1953 - 1956 F-100 Pickup Trucks

In mid May of 2009, Knoxville, Tennessee was the host city for the Ford F-100 Supernationals. Daily rains tried to break up the gathering, but the truck enthusiasts proved they were up to the challenge and stayed around to finish the show.

The show was born about 15 years ago as a 1953-56 F-100 event, but has grown to include all years of Ford trucks and even a section for Ford performance cars. This '53-'56 gallery illustrates that a pickup truck can be whatever you want it to be, from a pure restoration to a radical custom. You can spend thousands of dollars for professional work or you can perform DIY work on the truck in your own garage.

A recent trends in street rods is the rat rod -- vehicles that (at first glance) look like they'd been parked in a barn or field for decades. Take a closer look and you'll see that the weathered appearance isn't an accident. In fact, getting the rat rod "look" can be just as expensive as any customization.