I'd like to express my thanks and appreciation for all your great comments. As this is my 2nd '48 F1, there's nothing like having the experience and wisdom to do it better on this one. The first one was a dad, son project during my high school years in the late 70's and was not done stock. As it was a NJ truck, there was a lot of rust and the bed was completely shot. In it's place we made a stake bed completely out of oak. Also, added a 351W, automatic transmission, A/C, 12V, and plushed out the interior. Wound up using it as a daily driver through college and beyond. Probably drove it everyday for 6-7 years. It was eventually sold and never replaced. Now my second truck, the truck that you see here, was purchased about a year ago, largely stock, except for the paint job which was done back in the early 90's. Since purchased, I've completed most all of the mechanicals, wheels, complete interior and I'm working hard to keep to the original configuration that it had when it rolled off the production line on March 31, 1948 in Long Beach! Paint will go back to the original Vermilion (Red) when I'm eventually done. (done, does it really ever happen??)
Thanks much everyone!!