If you have ever wanted to see what the Holy Grail looks like for fans of classic and historic trucks, you are very well looking at it here. If not the only one, it certainly is one of them because this 1957 Ford F-800 would be a very, very rare piece if it were a standard issue model but this one has been beefed up with Marmon-Herrington four wheel drive. The truck is complete, but rough. That being said, all the parts from the motor to the transmission, transfer case, axles, and driveshafts are intact. It’ll be time and it’ll be money but this truck will rise again from its currently rusty and wrinkled state. That puts a smile on our face, big time.
The truck was hauled home from Canada where it lived during its working days. There are a few things that make this one awesome. The first is the engine, a 332ci MEL (Mercury, Lincoln, Edsel) mill that was likely pretty powerful for its day. Parts can be found for these so there’s no reason it should be jettisoned for something else. The second is the fact that the entire four wheel drive system is still there including the impossible to find Rockwell transfer case. Often times these trucks are found on a set of four wheel drive axles but all else is missing. Not here. For the true lover of rare and large four wheel drives, this thing is perfection.
Marmon-Herrington is still in business today, converting trucks, buses, and other large vehicles to four wheel drive like they were doing 60 years ago. The parts and pieces may have gotten more complex but the idea is still the same. The factory has so little demand for four wheel drive big trucks they use Marmon-Herrington and a couple of other outfits around the country to make these conversions happen.
We want this thing and the budget to fix it!
CHECK OUT IMAGES, CLICK HERE FOR THE AD FEATURING THIS 1957 F-800
Actually that’s a Lincoln Y-Block. Any medium duty 4×4 is pretty rare since it seems the only places that ordered them were the forest service, some large mines, and utility companies. (usually power companies for installing poles in the boonies)