1956 CUSTOM F-100

Drive Staff May 12, 2023 All Feature Vehicles

Ed & Dianna Muraski ‘s

White-Hot Ford Custom F-100

Ed has been interested in cars ever since he built his first Soap Box Derby car and raced it at age 9. Ed’s interest in cars and design drew him to the ‘56 F-100 truck. It has the look he admired and wanted. Ed ended up doing a body off restoration, putting four coats of white primer on, three coats of white color, four coats of pearl, and seven coats of clear. He then designed and laid out the flames. The front is a freestyle flame of Ed’s own design and the tailgate is a more traditional flame design working around the Ford letters. Next, Ed pin striped the truck in Metallic Silver. Ed ordered the top-grade Red Oak for the bed and cut it to size and routed it for the stainless channels. The truck has come really close to Ed’s standards and expectations, and he is very happy with the total design, fabrication, and overall appearance.

Honorable Mentions More reader’s rides

John Ruth’s 1951 Kaiser Traveler Deluxe

Kaiser built hatchbacks from 1949 to 1953 but ‘51 was the only year 2 doors were built as they did not sell very many. (Less than 400 Deluxe) John purchased this one on Ebay pretty much in this excellent condition. It has a 226ci engine and an automatic transmission. John and his wife have shown it in So Cal for many years, earning many awards. After moving to Oregon, John entered and was accepted to be on the Discovery Channel show Sticker Shock. The car was also featured on My Classic Car with Dennis Gage.

Ray Read’s 1946 Chevy named “Martha”

Bruce Read from Grants Pass, Oregon is going to tell you the story of Martha.

I know it doesn’t look like much, but it meant the world to a little 82-year-old man. That man was my dad, Ray . You see, he had bone cancer.

[One day] He and mom left on a trip. They were to be gone for 20 days. This little 1946 Chevy, who dad named “Martha”, had sat in a clump of berry bushes for 30 years, he could never get to fixing it. So while he and my mom were gone, my wife and decided to change that.

I dug it out of the bushes and brought it to my place. In one day, I had it cleaned up, torn down, and I took all the stock running gear out. In the weeks to come, I put a Fatman cross member in it, 350/350 package, and a ten bolt rear with 3:52 gears. A friend of mine wired it with a Ron Francis kit, and a friend put an awesome interior in it. Now remember we had 20 days, now you know why no paint – no time.

Why did I do it? Well you see, my dad always gave us boys everything we ever needed, food, shelter, clothes, and schooling. We lived in the country. I lost my brother in an accident, so that left just me and my wife around to help them. And I never gave my dad anything. So I decided to give this car to him, fixed up to drive.

They returned home from the trip and I pulled it out of the garage. Boy I will tell you something, if never live to see happiness again like I saw on that man’s face, well that’s ok. I said Dad, she’s all yours. He cried. Mom did too. Everywhere he drove it he told people, my boy built this for me.

He drove it for 10 months, then he died. But he said something to me, I will never forget; just before he died he said, thank you son for making my dream come true. Being able to drive my little Chevy, Martha. I had fun.

Three days later he was gone.

That’s the story of the little Chevy that could.