My 1956 Ford F100

such is the strength of the classic car industry here and in the US. Which is just as well for Ford enthusiast Peter Pettitt whose pride and joy on wheels was just a rusted wreck in a paddock when he bought it.

It's hard to look at his gleaming bright yellow 1956 F100 now and imagine it as an abandoned wreck but it has taken two years, a lot of expert work and a heap of cash to make the difference.

Pettitt, from Taree in NSW, says that while searching the internet and other sources, he found the truck in Victoria. "It was a wreck in a paddock. Someone had got hold of it to do something with it and never did," he says.

With most of the mechanicals missing, the roof damaged and plenty of rust, it was going to be a major job. "The roof was so damaged we had to source another cab roof from another F100. It was major surgery," he says. "The biggest struggle I had was finding people to help me because I wasn't in a position to do it all myself."

He hired some local experts and the immense project began. It has a Ford EA Falcon front end with a 302 Ford Windsor V8 engine.

Modern conveniences including disc brakes, power steering, new suspension and an auto transmission sit alongside replica parts such as the reproduction radiator and heater that are copies of the originals. It has new parts from the US including door handles, trim, the mirrors, badges and stainless steel reproduction front and rear bumper bars.

The Ford sits on 15 inch tyres on Smoothie rims and there's even a new tow bar for show and work.

Pettitt says he has always admired the '56 model. "The 56s are very hard to find. Anywhere from 50 to 55 are a bit easier to find. I've always wanted one. I remember when I was 17 I tried to do with an old International truck... but it didn't go too good. A lot of guys have tried to do the same thing with a Chev but the 56 Ford just looks better."

He says he loves the lines of the 1956 model. "It's the curves, its just the way the truck was built. The curved front windscreen looks different to all the others."

Pettitt says his F100, while designed in America, is a local product. "It was an Australian truck. It's not an American import." He says he believes it was made at Ford's long-since closed assembly plant at Homebush in Sydney.

The trucks have gained strong support in Australia and are even bigger across the ditch in New Zealand. Like many of the more popular classic cars there's a wealth of clubs, internet sites and discussion forums, spare part retailers and restorers devoted to the model.

While he drives the car regularly, at a casual glance its not far from the hot rod show car standard many others have taken their F100s to. Pettitt says: "I don't refer to mine as a hot rod. It's a daily driver."

FORD F100

Price when new: 1600 pounds ($3200)
Value now: up to $35,000
Year made: 1956
Number built: 137,581