Power Stroke diesel and a fraction of the original Ford body make this one remarkable antique truck.
The 1949 Ford F-5 came from the factory as a 1.5-ton in a variety of configurations including school busses, cab-over-engine and a conventional layout with the engine out in front of the cab. The truck shown here started life as a hard-working, commercial-grade truck but after five years of customization work, what is likely the world’s most unique Ford F-5 was created.
This unforgettable 1.5-ton Ford work truck was on display at the 2018 SEMA Show as one of the finalists for the Hot Wheels Legends tour, looking very much like something that Mattel could have created.
Hot Wheels F-5
While the truck shown here may have started its life as a 1.5-ton commercial work truck, it has gone through the full rat rod transformation. This might be the original frame from an F-5 and there are likely some body panels that came from the factory on a 1949 Ford work truck, but if we didn’t know that this was an F-5, it would be hard to guess just by looking at the unique pickup. It appears as though the hood is an original Ford piece and several pieces of the original grille have been retained, as have the original headlights, but the grille has been reconfigured and the headlights have been moved up and inward.
The doors of this custom Ford appear to be original 1949 F-5 doors, but the top has been chopped and everything rear of the cab is clearly custom. The bed appears to be made out of wood and roofing metal, containing the custom fuel tanks and the rear-mounted batteries.
The truck maintains the dual-rear-wheel configuration, but the entire body has been tucked down tight over the chassis.
On the inside, this antique F-5 has interesting tube-and-leather seats and a modern-ish dashboard in a relatively bare-bones cabin.
Diesel Power
Under the hood of this slammed-and-chopped 1949 Ford F-5 is a 7.3-liter Power Stroke diesel engine from a 1999 Super Duty. That engine sends 450 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by means of a ZF 5-speed manual transmission and a narrowed Dana rear end. With that kind of power in this lowered antique truck, this old-school Ford F-5 is probably as quick as it is cool.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
