Everybody agrees that 1956 is probably the best year for a classic Ford truck. However, that usually means a small F100 with hot rod suspension and a polished 302 swap.This 1956 Ford F600 Crew Cab Dually is the exact opposite, a rusty-looking work truck with four doors and a surprise under the hood.
This is a second-generation medium-duty rig, of course. The model was launched in 1953, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company. That’s also when the naming changed, so an F-5 became the F500 and the F-6 changed into this F600.
They offered both this conventional setup and a Cab Over Engine model with chassis configurations including tractor, straight truck, or bus. In the highlight video shot by Ford Era, the owner mentions how these trucks were basically coachbuilt back then.
For 1956, the last year of production for this classic generation, the F600 got the same redesigned as the light-duty F100. This included vertical A-pillars, a slightly different grille, and the wraparound windshield, though this feature is less pronounced.
Crew Cabs Love
The incredible F600 belongs to Hodson Motorsports, and there’s a really cool family story behind it. When the owner’s dad was a little kid, his dad had this baby blue 1956 Ford F100. This F600 was initially red and rusty, but a specialist painter decided she could keep the rust, add the blue and tie everything together.
So there’s actual rust on there mixed with carefully airbrushed fake stuff. The F600 thus looks like it came from a junkyard but is actually in decent condition.
And obviously, there’s a lot of custom work going on here, since Ford didn’t make a Crew Cab Dually like that. The doors are custom and so is the roof, while the stamped hood gives it that 32 rat rod feel. Apparently, it was hanging on the wall of a bar before this. We’ve also managed to find a video where painter Cheyenne Ruether talks about her process for creating the patina.
Even what’s underneath is custom. The chassis is from a 1985 Dodge motorhome. It’s got a 4-link suspension in the rear and air. I really like how the eight-lug steel wheels don’t distract from the rusty look, like on so many other builds.
As for the engine, we understand that it’s got a Ford 460 big-block V8, which looks like it’s also from the 1980s. This 7.5-liter has been built with an Edelbrock four-barrel carb and dumps exhaust through 3-inch pipes. Wilwood discs have also been fitted to ensure modern stopping power.
