Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
I have always aspired to drive an old pickup and am finally at a stage in my life where it seems realistic. I rarely drive more than 20 miles from home, typically less than ten and don't need to get on the freeway.
I am looking at buying a fully restored 1949 f2 with a flathead v8/4speed and it is the vintage I have always pictured.
What are some of the factors I should take into account in making a decision like this?
I do have a small child who travels with me which means using a child car seat.
Are the brakes or other safety features vastly superior in a slightly newer vintage ie. early 1950's?
The truck I have in mind is out of state so it is hard for me to accurately assess how realistic it would be with a road test.
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
I have a restored 48 that I drive a couple of times during the week whe nthe weather is nice. Remember a couple of things about these trucks....they are not aerodynamic for one thing. The wind is a killer with that box style. Second...gas mileage (10-12mpg). Third, the brakes work great but not like cars of today. Are you driving on country roads like I or on freeways. Fourth Safety....I wouldn't put my small child in that truck.. (have no small children actually...all grown). In an accident the seatbelts are not good enough, the dash has no protection and the door would probably open up. ,......My 2 cents....oh....I love my truck though. Wouldn't trade it for no sissy thing out today. I do have a 67 f-100 as well.
jml
http://www.48f-1.com
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
I agree with many of Jims points. The truck probably has no seatbelts, but you should add them, especially for the child seat. If you have it done professionally, especially with child seat anchoring in mind, I would think that would be OK even if the doors were to fly open.
There isnt much difference in these trucks and ones from the mid 50s, steering and brake wise, in fact they often are the same.
How is the weather where you are? If the truck has vacuum wipers that is something to consider. Also I wouldnt want to drive a rig like that in snow or ice. They are also pretty slow, and hard to steer and stop, and shift too with a 4 speed. That being said, it is also what makes driving them so much fun. My first 'car' in High School was a 51 F2, and I was really sad after I got rid of it. I spent the better part of the next 15 years pining for another one,and now I have a 50 F2, but it is just my putt around town rig. Do you have another vehicle to drive, or would this be your only one?
I think you have to get into the 60s before you get technologically much better, with independant suspension, better brakes, sttering, padded dash, and all that. The trucks are still cool, but dont have that 'old truck' essence. My 51 was 29 years old when I bought it, the same age ratio today would be a 73, which doesnt even seem like an old truck.
In any case, have the safety systems, brakes, etc, thoroghly checked before you make it your daily driver. Oh and dont forget the feeble 6 volt starting system. (another 'charm') And I would switch to radial tires, if the truck doenst have them already.
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
Thank you both for your good responses. One more question: is it more difficult to repair and maintain a 1949 f2 than a slightly more recent vintage? Is this truck similar to drive to my husband's '48 Willy's jeep? It will be a secondary car and we would rarely drive freeways. Just around town is all. Our climate is moderate / no snow and just a few rainstorms...
Thanks.
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
Amy,
Sounds like you are up for a little adventure. I think that's great!
The advice in the first two replies is right on the money - it's important to recognize the limitations of these older vehicles. On the other hand, it sounds as though you're taking the time to think this through pretty well and that's absolutely the most important thing. If you avoid putting yourself in risky situations like going out in a bad storm or traveling long distances on the highway I think you'll be just fine. Make sure you get a qualified mechanic to install that child's seat properly for you.
With respect to repairing and maintaining the 49, here are a couple of things to think about.
Vehicles made since about the early 80s take a LOT less attention than older vehicles to maintain the same reliability. I currently have three vehicles newer than 1985, all have more than 150,000 miles on them, and none has required anything other than normal periodic maintenance. More importantly for you, the maintenance schedules for these vehicles have quite long intervals, for example, ignition tuneup is required only after 100,000 miles on one of my vehicles. Basically, I get in, turn the key, and drive 'em.
Older vehicles aren't necessarily going to leave you stranded on the highway any more often than newer ones but you do have to inspect and adjust things a bit more frequently. I think you'd be fairly lucky to go 20,000 miles between ignition tuneups with your 49 although others may have different opinions. The bottom line is that if you take the time to have all the systems regularly maintained the 49 can be just as reliable as a newer vehicle.
Non-maintenance parts (body panels, etc.) will probably be harder to find than on a newer vehicle but the regular maintenance stuff like spark plugs, points, oil filter, battery, belts, light bulbs, etc. are not a problem. Many of them are readily available at your local parts store if you can get them to look for you.
As far as how the vehicle will handle, it is a truck so don't expect sports car performance. I think the biggest things to think about are what condition the suspension and steering are in and what tires you have on the front. If the tie rod ends, king pins, shocks, and spring bushings are shot the ride and handling will be pretty bad and unsafe. The good news is that those things can be repaired without breaking the bank and new parts are available. You didn't mention if you had power steering on the truck but, if you don't, you'll want to avoid tires with a big tread footprint. If you don't, you'll find it really tough to turn the steering wheel whenever you're stopped. Radial tires are safer and more readily available than the old bias-ply type but you'll have to get the narrowest tread width you can to make it possible to steer when stopped.
Sorry for the long post but I really do hope you get to drive your truck around town and do a little cruisin. My wife and I are hoping to do the same with our grandchildren in a few years if I ever finish my 1956 restoration. It's a great feeling - enjoy it every chance you get! :-)
George
__________________
George
Truck restoration - does the fun ever start?
See my 1956 F-250 in progress at Earl's World
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
Amy,
If your main question is the diference between a 49 and say a '56, they really wouldnt be much different. The cabs are a little nicer on the newer series, and they have ohv engines (flatheads are more fun!) but brakes and steering, suspension, maintenance, will all be about the same. Also in 55 or 56 they switched to 12 volt electics, but you could always convert. Driving an F2 will be like a 48 Willys, but MORE of it, as the rig weighs probably twice as much.
If you have other vehicles, and good weather, go for it!!
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 27-May-02 AT 02:11*PM (EST)]Amy,
I drive daily a 48 F1 that I rebuilt from the ground-up. Since the truck you're looking at is out of state, I'd spend some time talking to the owner about what "fully restored" means to him/her.
Sometimes that phrase gets used for the cute rigs that have a fancy paint job, but have not had the same attention to the mechanicals - which are more important in my opinion.
Ask about the brake system, from the master cylinder to the drums. If you drive carefully and don't tailgate the stock setup is OK.
Ask about the steering gearbox condition and how much play is in the steering wheel. If it moves more than a couple inches, ask about the amount of adjustment left. A rebuild kit, installed by yours truly is around 260.
I installed seatbelts from a 85 F150 in the 48 in an afternoon with a few simple modifications. The cab is small so plan on only one of you traveling with the car seat in place. But you know about that from the jeep.
The 4 spd tranny in F2's is all spur gears, so double clutching is necessary. If the differential is stock it has either 4.11 or 4.86 gears - 50 to 55 will be tops without excessive rpms.
I have newer vehicles but its the 48 that goes out every day. I get 15-16 mpg with my flathead V8. Upgrades I've made are: 12V, radial tires 215-85-16, electric wipers, 9" rear for highway speeds.
I can't warn you away from it. For all its limitations, I love mine.
Tim
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
Amy, great plan. Go for it. We had a 50 F1 with Flathead and "three-on-the-tree", all stock except for a noisy dual exhaust with Cherry bombs. Bought it in FL, drove it up on back roads to Baltimore, shipped it to Germany and used it as a work truck over here in the land of "NO SPEED LIMIT". It did 80 - 85 Mph (which means you'd better stay out of the fast lane here). 6 Volt was OK, but the vacuum wipers were not so funny. I also had to add brake light and turn signals. Ours had neither and doing this hand/arm signaling was not so funny. I remember driving thru Washington DC in rush hour and still have the photo of me in the F1 infront of the White House (not possible any more today). Go for the seatbelts and make sure brakes and steering are ok. I really do not like the simplex brake system. One thing goes and you're without any stopping power. I am working on my 54 F100 since 17 years now. It'll be basically stock, but does have a duplex brake system now. Also not sure if you like the 'no power steering' thing. My wife had her problems. Stick to the skinny tires. The wider they get the more muscle you'll need to turn the wheel.
Is it realistic to use a 49 f2 as a daily driver around town?
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I have read all of the replies and agree with all of them. I only drive my '49 F-2, six cylinder foor speed, during the summer months. My truck is not a trailer queen but I have put a lot of work into it and don't want the road salt here in Wisconsin to eat it away. I live just north of Milwaukee and I find that the city traffic has no patience for an old truck. You can't reach speed from a green light as fast as most people would like and they tend to tailgate a lot. Even out here in the country I am careful on which roads I go on, I stay away from the fast county highways if possible. I do very little major multiple highway driving.
Another thing, your left leg will get tired from all of the double clutching every few blocks when you have to stop for all of the darn stop ligts. Going around corners is another fun feat. You must put the clutch in, goose the gas a little and downshift. You have to master this technique or you will be grinding gears a lot.
Bob Jones
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