame rails and there is no rubber bumper between them. This thing has to be very noisy and have a terrible ride.
I’m not sure the Chevy engine was an upgrade either.
A Rust Bucket With Rubber Band Tires.
And I’ll be thankful when this whole “Fake Patina” fad dies out.
Had one of these in 1970. It was formerly a tow truck for the USPS with 19.5 inch tires and looked like a twin to this one. I worked at a gas station then and could work on it as needed but I could not keep a Y Block in the thing due to their rotten oiling systems. So I found a 322 Buick nailhead engine and two speed automatic for $25 that I transplanted into it. Talk about a torque monster with the tow truck gear ratio! To this day I don’t remember why I got rid of it or who bought it. But that was probably 50-60 cars ago
@Jeff Bennett
You’re welcome.
Tip Approved – Rare! 1957 Ford F-100, 327 Corvette Engine, Fitech Efi Turbo 350 Transmission
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32deuce@————–
Mon, Oct 10 at 12:49 PM
Your tip has been claimed by one of our writers and should be featured shortly.
Thanks for sharing. Please keep them coming!
Larry,
I am sorry for overlooking the tip credit on this one. Sometimes I get a story idea in my head and forget a detail or two.
I hope you liked the story regardless.
Jeff
Yes sir. All is good then. I do spend considerable time trying to find suitable candidates for BF to post. I’m not a glory seeker but I do appreciate a tip of the cap when I successfully find one worthy of publication.
And yes, I thought your story on this truck was great. I would love to have a shop truck like this. I always admired Boyd Coddington because he had a ’41 Ford shop truck. Nothing pretentious. Nothing outlandish. But just a good, solid representative of the hot rod culture. Better than this ’57 Ford in appearance, yes, but things have changed since Boyd left us.
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/sp14/sam-pack-collection/lots/r292-1941-ford-pickup-custom-by-boyd-coddington/182452
BTW, I absolutely LOVE ’57 Ford pickups. They are a one-year only model and of course they are greatly overshadowed by the ’53-’56 F-100s which I also love.
See ya, Jeff.
Hey guys Big Art Here I just completed a 1960 Ford F-100 step side short bed and I love it . Not a Ford guy But I really like this little truck. Camaro front clip , Sm. Block 350 , 350 turbo Transmission and a disc brake Camaro rear end. New tilt Column This bad boy rides like a Dream and I’m not taking a Penny less than $15,000
With a Chevy engine, you’ll be walking soon!