Lorne Soloview's fabulously finished 1956 Ford F-100 is affectionately nicknamed "The Farm Truck."

Soloview recalls that his grandfather, Chester, bought it new. It was pale yellow with an off-white roof and ran a straight-six with a three-on-the-tree shifter.

It spent most of its life, and its temporary retirement, on the family farm near Athabasca.

Soloview pretended to drive it as a child, learned how to drive it as a teen and now drives it as a rod, he and the Ford coming full circle (or, should that be full-oval?)

"Four generations used that truck," said Soloview, and by 1982, it had been thrashed, smashed and trashed.

It might still been out there in the weeds, were it not for Soloview's resolve to bring it to his Edmonton home in 1999 for what was to become a stunning transformation.

Soloview spent two years disassembling, assessing, planning and purchasing specialty performance and appearance parts. Egbert's Street Rods was trusted with the restoration and modification project.

"Number one, I had to drive it," said Soloview, so it had to be comfortable for extended periods of travelling fast and far. Once work began in 2001, Egbert's would eventually redefine every panel, hand-forming many of them.

Panned valances skirt the lower front and rear ends, the hood became a front-hinged tilt affair and the emblems and door handles were shaved. The rear fenders are fibre-glass, made four inches wider than stock panels to accommodate big rear boots.

The graphic applied to separate the two-tone exterior colours is a clever, air-brushed rendition of the dip-down mouldings of the 1956 Ford Fairlane. The custom-mix orange paint on the upper body was also applied to the metal interior surfaces.

Inside the cab are dual, eight-way power seats, heated and upholstered in the same leather as the surrounding interior trim.

The specially fabricated dash panel houses German-made VDO gauges, air conditioning outlets, a remote-control music centre and a centrestack concealing a trick door that hides various controls.

The billet aluminum steering wheel rests upon a tilt column. Powered, one-piece door glass replaces the original vent windows.

"Its got all the creature comforts," said Soloview, of his redone truck.

In the drive department, the engine is a fuel-injected, small-block Chevrolet Ram-Jet.

Attached is a 700R4 automatic transmission with shift kit, stall converter and overdrive. Turning, and sometimes smoking the rear tires, is a nine-inch Ford rear end with 4:10 axle ratio.

Headers and a high-per formance dual exhaust setup help it "breathe."

"This truck has the legs to run," said Soloview.

The front clip is adjustable for stance, while high-performance suspension and four-wheel disc brakes back the 17-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels.

A list of all the modifications and goodies would fill this page, proving that this fabulous Ford F-100 is a true one-off wonder.

"If you look closely, you won't be disappointed," said Soloview.

Seven years after loosening the first bolt on the old hulk, the former hay-hauler's debut came at the 2006 Powerama show in Edmonton. Spectators were amazed by what they saw.

"The truck speaks for itself," said Soloview.

It has since been shown in Knoxville, Tenn.; Spokane, Wash.; Nevada and numerous car shows throughout Alberta. The trophies won could easily fill its box.

"It still draws attention wherever it's parked," said Soloview.

While he enjoys the shows, he cherishes the drives to and from.

"If I can't have a little fun with it, what good is it?," he asks.

The truck's tires have turned over 16,000 kilometres since its second life began.

"This is my statement," he says of his trick truck. "It still makes my heart go pitter-patter."