I haven't been around much in the recent past but I received a challenge today to find out who a Ford truck guy really. With that being said I would like your age, what kind and how many Ford trucks do you have, what drew you you a mid-fifty truck to start with? If you can say, what specifically drew you to a particular year or style of truck? Would you ever change or give it up for some brand x truck? Who else is involved? I am not just trying to write another "who is a hot rodder?" article but I want to know who has blue blood and why, who knows what the rouge is or the LBAP. Real Ford guys (gals), tell me about who you are and why. This may not get off the ground for a while but I would like to have it in print in time for the Western Nats in June. Thanks in advance

 

I'm 21 years old. My Dad was always a Ford guy, so I think it rubbed off on me. My 1948 F1 is the only Ford truck that is actually in my name, but I learned to drive in nothing but Fords, and my family has nothing but Fords trucks. My daily driver is a 97 f350 powerstroke. When I set out to build a truck, i really didn't have a specific year range in mind, as long as it was a Ford. I looked at everything fro a 1949 similar to mine up to a 1970 bump side truck. I decided to get the 1948 because it was a great deal. While I do respect the other truck brands, i would never own anything besides a Ford. I'm not going to sit here and bash other brands because i know that they are all capable vehicles. I am a very brand loyal person, not just with cars.

 

My brother and I were always at odds, he loved Chevys and I loved Fords. I was born in '50, borther in '47. Now we both drive Dodge Dakotas! I still love Fords and the last 5 trucks I had before this Dakota were Fords. I just got such a great deal on this that I couldn't pass it up. And, ironically, the '52 that I bought and have been working on for 3.5 years now, has a 350/700R4. My budget wasn't big enough to switch. Now I also have a '54 Panel that has a 289/C4 that I am working on. I have always loved the grill on the 51 & 52 and always loved the lines of the mid 50's panel trucks. My favorite all time car is a 56 Crown Vic. My first project was a 50 Ford, which was my father's first new car ever. I finished it and then a few years later had to sell it. It had a EFI 5.0 and AOD, new front suspension and was beautiful. I hated to sell it, but needed to.

 

I got into "old cars" as a teenager and convinced my dad to buy a model a coupe for $350. We restored it to original I got the Ford bug. My dad was a car guy with money. He bought new T-birds a '54 and a '56 and a '59 (ugly car). My mom had one of those retractable hard tops, was it a Fairlane? When I did my F-1, there was no question about brand. I wanted to put a Ford in a Ford and went the extra mile to get it done. Ch*vy guys say Ford stands for "found on the road dead" and Ford guys say "First on race day"

 

Here is my auto ancestry. My Dad was an Oldsmobile guy. He had 2 Ford tractors, a 48 8N and a 54 NAA. He had a 48 3/4 ton 5 window Chevy pickup. My brother always had Chevy cars, with the exception of a sweet 68 Buick Skylark Gran Sport. He had 2 57 Chevys, a 55 Bel Air hardtop, and a 68 Camaro SS with a 427. Together we owned a beat-up 56 Chevy 210 model that we each paid $100 for. I owned or had full access to these cars: 1962 Corvair, 57 Chevy Bel Air two door sedan, 55 Chevy 2 door sedan.

Why do I like Ford trucks? Because I own one. Why do I own one? Because of necessity. In 1977 I needed a vehicle as my 57 Chevy was getting the tranny rebuilt. My Grandpa moved off the farm and was willing to sell his old Ford truck. So I guess it is possible that if Grandpa had a Dodge, and I kept it all those years, I'd be a Dodge truck guy..... who knows?

I liked the fact that it was a V8 while Chevy's of that era only had 6 bangers. I am now a True Blue Ford truck guy. And also own a 1970 F350. I think the 53 to 56 Ford trucks are the best years.

Edit: my age, I will be 60 in May. Graduated from high school in 1973.

 

Nice to see you Tim


I'm 50 (well, next month). I'm a pretty equal opportunity car guy and appreciate most brands. Heck, I worked as a GM mechanic for many a year and on newer stuff I prefer to work on GM stuff. That being said, I've always had Ford trucks (and I've had my share of them) The best truck I ever owned was a 1983 F-150 2wd.
I stumbled into my truck by accident. I had a 1949 Pontiac Silver Streak and a guy offered my $600 and a 1949 F1 for my Pontiac. I jumped at it and never looked back.


Some of my trucks;
1968 F-100 2wd - hand me down from my brother...it was pretty rough
1960 F-100 big window 2wd - my brother and I converted it to 4x4 using 1975 F-150 parts truck
1969 F-250 Camper Special 2wd (when I was about 20)
1983 F-150 2wd - put this truck through the ringer, great truck
1972 F-100 4wd - company truck when I worked for New Mexico Bureau of Mines
1949 F-1 current toy
1950 F-1 parts truck
1997 F-350 4dr powerstroke dually 2wd
2000 F-150 extended cab 2wd - company truck put on 200k miles
1977 F-250 Camper Special 2wd - just because
2005 F-150 extended cab 2wd - company truck, put on 300k miles
2014 F-150 4dr 4wd - current company truck...I love it!
1926 Model T roadster pick-up - just starting this project, going to be powered by a flathead Packard straight 8


I know I've had a few others here and there, but those were the main ones.


Some of my reasons for being a Ford fan is that they will run forever, they might not run perfect, but by gosh, they will run. Also, it takes a bit of imagination to play with Fords. Heck, anyone can build a Chevy but sometimes you have to hold your tongue just right to get Ford stuff to all fit together.....LOL


Bobby

 

My family has always owned Fords. My first was a 1969 T-Bird. Since then I have owned 14. I didn't always buy Ford but always came back. Of the vehicles I have owned I have been most passionate about the Fords and they have been among the most reliable. For the last ten years or so Ford has been doing a great job with design and quality so the wife and I have gone ford exclusive (see my signature). We already owned the 56 Fairlane and decided we wanted a old truck for my wife. It had to be a Ford, but we had to decide on a year. We thought the 53 and up trucks were too modern and the pre-war trucks were a little small in the cab for our robust figures. With the remaining trucks we really loved the F-1s and since the 52 is the best looking that's what it had to be. We are firmly attached to the Fairlane and the F-1 and have no plans to ever part with them.

 

I'm a ford guy and all my trucks before my "cough" tundra were fords but I don't hate chevys like some people do. In fact I'm pretty jealous that chevy guys get the LS platform and us ford guys got the modular platform for modern motors. When I bought the F1 I was looking for either an F1 or a 58/59 chevy pickup. When I bought my Fairlane I was looking for a 66/67 Nova or Fairlane. Now while I like what I like regardless of what brand it is I think it's a shame to see any ford with a SBC in it. Nothing about that motor is superior in any way than a 302 or 351. An LS swap I can somewhat understand.. Anyhow guess I explained how I'm a car/truck guy and not just a ford guy

 

I'm 58. The first car I remember is a 49 Ford my Dad had, it was a work car, $50, brush painted in the driveway. Next was a 55 in about 61, this was our family car. When my Dad passed in 1972 he was using a 61 Falcon he paid $350 for. Mom gave it to me. I kept it for a few years and then bought a 70 Maverick in 1974, then a Pinto hatchback, then a Pinto Squire Wagon, then the worst car I ever owned a 1980 Mercury Zephyr. Then I went a few years with company cars. Got my 52 Truck in 2006 when I turned 50. So I'm a Ford guy its in the blood.

 

Well I'll be 69 in a couple of months and in 2000 my friend had a stroke and I bought Homade from him. He had replaced the floor and already purchased a **** ton of new parts and for the price I couldn't say no and haven't looked back. Worked on it for 5 years whenever I could and retired in 05 and soon had it road worthy, hitting as many shows as I could and making friends and memories. It was a low budget build using what I had and I truly loved how it turned out.The people on this site make it even better than just owning an old truck.I've sold 2 of my old ones in the past year but still have HOMADE, a 99 F250 4x4 and a 2011 F150 4dr, 4x4, too many for this old man to take care of, Garry aka HOMADE.

 

I'm 65 and my first car was a 57 Ford Custom. My dad was a Ford guy, with the exception of the 60 Impala that my sister wrecked. He went back to Fords after that. He also bought a 65 F100 new which he drove for over 30 years. I bought my first Ford truck in 1983. It was a 79 F-250 Super Cab Camper Special for towing a horse trailer. I gave it to my son when he was old enough to drive.

While I was working, I had 16 company cars in 35 years, and not one was a Ford. But when I lost the company car benefit in 2010, I bought a Ford, partly because they didn't take any government bailout money from me. I've had a 98 Ranger for 12 years. And there's a new Ford truck in my future. My 51 F4 is 11 months younger than me, built in August of 50.

So I have 2 Ford trucks and a Ford car, with no plans to ever buy another brand.

 

I am 63 and have owned Fords of and on most of my adult life. In 1972 I started an apprenticeship as a mechanic at a Chrysler dealer. Over the next 20 years I worked at a couple of Ford dealers, a Datsun dealer, and a few Chrysler dealers. Then I worked for the state of CA for 22 years before retiring.

Six years ago, I decidedto start a project. The boss said it was OK and I always do what my wife says. So, I began looking for any model truck. I found my 51 F-1 fresh out of a thicket of blackberrys. It was the same age as me, unmolested, and we named her Rusty. I still have a long ways to go but I am determined to finish her.

 

I just turned 70, been a Ford guy since I was old enough to know the difference. Dad was a Ford guy, so that is what our family drove. My first car was a 1951 Ford sedan, then a 40 tudor, then a 55 sunliner [boy I wished I had kept that one], then drove company Ford vans for many years. I have owned many 40's over the years and currently have a 40 coupe and a 40 tudor along with my 53 F100 that I have had for about 20 years. I also own a 200 F150 Lariat that has 165,000 miles and still looks and performs as new. A couple of years ago I was called to jury duty and assigned to a trial where someone was suing FOMOCO. During the jury selection we were asked if we owned any Fords. When they came to me and I explained my history with Fords you could see the plaintiff's atty planning to dismiss me.

 

I am 38. My grandfather and my father both retired from Ford Motor Company. It's because of them that I tend to prefer Ford over other brands. The trucks I currently own are a 2007 Ranger and a 1948 F-1.

Like many it's the body styling of the early F-Series trucks that drew me to them. After watching the opening to Sanford and Son one too many times I decided I had to have one.

While looking at trucks in the 48-52 range, I decided I preferred the grill from the 48-50's, but really liked the bigger back windows on the 51-52's. So when I found a truck that had both, and a running flathead V8, I had to buy it.

Would I give up my trucks for a brand X? Not likely. In the case of the my Ranger, when I do finally give it up, it will be to buy another Ford. My 48? Well, I might consider trading it for another pickup truck in the same era, but only if it's one of the now-defunct auto brands like Hudson, Studebaker, or REO. (I've taken a liking to REOs lately.) But even then, it would be a tough sell. I really like driving my F1.

 

Thank you all for the responses, it is just the kind of info I am looking for, please keep them coming. It must be providence that I just happened to look at the ROTW and just happened to look at Jim's beautiful 55 and again just happened to see the link to the Brotherhood of FTE. This is great stuff and by the way I would really like to hear from our European brothers and especially from Norway, Finland, Scandinavia in general. Please.