1953 FORD F100 PICKUP CUSTOM aka "MOUNTAIN PEARL"

Price:
$99,000.00
Description
1953 Ford F-100 "Mountain Pearl" Custom

Drivetrain:
- 360 CI FE engine with 406 Tri Power
- C-6 Transmission
- Ford 9" rear 

Highlights:
- Hot Rod magazines first color pictured vehicle, August 1962, featured in black and white July 1962 
- Covers of Rod and Custom, Hot Rod and Restoration and Kustom Illustrated 
- Featured in Pat Ganahl's Lost Hot Rods book 
- Fully chromed and polished undercarriage and drivetrain 
- Original lead bodywork still perfect and intact 
- Pearl White and Candy Apple Red with Pearl White upholstery 
- Superb quality and attention to detail 

Colorado teenager Otto Rhodes had barely graduated from high school when he began customizing this 1953 Ford F100 pickup that would become a multiple show winner and the first vehicle to appear in color in the pages of Hot Rod magazine. Known as the Mountain Pearl, it scooped up five trophies in its first show and a passel of hardware after that.

The draft intervened, followed by marriage and a family, and Otto finally abandoned his plan to rework his custom Pickup for a second shot at the show circuit. The dry Colorado climate insured that the then-dismantled Mountain Pearl remained in good condition, a fact that helped in its reconstruction years later by Tom Pagano, owner of Pagano’s Rod & Custom of Sacramento, CA, who had fallen in love with the Pearl years before at the age of 8.

Working with Otto’s guidance, Pagano prepared the original body complete with lead filler while finishing the revisions Otto had begun years before, including the Ford 360 CI FE Tri Power engine and fully chromed drivetrain and undercarriage. Now finished in Sherwin-Williams Pearl White and Candy Apple Red urethane paint with a Pearl White and Red interior, the resurrected Mountain Pearl exhibits superb quality and attention to detail, qualities that have earned it another wave of prizes including the Goodguys Kustom of the Year finalist and Builders Choice awards, the West Coast Kustoms Preservation award and George Barris’ Custom d‘Elegance award at the Grand National Roadster Show.

The Mountain Pearl has also been featured in Rod & Custom, Hot Rod and Restoration and Kustom Illustrated magazines and the book Lost Hot Rods by author Pat Ganahi, an enduring classic that will continue to inspire practitioners of the customizer’s craft.
 


*We are not looking for any trades on this vehicle*




Options and Standard Features
Basic Information
  • VIN Number: 1953MYSTIC
  • Model Year: 1953
  • Make
  • Model: F-100
  • Style Name: CUSTOM Aka "MOUNTAIN PEARL" 2 Dr
  • Vehicle Trim
  • Type: Pickup
  • Exterior Color: Pearl
  • Interior Color: Pearl Vinyl
  • Body Type: PICKUP CUSTOM Aka "MOUNTAIN PEARL"
Engine
  • Fuel Type: Gasoline
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We make every effort to present information that is accurate. However, it is based on data provided by the vehicle manufacturer and/or other sources and therefore exact configuration, color, specifications & accessories should be used as a guide only and are not guaranteed. We are not liable for any inaccuracies, claims or losses of any nature. Inventory is subject to prior sale and prices are subject to change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer(s). The price for listed vehicles as equipped does not include other charges such as: License, Title, Registration Fees, State or Local Taxes, Smog Fees, Credit Investigation, Optional Credit Insurance, Physical Damage of Liability Insurance, Delivery Fees, Finance and/or Documentation Fees. Any and all differences must be addressed prior to the sale of this vehicle.