Perfect 1961 Hot Rod Unibody Ford F-100 Headed to Auction

Two-tone paint coupled with a Mustang’s big block make this one sweet Ford unibody hot rod pickup.

Ford has always been an innovator in the pickup truck segment, but not all of those innovations work out. Back in 1960, the Motor Company introduced a unibody version of the F-100 that they called the Integrated Pickup. They were not popular, being plagued with rumors of the doors getting stuck shut when the truck was overloaded and by the middle of 1963, Ford ended production of the unibody half-ton truck. Although the unibody F-100 was available across four model years, they have become rare collectables.

When flipping through the Ford trucks listed on the Mecum Auctions website, we came across this gorgeous 1961 unibody pickup. It has a custom paint job inside and out, unique matching leather seats and a 428-cubic inch big block V8. The body is stock, but in every other aspect, this is a hot rod pickup.

The Hot Rod Look

On the outside, this 1961 Ford F-100 appears to have all of the same body panels, but the two-tone black-and-red paint scheme paired with the bright chrome trim bolsters the hot rod look. When you add in the grumbling dual exhaust system and the chrome wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich Radial  T/A tires, this unibody truck rocks the muscle car look nicely.

On the inside, this unibody F-100 has leather-wrapped bucket seats and the entire cabin – from the door panels to the dash to the seats to the custom center console – is all finished in black-and-red. There is also a questionable set of “R Racing” floormats from Pep Boys, but overall, the cabin is a perfect match for the exterior.

Mustang Power

Lots of classic trucks look like hot rods, but few pack classic muscle car power like this unibody 1961 F-100. Under the hood is a 428-cubic inch big block V8 which appears to be from a 1969 Mustang, based on the decal on the air cleaner. Provided that the air cleaner information is accurate, this classic unibody pickup packs somewhere in the area of 335 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, with the power being funneled to the rear wheels by means of a C6 automatic transmission.

Finally, this rare F-Series pickup has a late model power steering and power brake setup, allowing this F-100 to drive more easily than it would have when new, while the newer brakes help it slow down after exercising all of that big block power.

This truck will be sold at the Mecum Las Vegas auction that runs from November 15^th through the 17^th and the current pricing estimate is $20,000 to $25,000. If it sells in that range, the buyer is getting a sweet classic Ford truck with muscle car power for a solid price.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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