insulation, and foam-padded seats. The Custom Cab also boasted
bright exterior trim and special Custom Cab badging as well
as exterior door locks on both the driver and passenger sides.
Among the options was a wraparound rear window for better
rearward visibility, an in-dash transistor radio, chrome bumpers, a
heater and windshield defroster, windshield washers, turn signals,
a cigar lighter, or a side-mounted spare tire.
The 1957 F-100 could be powered by Ford’s 223-cu.in.
straight-six rated at 139 horesepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, or
the 272-cu.in. V-8 rated at 171 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Once
buyers selected an engine, they could choose among four manual
transmissions, as well as the Ford-O-Matic automatic.
For 1958, the F-100 was updated with a new grille and
quad headlamps, as well as revised hubcaps and badging. The
272-cu.in. V-8 was given a horsepower boost to 180, thenreplaced later in the model year with the 186-hp 292-cu.in. V-8.
For 1959, a new hood design with a mesh air intake led the
charge. There was also a beefed-up interior cab step, new uphol-
stery, and a dome lamp. The F-100’s rear crossmembers were also
strengthened, and factory-installed four-wheel drive was available
for the fi rst time on the 1959 F-100.
For the fi nal production before the 1961 redesign, the 1960
F-100 sported a new grille, and the parking lamps were integrat-
ed into the surround. A pair of slotted nostrils were punched into
the front edge of the hood, and the Ford gear-and-lightning in-
signia replaced the Ford letters. Subtle changes included revised
door locks, improved weatherstripping, interior coat hooks, new
seat upholstery, and a more powerful optional cab heater.
Under the hoods of the 1960 F-100s, the 223-cu.in. straight-
six and 292-cu.in. V-8 engines were outfi tted with rocker covers
and gaskets said to be less prone to leaking, improved cooling
systems and better rear main seals. The 292 engine also benefi ted
from a new rotor-type oil pump that could provide greater oil
pressure at idle and in the mid-to-upper rpm range. The 292’s
cylinder heads incorporated revised combustion chambers that
relocated the spark plug and increased the chamber’s squish area
in an effort to make the engine more tolerant of cheaper grades
of gasoline. This engine also used new piston rings to reduce oil
consumption. Four-wheel-drive F-100s were bolstered with ad-
ditional cab reinforcement and beefi er front and rear springs.
Ford’s 1957-’60 vintage F-Series trucks have a strong fol-
lowing, but they never really went mainstream among collectors82 HEMMINGS CLASSIC CAR OCTOBER 2019 I Hemmings.com