'53 Ford tow truck for Fireball's "White Lightning Coupe"

[421sd]

I took this AMT '53 Ford pick-up in trade for something a few years back, here in Florida. It was incomplete, started but unpainted. We all know they re-issued this thing a gazillion times but I always thought the original molded in gray and this run,molded in light blue, were the most clean and crisp issues. Some of the yellow and white molded colors were full of heavy flash. I latched onto this one soon as I saw it was one of the light blue ones. Only a handful of times have I built a model and not painted the body. This thing was nice before I polished it. I didn't want show quality but it sure cleaned up nice with only NOVUS. They had took both engines out of the kit so I did a little surgery and shoe horned a 1/24 Revell '56 Thunderbird 312 Y-Block Ford-A-Matic in it . Suprisingly it went in quite well until I realized the transmission was way too high for the interior floor pan. You can't see it from underneath but I sawed almost half the tranny off the top to get it to fit. I wanted it to be an automatic for flat towing the coupe. Besides, Smokey Yunick would have got it in there, so I did. I did drop the front axle a tad to get the "LOOK". I added diamond plate to the bed and scratched the trailer hitch and tow bar from Evergreen. Oh yeah........I opened the grille and the headlights, de-chromed it, painted it Wimbleton white and added clear lenses. Then I spent the next 3 days putting the chains on the taligate so it would still open. Someone locally has already "busted my chops for not putting inner tube over the chains, but I wanted it to open and close smoothly and it does. IMG_2456 by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2446'53 FORD f-100 GRILLE SHOT by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2439'53 f-100 ENGINE RS by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2452 by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2506 by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2485 by Mark Box, on FlickrIMG_2402 by Mark Box, on Flickr

[Dirtman]

Well done Mark! I had a '53 PU many years ago. Sure wish it would have looked as good as this one does!

Rett

[Fordguy01]

You are right that blue did polish out nicely and that 312 looks right at home in the engine bay and are those kit tires if not where did they come from?  They look great on that truck.  Super nice piece of work.

Al

[TarheelRick]

Very well done.  Looks the part, just like they were in the early years of NASCAR racing.

[421sd]

The tires on this truck came from the Revell '3 in 1 RAT ROD '29 Ford Pick-up kit. Kit #85-2348. The steelies are from the AMT '58 Chevy. Some of the nicest wide whites out there and the sizes were perfect, Fronts shorter than the rears.

Thanks for the compliments.

[sentsat71]

That is one COOL P/U!!!
GREAT job on it.....

[Marty W]

Love what you did with this truck, and the engine detail is fantastic! I give it an 11.

[BobD]

Beautiful job, paint or no paint!  Great engine choice also!

[421sd]

Once in a BLUE MOON I will use a 1/24 engine in a 1/25 model. In this case, I wanted the Ford-A-Matic transmission for towing purposes.
I appreciate all the feedback, thank you all!

[TonyK]

I think this is the best '53 pickup I've seen. Engine, chassis, and items in the bed all look great. Nice job!

[Olderndirt]

 This build is spot on. The only thing I remember that isn't in the bed of the truck is jack stands made from axle housing from old banjo rear ends. It seemed like everybody back in the day cut up those old rear ends and made their own jack stands.

  Olderndirt

[421sd]

Well see there........you just learned me something I never knew. I spent a lot of time at race tracks as a kid and those home made jack stands were surely present back then but I never realized as a kid what they were made out of. Of course, I'm only 69 years old so could it be you have seniority on me?

[Bob P.]

Fantastic job on the truck. I like all the tools and equipment in the bed, Looks like your ready to head to the track.

Bob