1961 Ford F-100 Unibody custom [vintage restomod] for sale

This 1961 Ford F-100 resto-mod is one of those gorgeously restored trucks where the price is all out of whack with the quality and extent of the work performed

With a slick two-tone paint job, luxurious interior, loads of modern options, and seamless custom touches throughout, it’s one heck of an impressive truck with moves like a muscle car. You definitely couldn’t build this truck at this price, in fact, there aren’t many builders that could even pull this build off, period.

Let’s start with the paint, since that’s the first thing everyone notices. The two-tone treatment really enhances the dramatic lines of the old Ford unibody pickup, following the gently sloping character line along the flanks. Autumn Copper over Vanilla Shake (kudos to the person that named these shades, because they’re spot-on descriptive) are the gorgeous paint colors you’ve been wondering about. And the root-beer float, high-tech look is just as mesmerizing in person as it is in our photos, using the color’s contrasts to great effect. The two colors coat the vintage sheetmetal perfectly from end-to-end, giving the upright Ford a very sleek look. It’s been driven a bit since the build was completed, but when you show up in this machine, folks will definitely notice and ask you about it. The entire body was taken down to bare metal and the truck was built from there, and the finish is worthy of a vehicle costing twice as much as this one does. Again, it’s not perfect, and any imperfections that can be found upon closer examination are quickly forgiven by this high-quality driver’s off-the-charts curb appeal. That front grille is actually from a ’63-’64 Chevy C10 and it was painted copper, while the insert is vanilla – mirroring the theme of the rest of the truck – while the slender, sleek bumpers (borrowed from a 1st generation Camaro) aren’t actually chrome, they’ve been painted a lustrous silver that really pops. There’s not a lot of bright trim left, although there wasn’t much from the factory to begin with, but between the shiny mirrors, wipers, door handles (borrowed from a Thunderbird), ‘FORD’ lettering on the hood, and those oversized chrome wheels, this truck has plenty of flash. The bed was finished to a high standard as well, with gorgeous wood on the floor, a frenched gas-filler cap for the relocated tank underneath, and vanilla-painted slats that match the interior walls. A metal tonneau cover was custom-fabricated and painted copper to match the top of the body, and even though it’s power actuated, we doubt you’ll be hauling much more than car show goodies back there anyway.

The tastefully customized interior is anchored by a pair of Caramel leather bucket power seats swapped-in from a late-model Audi, and they’re split by a custom center console that houses a tall Lokar shifter, cup holders, and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD/AUX head unit. Dig how the Vanilla Shake paint extends into the door jams, across the dash, and on the custom-molded door panels, the sure sign of a craftsman at work, and the leather inserts and flashy hardware on those doors are flat-out gorgeous. The factory dash remains in place, fitted with an original gauge panel that’s now full of classic-looking Dolphin analog gauges that keep an eye on the upgraded motor up ahead, and they’re framed by a thin-rimed, late-model steering wheel mounted atop a tilt column. Other options include a modern R134a A/C unit that blows cold, power windows, seatbelts, and an upgraded stereo. There’s smooth suede headliner up top, and the plush carpets on the floors insulate the cabin from the outside world, giving the cabin a very hushed feel inside. Tastefully upgraded with high-end components, this transformed cab is absolutely dialed-in.

Sorry Ford fans, but the powerful motor under the hood is a Chevy 350, so its thick walls make it extremely durable for use in the slick pickup. Fed by an Edelbrock 4-barrel carb on an aluminum Edelbrock intake, with shorty headers at the flanks, this nicely finished engine moves the truck with definite authority. Dressed in finned valve covers and a few choice chrome pieces, you won’t hesitate to show this one off, and the Autumn Copper paint on the block, the matching smoothed firewall, and the gloss-black inner fenders let everyone know that these builders really sweated the small stuff on this truck. An HEI ignition/distributor set-up and chromed alternator start the block instantly, while the aluminum core radiator keeps temperatures at bay. Underneath, upgrades include a retro-fitted 1984 Corvette suspension from Flatout Engineering that gives this truck unreal handles, and with modern 4-wheel power disc brakes, quick-shifting power rack-and-pinion steering, and coilovers at the corners, it’s more than ready for the modern road. A 700R4 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission spins a custom driveshaft that hooks up with the Corvette rear end, and the stainless steel exhaust system sounds downright erotic up-and-down the throttle, so don’t be afraid to rattle the neighbors windows a little bit. Flashy 20-inch Boss wheels with 255/35/20 performance radials give it exactly the right stance and tuck in perfectly underneath the wheel wells.