FWIW my sources were sited from Tom Brownell's book 'How To Restore your Ford Truck' (or something like that) and from James Wagner, the Early Ford Club truck president.

 

Sorry, forgot to include the link - its edited now with the link at the bottom.
Classic Car History was the one I quoted. Don Bunn's info has proven questionable at times too. They were written long ago when the info had to be at best "hand-me-down" so I can cut them a lot of slack.

Afaik, the rim info has been consistent with 48 black and 49 body color. At least I've never seen it challenged.

My early 48 F6 (22,+++ serial #) has stainless grill bar covers, bolted/clipped on as above, but it has black window dividers - I believe they should be stainless (unless they were replaced on this MN grain truck)

edit: Bryan, I voted in your poll for Tucson tan, but - if it were mine, I'd paint the grill panel tan but the grill bars Argent w/ the red stripe. We may be confusing the two issues in this thread. Have fun with whatever you do. My 48 F1 is now body color w/stainless bars - cause I wanted to....

 

Havi, I remember you once mentioned doing some kind of an accumulated collection of this type of stuff from the FTE standpoint. Where we could all kind of come to an agreement on little things like this due to the shear fact that so many publications out there seem to waffle back and forth. I thought that was a good idea. We're not getting any younger, and it would be a shame if the knowledge base of the members here got lost over time. Some say that this particular forum itself serves that purpose. It probably does, but what would happen if Internet Brands suddenly ceased to exist? The only people who would probably really care would be the ones going for a perfect concours restoration. But, for the rest of us, it's just interesting to discuss sometimes because it's our hobby.

 

From the many years I've been playing with the Bonus Built trucks,30+, and the many trucks I've had, 17, I've come to the conclusion there are no set rules of what was used on these old trucks. Almost all of the trucks I've had were beat but in pretty much original condition with very few modifications. It just seemed Ford just put them together with whatever parts were easiest to get. I doubt very much Ford cared if they used the exact parts for a run of trucks, they just wanted to get them out the door. I also doubt very much anyone 60+ years ago would have considered that these trucks would last more than 10 years, little alone having a group of people 60+ years later dissecting and analyzing every piece. I just build them to drive. I gave up very early trying to build a show truck. I would rather drive them and have my kids drive them than to worry if I have the correct shade of paint on a certain part and then worrying about having the paint get chipped or scratched.

 

Wheels = black!

Ok so more research and I completely concur that unchalleneged wheels shoulda been black. (Now mechanically with a 9" rear end and a T5 trans I am obviously not going for a museum piece, now am I...)

I don't like the black wheels unless I was going all out two tone - black fenders etc. So I'll stick with my green wheels. Like many have said, have fun and do what I want - yup, wheels will be green.

This phrase is put into several books/magazines (verbatim):

Prototype trucks seen in many factory photos had a body-color grille/headlamp mounting panel, while early production trucks originally had Tucson tan finish there. Argent silver later replaced Tucson tan and the later trucks also had Argent silver finished grille with red stripes. All 1948 models had the wheels done in black. The F-1s had hubcaps first seen on late 1947 passenger cars, which were also used on 1948 passenger cars. Late in the run, the finish on the vent window moldings was changed from chrome to black.

I found one book that was a compile of a dozen contributors and specifically the 1st revision was made by a guy (Charles Webb) who collected vintage advertisements & sales promotional videos. The book "Standard Catalog of Light-Duty Ford Trucks" (two major revisions, 1987 and 2002) seems to be presented in a pretty factual manner.

If I can find a really really strong forensic reason to go to Tucson or chrome I will, but if I don't get that when I strip down to bare metal I am going Argent... Being a July 8 truck, I think it probably could have gone either way. (and I love that Edgewater NJ factory pic - no complaints about Argent in any way)

Poll is open for 9 more days, so feel free to vote your color choice anyhow.

 

I've never seen chrome anything on these trucks.

Stamped stainless steel, yes. Anybody have different info?

 

Bob. I don't worry about it either. Trust me, I don't sit up at night thinking about it, and I certainly don't plan on making my trucks factory correct anytime soon. But we all eventually learn these little nit picky things as we go along. I just think it's interesting. And, you're right, I'd say the guys at the factory just used whatever was available at the time.

 

What management dictated at the twin Cities plant, was probably different thanthe new jersey plant, from any other plant as well. today's world everything is more global, but back then, the vendors and suppliers only got what was available within a certain distance. They were different times than what we're familiar with, for sure.

Tim, the Brownell book mentions chrome bars on one page, and flip-flops on another page with stainless. I figure that chrome was a generic term for any type of bright-metal. Kinda like soda vs. pop.

The James Wagner book has severeal B&W photos of various examples throughout every year. Too bad they're not color. (or bigger)

The '48 F1 I posted the grille of, is dated March of 1948, from the Twin cities, and yet has the red stripe bars. So I'm sticking with the regional 'use what ya got' scenario.

My '48 will end up all body color w/cvhrome bars, and the F6, which is '49 will be argent grille with dark green. and black wheels. I can say my '48 was a promo (it's not), and my '49 was ordered w/special color. There's ways around the sticklers.

 

My exterior door handles are about the most weathered, dulled, worn through thin you can get - and they appear to be solid one metal - no plating, a magnet does not stick if I remember right... ?solid chrome?/ ?aluminum?. Interior door handles are pitted and lightly rusted (only in depth of pits and where they touch the stanchions) chrome, they are heavy and solid - cast and chrome plated?. Interior door handle beauty rings (stanchions) are heavily pitted and flash rusted where they contact handles and door, definitely stamped sheetmetal... and they don't polish up like chrome - but all rust came off with Mothers polish. Can't say I looked at the vents enough to be 100% positive, but I think they are chrome too, the interior vent handles polish up like chrome.

Headlight door retainers are slightly pitted chrome I think (now you are stretching my memory... I don't think a magnet stuck to those either), and amazingly for an exterior part only the tinyest flash rust where it touched paint.
Bumper was chrome plated, and 90% shot, I figured that wasn't original though... I bought a stainless steel cause it was cheaper to replace than refinish.

If a PO has replaced door handles on me, then I got to ask, what else is there that was made repop wise that a magnet doesn't stick to - did they make aluminum handles for a while?

 

Maybe this will help:

 

I wasn't about to ask anyone to spend time photochopping for me since that can get really time intensive, but since you did it I will put out a big big big thank you to ya. That settles it, I don't like the Tucson on the bars (Tucson area with stainless bars maybe, but solid Tucson no). Argent for sure!

Anyone got a paint code for the red stripe?

 

Almost all the exterior trim pieces are stainless steel, including the outer door handles and headlight trim. The inside door handles, window and door latch are cast metal, I don't of what kind of metal. The "F" model insignias are either pot metal or stamped stainless. The stainless pieces can be polished with a polishing rouge and a buffing wheel mounted on a bench grinder. The stainless used was a cheap grade and will corrode and pit. The trim pieces on my grill were severly pitted. I sanded them down with 80 grit paper, working up to 2000 grit and then polishing with buffing rouge and a clothe wheel on my bench grinder. It was a lot of work to make them look good again.

I would assume most of the trim was stamped stainless because it was cheaper than making either cast pieces or mild steel which would have been chrome plated. I feel it was actually a better choice now that we are in the position of restoring these trucks. Stainless steel parts can be fairly easily fixed and buffed. My '37 Buick has some stainless trim but most is chrome plated and has to be replated which is getting pretty expensive to have done.

 

Since you plan to paint the truck close to the color in the picture I think the beige would look like vomit, just my personal opinion. I would go with the Argent myself.

 

The whole front end looks like vomit!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

Ilya,

Be nice, let's not turn thins into a Monkey Face vs. Manure Spreader debate or I'll have to repost my animation.