Cool Ranch Flavor in a Custom 1957 Ford Ranchero
Hot rod folks and hybrid cars may seem like an unlikely union, unless it’s a half-truck, half-car like the Ford Ranchero. Mike Long’s 1957 Ranchero known as “Cool Ranch” is a fresh take on what Ford’s original hybrid truck might have looked like in the hands of a custom coach builder.
Mike purchased the Ranchero as a running, driving car that appeared solid. Once it came apart, the truth surfaced. Much of the lower body was hidden under filler, and the bottom eight inches were badly rusted. Instead of treating that as a setback, Mike handed the build off to Brian Limberg and his team at Tin Man’s Garage (TMG) and used it as an opportunity to rebuild the car with cleaner details and better proportions. The result? A custom Ranchero is not nearly as simple as it appears.
A lot of metal was modified in very subtle ways to achieve the resulting refined appearance. The body was wedge-sectioned 1.5 inches at the front, the rear wheel openings were raised 1.5 inches, and both bumpers were fabricated from scratch to sit closer and lower. The headlights were recessed and frenched, and the grille modified with a deleted center seam and turn signals. In back, CNC-machined taillights mimic the originals with smooth, integrated housings, while the tailgate was smoothed and reworked to simplify the trim.
The TMG team handled the chassis work, too, smoothing the frame rails, grafting in a Fatman Mustang II front clip, adding a rear C-notch, installing a parallel four-bar rear suspension and Wilwood disc brakes, and tying everything together with an Art Morrison X-member. The 450-horsepower 408c.i. BluePrint Ford small-block is mated to a 4R70W automatic.
Relic Restomods handled the car’s final bodywork and the custom-mixed PPG Cool Ranch Blue paint. Jason Knobeloch contributed frame paint work, Datum Tool handled machining, Paint Dreams finished the engine and transmission paint, Glass Guy Chicago handled the glass, and Jimmy Smith provided design consultation throughout the project.
Inside, Plante Interiors continued the factory-but-better approach with Apex leather, vintage Mopar cloth inserts, square-weave carpet, custom armrests, reworked panels, hidden storage, and a smoothed steel dash with trim that echoes the bed.
The wheels are one of the best details. They are Wheelsmith 17×7-inch aluminum rims that resemble vintage steel wheels and were chrome plated by Advanced Plating, with the hoops left chrome to mimic trim rings and the centers painted body color. The one-off pie-crust hubcaps were custom-machined by the owner’s machine shop, giving the car a period touch that enhances its understated style.
So, maybe hot rodders and hybrids aren’t such an unlikely union after all. At least not when the hybrid in question is 100-percent cool. Kudos to Mike and the team at TMG.
Congratulations to Mike Long for becoming a Goodguys 2026 Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs Custom of the Year Finalist with his Cool Ranch 1957 Ford Ranchero built by Tin Man’s Garage. 
Photos: John Jackson
