Ever see a vehicle in a junk yard and just could not let it die ? Well that is how I came get this 52 F1. It was sitting on top of a bus in a junk yard. Thought maybe I would get it and make a quick flip . HA ! First I put the body on a 1995 Chevy short bed running chassis that I had. Looked ok ,but after a while the purist side of me took over and I decided to put it back where it belonged . Still planed to sell it but... Then it grew on me. Now it has a permanent home .I also have a 53 F100 but it will have to wait a while . It's not pretty...yet , but it is so fun to drive. Looked all over the net to get ideas and found this place, lots of great ideas here. I'll try to post my pics in an album.

 

Welcome to the forum. We do like pictures and stories of these old trucks.

 

Three stories somewhat related.

First one is my '49 F-2. It was in rough shape when my dad bought it in '69 to use in his auto repair business and by the time I got it in the early '80s it was a total rusty hulk. Over the years I've had it I'd did two restorations, the first a very amateurish patch together job and then a second on in which I replace about 80% of the truck with replacement parts.

Second, I saw a set of junks '48-50 F-1 fenders on CL last year. They were in rough shape and were advertised for quite a few weeks. Finally I decided I should get the before the seller gave up and scrapped them. I email the seller and he turned out to be our very own Forty-niner. They were in very rough shape but the inner fender panels are pretty nice, worth the price I paid for the fenders. I have banged out and patches welded and filled and ready for primer. I just didn't want to see old iron being sent off to China.

Third, non Ford related but my '37 Buick. I didn't even want the car but my neighbor, and then my wife nagged me into getting it. I found out once I got it home it was in a lot worse shape than I thiught but by then it was too late. Now four five '37 Buicks later it's sitting mostly in primer in my shop. The original car should have gone directly to the scrap yard but now it's brcome part of the stable.

 

I got my truck for a buck. The previous owner couldn't even get money to have it hauled to a scrapyard. This truck had a wood flatbed and a big wooden box built on top of that and it was loaded with rubbish. It didn't run, had a couple flat tires, seized engine and was beat up, rusted and worn out.

The guy couldn't even get someone to haul it away for scrap cost because of all the wood attached to it. He didn't want to spend any time separating it.

So I didn't save mine from the scrap yard, I saved it from being further vandalized and rusting into oblivion.

Even as ugly and smelly as it was......it still had character.

I actually took it for a drive today (New Year's day) cause the roads were clear and dry with no road salt used lately. It was only 17 degrees out and took awhile to get it to warm up....but we had a nice drive around town this morning.


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several of them

 

I think all us on here get that (what if i dont buy it feeling) I guess we are all trying to save history one truck at a time.

 

Here is how to post pic's on FTE

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ure-guide.html

Here is one way by "Axracer"

Do you have digital pix of your truck from digital camera or phone on your computer? If so it is easy to add them to a post (assuming the file is not too large). Find the pic on your computer and leave it open while you come here in another window. Compose a post, click where you want the pic to appear in the post. Click on the picture icon at the top of the posting box (looks like a postcard with mountains and sun) A dialog box will open asking if you want to drag a pic onto the box or browse your computer to find it. If you have the pic open, go there, right click anywhere on the pic and chose copy from the menu. Come back to your post and right click on the box. Select paste from the menu. Your picture should appear (it may take a few seconds to load) in the box. Now left click on the insert button.
If the stars all aligned your picture should now be in your post window. Select post to have it appear on the forum or repeat to add more pix. Some cameras make huge files these days that are larger than the forum limits. You may need to resize or resample the picture and save the smaller file version with whatever picture editing software came with your picture taking device before you can post it.

Oh! and welcome to FTE and the old truck madness.

 

I have a couple pages on FB that post pics of cars giving people the chance to buy before they get crushed.

 

Anyone ever acquire a vehicle just to save it from the scraper ?

I have been tempted many times and there are quite a few I have seen that are not scrap material yet but based on what the owner is asking and the general deteriorating condition, they soon will be.

I have determined that if I had Bill Gates' money I would need Ted Turner's land holdings to park all the vehicles I would rescue.

 

Ran into the owner of this fire truck on a Saturday morning last summer. He described it briefly and said he was driving it onto the ferry on Monday to go to the scrap yard North of Bellingham. He really wanted me to buy it for scrap price before then. Late on Sunday afternoon he called me and asked why I hadn't come to look at it yet. It was less than 2 miles from my place. I said I didn't need another big old truck, but agreed to run over for a look. He hadn't told me it had 3043 original miles. Well he offered to drive it over after we agreed on a price of 900.00. Seal in water pump was shot from sitting, but ran nicely. 292 Y block. Well I removed the tank and front pump for scrap, along with a bunch of other parts and put my gutted camper in the back. Put a water pump on it. Never licensed or used it. Found a '47 one ton panel truck I wanted so put the fire truck on CL for 2500.00 and got 14 inquiries. Second guy bought it sight unseen and came on Thursday and drove it 120 miles home. So, yes I saved that one and am really, really glad I did.

 

My Mustang was a salvage story. I bought it out of my neighbors back yard for $850.00. It had no engine or transmission and the car had been sitting out in the Nevada sun for years. 71's were not very popular back then and he just wanted it gone. I don't have any pictures when I started the project but I do have these.

 

Trump Tower, filled from top to bottom with old trucks, awesome

 

Or maybe one of those gigantic horse riding arenas, but with hot water heating coils in the slab......

 

My history buff uncle bought an F-3 to save it from the scrapper, then I bought it, for what he paid for it 30+ years later, and now 12+ years (and k'$$$) after that, it's just about "new" again. Runs in the family, eh? I'll post pics, soon.

 

"Saved" many, which is subjective since some people think they were better off scrapped

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