FRESH SQUEEZED

A Couple’s Love for This Orange Ford

A Couple’s Love for This Orange Ford

FOR TOM RISCH, IT WAS inevitable that he was going to put together a killer hot rod. Being raised by a father who was in the car business his entire life leads to long nights in the garage tinkering with endless projects. Tom began his love for cars at a very young age when his dad would let him to drive an old Plymouth coupe around the property; needless to say, he was hooked and that was the beginning of Tom’s lifelong addiction.

When it was finally time for

Tom to put his efforts into a full build, he turned to a truck he always had an affection for, the 1951 Ford F-1. Tom quickly began his search and found himself making a deal on a truck in Iowa, where naturally the F-1 was resting in an old barn. The F-1 was in decent shape but the old flathead V-8 was seized up. After making a deal with the current owner, Tom hauled her back to Ohio to start the full restoration in his small one-car garage.

Tom knew he wanted to build an updated version of this timeless Ford, so first the body came off so he could show the chassis some much needed attention. Once sandblasted and cleaned up, Tom opted for an updated Heidts Mustang II IFS front end with tubular arms, dropped spindles and power steering. Out

back, he sourced Ford 9-inch from a ’63 F-100 and hung it on a new pair of leaf springs with a smaller leaf pack to achieve a lower stance and get that classic hot rod rake.

As mentioned, the original Ford flathead was just a big paper weight when he purchased the truck. Not to worry though; Tom enlisted Bischoff Racing Engines out of Guilford, Indiana, to build him a 302 with all the good stuff inside, including a full roller assembly. Then it was topped off with an Edelbrock intake and matching four-barrel carburetor.

Some shorty headers and a fully ceramic coated exhaust dumped near the rear wheels made for cruising music on a Saturday night, with the stout 302 backed by a reliable C4 transmission.

Speaking of traction, Tom chose Firestones to hold up their end of the bargain by keeping this Ford planted to the ground. The staggered tires were wrapped around classic and subtle American Racing wheels with a polished lip and gray center, measuring 15x6 inches up front and 15x8 inches in the rear.

With all the moving pieces dialed on the truck, it was time to shift toward the aesthetics. Tom and his good friend Butch Martin tackled the tedious task of shaping the body to the smooth rendition you see here. With the body being a little rough, they started with some rust repair and then ordered some replacement parts from Midwest Early Ford out of Springfield, Ohio. The running boards along with all four fenders and the tailgate were all replaced to speed up the process. Tom and his friend then moved quickly to the custom touches. First, they smoothed out the body by shaving the door handles and ditching both bumpers in favor of a smooth roll pan. Then they proceeded to add detail to the

body by omitting the trim on the sides of the hood and smoothing the side louvers for a cleaner look. Not to be overlooked, the tailgate was also given attention by using a smoothed piece rather than the factory stamped gate.

With all the body work done, it was time to give this F-1 some color. Tom always knew the truck would end up orange, but he just didn’t know exactly what shade. Here’s where Tom’s wife, Barb, stepped in with her eye for design and helped shape what would be the spotlight of the whole project: Tangelo Pearl by House of Kolor. Subsequently, Tom and his friend

Butch laid down the shine, contrasting the Tangelo with a subtle charcoal gray on parts such as the grille and trim pieces. Upon final assembly, the truck was outfitted with custom V-8 badges laser cut and coated to match, and a beautiful wood floor complemented the whole exterior of the truck.

Not to be overlooked, the interior was given the same formula and attention as the exterior. The dash and interior sheet metal were painted the same Tangelo and charcoal gray as the body. At that point Tom enlisted Rodriguez Upholstery in Decatur, Indiana, to update the inside. A pair of seats from a Mazda 6 sedan were used as the holding place for Tom and his wife to spend many car cruises in once the truck was finished. Juan cut down

the seats and covered them in a complementary vinyl with orange piping to match the rest of the truck’s style. To add detail to the interior, some billet pieces were included in the updates, such as the steering column and steering wheel along with pedals and a long stem shifter. To complete the interior makeover, Tom had to pick some gauges to monitor the truck’s vitals while not disrupting with the classic look the truck had taken. He opted for timeless tan gauges from Omega Kustom to do the job.

Tom admits he didn’t quite have the formula to an efficient build and even states he had the truck together and back apart quite a few times before he figured it all out. I think most of us would find this to be normal when tackling such a project in only 14 months’ time. To his acclaim he proudly mentions none of this could have been done without the support of his understanding and helpful wife and the helpful hands of some friends. Tom says when they started this project, he wanted a driver, a truck they could just get in and enjoy. He says he never knew it would attract the attention it has and is most grateful for the people they have met along the way.

The most interesting part of building this Ford?

“I built it in a one car garage, the whole thing was interesting!” Tom says. “I’m just glad I had good buddies who would come and help me move the truck around when needed.” Spoken like a true truck enthusiast.