Ford Motor Company's had some rather interesting and quite memorable ad slogans over the years. And when it comes to touting their F-100 series pickups, the agency creatives have developed some doozies, not the least of which, "Built Ford Tough," is going on 40 years old now and still being used. There have been other, let's say less-commonplace jingles and taglines as well, like "Driverized," a catchword created to describe 1953's all-new F-100 and its uniquely designed cab that, somehow, " cuts driver fatigue saves work and time getting around in tight spots!" OK, that makes sense. But one in particular, "Go Ford-Ward ", though used in reference of the 1959 F-100's style and economy, seemed to be the perfect tagline in describing Dustin Foust's family first 1955 F-100—his first project, inspired and fully supported by his family and the family run business of building classics.

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"When I was about 4-1/2 years old, my dad opened up Classic Restorations of Southern Indiana. He specialized in restoring and customizing classic cars and trucks." Dustin tells of his father, Pat's full-service resto and custom shop in Floyds Knobs, and how his life began moving in a Ford-Ward direction. " Needless to say growing up in the restoration and hot rod world the discussion with my dad on what I wanted for my first vehicle started early. A plan was hatched to find a project and fix it up so that it would be ready to drive when I turned 16. I knew I wanted a truck and had always been fond of the 1953-1955 F-100s. We figured if we started when I was 13, that would give plenty of time to have it ready to hit the road in three years. So the search for an F-100 began the summer of 1999.

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"I would always spend a couple weeks with my grandparents each summer. So this particular summer my grandfather and I drove all over the back roads of Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky trying to find an F-100 project. After searching high and low we were not having much luck. It wasn't until we were picking up a few things from a local electrical parts store for the shop that I happened to notice a front fender peeking through an open gate to the back lot. I asked the store owner about it and sure enough it was a 1955 F-100. It was a project that he had started several years prior and got as far as disassembling it and then it sat in pieces. After talking about it for a few minutes I asked him if it was for sale and he reluctantly said yes since he was never going to get back to it. I told my dad about it and a week later he and my mom bought it for me for my 13th birthday. It was in rough shape, to say the least, but that is what $600 will buy you."

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Three years is a good chunk of time, even when it comes to building a truck from the ground up—but for a teenager making his way through school, it really equates to what spare weekend time can be afforded and how much motivation there is behind it to keep moving Ford-Ward. Until one of those sneaky curveballs gets thrown into the picture: "It was a complete truck but all that ended up being used from the original purchase were the cab, running board braces, and hood latch panel. When the project started it was going to be my daily driver when I turned 16. About two years into the project my mom made the comment on the way home from a car show that it would be nice if we had our own car to take to shows so that we wouldn't have to always take customer's cars. That is when the snowball began and I went off the deep end. At this point I wasn't far enough along to have to go back and redo anything but it definitely changed the direction of the project from this point forward. I continued working on the truck on nights, weekends, and summers through middle school, high school, and college."

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For those of us who have been down this road, when it comes to mixing business and pleasure, in the business of building classics, the personal projects most always come last—Dustin learned that in more ways than one. "Once I graduated college and began working full time in the family business, there was less and less time spent on the truck. I was finding it difficult working on customers' cars all day and wanting to go back to the shop in the evenings and on the weekends to work on my own project. After several years of harassment from family and friends wanting to know when the truck was going to be finished, I finally set myself a goal to have it completed for the 2016 Detroit Autorama. The truck had been only a couple months of work away from being finished for six years and I finally got back on it in November 2015. At first it was a few nights a week and Saturdays. Then eventually it became 12-plus hours a day, seven days a week, Dad helping every chance he got, and even getting a few of the guys at the shop to help here and there to make it to the Autorama. If it weren't for the help of my dad, the support from my fiance, and the help from my guys at the shop, it wouldn't have made it. Even though it was a 16-year build it was still a mad dash at the end, but once it debuted at the Autorama it was all worth it."

1955 Ford F-100 | Dustin Foust | Classic Restorations of Indiana

CHASSIS

Frame: Custom-built 2x6 rectangle tube by Rods by Rowdy, Floyds Knobs, IN

Rearend / Ratio: Winters Champ quick-change / 4.99:1

Rear Suspension: Custom four-link with ShockWaves

Rear Brakes: Wilwood 12-inch disc

Front Suspension: Scott's Hot Rods IFS with ShockWaves

Front brakes: Wilwood 12-inch disc

Steering Box: Power rack-and-pinion

Wheels: Billet Specialties Vintec, 18x8 / 20x9.5

Tires: BFGoodrich g-Force, 245/40R18 / 295/40R20

Gas Tank: Custom 15-gallon aluminum

DRIVETRAIN

Engine: 1969 Ford 545ci big-block

Heads: Blue Thunder aluminum

Valve Covers: Finned aluminum

Manifold / Induction: Hilborn EFI

Ignition: Joe Hunt HEI magneto with MSD 6AL

Headers / Exhaust: Owner-built

Mufflers: Flowmaster

Transmission: 1969 Ford C6

Shifter: Lokar

BODY

Style: Half-ton pickup

Modifications: Driprails and cowl vent shaved, corners rounded, running boards raised

Bed: Midwest Early Ford, raised bed floor, capped rails, hinged center planks

Fenders Front / Rear: Stock

Hood: Stock

Grille: Stock, seams smoothed

Bodywork and Paint by: Owner

Paint Type / Color: PPG Concept / Black

Headlights / Taillights: Stock, Adjure H4 bulb / stock, LED

Outside mirrors: Custom

Bumpers: Stock, tucked in, capped, boxed backside

INTERIOR

Dashboard: Stock, smoothed

Gauges: Classic Instruments Custom Shop in machined insert

Stereo: Omitted

Steering Wheel: Billet Specialties Vintec

Steering Column: Billet Specialties tilt

Seats: Custom-built by owner

Upholstery by: Cutter's Custom Stitchin', Dillsboro, IN

Material / Color: Leather / Bright red

Carpet: Bright red Daytona weave