Hi all, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Stan and along with my 54 F350 I also have dual ownership with my Uncle a 1952 Packard 200 DeLuxe and a 1964 Studebaker Gran Tourismo. I decided to get the 54 Express because after going through old pics I found a picture of me at about the age of three holding my PaPaw Tom's hand standing in front of his 54 Express so I decided to find one fix up to honor him. I found this old gal in Ottertail, Mn just waiting for someone to get her back going. You guys might remember seeing her on eBay last year in the salvage section. The plan is to pretty much just to fix what is broke and leave it all stock and get the motor running, I am sure at that point she will let me know what else needs fixed. Yes the rims are Firestone widowmakers and I know you all will cringe but I will be keeping those as well. I spent years servicing these rims on thousands of farm trucks working at Petro's Tire here in Indianapolis. If this truck was a dually I would have other plans. Also this truck will never see highway speeds as the original 5.83 rearend will stay as well. I will update as progress is made. Thanks for looking and all your support.

 

Welcome to FTE, Stan. Nice looking F350 you have there. Its good to see another 54 staying stock.

This is the place for info, insight, advice and help about 48-56 Ford trucks. Keep us updated and we need more pictures.

 

Hi Abe, Thanks for the compliment. Here is a couple more pics

 

On the way home. We broke a axle on the way home, luckily we were 5 miles from the shop U-Haul wanted us to go to so we chained up the axle and went there. The shop had us unload the truck. Pics show them using there roll back to load the effie back on. No more trouble after that. Was smooth sailing back to Indy.

 

Great truck! I had a '53 just like it but sold it a couple years back. Bone stock and an 8ba. My favorite type of truck. Mine is now in Austrailia, and my old '38 tonner express is now in New York. Sometime the kids move far away from home. We'd love to watch your progress on this truck and a big Welcome to another tonner express guy

 

My welcome too. She's honest as they come, and straight. We do love the Express beds. Sure wish you'd reconsider the WMs, tubeless alternatives do exist. Stu

 

Nice looking truck! Keep us posted on your progress.
I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of the Packard and Studebaker as well.

 

X2 on what Joe said.

 

Hi guys, Thanks for the welcome, Stu I do agree with you about the wm's but when I got the truck last year ol Dave had old 17 inch radials mounted on the rims and would not hold air. So my first thought was to change the tires to make her a roller which I put all new 7.50X17 bias ply tires, tubes and flaps. Then my step son who is rodding out a rusted up 46 Ford pu told me about this site, then I found out about the tubeless rims which will fit. After spending almost $800.00 on the tires I still will someday change them out but it will be after my wife forgets that I bought those. Harrier, here is some pics you might like.

 

Cool cars Bud. What is in the background of the Stud pic? A Citron or a Saab maybe?

 

The car in the background looks like a Citron 2CV to me. Nice Truck and cars.

If you are keeping the wheels for now, I suggest making a spacer bracket for the side mounted spare so you can turn the wheel around. My understanding is the wheels fail by blowing the inner half of the rim section away from the mounting area of the wheel. If your spare fails currently it looks like it would blow out from the truck.

 

That is a Citron, I forgot what year. It was several years ago. That was place was in Ohio where my Uncle and I bought the Studbuster at. We actually traded a non running 1926 Hupmobile for it even up. The guy was really cool. He had so many projects he had bought an entire neighborhood and used the houses for his many projects. I remember one house was full of antique outboard engines, must have been a thousand. He has since got the Hupmobile running. It was very nice to see it going up and down the street like I remembered it from when I was a kid.

 

Ya the spare has alredy been taken off. It will be mounted under the bed where it was originally. The bracket they used to mount it on the side was the spare tire carrier from underneath.

 

Here is what is on there now.

 

That a nice looking couple of cars. The Citron were always neat little cars too. Of course I say that for most old cars...