This 1956 Ford F800 Rig Is The Best Mashup Of New And Old That We’ve Ever Seen


This 1956 Ford F800 Rig Is The Best Mashup Of New And Old That We’ve Ever Seen

If you are a longtime reader of BangShift, my tastes when it comes to old trucks are no surprise. I am kind of a crusty old man when it comes to old rigs. I want to see them historically preserved and not really messed with all that much. It makes my heart cry when I see an old Mack cab on a one-ton truck frame or something worse. I generally don’t get into the blending of new and old together because it rarely ever comes off well. Today my world has turned upside down and everything I believe in is challenged by the amazing truck you see both above and in multiple images below. This 1956 Ford F800 has its original 332ci Y-Block and five speed manual transmission but after that lots of other stuff has been changed. The truck actually rolls on a 1998 Freightliner chassis from the cab back and uses front leaf springs from a 1977 Dodge truck. There are air brakes, modern and awesome looking Alcoa wheels, no front brakes, and details that will leave you drooling.

This rig actually started off as a fire truck and was used as such for some 40 years before being retired and sold. While it would have been cool to see it restored as a fire truck, we think that turning it into the rig it has become was the better choice. It startles me to say that out loud because I don’t think those are words I have ever uttered before. This truck really is that good. Just look at the detail in the engine compartment. The way the big air compressor for the braking system was mounted, the picture perfect paint all over everything, and the fact that it is the original engine that came with the truck make this a real winner.

With the relatively deep gear and tall tires, this truck probably could run 65-70 down the highway. There are brakes on both sets of rear axles so the fact that there are none in the front may take some getting used to but there’s still plenty of contact patch happening behind you. I am guessing that stopping isn’t weird. While the single stack looks classy, it seems wrong that there isn’t a second stack for that little Y-block to breathe out of. Sure it would just be more noise but I like more noise!

I have never seen  a truck blend new and old as well as this one does. Totally awesome rig. 100% BangShift approved.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE SEVERAL PHOTOS OF THIS 1956 FORD F800 AND THEN HIT THE LINK FOR MORE THAN 50 PHOTOS AT THE SALES AD!

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CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SALES AD FOR THIS TERRIFIC 1956 FORD F800


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5 thoughts on “This 1956 Ford F800 Rig Is The Best Mashup Of New And Old That We’ve Ever Seen

  1. Tedly

    It is gorgeous, no doubt about that. I’m just trying to figure out why they went with no front brakes. From the looks of the rest of the build they knew what they were doing, just seems an odd thing to leave out.

  2. Randy L.

    Heavy duty trucks of that vintage were not required to have front brakes! Drivers would often “back” the front brakes off to make them inoperable.

  3. hauen

    The thinking at the time was that with the difficulty of modulating air brakes it was better to be able to steer than to lock them up and lose control.

  4. Carlo

    Are you kidding? A Y-Block in that? Maybe he’ll race me in the 1/8th mile. I’m going to have to cheat a little bit and wear my tennis shoes though. Don’t think I’ll quite be able to take him in work-boots.

  5. Mike Bradford

    Absolutely stunning old truck!!!! One big yellow reason to work hard and buy a lottery ticket once in a while to keep the dream alive…..Nice find Brian…

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