Hi I just purchased a 1951 ford f1 panel van and I need parts bad, mostly the body has issues that need resolving, can anybody help??

 

Welcome to the friendliest and helpful forum on the internet!
The panel and the pickup shared parts from the cowl forwards. Unfortunately there are not much in replacement/repair exterior body panels for the F1 pickups and even less for the panels made, so most any body repair will have to be with hand formed patches. Call Classic Haulers Home - Classic Haulers F-1 Parts and request one of their free catalogs. It will list any/all parts available as well as include other very useful information and drawings for the 48-52 trucks.
Myself and others here have posted a lot of information on DIY body repair here. There are also some members here, like 51panelman that supply used parts, but because of the scarcity, good used parts for our panels can get pretty pricey.
We like to see pictures, so post some pics and tell us about your plans for your truck.

 

Hey thanx for your fast reply, any advise or parts you can offer would greatly appreciated, will post pics of the beast as soon as I can, will strip it down and get it sand blasted before making great plans, again any advise will be greatly appreciated

 

Welcome to FTE!

Before you do anything else, get the title in your name.

And, we really do want to see pics.

 

Your welcome as Joe says, here in the states they are getting really tough on issuing titles on older vehicles, I don't know if it's the same in Canada, but it would be best if you contact your DMV immediately and get the truck titled in your name to save you a lot of grief down the road. Don't do any work or spend any money on it until you do. The legal identifier is the serial # stamped into the frame, no other number anywhere else matters as far as matching the paperwork. Do you know if your truck was originally built in the US or in Cn?
Do you know what the serial # is? The number can be decoded to tell you a lot about your truck, if you post the #, and it's the right one someone here can translate it for you. I don't have any extra parts, my panel is a 56, but I can and usually will offer advice. You are about to learn a whole lot about how to do body work and rust repair or you and your bank account is going to get very close friends with a body shop. Body work IS the most expensive time consuming part of these trucks, I hope you are ready.

 

Hi well have the panel van back now, can't fined the chassis number on the bulkhead but have found it on the chassis, the number is bda32bh51-273 now it either ends z62 or 762 I can't figure it out, can you guys help??

 

To me, it appears they stamped 27362, after which they overstamped the 6 with a 7. Errors are not exactly common, but not unusual.

The whole number is BDA 82 BH 51-27372.

BD=Ford 1/2 ton
A=Standard unit
82=Panel Delivery
B=Deluxe cab
H=Assembled at Windsor, ONT
51=1951 model year
27372=consecutive unit number

 

Hey thanks for that, can I still obtain a vin plate for my panel truck??

 

Are you sure there's enough left to attach a vin tag to? The poor thing's looking a bit ragged.
I don't know of anyone selling repro Canadian tags.

 

In 1951 there was no such thing as a "Vin Tag", Vin's did not exist prior to 1954 and there was no 'standard' for VIN's until 1981.
I don't know for sure what they used in Canada, but Ford did have a 'rating plate' that was attached to the inside of the glove box door.

 

Hi guys I am looking to buy another panel van, it's a mercury panel, can anybody help me verify the vin plate they have sent, it is dfa83ahp-16922
Many thanks scott

 

Welcome to the wonderful madness of old trucks and the best forum on the net. You'll get great info and help from a bunch of very knowledgable guys. The best info I can give you after seeing your pics is if you are not a really good welder check out Ax's welding tutorial it is very detailed and easy to read. Have fun and post your location so we know where you are.

 

Hey thanx am ok at welding, just looking to buy another panel and need help finding more information about the vin number for the mercury panel

 

It needs work, lots of it, but not bad enough to throw away. There are lots of people on here that could get it back to nice, good luck with it!

 

I'm in California and have a 49 Panel that has a better body than your 51.