This past season's 27th annual...
This past season's 27th annual F-100 Western Nationals drew a record crowd with participants from as far away as Tennessee and Nebraska making their way to the show for a weekend of classic truck camaraderie.
There's one consistent factor when it comes to Pickups Limited's annual F-100 Western Nats-it always draws the nicest collection of classic all-Ford pickups in the Southwest. This year's gathering reinforced that fact with a turnout that broke all previous attendance records for the Featherly Park venue. As is always the case, the enthusiastic members of Pickups Limited's Orange County chapter worked their tails off to host what has been for years So Cal's premier all-Ford truck show. An eclectic collection of over 200 classic pickups and their rightfully proud owners took advantage of the comfortably shaded Featherly Park location to show off their handiwork and spend a pleasant day visiting with like-minded Ford pickup fans, participants and spectators alike.
Speaking of participants, many of the long-distance travelers (trucks in attendance were from as far away as Tennessee, Nebraska, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona) started arriving in Orange County, California, a full three days early-not only for the static show on Saturday but for the pre-show gatherings and cruises the club sponsors in the few days beforehand.
This years gathering brought out a fantastic selection of F-100s and F-1s from stockers to show trucks, and nearly everything in between. Above and beyond cool trucks, good food, and a selection of classic truck parts and supply vendors, the people who both host and attend the Western Nationals make up the best part of the Pickups Limited yearly gathering. There's nothing like spending a beautiful summer weekend surrounded by cool classic Ford pickups and a crowd of people who are perhaps some of the nicest folks in the country. It's an event that you've just got to experience. So we'd strongly suggest taking a look at some of the cool Ford trucks shown here and then check out the club's website at www.pickupslimited.com for info and the date of next season's gathering. It's a fun show that you'll want to check out for your self-believe us, you'll be glad you did!
 Larry Taulbee cruised over...  Larry Taulbee cruised over to the show from Apple Valley, California, behind the wheel of his fine-looking resto-rod-style '51 F-1. The pickup's deep red hue and polished five-spokes combined with its meticulously massaged body makes for one classy commercial. |  Fresh from Joe Luken's Oak...  Fresh from Joe Luken's Oak Hill, California, garage was this awesome '55 F-100. Joe recently finished building this fantastic example of the perfect pickup and was all smiles when asked if we might shoot the F-100 for a full-color feature. Keep your eyes peeled for this one in the near future-you're going to love it. |  F-100 parts purveyor Terry...  F-100 parts purveyor Terry Van Housen was on hand hangin' out with Diane and the fine folks from Mid-Fifty F-100 Parts and he brought along his "BEEF E" '55 Effie too. Terry's fantastic Ford drew a large crowd of admirers throughout the show with many trying to point out as many of the truck's subtle mods as they could - and believe us, there's a ton of 'em to admire that's for sure. |
 Speaking of cool commercial's,...  Speaking of cool commercial's, Jimmy "Jabo" May's Jabos Trucking '53 was one of our favorites. Jimmy's efforts at arriving at the perfect hot rod stance were on the money and the wide white-and-red steelies combo worked perfectly by playing off the red and white lettering on the doors. |  Jason Morales' in-progress...  Jason Morales' in-progress '57 was looking good. This young man is an enthusiastic classic Ford truck fan, who's really enjoying the hobby while getting a home brewed education at the same time. As you can see when compared to earlier examples, the third generation of Ford F-Series trucks experienced a major redesign in 1957 that continued until the 1960 model year. Panels with squared lines replaced the second-generation's rounded appearance and prominent front fenders, a new hood extended the full width of the truck, and the new straight body lines combined with a widened cab eliminated the need for running boards too. |  The guys from the Truck Shop...  The guys from the Truck Shop brought along a truckload of early Ford parts for display and sale to the event too. And, like most of the vendors on hand, they not only supplied top-quality classic pickup components but some great tips and tech advice, as well. |