The SEMA show in Las Vegas is chock-full of hot customs and dream cars that are meant to get your imagination churning. A few of them, however, could end up right in your driveway, if you’re lucky. Such is the case with this 1956 Ford F-100 known as “Snakebit.” The custom truck has been modified from top to bottom, and will be auctioned next year by Barrett-Jackson to benefit a children’s hospital.
The project is the brainchild of Tom Foster, president of Industrial Machine & Manufacturing in Saskatoon, and was unveiled at SEMA by celebrity couple Gene Simmons, bassist for KISS, and his wife, actress Shannon Tweed.
Snakebit is a very slick ride. It started life as a ’56 Ford F100, but the wheelbase is now five inches longer, and the cargo bed widened to match. The grille frame and headlights have been modified to resemble that of the current Mustang, while sequential taillights and staggered wheel sizes are also reminiscent of Ford’s pony car. Inside, a leather bench seat has been cut and reworked to resemble that of the Mustang, while the dash is wrapped in leather. It’s powered by a 5.4 liter V8 with a high-performance exhaust that makes about 550 horsepower, and shifting duties are handled by a six-speed manual transmission.
“The Wheels of Dreams project symbolizes how people can come together to meet the needs of our children and families by raising much needed funds for the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. “Just like the hospital, this concept car project started as an idea and a desire to do something better for our community.”
