Yet Another Newbie Thread (YANT).

Just wanted to post and introduce myself as well as ask a few questions. I've been reading the forum for several weeks, and really appreciate the depth of knowledge and friendly open sharing of information. Very rare to find a place like this where egos and snippyness are checked at the door. Great job keeping this going so well.

My Dad was a Chevy man, so I started with GM. In High School I rebuilt the 283 V8 in my '66 Chevy Chevelle, after wrecking that I sold the engine and bought a '73 C10. (please don't hate me!) After selling that, I didn't own another truck until I bought a '96 Ranger and drove the wheels off that before passing it to my son who continued to drive it when I got a new 2006 Mini Cooper.

I've read all the threads that I found dealing with 1950 F1s and similar in the first 100 pages on the forum (only 2157 pages to go!). Also all 132 pages of Jolly Roger Joe's build as well as AX and a few others, great stuff!.

I have been looking for a truck for about 6 months or so, and one of our nephews contacted me a couple of weeks ago that he'd found a 1950 F1 in great shape at one of his neighbors.

So this truck sort of found me.







We were told from the PO that the truck is mostly original, but had restoration work done on it about 20 years ago. The fender wells and frame seem to have been undercoated at some point.

It runs and is drivable with only three known problems.

First, there's a seepage of radiator fluid from around the water outlet as one of the ears are broken off. (continued)

 

So far, you've passed the test. You've stepped up to owning an F1, and you posted pictures in your first post. Congratulations, and welcome to the forum!

 

For some reason I wasn't able to upload this from the album and had to insert from my computer.

Second issue is a leaky differential (not surprising for a truck this old) and I'm guessing the fluid needs changing anyway.

Third is the speedo cable is disconnected. My nephew says it looks like there is a clip or connector missing.

BTW, the truck is not yet in my possession. I purchased based on my nephew's looking at it and taking the photos in my album. He's pretty knowledgeable about all things mechanical and I trust his opinion...plus I've asked lots of questions, so hopefully things are as they seem!

 

The reason I'm a bit confused regarding the year is that the title says it's a 1950, but the VIN seems to decode to a 1948. Additionally, the head/block seems to be a 7HA part number which if what I've read (I think I found it on a tractor forum) is correct the 7HA started manufacture in 1947 and was replaced by the 1HA and 0HA as they made improvements.

Any thoughts?

 

The body seems to have been repainted as it doesn't look like any of the original paint colors I've seen.

1948-1960 FORD TRUCK COLORS, NAMES, AND CODES

There are a few rust spots, but overall seems to be in good shape. There is also a rust spot near the lower hinge on the driver's side which needs a little love.

 

Welcome! Looks like you have the 226 I6. The thermostat housing are prone to cracks/breaks - you have one of those. Unfortunately, the housing is not reproduced - they can be found from parted out engines. You'll also need to be aware that the water pump can be rebuilt - but kits to do it yourself aren't available to my knowledge.

The truck looks well kept with the previous work seeming to have held up. What are your plans?

 

So my goals are:
1) make sure that the truck is safe and a reliable driver.
2) have fun driving it. I live on an island off the coast of Savannah where the max speed limit is 35. The road into Savannah (20 minutes away) is 55 MPH. The farthest I can think I might want to drive it would be to Charleston 2 hours away and there are back roads that I can take to stay off the interstate
3) preserve it...since my house is 2 blocks from the Atlantic ocean, any exposed metal rusts instantaneously..so the parts which are rusting will need to be fixed fairly soon.
4) Keep it as original as possible, at least until I've driven it a while and it tells me what I should do next

I've been looking at all the parts places for the water outlet/thermostat housing but so far have been unable to locate it. Anyone know of a source for a replacement?

I believe it's part number 8281

 

Thanks for the welcome. By I6, do you mean inline 6 or does the I mean something else? From what I've read this is an H-series 226.

Too bad about the housing not being reproduced. Anyone out there have a spare?

 

Good plan. The pics seem to show that the lower fender and the grille have been cemented together with bondo at some point. I'm sure you'll find other PO gifts over time.

As for the housing, There are some members (BigWin, Panelman, and 52Merc come quickly to mind) who have been active with salvaging parts. Either one of them, or another member, will chime in.

Let me know if you need a source for WP rebuild.

 

Thanks for the welcome and passing grade

I'm semi computer literate and have run forums before, so I had a head start!

However, I know next to nothing about these trucks, so thanks in advance for any advice/guidance.

 

I6 = 226 = H series

If you don't already have one, the 48-52 Truck Shop Manual is a must. Many members also recommend the Parts CD for the exploded views.

 

Your serial number decodes as follows:
8 = 48
7H = 226 ci 6 cyl
C = 1/2 ton F-1
112387 = consecutive production number

Welcome to the forum!

 

Thanks, one of the first things I did was buy the PDF version of the shop manual. I have not gotten the Parts Manual yet, but seems like that's in the near future.

I've discovered a lot of the parts diagrams on the VanPelt website, but alas they only have the water outlet for the V8s, not the 226s.

 

Thanks Ross. Any idea why the title would list it as a 1950 when the VIN is a 1948? I've asked my nephew to look at the stamp on the frame, but so far he hasn't located it...rather than continue to pester him with text messages requesting more photos every 5 minutes I may have to wait a couple of weeks until the truck is in my driveway.

Edit: Also, I'm assuming the BUF at the end of the data plate means it was built in Buffalo NY?

BTW, my name is Gary. I haven't found where to update my signature yet.

 

From what I see, it is a '48 F1 with the 226-6 built in Buffalo. You may find a series of numbers and letters stamped into the firewall that may tell you a little more about your truck.

I'm not so sure the stat housing is leaking. I see what appears to be a line of sealer or silicone around the base at the head mounting surface. 8281 is the basic part number for the housing. You need to cross reference with the text in the catalog for the complete part number. In your case, you need a 7HA 8281, which was later replaced by 7HT 8592. They are the same for the 226 and 254 6 cylinder engines, so there should be plenty of them out there if you need one. I'm fresh out.