New project....not 4x4

Since Steve-O decided to get him a camaro I decided ( not really ) to go get me a project to keep my hands off the Beast.
 
1953 Anniversary Edition F100 Ford Pickup
Flathead V-8
3 on the tree
Relatively good condition, I need to get a couple of body repair panels ( corner pieces on the cab ) and a paint job.
I'm gonna have the engine rebuilt professionally and prolly have the tranny freshened as well then it will be bodybuilding time.
The plan is to get it finished / or drivable in 1 yr or less.
I'll get the first pics up as soon as I get it to the shop.
 
Suggestions on paint scheme? No silly stuff, I want to do the show car circuit with this thing.

pat that is cool
 
I hope you do not go as crazy as my dad has. he has 69 chevy short bed. it was clean just needed the engine rebuilt and a paint job. I ribbed so much and for so long one day he decided he would make it for the show circuit. Now it is a chrome goddess. I am not even sure he will drive it much on the street. I feel it is going to be a trailer queen with a little street time. He is 76 years old and just had double knee surgery. finishing this thing has been a chore. he is going Bright red paint and white leather interior. the inside is done by a guy with a 6 month waiting list and will be about 10k. Yes I agree that is nuts. Know you see where I get it.
 
Good luck and I think you will love it. I can't wait till you jack it up and stick some 60's under it with honking tires and make it different that the rest.

That is very cool.  You going to keep it mostly original?  Those flatheads are cool pieces of history.  Still tons of support for them out there, they made so many of them.
 
Can't wait to see it.

Show circuit?, I figured you for the rat rodder!

looks like we all need to get new projects now!

ORIGINAL: RockFink

Since Steve-O decided to get him a camaro I decided ( not really ) to go get me a project to keep my hands off the Beast.
Im sending a bag of poo to your house right now you dirty rat!!  ITS A POTIAC FIREBIRD!!!!  Thats like callin a Jimmy a Blazer, only worse cause I dont own either of them...  LOL! 
1953 Anniversary Edition F100 Ford Pickup
Flathead V-8
3 on the tree
Relatively good condition, I need to get a couple of body repair panels ( corner pieces on the cab ) and a paint job.
I'm gonna have the engine rebuilt professionally and prolly have the tranny freshened as well then it will be bodybuilding time.
The plan is to get it finished / or drivable in 1 yr or less.
I'll get the first pics up as soon as I get it to the shop.

Suggestions on paint scheme? No silly stuff, I want to do the show car circuit with this thing.

 
Well, I need to see pics and a bit more info before I can throw idea's at ya!!    Sounds like a heck of nice platform to start with.  Native TX truck?  Rust anywhere else but the cab corners?  1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 99th owner?  ALL Original or already redone a few times?  (interior factory, body factory, original paint still on it... ect)  I love the fact that you are keeping it close to stock as far as drive train.  Most of the rigs you see at shows are like Kevin was saying about the 69 truck his dad redid.  What color do you want to do the interior?  Are you planning to RESTORE or RESTO-MOD this truck?  I lean toward the 1st, I just think its cool to see a classic just like it rolled off the showroom.  Take Mike's vette for prime example.  Didnt come with Stingray emblems stock so he removed them and spent money to correct someone elses addition done to make it look cooler to them...  Im a huge fan of old trucks, almost bought one of them before the firebird but we already have 2 trucks in the family and figured a car would be a nice switch.  The fact that it has t-tops, very low center of gravity (will corner like crazy) and a peppy v8 had NOTHING to do with that decision...   LOL!!

I will be the second owner. My bro-inlaw's grandpa owned it from the showroom floor before they took away his drivers liscense in 1974/75. It had been parked in his garage in houston till two yrs ago when we brought it back up here. I am leaning towards a pearl / pearl metalic with multiple clearcoats inside and out with the old "ford blue" for the engine color. Its all original short of waterpump, dist cap wires and plugs. Its got an aftermarket blinkerswitch that may or maynot stay. I want it to be as close to original as I can make it. I found several sites that I can order original replacement parts for alot less than you might expect. I also have a line on an OLD man that has been rebuilding these flatters from the getgo.
The interior is in excellent shape without all those "add-on" switch holes that you inevitably get with an old metal dashed vehical. The seat actually is original with NO tears but is really worn. I am fighting the urge to custom the original headliner ( still all in one piece ) when I paint it.
The original paint is a putrid pale green and had been rattlecanned black at some time in the far past. It actually has a D44 rearend.

The only tag I can find on it states that it has a 3 speed on the column, puts out 94 HP at 3400 RPM. HAHA What a beast!
Kevin, as much as I can figure right now, the customization part is the most expensive job so I am going to keep it simple ( K.I.S.S. method ). Besides, just knowing that it ran the roads with pretty much the same engine now as it was 55 yrs ago just gets the blood flowing! 55 YRS ago! This truck is actually way older than me! I first saw a flathead V-8 in a T-Bucket ratrod at a carshow when I was a little kid and have always wanted one..........although I had a fugue back in highschool when I wanted a 72-76 stingray with T-Tops.
Its something way different from whats rolling around these parts and I plan on driving it anywhere ( NO offroad for this baby ) so thats why I am have a pro build the engine and having the tranny refreshed.
This is also a bit of a labor of love as well, dad had started cleaning it up before he had gotten too sick to stay in the shop for any amount of time and finally gave up on it himself. Mom gave the truck to me because no one else wanted it and the junk man had the gonads to offer her $200 for it.
As you can see, I am a bit excited about it as I was for the beast while I was building it. I normally keep my babbling to myself lately but I can't get over the fact of the history of this truck and that its just about what I have wanted in a showtruck/ old rig.
Ideas of color so far

Cherry red/ chrome engine parts
Deep metallic green/black-chrome engine
Candyapple green/ pearl engine
Pearl metallic / ford blue engine w'a few chrome outers
Deep Blue/ blue engine w'minor chrome accents
By Gawd Purple-ghost flames/ all chrome engine ( OMG thats awefull in the minds eye )
TweetyBird yellow with chrome accented fordblue engine

The paint job will be outside, inside the cab and inside the engine bay minus the engine ( which is why I mentioned engine color. ).
Anyone else that has an idea of color scheme please post up......ya never know you may have the winning color ideas!
Here is a cherry red one I found on the net. Not too hip to it being lowered but the color has some appeal.


Here is a pale blue one


Barny Purple

 
 
 
P.S. sorry Steve, my bad on the Camaro/ Firebird mistake, it's still a killer ride !

I am jealous of this truck. I was raised in a hot rod / racing house. I always wanted this ford truck yuu have. I think other than a t bucket roadster this is the best thing for ever made. I like the simple approach. I vote for the pearl white idea. I have seen a few and they are great. plus white is easier on the body work. Black red and blue show all the flawse. Good luck.

Im actually leaning toward green to keep it as close to original as possible.  (besides, the Taco is dark green, drivin it for 10+ years and I still like it) It doesnt need to be that putrid green it was originally, but a green non the less.  Dark green with a hint of metallic flake, lots of clear and green and black interior, dash and major parts inside the same green as outside, minus the flake, of course!! 
But, thats just me!!  Thats awesome that you got it FOR FREE and your the whoppin second owner of it.  Heck of a ground to start with, plus its native TX so rust really shouldnt be an issue.  Also great news about the original condition of it.  Your right, most of them are cut up and redone atleast once by this time.  The fact that your going to keep it that way is a good thing.  My bro-in-law is rebuilding frame off original a 1955 Nomad 210 2 dr and he isnt changing a thing.  Those are my favorites at the shows, for sure.  Thats my .02 on the paint scheme.  ORIGINAL, or atleast the same on the same side of the color wheel.  Might mean a bit more love on prep work but thats cheap enough if you do it yourself and will pay off big when the paint goes on.  Lookin foward to a pic or two of YOUR truck... 
 
Also, no biggie on the confused bird issue.  I got in trouble a few times with Griz and Butch for the Jimmy/Blazer thing.  LOL!!  (Maybe even with your Jimmy way back when...)

Took me 2 years to get the vette on the street (not finished by a long shot).  building a show car can and will make you say bad words and throw stuff. An idea for the paint job, Deep Deep purple with black gost skulls. saw a sample tank done this way and it was unbeliveable. The skull did not show from 10 feet, you had to be right up on it to see them

I was at a car show yesterday and saw an old bucket roadster painted FLAT lime green. Was different but I couldnt get enough...my vote is for flat lime green

I think I am going to go with a pearl with several clearcoats. Inside and out, including the engine bay. Then the engine will get a ford blue color with some menial accents.

i would do a bright blue...like the honda civic Si's of the late 90's-2000, or the new nissan 350z with GM victory red motor accents....get some steel smoothie wheels power coated victory red and add a big chrome smoothie cap....chrome mirrors/rain drip channel on doors. A white or black interior with red accents/piping to tie in the colors. Be careful in your chrome useage...i feel it is better to be slightly understated in the chrome/polished metal arena then to be overbearing in chrome.
 
Make the body nice, but put your money in the drivetrain....Edelbrock makes lots of flathead goodies.
 
oh, must have lake pipes......mmmm....hot rod truck.... 

HAH, Bryan, if you would like to bank this project I am all for it! Actually tho, I don't want to throw extra money at it that it really doesn't need. My idea of a cool truck is one of two things... a mean screamin machine with too many horses to use legally and a blower sticking out of the hood or a pretty much all stock from the factory look with just a tiny few pieces of shiny stuff here and there.
I do have a few ideas for some minor custom work but before all that comes into play I need to get the driveline working, the wiring redone( can you say clothe wrapped wires so stiff they break when you touch them? ) and the necessary bodywork done.
 
 
BTW...call all bodymen...anyone with bodywork exp is welcome to hit the big uglies with me so I can get done with the bondo and fibre work faster!

My bro-in-law is a GREAT bodyman.  I will talk to him and see if he's interested in teachin ya a few tricks.  He is busy workin on his house though so no promises...
And dont worry, he lives in Lewisville. 

heck all of my cars are projects and will probly stay that way. Have a 90 taurus SHO and a 92 parts car also have a spare motor too. and then of course the Yj and eventaully (hopefully later than sooner) i will inherete<<<spelled that wrong,,, a 70 something corvette stingray but its a total basket case so it will havto wait till we buy a house.