Hello,
New to the forum and happy to have found it. There appears to be a wealth of knowledge amongst the members.
Here is my story. I acquired my great Grandfathers 1950 f1 from my grandmother over 13 years ago. It was used as a farm truck and both my father and grandmother learned how to drive with this specific truck. The title has not left my families names and the plan was to restore it in high school for a daily driver. Well that didn't happen.
I have decided to try and tackle this project and am starting my research. I was wondering if the members here could point me in the direction of some good reference sites as well as some good parts sources. Of course i am looking for any and all opinions regarding the restoration of this truck. I hope to bring the truck back to original when possible.
Thank you for your time and opinions.
Ian

 

Ian, First of welcome to FTE! This is your best reference site I've found... As far as part source... Mid Fifty, So Cal, there is a long list. I would say one of the best things you can do is get a camera and document everything you do... Including before duering and after pics... they are a great tool... Also ask questions here as there is tons of info on here... We like pics too... so don't forget to post some for use...

 

Welcome to FTE

The 1948/56 Ford Truck Parts Catalog is available on a CD from hipoparts.com.

This catalog does not include body parts for 1948/52's, so a separate catalog is necessary.

faxonautolit.com (located in Riverside CA) has a reprint of the 1944/52 Ford Passenger Car/Truck Body Parts Catalog, but it's pricey at $50.00 and is smaller in size than the original.

Faxon also has owners and shop manuals, sales brochures, other literature.

 

Welcome to FTE. I will second the statement that we love pictures.
Also be sure to take lots and lots of pictures as you are working. It has saved me many a time and I'm just getting started. I'm up to over 1300 pictures.
I just want to make sure I don't miss anything, computer storage space is cheap.

Sounds like a great story, your family will be so excited.

 

That's another great piece of family history.
Welcome to FTE! This is only place to be when it comes to restoring your great grandfather's truck. Great people here and always willing to answer questions.
The only dumb question is one that you don't ask! and we need some pictures or we get cranky!

 

OK, Jeff beat me to it but... Welcome to FTE from Central IL, the Land of Rusty Trucks! You guys in AZ are lucky with that good iron to work with. Great to hear of another family connection to one of our great trucks. You've come to the right place to get those questions answered so don't be shy... ask away! As you might have guessed pictures are mandatory (videos are optional but highly recommended!) around here so let's see what you've got.

Rob

 

Dennis Carpenter
Dennis Carpenter Ford Car, F-100 Pickup Truck, 8N, 9N Tractor and Cushman Scooter Restoration Parts
LMC Truck
Truck Parts and Truck Accessories for Chevy, GMC, Ford and Dodge Trucks from LMCTruck.com
Macs Antique Auto
MAC's Antique Auto Parts
Obsolete and Classic Auto (previously Obsolete Ford Parts - name issue with Ford)
Centrally located right here in the heart of Oklahoma
Mid West 50's
Classic Haulers
Coker Tire
Coker Tire - Your Source for Antique Tires and Wheels
Diamondback Tires
Diamond Back Classic Radial Tires

... the list is endless

There are several members here who bought a parts truck, then another, and another and have a TON of parts, ask here for what you need - someone I am sure has it.

There are a ton of names... but unfortunately most all the parts will actually be from about 2 or 3 places. Vintique and Dennis Carpenter make (or are original sources) of most of the parts. I tend to go with who ever has the best price, and sometimes the price will be insane different - $9 one place $29 another, watch Mac's for sales (they always have sales), and free shipping.

I created a whole 2nd email account and signed up for a bunch of different newsletter / deal flyers and then let it get spammed to death.

 

Welcome to the forum! Your truck has a great background.

Don't forget National Parts Depot: Restoring American History

And..Larry at Blue Oval Truck Parts is helpful too: Blue Oval Truck Parts: Truck Parts, Truck Accessories, F-Series Trucks Parts, Ford Truck F250 Accessories

Sacramento Vintage Ford also stocks a lot & they have a pretty good website: Sacramento Vintage Ford Parts, Inc. • 888-Ford-100

What kind of restoration are you planning to do with your truck (all original or perhaps a few modifications???)

Dan

 

Sitting in my yard in AZ. The truck is originally from ND.

The front end was taken off 13 years ago.


My oldest son being shy. He sure was excited to see that truck get pulled out by the tractor.

 

Thanks for the kind words as well as the recommendations for parts sources.
I plan to bring the truck back to original with as few updates as possible. That said I will be installing seatbelts for the safety of my boys. The truck is nearly complete as it sits with only a few missing pieces. I only have three of the original wheels and am missing the hub caps. I am currently trying to get old photos of my family with the truck for a reference as to how it looked on the farm.
That being said I am wondering alot about the origianl configuration of this truck. The first questions that come to mind are what size tires it would have had on it and how the bed was constructed. Did it have wood or was it a metal pan?
Thanks for any guidance.
More pics to come.

 

Ford began requiring a fat yearly license fee in the 1990's to be able to use their name/part numbers. AFAIK, only Dennis Carpenter pays the fee.

Most of the obsolete parts sellers were forced to drop Ford from their business names, because they didn't want to pay the yearly fee.

This all came about because of cheap, poorly made Taiwanese sheet metal/body parts that began flooding the US in the 1980's. The makers/sellers were using Ford part numbers/applications.

FoMoCo's lawyers sued to force them to cease and desist, some did, some did not. Ford then began applying for patents on body parts, this didn't help much either.

FoMoCo's lawyers then went after the 100's of obsolete parts sellers that were using Ford in their business name, Ford part numbers in their catalogs.

One long time seller of Model A parts told FoMoCo to go to hell...soon regretted that remark.

When he set up at the Carlisle Swap Meet, a team of Ford lawyers and the polizei were waiting for him, confiscated his entire inventory!

Now you know why it's Classic Auto Parts, no longer Obsolete Ford Parts of OK
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Tveter50: 1948/52 F1: The original tire size was 6.00-16, 6.50-16 was optional. These were 4 ply bias ply blackwall tires. Radials were not available, because...

Radial tires were invented by Michelin in the early 1950's.The first vehicle in the world to have radials as standard equipment was the 1955 FWD Citroen ID 19 (Michelin owned Citroen at that time).

The first US vehicle to have radials as standard equipment was the 1966 FWD Oldsmobile Toronado. GM discovered while conducting tests, that bias ply tires wore out within 7,000 miles.

Ford didn't offer radials until the 1970's and then, only as an option. White wall (w/wall) tires for trucks were not offered as an option until 1956.

1951/52: During the Korean War, w/wall tires were not available...period...for any new vehicle. Not even the high buck luxury cars like Cadillac/Packard/Lincoln/R-R/Bentley came with w/walls.

The bed floor was pine originally and was painted body color (not stained/varnished like you see on a gazillion 'restored' trucks today).

The wood came from Northern MI because...Ford owned the forests, the sawmills and the ships that transported the product to The Rouge.

 

There is so much to learn, I feel a little lost.
That is helpful to know about the bed. Makes my decision easier, painted wood it is. A friend told me that the wheels on a 50 would have had the hub caps as well as a stainless or chrome ring around the outside diameter of the wheels. Is this true? What were the grill options? Was is stainless, painted or a combination?

 

The trim rings were a Ford parts counter (dealer installed) accessory.

If you look at 100 factory photos, I doubt you will see more than one truck with trim rings.

98% of the general public back then bought trucks for work, not for boulevard cruisers like the new pile of miseries shown in my signature.

The problem is that some people (like your friend) equate these old trucks with newer trucks, assume they all came with a radio, heater, trim rings, chrome grille and bumpers, outside mirror(s) and other fall-der-all.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Radio/heater/trim rings/outside mirror(s) were extra cost. A painted front bumper was all that was available, the rear bumper was an option, painted only.

1948/50: The grille was painted, either body color, white or argent. Ford did offer horizontal metal strips (I think they were stainless) that fit over the painted grille on deluxe models.

Today, some people have 'gussied up' these trucks with all sorts of things that were either accessories, or were not available for their specific models.

Go to a truck show, see how many trucks have painted body color bed wood. You'll be lucky if you find one.

btw: I have dozens of books on Ford history, all have factory and recent photos, two I keep by the 'puter. I looked at both of them...thru the sections that pertain to 1948/52's.

Guess how many of these trucks have trim rings in the factory photos? N-O-N-E = NONE!

The only trucks pictured that...do...have trim rings are not factory, but recent photos, most taken at truck shows, residences.

The Standard Catalog of Light Duty Ford Trucks ~ krause.com ~ ISBN: 0-87349-411-3 // Ford Truck Chronicle ~ Publications International ~ ISBN-13: 978-1-4127-1225-5

 

NumberDummy didn't tell you that he has worked on Ford trucks since he was 2 and is the most knowledgeable Ford truck guy on the planet.

There are a ton of us that are lost most of the time, the experts here keeps us from hurting ourselves or our trucks. (most of the time.)
A big part of the fun is learning and figuring out what your truck will be.
My truck is also a family truck, it puts a very different spin on the restoration.

It's been said before....many times. Take lots of pictures and ask lots of questions. Also search the forum, there is a lot of info already here. Although the experts seem to tolerate us asking questions over and over again.

 

Got to spend a little time on the truck this evening. Will post pictures in the next day or so. Here is the serial number 98RC418226SP. Can somebody explain to me what the numbers and letters mean?