My first post as a new member..hello everyone!

My wife recently treated me to a retirement gift and gave me the nod on a 1948 F-1 Ford Pick up truck.

It runs..has new wheels, radiator and battery.
Other than that everything else appears to be original or replaced sometime ago.

So with sometime on my hands I plan to work on the truck to the extent that I'm capable.

I'm fairly handy and, "when I wore a younger man's clothes", changed my share of points, plugs, manual transmissions, clutches, carbs, brakes, shocks and even a rear drive differential. Even have a small workshop in the garage.

I don't know how to weld or do body work and I get by electrically. I don't plan on restoring the truck to show class condition but I would like to improve what I have while not out living my money by the end of 2014.

So, to some of you DIY folks, can I please have some suggestions on where you think I should begin. I mean is there some logical order that these sort of things get done?

A new independent front end, engine overhaul (if necessary?) and paint would be among the things I have on my wish list that I would have done professionally if possible but later rather than sooner.

Please have a look at my photo gallery as I attempted to provide photos to help demonstrate what I'm working with.

Also, can anyone identify my engine? I know it's a flat head V8 and the engine head says 8BA?

One last question which probably has a simple answer. The operators manual instructs drivers to "double Clutch" when shifting gears. Can't recall ever hearing that before?

Any input I can get from my new member friends.

Thanks.

F-1

 

Welcome to FTE!

Looks like you have yourself a real beauty there! A drivable truck in that condition is a pure joy to behold. And I love the color too!

Double clutching was the common way to drive a manual transmission with spur gears (non-synchronous gears). Simply, you start normally, then push in the clutch shift into neutral, let out the clutch, rev the engine, push in the clutch and when the engine rpms match the transmission rpms, shift into the next higher gear. This will require practice to eliminate grinding the gears. Downshifting is more difficult and must be done at much slower speeds than with a sychro tranny. If you already drove the truck without double clutching and didn't grind gears, you probably have a synchronous tranny.

And you're already a Supporter and put up pics! Here's some of the pics for everyone to see.

 

Welcome to the forum, from another old guy. These old truck don't need all that new fangled fancy stuff like IFS, power disk brakes, power steering, etc when they're right. Drive it a while, evaluate it. If the suspension has not been rebuilt recently, it probably needs attention. As has been said before, let the truck tell you what it needs.
Edit: IMO, the biggest improvement one can make to these old trucks is more road friendly gearing.

 

Welcome and congrats on your new status as free from the wage slave ranks!

Joe must have gotten interupted, there's more to double-clutching. First of all, is your truck a 3-speed or a 4-speed? If it's a 3-speed, you don't need to worry about it, as long as you don't try to go into 1st until you are at a dead stop. If you have a 4-sp, none of the gears are synchro'd, and you need to do it under some circumstances.

Basically, you have to match the speed of the gears in the trans to the speed you want to go, before shifting. Less important going up thru the gears, absolutely needed if you are dropping down. You take the trans out of the gear you are leaving, put it in neutral, let out the clutch, rev the engine up to the new speed, then quickly push in the clutch and shift into the new (lower) gear. Hopefully some others will come forward with a better description.

 

That is a pretty nice looking truck, but I have to say that it has had some odd alterations.
First, the engine is the normal 8BA 239 cu in flathead engine built between 1948 and 1953, the later version of the engine 51-53? had the head stamped EAB. If it runs good, check the compression, if you have at least 85-90 lbs in each cylinder it should be good for a while. Cost of a professional rebuild has gone up quite a bit over the past few years, in the $3K plus range.
I see that it has the standard 48-50 doghouse and bed, the cab on the other hand is a head scratcher. It appears to have the small (48-50) rear window, but your dash is a 51 or 52. Also you battery is located in the position of a truck equipped with the 6 cylinder engine.
The serial number (vin) should be stamped in the right front frame rail between the rad and the front axle. It should also have a plate mounted inside the glove box door. There should also be numbers and letters stamped in the upper center or left side of the firewall,(not on a plate) these will indicate production date, plant location and color. If you can find those number and post them, we can tell you more about your truck.

 

Yes, my granddaughter was leaving and I was called away for hugs and kisses. I finally finished the post.

 

Good eye on the dash and battery, Joe! Someone must have gone to a lot of work either swapping dashes and/or the cab rear panel.

I don't think trucks ever got EAB's tho, even '53's. They were basically a car engine. Actually your statement that it has the "normal" 8BA is a matter of contention with some, who say trucks only came with 8RT's...

 

Wow that a nice looking truck. Make sure your suspension, brakes and steering are good and drive the heck out of it. If you are going to make it a daily driver, then maybe think about IFS, otherwise I would leave it be.

Take her for some drives and she will tell you what she needs.

 

Welcome! Your plan should involve just driving that beauty for the first year. There will be some changes you'll then want to make. It's okay to simply enjoy your ride.

 

Hello, welcome, and congratulations on your wonderful old truck. My 2 cents would also be to drive it and enjoy your truck for awhile. That's what I did, after I had the brakes R/Rd by a professional mechanic. Then I just repaired one thing at a time, all the while driving it with very little down time. Its been over ten years now and I'm still fixing one thing at a time. When I started I had little to no skills ,and totally relied on the advice and encouragement I received from the great folks here on FTE. Personally I wouldn't be in a hurry to do major things like swap out front ends or other things unless you find that that's what you want in a truck. As for me, I enjoy the stock suspension and steering, its your truck so in the end its up to you what you want, you what you will enjoy. You may decide to do a complete frame off restoration or custom, it's totally up to you. The one thing I can really guarantee, is that your really going to enjoy the process, have fun.

 

u'll find out u had more time to do things when u were working... time is fly'n..
the bad news is U CAN'T WELD ?????? your in the wrong hobby then... doing simple wiring on our trucks u need to weld them on.. changing a light bulb u gotta weld it in.. even changing the spark plugs.. push them in and weld them on.. the best part is turning your brain around when working on 6v POSITIVE ground... it still messes me up.. but we have fun...

 

Please disregard the previous welding comments. My truck is drivable, and I can't weld either...

But I do plan to learn welding after I retire.

 

Welcome to the form and retirement. Nice looking truck, if it runs and drives enjoy it for a while before you do any changes.

 

Congrads on the truck and the retirement! You have a great wife there and a fine truck... Looks like someone put a 51-52 dash in your truck... Very nice...

 

I looked into some local welding training courses here in Palm Beach County College (FLA.)
where I live..the course runs around $2500!!

Yikes..don't want to weld for a living.

Weld wiring? Weld spark plugs?
Solder, now I can solder.. coming from a family of plumbers.

Anyway I'm going to have to ignore "you're in the wrong hobby"..makes me that much more determined to learn how.

Here I come Youtube!!