Taking out leafs to soften that, you won't have any springs left.... LOL I think you will be happier with a shorter wheelbase truck... Either find a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck... If you can find a short bed frame do a swap, others have cut their frame down, or use a s-10/ ranger frame... As a teenager you must want to drive what you build... Do you have another vehicle to drive as your buiilding this one?

 

hello again,

yes i do have another car to drive, a 1946 ford tudor sedan i am currently finishing, so we can go to bonnoville speed week. i am kinda at a crossroads with the model of the truck. i cant decide if taking the truck down to a f2 or f3 chassis is the right way to go. i also would like a larger truck to use as a regular truck like garbage and swap meet truck. i am going to keep the original paint job though. what is the story with the two speed rearends. are they reliable? or are they just junk waiting to go to the scrap yard? my dad really hates anything three quarter ton and up due to the largness of the vehicle and there associated problems like brakes and transmissions.

what do you all think?

thanks again

 

Listen to your dad. He's right about the size and parts availability. The larger the truck, the more expensive the project.

You'll do well with an F2 (3/4 ton) or an F3 (heavy duty 3/4 - almost 1 ton). Get an F2 at most to avoid the 17" WM wheel issue on the F3. The front suspension is the same for F1-F3 trucks. The rear ends, however, are different, but can be switched out to the newer 70s F250 rear ends, or a 9" rear end from a 57-72 F100 if you change out the front hubs to a half ton wheel bolt pattern (5x5.5).

I once drug home a 52 F6 with an 18 foot flatbed on the back. It was in good shape. I thought about converting it into a parade vehicle and general hauling vehicle. Once I realized how large the truck was and the massive drivetrain and brake parts it had, I quickly changed my mind and parted the truck out.

Buying an old truck is like cutting wood, measure twice, cut once, but in this case think twice, buy once. Don't get stuck on this truck. There'll be plenty more if you just start looking. You'll find a different array and vast selection if you just narrow down your search.

 

thanks for the advice,

the sad issue around where i live is there is about five i know of in 4 large counties. 3 are near me 2 being not for sale again items and 1 being the one i am looking at. the frame can be used for parts but the cab and sheetmetal can be used on another frame. i have had wanted ads all over the place in my area and no one replies. on the other hand 53 to 56 trucks and pickups are all over. but no one has a 51 or 52 or knows of anyone who has one. i dont know what to do because the price is about right at two c notes.

any thoughts?

thanks

 

Buy it for the sheetmetal if you want. Scrap the rest. You should get half of your money back just by scrapping the frame and running gear. Wait until a smaller size truck shows up. You really just need the frame. Any 48-52 F1-F3 frame will work.

 

Welcome to FTE! I'm amazed at your knowledge of these trucks at 16. You are also very lucky to have access to solid trucks where you live. I've always called this area where I'm from "The Land of Rusty Trucks". Sounds like you work with and listen to your Dad once in awhile. I didn't much as a kid and regret it now. Alot of knowledge passed me by. I'm lucky though that I still am able to work with my Dad. Enjoy that time and learn everything you can.

I have a 48 F3 flatbed and really like the size of the truck. A working truck but not too big. Don't get me wrong I like the bigger trucks but just not as practical for me. I had an IH KB 5 for awhile. Never had it running and man was it hard to push around!

Good luck, keep us posted on your progress and take lots of pics!

 

hello all,

i discussed this with my dad again for the 10,000th time and i think im gonna pass this one up. like most have said, there isnt enough room for one this large and i dont really have all the resorces to restore one of this magnatude. last night i rememberd seeing one down the road from us that i never noticed much, its a 51 f1 but i have heard its a rust bucket. this week i may see if its for sale and possibly purchase it for a decent price. it runs i know that and it has newer captains chairs for seats. ill see what happens and let all ya know what happens. thanks

 

FWIW, I think you're making a wise decission. F6 trucks were made strictly for work, and weren't good daily drivers when they were new. They're even less friendly to drive today in modern traffic. If you have an F1 locally that runs good, there's several of us, myself included, that has nice body parts available to help with your project. Feel free to contact me directly if you need details.

 

From the picture you posted of the F-6 it looks like it has a decent body, usually the larger trucks have better sheet metal than the smaller trucks because they weren't used as much or as long as the smaller trucks. If you decide to buy the smaller F-1 and it is a rust bucket you could easily swap cabs with the F-6, they all have the same cabs. If the F-6 is only a couple of hundred bucks you could part the rest out and scrap what you can't part out. I'd bet you'd come out with a 0 loss on the F-6. The time and effort it would take to make the rusty F-1 cab decent could cost a lot more to fix than it's worth. You could even use the F-6's fenders, which looked pretty solid in the pictures for the F-1. The wheel openings a slightly bigger but you could fill them with larger tires, or just leave them.

Just my 2¢

 

Welcome to FTE! Save that transmission, it is likely a T98 w/synchro 2-4th gears.

 

Now that's a Father's Day gift, communication between father and son. I feel that you will be happier in the long run. You might also want to check out your state group here at FTE. They might also be able to keep eyes and ears out for a project truck for you if this new one does not pan out. Do keep us posted.

Keli

 

thanks for the support,

later this week i am planning to revisit the F6 and take more pics for future refrence. i wont buy the truck but i figure i know its there incase i need some parts if the owner will part it out. today i drove by the F1 pickup i mentioned earlier and noticed it has a little later wheel and hubcap on it along with a flat rear passanger tire. my dad said it has just sat there for a few years in the same position but he has seen it at the gas station in the last year or so filling up. i seem to have a good feeling about it, and if all goes well this weekend at the local summer parts swap i should be able to offer a nice price for it. hopefully one the owner cat refuse. ill keep ya all posted on what happens.

at this time i also figure i should list out my dads collection of f100s.

here it goes:

1953 F100 pickup (longbed)

1953 F100 panel truck w/volare suspension in front

1956 F100 pickup shortbox (the only one restored)

1956 F100 custom cab with all the features (in parts)

and last for now a 1947 1.5 ton farm truck with only 30k on the odometer since my great grandpa bought it new. and it runs great!

Thanks

 

That sounds like an awesome collection.
Of course it's kind of mean to list those trucks and not have any pictures.
We love pictures around here.

 

Very mean...lol, Anyways, welcome to the site.

 

I drove through Downey ID recently and spotted at least half a dozen F-1 or F100 trucks just from the highway
plus one 48-50 with what looked like an original untouched truck with the original owner behind the wheel; I gave him a big thumbs up as I pulled through the crossroads intersection as he was pulling out going the opposite direction. He had the Biggest Grin as I went past, it made my day. well also having this
behind me helped a bit too!


Theres a yard just off the freeway in Jerome (West side of Freeway) that had a few trucks, are there still some there? I know about 4 years ago there were more but I think they cleaned the place up? probably bigger trucks anyway from what I remember?