It’s always fun and somewhat surprising to see vehicles that have had only one owner since new. A lot of people treat their vehicles as appliances for getting from point A to point B and nothing more. I know people who don’t even care about them enough to have ever washed their vehicles, not even once. This 1959 Ford F-100 pickup has had one owner for over six decades. It’s listed here on eBay in Rio Linda, California with no reserve and a current bid price of just over $2,000.
Ford’s half-ton pickup was named F-100 in this era, rather than the F-150 that we know them as today. This may take some heat, but I would rather have this truck than a new one. I mean, not this exact truck in this condition, but all things being equal, condition-wise, I’d rather have an old Ford pickup than a new one. That probably won’t be popular, but as Popeye says, I am what I am and that’s all I am. I know that new trucks are nicer and safer and you can drive cross-country in one without blinking, but still, give me an old truck any day.
Who among us doesn’t want to get this truck working perfectly and drive it as it looks now? I would, but I would also like to restore it back to looking like new again. I’m not really that fussy and I do love the look of this original paint even with portions of it being long gone, replaced with surface rust, or as they say in 2020, flash rust. Patina is so 2019.
I’m assuming that the seat has been recovered and there’s that steering wheel cover, but otherwise, the interior looks like it may have looked when it left the factory in 1959. I love the simple gauges. Our own Montana Danford showed us a similar but newer 1965 Ford F-100 in this color scheme here on Barn Finds, but in gorgeous condition. That’s how I would bring this truck back to life, but that’s just me.
The black, replacement choke knob in the photo of the gauges and dash probably isn’t connected to anything as the seller says that the carburetor is missing. So is the radiator. No worries, you probably would have wanted to replace both of those anyway. The engine should be Ford’s 223 cubic-inch inline-six, the Mileage-Maker, which would have had around 115 hp. How would you restore this F-100?
I got a Tonka truck like this one year as a kid. On it’s maiden voyage down the driveway, it rolled better than the other ones, went into the street and got flattened by a Buick. Great find, someone will redo it to the nines, as the style and condition is there, but little else of appeal for today. It’s still a ’59 era vehicle.
Just sold my Tonka with matching trailer (but no boat) at the annual AACA swap meeting near Nashville on Sunday. It had been in my collection for 50 years, candy apple red with white top. Sold it to a gentleman who parked his real 1960 F-100 outside, dressed up in blue as a Texaco service truck with star on the side and red steel wheels.
We had a ’66 F100 farm truck equipped exactly the same, and the same color. It was an exercise in simplicity; down to the single gauge pod containing the speedometer that was flanked by the fuel gauge. No power steering or brakes, manual choke, and the coveted three-on-the-tree shifter. Even the heat controls were incredibly rudimentary, using two knobs to push/pull to get heat and air flow (fan). To turn on the defrost, one had to take their eyes off the road and bend down to reach a shutter lever under the dash. With it’s austerity, it was equally reliable and durable. It took far more punishment than what any modern truck could. I’d restore it to its original glory, with the exception of doing slight restomod. Perhaps Ford’s venerable 300 straight six with an engine management system and A/C, along with front disk brakes would be in order. Everything else would present as stock.
I did too Howard, only my sister fell out of the top bunk and destroyed it. A friend
of Mom’s had the DeLuxe model of this
truck and loaned it to us so that we could
move into a bigger house. It had the big
rear window and Mom looked like a pro
rowing through the gears. If memory serves me, it was painted Commercial
Green and white. Last time I saw one like
it was when I was watching the movie ‘A
Fever In The Blood” with Efrem Zimbalist
Jr. This one would look good painted
dark blue with white trim. My congrats
to the seller as he mat have come up with
the perfect anti theft plan–make it immobile, and no one in their right mind
will steal it!
I’ve always liked this style of truck. The ’57-’60 was a favorite of mine, even more desirable than the ’53-’56, and especially the ’61-’66. I just never got turned on by the super rounded corners. However, I wouldn’t kick any of those off my driveway either. This truck deserves a full restoration and then be driven and used. I would even keep the six, although I would’ve preferred to see a Y-block under the hood. Here’s something that sprang up at a show-n-shine and all but bit me…
So the seller didn’t register the truck in his name and calls it a one owner car? Good luck if there are issues when the next owner tries to register it, any issue or back fees will be their responsibility, which can be substantial if the buyer is in California.
Steve R
I agree.It could be on “Non Op”,which means
that there’s no back fees.If you register a vehicle with
CA back fees in another state,you don’t have to pay them.
This is a good-looking pickup that looks like a solid project, one you could go several ways with. One good thing about this pickup is that there’s no chrome to restore so give it a fresh coat of paint, inside and out, so it’s not the neighborhood eye-sore. I’d keep it looking stock but I’d want to go with a small block V8 (Ford only!) and a 4-speed along with an appropriate rear end. Upgrade to disc brakes, add A/C, a few cupholders and I’d be good to go.
I’m with Scotty as far as new pickups are concerned; I have no interest in any Ford pickup made after 1996. I never cared for the Aero style and the new trucks are too big with too many doors. I couldn’t afford one, anyway. I’ll stick with my ’95 F150 XLT regular cab short box. When something fails, breaks, wears out or rusts out, I replace or restore it. It’ll be cheaper than a new pickup in the long run.
#falseadvertising.
it was a one-owner when the flipper bought it, it’s a two-owner now.
JMHO
A nice old truck, but do I see a tipping ram on the tub in the eBay photos where is the hydraulics for that, it’s also a pre I-beam model so a great local driver no mention that the motor turns
A nice old truck it’s also a pre I-beam model so a great local driver no mention that the motor turns
With a good pressure wash it would look pretty good.