Occasionally, a project vehicle will appear, leaving opinions torn about whether it should be considered finished or unfinished. That will undoubtedly be the case with this 1956 Ford F100 Stepside. Some will look at the completed work and feel it deserves a fresh coat of paint as a finishing touch. Others will feel leaving it untouched will help it exhibit bags of character and allow it to turn heads. Regardless of which school you subscribe to, you will find it listed here on eBay in Garner, North Carolina. Bidding has raced beyond the reserve and sits at $23,100.

There’s plenty to consider with this F100, not the least of which is its appearance. The 1956 model year was the last for Ford’s Second Generation F-Series. Evolutionary styling changes left the 1956 model with a wrap-around windshield and upright windshield pillars, which was unique for that generation. It is unclear whether this classic’s Raven Black paint is original, although its presence in some of the more inaccessible locations suggests it is. The paint shows its age, and there is plenty of surface corrosion poking through. Some readers would be tempted to prepare the panels for a fresh coat of paint, while others would argue that preservation is the correct course of action. Regardless of where your allegiances fall, you won’t need to break out the grinder and welder. There is no penetrating rust, and the seller stripped and repainted the frame as part of the build process. The bed features fresh stained oak with stainless strips that look fantastic. They added a new rear window, new window rubbers and seals across the entire vehicle, and finished the exterior with a set of vintage-look Cragar SS wheels and a 3″ ride drop to add a more aggressive appearance.

The ride height drop is merely the starting point for the mechanical story of this F100. Lifting its hood reveals a shiny 312ci Y-Block V8 backed by a five-speed T5 manual transmission and a 9″ Posi rear end. As drivetrain combinations go, they don’t come much more bulletproof than this. Provided the new owner continues appropriate maintenance, it should offer many years of trouble-free classic motoring. The seller rebuilt the Y-Block with an upgraded camshaft and four-barrel carburetor to extract additional power. They replaced the shocks on all corners and the entire braking system from the master cylinder to the wheel cylinders, lines, and hoses. All this work has been worth the effort, with the F100 running and driving perfectly. It is a turnkey proposition where the buyer could fly in and drive home.

The Ford’s interior is presentable, with a new rubber mat on the floor and an immaculate steering wheel. The dash wears matte black paint, while the door trims and seat feature custom vinyl trim in red and black vinyl. The door trims look okay, but the seat has rips and splits covered with tape. It is serviceable, but if I were to buy this Pickup, I would make some changes. If the exterior remained untouched, I would refresh the interior painted surfaces and replace the door trims and seat covers. An immaculate interior would make life on the road pleasant and provide a striking contrast to the aging exterior. Your opinion may differ from mine, and that variety makes the classic scene so engaging.

What would be your approach if you found this 1956 Ford F100 in your garage? Would a fresh coat of paint be on the agenda, or do you subscribe more to the ratrod school of thought? Either philosophy would allow it to attract attention, and readers could put forward valid reasons for their opinion. While shiny new paint would make it stunning, I admit I like the character that comes with its current weather-beaten appearance. I would probably refresh the interior and leave the rest of the vehicle untouched. Do you agree?