Monogram 55 Ford trucks

[junkyardjeff]

Were there kits originally built as original trucks years ago or are they a much later version,the reason I ask this is I am working on the pick up and going to put in the engine from the 56 Thunderbird kit and noticed the engine mounts in the frame are very similar to the original mounts.  They had a single mount up front and two mounts at the bellhousing and this kit has them in the same place even though the engine that comes in the kit is a EFI 302 and those engines never had the mounts in that location even in the trucks.

[Ace-Garageguy]

To the best of my recollectory, the panel van was introed first as a custom street-rod truck with a 289ish smallblock and a host of other non-stock features.

The pickup was an offshoot of the panel truck tooling, also not at all stock.

Bear in mind that these kits have some pretty blatant proportion and line issues with the bodies, the most prominent being the 'forehead' over the windshield, and the height and shape of the hood.

EDIT:   https://www.sprue.xyz/articles/monograms-1955-ford-trucks

 

Edited October 26 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

The first version of the pickup was indeed the rodded version.  It was molded in yellow, and had the Scotty's Muffler Service (real shop back then) decals.  That issue is pretty highly sought after, as is (sonewhat) the second issue.  Same truck, same parts, molded in red with Stroh's Beer decals in gold and the barrels that were originally included in the Beer Wagon kit.  Though there are proportion issues with the cab, these kits are still somewhat popular because of the chassis mods.  Those include the small-block Ford engine, Corvette rear suspension, and Mopar longitudinal torsion bar front suspension (not a Volare/Aspen transverse setup; those were new at the time and not on rod builders' radar yet).  The Mopar IFS was installed on a number of these trucks; Norm Grabowski built a nice chopped top '54 with one.

That said, if you want a stock '54 or '55, I'd start with an AMT '53, an engine from their '56 or maybe a Revell '57 Ford, and search out a 3D print grille.

[Can-Con]

1 hour ago, junkyardjeff said:

Were there kits originally built as original trucks years ago or are they a much later version,the reason I ask this is I am working on the pick up and going to put in the engine from the 56 Thunderbird kit and noticed the engine mounts in the frame are very similar to the original mounts.  They had a single mount up front and two mounts at the bellhousing and this kit has them in the same place even though the engine that comes in the kit is a EFI 302 and those engines never had the mounts in that location even in the trucks.

Just an FYI in reference to the engine in the truck kit, they just changed the intake, even the part numbers are the same.

Don't know if this is pertinent to your question and you probably already know this but,,

Original from '78,,

 

current reissues,,

[Can-Con]

19 minutes ago, Mark said:

  The Mopar IFS was installed on a number of these trucks; Norm Grabowski built a nice chopped top '54 with one.

 

Definitely. A local Ford dealer , which was the largest Ford pickup outlet in my part of Canada at the time built one back in the mid-'90 using a Mopar front suspension. Incredible looking truck. 

I don't remember what they did for the interior or wheels as it was unfinished when I seen it but I do remember the candy blue paint, it looked a lot like the one in this pic.

[Tim W. SoCal]

59 minutes ago, Mark said:

It was molded in yellow, and had the Scotty's Muffler Service (real shop back then) decals. 

Scotty's Muffler Service is still in business in San Bernardino, California.   https://www.scottysmuffler.com/

[espo]

2 hours ago, Tim W. SoCal said:

Scotty's Muffler Service is still in business in San Bernardino, California.   https://www.scottysmuffler.com/

They put a set of glass packs on my then new '66 Impala SS. These guys would even spray paint your exhaust a semi-gloss black so the pipes wouldn't rust. They did the best work around at that time. Glad to know they're still around. Their original location had to be torn down when San Bernardino redid E street. 

[Tim W. SoCal]

2 hours ago, espo said:

Their original location had to be torn down when San Bernardino redid E street. 

They're still on the NE corner of Baseline and E St...