A Red Line Legacy: The Stunning 1956 Ford F-100

A Simply Stunning F-100 for the Founder of Red Line Synthetic Oil

A sleek, sophisticated show-stopper: that’s what we thought when we laid eyes on this beautiful 1956 Ford F-100 for the first time. The secrets it kept were an added bonus! But when we found out that Tim Kerrigan, the original founder of Red Line Synthetic Oil was its owner, we thought it very fitting of this gorgeous red truck. 

Tim is an absolute lover of classic cars and has commissioned some absolutely amazing vehicles over the years. Among these include a high-horsepower 1957 Chevy Bel Air, a 1962 Chevy Impala SS 409, and probably his most well-known hot rod, a 1933 Ford Roadster named “Timeless,” the latter of which has competed in the Grand National Roadster Show and was even crowned the 2019 Goodguys March Performance Street Rod d’Elegance winner. Tim is obviously a connoisseur of impressive classic rides, and this Ford F-100 certainly ranks among them.

Show Stopper

Purchased from the original owner who had it professionally built in the L.A. area with the help of three different shops, Tim knew he’d found a gem when he first came upon this truck. Fully custom, yet subtle, the F-100 is show stoppingly gorgeous. And who can say no to fire engine red paint?

Not only was every body panel painstakingly smoothed to a glass-like finish on the F-100’s body, but every gap, from the door jambs to the rear fenders, was precisely and evenly perfected.

While the first thing you might notice about the truck is its sleek DuPont Bright Red paint, look a little deeper and you’ll be stunned by the perfect body lines of the truck. Not only was every body panel painstakingly smoothed to a glass-like finish on the F-100’s body, but every gap, from the door jambs to the rear fenders, was precisely and evenly perfected. The amount of time spent on getting this classic truck’s body this well fitted alone is telling of the caliber of this build.

But wait—a six-speed shifter, air-ride controller and an e-brake? That means there has to be even more in store!

Upon further investigation you’ll find more details on the truck that take it to yet another level, like tubed rear fender wells, rounded door corners, and a modified and smoothed tailgate. Up front, the truck features a show-chromed stock grille, which matches polished stainless steel bumpers both front and rear. The bed on the truck is a piece of artwork in itself, having been widened and lifted both by 6 inches and fitted with a fully custom European cherry pine bed floor with stainless strips. Out back, a gorgeously laid gold leaf Ford emblem is proudly displayed in the middle of the tailgate, accentuating the red paint just enough to cause pause but without throwing it in your face.

The interior of the truck, perfected by Gabe’s Street Rods Custom Interiors, is just as exquisite and ripe with subtle details. A custom bench seat upholstered in tan leather with burgundy accents sits prominently in the cab, flanked by matching custom door panels, headliner, and dash upholstery. Custom-fitted tan carpeting edged with matching tan leather sits below a custom 6-speed shifter, a modern pedal assembly, and a tilt steering column topped with a custom, leather-wrapped steering wheel also adorn the interior space.

Front and center on the body color-matched dash sits an Alpine stereo and GPS system with a touchscreen, while a seven-gauge modernized Ultra-Lite cluster from Autometer gives speed, temperature and voltage readings to the driver in a classic-looking display. Overhead, an Air Ride Technologies controller sits in a custom console within easy reach of the driver to control the truck’s air-ride suspension system.

Classically styled, the truck gives no indication of what it has hidden below, but stick around and hear it fire up, and you’ll have a lot more questions!

Additional custom touches include machined door handles and window cranks, stainless dash vents for the Vintage Air A/C, and a floor-mounted stainless and leather-wrapped e-brake just inside the driver’s side door.

But wait—a six-speed shifter, air-ride controller and an e-brake? That means there has to be even more in store!

One of a Kind

Absolutely stunning both inside and out, you may not realize upon first glance that this truck is what you might call a sleeper. Classically styled, the truck gives no indication of what it has hidden below, but stick around and hear it fire up, and you’ll have a lot more questions!

Built atop a No Limit Engineering chassis, this built F-100 is essentially a mashup of a classic pickup and an early-2000s Mustang Cobra SVT. Intriguing, right?

Everything from the hand-built, supercharged Cobra SVT 4.6L V-8 and T56 6-speed manual transmission, to the suspension and limited-slip rear differential in the truck were borrowed from a 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra SVT, giving it much more modern performance elements than was originally bestowed on the classic. This means performance components like a cast-iron block, Zollner pistons, and Manley H-beam connecting rods bolstering the engine for the Eaton M-112 supercharger’s 8psi of boost, as well as four-wheel independent suspension featuring modified McPherson front struts and a multi-link rear configuration.

Added to the SVT components on the truck are air shocks and air bags all around for the ultimate ride, controlled by the aforementioned in-cab controller, as well as a custom 3-inch Bassani exhaust, and a custom No Limit Engineering fuel tank to keep the engine purring. The truck also features Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners.

Making sure the classic F-series pickup sticks to the pavement with the added performance features are 18-inch Intro wheels, fitted with 255/45R18 front and 295/45R18 Nitto Extreme ZR tires.

Built over a four-year process, this ’56 F-100 is truly unique, mixing a classic Ford pickup body with one of the most highly sought after Mustang configurations to date. Not only does this truck give off top-notch pro-built vibes, it also brings with it the performance, manageability and fun of a more modern muscle car. And when it comes to cruising through town, going out to eat, and leisurely following the back roads along the Boise River near Tim and his wife Dawn’s Eagle, Idaho, home, what more could you want?

TRUCK SPECS

Owner

• Tim Kerrigan
• 1956 Ford F-100
• Eagle, Idaho

Chassis & Suspension

• No Limit Engineering chassis
• 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra SVT independent suspension
• Air shocks and air bags front and rear, controlled with an Air Ride Technologies in-cab controller

Wheels & Tires

• 18-inch Intro wheels
• 255/45R18 front and 295/45R18 Nitto Extreme ZR tires

Engine & Drivetrain

• 2003 supercharged Ford Mustang Cobra SVT 4.6L V8 hand built by Ford
• Custom 3-inch Bassani exhaust
• Custom No Limit Engineering fuel tank
• 2003 Ford T56 6-speed manual transmission
• 2003 Mustang limited-slip rear differential
• Wilwood front and rear brakes

Body & Paint

• Show-chromed stock grille
• Polished stainless steel bumpers
• Tubbed fender wells in rear
• Rounded door corners
• Custom bed widened by 6 inches and raised 6 inches
• Custom European cherry pine truck bed
• Modified and smoothed tailgate with gold leaf painted Ford logo
• DuPont Bright Red paint

Interior & Stereo

• Two-toned tan and burgundy leather upholstery
• Autometer Ultra-Lite gauges
• Custom steering wheel
• Alpine stereo and GPS system
• Vintage Air A/C
• Interior done by Gabe’s Street Rods Custom Interiors

Photo Credit: Bart Cepek