Can't think of a single example posted that I disagree with or that I could not make my own with some personal changes . But my personal choice would be the 56 F1 , or a 57 Ranchero. Although I do have a soft spot for the 59 Ranchero also! Now if they had built a 59 Mercury version of a Ranchero I would be beside myself !! Larry
So many choices, 30's-40's Fords, mid 50's Chevy's,( Cameo's come to mind), don't slight those 37 Stude's, 50's Stude's, as they were ahead of time with those slippery body lines & others such as swept-wing Dodge's, or even throw in a Diamond "T' or two . Many in original form maybe not so popular but with refinements & tasteful alterations any can appeal to at least a portion of the critics.
That’s a damn fine looking truck, don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hello, Since I am not the only one to like the Ford F100 body style, that design is a hot rod classic. If there ever was one called a classic. Most of the trucks have been modified nicely as there is not much needed to be a cool truck. As a little kid, I walked by a full custom, 1956 Ford F100 pickup truck almost every day. The owner was a local businessman and parked this custom truck out in front of his storefront business daily. We walked by it numerous times and liked that it has a radical off angle chopped top, Tahitian Red paint, chromed reversed wheels and white walls. The interior was all white tuck and roll, including the inner roof. I had no idea that this businessman was even interested in hot rods and trucks, but it was there on the main drag of our Westside Long Beach community every day. One day, I even got a ride back to his storefront business from the local Mobil Gas Station mechanic. He had just completed a tune up and some other modifications and asked if I wanted to go for a short drive down the street. It was my first custom car/truck ride and it was very cool. Tahitian Red Paint was very popular in the custom car world and this truck paint job was just letter perfect. It shined and stood out for blocks against the daily grind businesses along the main road in our community of the Westside of Long Beach. When I see another 55-57 Ford truck, little things always remind me of that cool truck from our neighborhood. Those memories of the daily walk by and finally a short drive inside of the custom truck are now fading fast as the owner has “left the building” and the files are history. The family was not into the custom car field and so the calls, research and emails have stopped after he was gone. So, hopefully it was in one of the early custom car magazines that made it through to today for all to see. Jnaki Now, that we are physically larger, despite liking the truck, we might have to extend the cab for more height and leg room. I was 8-9 years old and there was plenty of room inside and under that unusual chopped top. Today, that chopped top would bother me while driving around. That cab extension would give anyone over 6 feet to feel comfortable without a cramped seating style for driving. One of the most impressive Ford F100 trucks since 1957… “The Painter’s Truck” https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/that-vintage-push-truck-look.1137864/#post-12941021
A total of 125,000 miles later, one major water pump repair at 120k and that was it. Hello, Ever since owning and cruising around in a 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, and a 58 348 Impala, this ownership of a new 1965 El Camino was totally different. No more cruising around with someone in the back seat, other than a 250cc Greeves desert racing motorcycle or surfboards. Any type of music would sound great coming from homemade 6x9 speakers hooked up to the stock AM/FM radio or a newly developed, cassette tape player. The cabin was large enough for three comfortably, but small enough to hear any great rock and roll music. Those homemade 6x9 speakers behind the seat back areas just sent the best music right up the wall and slanted window into our ears. The small chamber became a large concert arena. Shrine Auditorium… Los Angeles Yes, it was a 65 Chevelle 2 door station wagon without the rear sloped window and extended roofline. It even had the station wagon rear foot well area in the bed as a secret area for really private stuff. So, it was different, but comfortable for a road veteran traveling 600 plus miles round trip, almost monthly, to go to my new college in northern California and back home to Long Beach. Jnaki The coolest thing was the newly developed factory air shocks that helped support the rear bed with heavy loads. We had seen plenty of trucks from our neighbors heavily loaded in the back bed, driving down the street with the nose in the air stance…(maybe they were the fake Gas Coupes/Sedans/Trucks in training for 6-10 years later) The idea of air lift shocks was never in play until 1964 for any American factory made truck. This was a consumer first. But once the El Camino came on the scene, plenty of old trucks were sold/traded in for the new body style and air supported rear bed area. No longer did the trucks do the low rider bumper scraping. A little gas station air did the job to level out the ride and handling of those heavy loads. Our neighbor took a while to learn the ins and outs of the factory air shocks as his 64 El Camino was level one day, dropped in the rear the next day and when the rear was emptied out, a stink bug look up in the air. My take on that up and down scenario was handled with a custom installed air shock gauge that told exactly how much air to put into the pair of rear shocks. The gauge sat connected to the air line under the small rear panel shelf, out of sight of prying eyes. So, through the twenty something years of plenty of miles all over California coastal and inland, with a few forays into Baja California, our 65 El Camino was trouble free until we were ready to sell the El Camino to get a larger station wagon for our growing family. photo by Vnak... Westside of Long Beach
I guess there just ain't no love for the '41-'47 M-5 Studebaker!! The "narrow-nose" one... Or what about the '57-'58 Ranchero??
A good friend has been searching for a 56 Ford pickup with Chrysler power for years. Finally had one built in northern Nevada by some fellow Bonneville Competitors. I think the builder nailed it for him. For your info it didn’t start life as a big window.
I didn't know the Ranchero and el Camino were part of this being they are first generation S.U.Vs. The 57-58 Ranchero and the 59-60 el Camino would be my picks.
I like most of them, especially the ones with dark fenders and bright bodies. I am not convinced about white walls on trucks.
What would have been a very tight style haג Studebaker done what it's Argentinian subsidiary did: design a proper bed for the Champ.
My personal favorite truck design is the 58-60 F100... but because it's so ugly it's beautiful. That being said the 40 Ford pickup wins hands down.
Wow! Thanks for the mention, Rusty1 Honored and humbled to be included in this list. All the trucks in this thread look damn fine to me.
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