I am in the process of restoring a 1954 F-500 truck. I found a paper cup stuck in the cab corner that was put there at the factory before the truck was painted! I guess one of the assemblie line workers stuck it there after finishing his coffee. The cup has two Life Guard Oscar safety cartoons on it allong with coffee stains and some greasy fingerprints from 1954. The cup is in very good condition complete with vermillion red overspray from the paint shop. I wonder if the person who put it there ever dreamed that the truck would receve a complete rebuild some fifty-three years later?

 

I don't think any of the guys on the line back then thought they trucks would last any more than 10 years, they came with 90 day warranties. I bet if any of older guys from back would see how overboard we go with restoring these old beast they would think we're all nuts.

It is really fun to find some piece of history stuck away in an old vehicle when tearing apart. My '48 F-4 came with the original owners manual and 90 day warranty with what I assume is the original owner's name.

 

Wow, that's really cool! Can you snap a pic of it? That kind of memorabilia is very rare!

 

I remember a thread awhile back were people posted all the strange things they found in their trucks but I think you have one of the coolest items found yet

 

Take it down to your local Stop 'n Rob and see if they will give ya a free refill.
That is cool with the stains, finger prints and the overspray.
When I finished the repairs I'd put it back with a note tucked inside.

 

Have a cop buddy run the prints and see if anything comes up.

I agree - cool find. I guess it also means that nobody had stuck thier had down there in 50+ years.

 

way cool...how about a pic or two?

 

Photos!! ...

 

Now THAT'S a idea! Detail what was done and when. Someone else may find it 50 years from now...
I occasionally add notes and such inside walls and hidden places as I work on remodeling our house hoping someone else will find them in the future. I did find an unknown electronic device under the dash in Gracie that was not connected to anything when I found it. Inside of it was also a folded up credit card receipt from a florist. I don't know if it was put in there to hide it or to keep the circuit board from rattling?

 

AXracer. I do that as well when Im working on a house, stash a note and sometimes a couple of coins or odd old toy or something...

 

I hide stuff around my house all the time.
I've even found it again, usually when I'm looking for something else.

 

CA Ford Dealer Ralph Williams' personal car in 1969 was a Lincoln Mark III. It had an annoying noise in the left quarter panel, below the window.

After removing the inner quarter trim panel, a Coke bottle was found below the window mechanism with a note in it..."F*** u Ford!"

 

From packrat56:

and now we know why you are called PACKRAT!

 

I tried to post photos with no luck. If anyone could post them for me, email me and I will send them to you. I never thought of returning it to the truck with a note after I am finished. Maybe Ill do that. There was the guy running a saw mill that sawed thur a cavity in a log. Inside was a plastic bottle with a note explaning that in 1940 something a guy had removed a ceramic insluator from the spot because it was a nice log and he figured that someone in the future may want to saw it into lumber. That thoughtfullness surely saved the saw blade.

 

Reminds me of my wife's '02 Honda minivan. I kept hearing a rattle in the right front and eventually found an empty can of Red Bull inside the plastic bumper. I guess assembly line workers get thirsty.