I just got a 1950 f-1 pick-up does anybody on here know where I can get tires for this at a decent price or is coker tire the only place to get them also do I need to add any kind of lead addtive to the gas this is my first flat head this truck has never been touched with 60,000 miles and I don't want to hurt it thanks

 

If you want original Bias ply then you are probably going to be stuck with Coker or Lucas.

Here is the link for Lucas:

Lucas Classic & Vintage Tires

As far as gas is concerned, I'm not sure....I don't recall that question coming up before!

Ross or Bob Jones will know - they'll be along!

 

I run regular pump gas without any signs of problems yet. My F-2 has been on the road for over 16 years. I only drive it during good weather months so I might put 2000-3000 miles on it a year, at most. Also, our area of the country has a 10% ethanol blend fuel. When the fuel mix was first implemented there was a lot of talk about how it was going to ruin old engines but I haven't noticed a difference.

As for tires I've suggested in the past a place just outside of Chicago, Gear Work Manufacturing, GEARWORKS MFG.COM. I have never bought from them but they carry bias ply tires in the sizes for our trucks. The place sells on eBay all of the time and has good feedback. A while back I emailed some of the people who bought their tires on eBay to see what they thought of them. I emailed the oldest buyers because I wanted to see what they thought of tire after they had chance to have them installed and had them on their vehicles for a while. The people who replied gave me a good rating for them. You could Goggle them on the internet and see if any discussion boards have posts about them.

 

It's a myth that lead was good for valves; it was actually corrosive to valve seats. Your '50 should have valve seat inserts in it from the factory. Ford stopped using inserts in '51-'52; my engine is a '51 (not original to the truck) and has been running on unleaded without any problems. Most of the "lead" additives are an upper cylinder lube and do nothing one way or another.

 

Lead was actually added to gasoline as an "Anti-knock" additive, to prevent preignition as compression ratios started to rise. That technology came from 20s and 30s aircraft engine developement.

 

Thanks for all the great info