looking for opinions on a truck i was looking at buying. it is a 55 ford f250. mechanically the truck needs two wheel cylinders a carb tune and the gas tank put back in. I did hear the truck run with just a 1 gallon gas can rigged up. started super easy and pured like a kitten.

Electrically the truck needs things like the tail lights hooked back up(i could visually see where the connected fell off), and other small things like probably a bulb or two replaced.

Interior is pretty bare. no carpet, headliner or door skins but all the gauges and other pieces are in place and look pretty decent.

Body, this is of course the most important part. the roof was damaged in transport 12 years ago. it was on the top of a car hauler and the roof got caved in a bit by a low bridge. to me it looks like guy knew it would be close and was probably only going 5mph when it happened. if you made a line 3-4 inches above the doors and windshield than everything above that line i think would need to be replaced.

the rest of the body is all there. some pieces need replacing or fixing like the piece of bed that runs along the cab, the bottom of that is all rotted away, the metal behind the headlights on both sides is showing signs of rot, and the left side cab corner is just barely showing signs of a little rot. other than that the truck is just mostly blue with spots of surface rust all around. all of the floors in the cab are solid as well as the cab mounting areas, the frame looked alright. no rot but has i think what is the old style under coating still on it in alot of places. almost looks like corale from the ocean. the same stuff is on the inside of all the fenders also, half of it is pealing off and could probably be taken off with just your fingers. lastly the wood of the bed was all rotted and had already been removed.

one of my major fears when checking out a truck like this is that i am not a proficient body guy. i can fix what is wrong with the truck and make it look decent. my fear is that i won't notice if this truck has been in a serious accident before. I don't really want to find out 3 years down the road that in the 70's this truck got ran over by a cement truck and patched back together.


what do you guys think a truck like this should go for. the guy already moved off his asking price 1200 and is willing to take 4300. i am alot closer to the 3000 number.

i included the add because it has the pics and stuff to give you a better idea.

1955 FORD F250 PICK UP V-8 AUTO

any advice or opinions you have on the truck is appreciated.


thanks,
adam

 

Hey there Adam and welcome to the club! Where to begin to answer your open ended question on the 55 F250.... Do you like/love it and where do you want to go with your build? All old trucks/cars almost need some type of repair. All takes time and money. Do you plan on doing the work yourself, with help, or taking it to a repair garage? The F250 looks to be in great shape and it is a little more ornate because of the F100's. The price is reasonable, but better if he would go down to $3000; but, he has already come down. Just keep talking to him. He knows you are interested. Hope this narrows it down for you a bit. My truck is also an F250 1955....The Hulk!

 

all the work will be done myself. all the mechanical stuff will be easy it is just wether or not this truck is a good deal and good starting point. it will be restored to look closer to newer than it does now but not so good that i dont want to take it out or even throw something in the bed. the expensive restorations just seem to sit because i am always affraid to drive them or get it dirty.

the only thing that is probably above my level is fixing that roof. how much do you think something like that would cost?

 

Welcome to FTE!
I'm no expert at all so I can't help on estimating the cost of the roof.
That truck has the 239 engine, which is a little harder to find parts for. The water pump is impossible to find. There are still a lot of parts that you can get at the local parts store though.

Here are some good articles:
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CLASSIC FORD TRUCK: Part 1 - Ford-Trucks.com
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CLASSIC FORD TRUCK: Part 2 - Ford-Trucks.com

Here is a great post by AXRacer on a build plan:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post13415696

So, why did he drop the gas tank? Does he have a new one?

The cost of repairing these trucks adds up quick. We generally suggest to buy the most truck you can afford. You would be money ahead in the long run. Or you could be like me and be on the 20 year restoration plan. My build thread is in my signature.

 

what was the giveaway that it is a 239?

the tank was taken out for two reasons. first is previous owner before this guy but a screw threw it and the guy was going to fix the cab corner and femoved it for safety also.

i agree buying the most truck you can afford but i enjoy having something to fiddle with. buying something all done or something that doesnt need work doesnt really seem like much fun.

 

The high fan mount water pump is the giveaway. It looks like the engine was painted at some time in its past. The 239 was yellow and also only made in 54 and 55.

I agree that having something to work on is a lot of fun. Family things, lack of funding, and my complete inexperience has slowed my progress. But it's nice to know that I have done everything to the truck and know every nut and bolt.

If you end up getting this truck, or whatever truck you end up getting. Get it running and stopping safely then drive it a while before you do too much. That will guide you on what you need or want for the truck.

It also looks like the rims aren't original. Do you know if they did anything else besides swap rims? They said 99% original, but you never know.

 

the ad like always was misleading. he was very honest once I called and told me everything on the phone before i drove down.

to be honest i am glad you caught the 239 that is kind of a deal breaker for me. i assumed it was a 292 but hadnt got around to finding out how to id them visually yet.

 

looks like someone before couldn't remember what engine was in it so they carved it on the data tag

 

Welcome Adam!

Before deciding on a particular truck, you need to have a sense of what you are seeking. Is this to be a cruizer, a working truck, or a putter around quiet streets vehicle? The 250s, like their F2 forerunners, are typically geared for pulling and hauling, not for highway speeds. You'll be well served to review the threads Joe provided from Ax on making a plan. Starting is easy, deciding where you want to end up is the winning play.

On this truck, you don't have to worry about a accident in the 70s, this one has some significant roof crunch already.

Enjoy the ride.

 

I like the bigger trucks, so I'll chime in. I won't beat around the bush: I wouldn't pay the $5500 for this truck. I wouldn't pay the $4300 either. By the time you get into all of the things you want to see fixed or updated you're nickel and dimed for $3,000 and you haven't even painted it yet. I see you're a New Englander like me. Be patient and monitor Craigslist for similar trucks that are a better deal. There's a '54 F600 in West Springfield that is in really nice shape for only $1500. But that may be "too big" for you. On that note, what are your intentions? Do you WANT a bigger truck; bigger than an F100 that is? Do you want to cruise around town and be able to haul some stuff? Or do you want to have some torque under the hood and speed down the highway?

 

Oh! And welcome to FTE!

 

VIN Number Decoding if you're interested:


F25=Model Symbol F250
V=Engine Code 239
5=Model Year 1955
L=Assembly Plant Long Beach
13859=Truck Unit #

 

This one in Vermont recently posted looks to potentially be a better deal...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...n-vermont.html

I'll agree the F250 looks like way too much money for what's there, but values vary widely across the country. In my neighborhood, that's a $1500 truck at best.

 

i agree for sure, at 5500 i wasn't even going to drive to check it out. at 4300 it was at least worth a look, but i am still pretty solid on the 3000 number like you said. but now knowing it has the 239 i am going to pass on it.

that f600 you talked about was in pretty nice shape but way to big. i am only looking for a truck that can be driven a couple times a week around town and maybe to home depot and put some lumber in the back or help a friend move. i don't want the kind of truck that i am afraid to put something in the bed. I have been looking more f100 f250. obviously the f100's seem to go for a quite a bit more. two near me where on ebay as a pair and both where rotted pretty bad one had a motor but neither where running and they sold for 2750.

one thing i want to avoid is getting a certain body style or motor that is hard to get parts for. with lmc and midfifty it seems that all body parts and interior are pretty easy to get so i just have to make sure i get a good motor that has aftermarket support behind it.

 

that vermont truck looks really nice. why do you think he has the cinder blocks under the front of it for? I am not familiar with the flathead motors much at all. would i be able to get parts for it? i am going to contact him and see where in vermont he is. it could be a 3hr drive or a 6 hour drive depending on where he is.