Even though Rich Miller has personally rebuilt and restored a number of classic trucks and cars over the years, he knows the value of listening to his wife, Randi. Particularly on this 1956 F-100, as it saved them a wad of money on the buildup thanks to her advice.
“When we first looked at the panel [van] and since we have a plethora of vehicles, I nixed it as being too far gone, needing too much work,” Randi recalls.
Rich basically agreed, noting that “it was in pretty good shape with the exception [of the area] above the rain gutter that was rotted out, which is a common problem in 1956 trucks.” They knew it would cost a lot to fix so they passed on it.
But later a friend from Rich’s pickup club went to see the panel van at the owner’s house and saw him cutting out all of the rust and welding it in with steel—no mud. Given the quality of the repair, he now wanted more money. Now the asking price was $5,000.
Even so, “Since we were the first to look at it, he said we could have it for the original price,” Rich relates. “I told him we’d take it.”
Well, that’s not exactly the whole story, according to Randi (but we certainly have no intention of getting in the middle). Anyway, after the repair over the front window, “I was the one who, learning it was fixed, said, ‘Just tell him we’ll take it! Let’s go get it before someone else does!’” she recalls.
Looking back on it, “All my fault,” she admits, shaking her head. “Now this was supposed to be a very simple project, throw on a cheap paintjob, take it every place—just a fun, simple, inexpensive fix. Why he even ran me around old junkyards searching for some grubby seats to replace the other grubby seats. Little by little, I was led down the garden path.”
Well, maybe so, but there would eventually be a beautiful result waiting for them at the end of that trail. After all this wouldn’t be the first 1956 Ford for them. A pickup they previously built through Pro Design Hot Rods ran on the cover of Classic Trucks in the spring of 2004. (They’ve restored and modified eight classic vehicles in all, mostly Fords.)
After paying that original asking price they picked up the panel a couple days later and took it home. It drove well, stayed cool, oil pressure was good, just a little vibration in the motor but not bad. And not really a problem given the impending upgrades.
“We planned on driving it a lot so I ordered a Blueprint motor 347 roller motor,” Rich notes. Then he took it over to Pro Design in Santa Ana, California, for help in coordinating the project. Working together they pulled off the front of the panel. With the fenders, hood, grille, core support, and inner fenders all gone the project really kicked off.
The first step was boxing the frame all the way back to the front cab support and welding in the crossmember and motor mounts. But the firewall was ugly with multiple holes so Rich and Pro Design’s crew cut it out and constructed a new steel one. This was the beginning of the end. They also replaced the two front cab corners, but something else entered the picture that would require some additional chassis mods.
“I wanted big tires in the back so I stepped the rear frame 5 inches and put in TCI four-link coilovers,” Rich says. “I had to raise the rear floor 5 inches. It’s all steel and sealed, so no exhaust fumes in the interior. I have learned so much about what it takes to build something.”
Once the frame came back from powdercoating, he had to bolt everything back on with grade 8 bolts and put on all the front and rearend parts to a rolling chassis. Then he mounted the body back on to make it ready for paint and finish the rest of the bodywork.
Next it was off to paint for the next eight months at Doug Starbuck’s Starside Designs. The finished ride is an amazing piece of work. Not only are the panels as smooth as glass but “he is the only one I trust to do the two-tone paint,” Rich says. “We chose House of Kolor black and custom-mix root beer.”
Subtlety is a virtue here. You have to look closely or catch the pearl on the curves to realize this is a two-color paintjob. After the panel was painted and pinstriped it had to sit for weeks to cure. When Rich finally got it back from the excellent job from Starside Design it was time to put it back together.
It took him a year to put in the engine and transmission, do the new wiring and windows, and replace all the painted bolts with polished stainless bolts, washers, and nuts. Rich fabricated the two custom outside mirrors. “It takes a lot of careful work to put everything back together without scratching the paintjob,” he points out.
The Millers also spent lots of time working with Willie at Bill’s Hot Rod Interiors in Brea, California. After choosing five leather skins and matching Ultraleather they were really pleased with the rugged look of the Glide Engineering seats.
“I requested special baseball stitching,” Rich notes. The ceiling is a suede cloth, the sides are the Ultraleather, and the floor carpet in the front is a dark chocolate brown. When it came to the bed he did something different there as well.
“I didn’t do the typical strips of wood,” Rich explains. “Instead we went to PCW Millworks in Santa Ana. I chose a single piece of black walnut, which was then routed, stained a dark color that highlighted the walnut grain, and then installed polished aluminum bed strips.”
The Millers are rightly pleased with the finale, as it’s a pleasure to drive and everyone admires the mirror-finish paintjob. They give many thanks to Starbuck for his work. “Also, it couldn’t have been a completed project without Mike Filion of Pro Design for all that he [and his team] did to make it a successful build.”
As proof, this project won a First Place Class Award and a First Place Upholstery Award at its first showing at the Grand National Roadster Show in January 2018. Despite some of the delays and challenges along the way, Randi is now really happy. She sums up the project this way: “Ladies, beware—or at least be aware—it really is beautiful!” CT
Facts & Figures
1956 F-100 panel
Rich & Randi Miller
CHASSIS
Frame: 1956 boxed and stepped 5 inches in rear and powdercoated
Rearend / Ratio: Ford 9-inch narrowed to 56 inches / 31-spline axles by Roberts Differential of Santa Ana, CA, 3:00:1
Rear Suspension: Total Cost Involved, four-link with coilovers
Rear Brakes: Ford Explorer discs with e-brake
Front Suspension: Total Cost Involved, coilovers with dropped spindles/disc brakes and power rack-and-pinion, installed by Pro Design in Santa Ana
Front Wheels: Intro 18×8
Rear Wheels: Intro 20×12
Front Tires: Goodyear Eagle GT 11 P245/45R18
Rear Tires: Goodyear Eagle GT 11 P305/50R20
Gas Tank: 26-gallon powdercoated aluminum by Pro Design
DRIVETRAIN
Engine: Ford 347ci crate Blueprint Engines
Valve Covers: Custom
Manifold/Induction: Professional Products Crosswind dual-plane polished intake air gap with Demon carburetor
Ignition: High-performance HEI Distributor
Headers: Long-tube BBK with MagnaFlow muffler installed by General Mufflers in Orange, CA
Transmission: Built by Orange County Transmission, Costa Mesa, CA
Shifter: Lokar radical 32-inch shifter
BODY
Fenders: Stock front and rear
Hood: Front tilt
Grille: Stock, rechromed
Bodywork and Paint: Pro Design (initial metalwork)
Bodywork: Completed and paint by Doug Starbuck, Starside Designs, Riverside, CA
Paint Type / Color: House of Kolor two-part urethane black and custom root beer with pinstriping
Headlights / Taillights: Stock
Outside Mirrors: Custom
Bumpers: Stock, rechromed and tucked in
INTERIOR
Dashboard: Stock
Gauges: Classic Instruments
Bed: Rear floor raised 5 inches and tubbed 6 inches on each side; one-piece black walnut floor routed for polished aluminum bed strips by PCW Millworks in Santa Ana
Steering Wheel: Leather-wrapped Budnik
Steering Column: Flaming River, polished
Seats: Glide Engineering
Upholstery by: Bill’s Hot Rod Interiors in Brea, CA
Material / Color: Leather / Suede
Carpet: Dark brown wool on front floor
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