This Classy F-100 Is a Dream Come True

Back when Dean Smith was a raging 16-year-old teenager he saved his money and purchased his first vehicle, a ’56 Ford F-100, for 100 bucks. Dean had every intention of building it into his dream truck, but after he and his dad Cliff had worked on it for a couple of years, Dean discovered a new interest—girls! He put down his wrenches and began picking up girls. He remembers his dad complaining that the ’56 would never see the road. It almost didn’t. The truck “rested” for nearly 33 years, until an adult Dean and his 20-year-old son Dalton finally completed the truck.

Dean started with a Fatman Fabrication complete frame outfitted with a rear 4-link/panhard bar, a Currie Ford 9-inch rearend stuffed with Eaton 4.11 gears, a Detroit Locker and 31-splined axles. The rearend housing is suspended by a pair of Fatman Quad Stage II coil-over shocks. Up front, the father-son team installed a set of Fatman Mustang II upper and lower control arms, with 2-inch dropped spindles and Quad Stage II coil-over shocks. Handling the lateral direction is a Fatman power steering rack. A set of front and rear Wilwood 12-inch cross- and ball-milled vented rotors with four-piston calipers deliver maximum braking performance. A set of Billet Specialties SLG60 polished aluminum wheels, 20 x 15 rear and 18 x 8 front, are covered in Mickey Thompson Sportsman radial rubber, 29/18-20 rears and 28/10-18 up front.

Ol’ Yeller’s power comes from a Smeding Performance 572-ci crate engine built with all of the right stuff. The motor was topped off with an Edelbrock intake manifold, a Quick Fuel Technologies 950-cfm double-pump carburetor and K&N air filter. Expelling the gases is a set of stain-less steel Doug’s headers mated to a custom ceramic-coated exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers. A GearStar 4L85 level 4 digital full-manual shift transmission is backed up to the mighty 572.

Dean and Dalton did some of the body mods and minor bodywork before delivering it to T&M Restoration in Erie, Colorado, where Tracy Wright did the final body prep, primer and block sanding before applying the PPG Canary Yellow basecoat, and then burying it in multiple coats of clear. The custom interior was stitched up by Jesse at Munoz Interiors in Mead, Colorado. A pair of 2002 Chevy Tahoe bucket seats was covered with Partners Bisque vinyl with Mystic Creamy Ivory inserts. After laying down Dynamat Extreme sound deadening material it was covered with Bentley Medium Mocha carpet. Dakota Digital gauges were mounted in the smoothed dash. Dean grips a Billet Specialties Alien half-wrapped leather steering wheel mounted on an ididit tilt steering column.

The road tunes are orchestrated and dispersed by an Alpine head unit and two Alpine 6 x 9-inch speakers located behind the bucket seats and two Alpine 6-inch speakers located in the kick panels. Dean and Dalton’s efforts were rewarded at the 2012 Ford F-100 Super Nationals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where it was awarded Best in Class. Dean would like to thank his wonderful wife Debbie for allowing he and Dalton to complete his high school dream.

If only Cliff could see the old ’56 now. ST

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DEAN SMITH
1956 FORD F-100
ERIE, CO
GOODGUYS

TRUCK SPECS

ENGINE

• 2008 CHEVROLET 572 SMEDING PERFORMANCE CRATE MOTOR
• DART RACING BLOCK
• EDELBROCK INTAKE MANIFOLD
• QUICK FUEL TECHNOLOGIES 900- CFM CARBURETOR
• FLOWMASTER MUFFLERS
• DOUG’S HEADERS

SUSPENSION

• FATMAN FABRICATION FRAME RAILS
• FATMAN FABRICATION 4-LINK
• CURRIE FORD 9-INCH REAREND
• FATMAN FABRICATION MUSTANG II CONTROL ARMS
• FATMAN FABRICATION QUAD STAGE III COIL- OVERS

BODY

• 3-INCH STRETCHED REAR FENDERS
• PROS PICK BED AND ROLL PAN
• BRUCE HORKEY’S WHITE OAK BED FLOOR
• PPG CANARY YELLOW

WHEELS

• BILLET SPECIALTIES SLG60 POLISHED ALUMINUM 20 X 15 REAR, 18 X 8 FRONT
• MICKEY THOMPSON SPORTSMAN 29/18- 20 REAR, 28/10-18 FRONT

INTERIOR

• 2002 CHEVY TAHOE SEATS
• LOKAR ACCESSORIES
• DAKOTA DIGITAL GAUGES
• ONE-PIECE POWER WINDOWS
• RON FRANCIS WIRING

STEREO

• ALPINE SOUND SYSTEM
• DYNAMAT EXTREME SOUND DEADENER

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