Ford began requiring a fat yearly license fee in the 1990's to be able to use their name/part numbers. AFAIK, only Dennis Carpenter pays the fee.

Most of the obsolete parts sellers were forced to drop Ford from their business names, because they didn't want to pay the yearly fee.

This all came about because of cheap, poorly made Taiwanese sheet metal/body parts that began flooding the US in the 1980's. The makers/sellers were using Ford part numbers/applications.

FoMoCo's lawyers sued to force them to cease and desist, some did, some did not. Ford then began applying for patents on body parts, this didn't help much either.

FoMoCo's lawyers then went after the 100's of obsolete parts sellers that were using Ford in their business name, Ford part numbers in their catalogs.

One long time seller of Model A parts told FoMoCo to go to hell...soon regretted that remark.

When he set up at the Carlisle Swap Meet, a team of Ford lawyers and the polizei were waiting for him, confiscated his entire inventory!

Now you know why it's Classic Auto Parts, no longer Obsolete Ford Parts of OK
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Tveter50: 1948/52 F1: The original tire size was 6.00-16, 6.50-16 was optional. These were 4 ply bias ply blackwall tires. Radials were not available, because...

Radial tires were invented by Michelin in the early 1950's.The first vehicle in the world to have radials as standard equipment was the 1955 FWD Citroen ID 19 (Michelin owned Citroen at that time).

The first US vehicle to have radials as standard equipment was the 1966 FWD Oldsmobile Toronado. GM discovered while conducting tests, that bias ply tires wore out within 7,000 miles.

Ford didn't offer radials until the 1970's and then, only as an option. White wall (w/wall) tires for trucks were not offered as an option until 1956.

1951/52: During the Korean War, w/wall tires were not available...period...for any new vehicle. Not even the high buck luxurycars like Cadillac/Packard/Lincoln/R-R/Bentley came with w/walls.

The bed floor was pine originally and was painted body color (not stained/varnished like you see on a gazillion 'restored' trucks today).

The wood came from Northern MI because...Ford owned the forests, the sawmills and the ships that transported the product to The Rouge.

The trim rings were a Ford parts counter (dealer installed) accessory.
If you look at 100 factory photos, I doubt you will see more than one truck with trim rings.

98% of the general public back then bought trucks for work, not for boulevard cruisers like the new pile of miseries shown in my signature.

The problem is that some people (like your friend) equate these old trucks with newer trucks, assume they all came with a radio, heater, trim rings, chromegrille and bumpers, outside mirror(s) and other fall-der-all.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Radio/heater/trim rings/outside mirror(s) were extra cost. A painted front bumper was all that was available, the rear bumper was an option, painted only.

1948/50: The grille was painted, either body color, white or argent. Ford did offer horizontal metal strips (I think they were stainless) that fit over the painted grille on deluxe models.

Today, some people have 'gussied up' these trucks with all sorts of things that were either accessories, or were not available for their specific models.

Go to a truck show, see how many trucks have painted body color bed wood. You'll be lucky if you find one.

btw: I have dozens of books on Ford history, all have factory and recent photos, two I keep by the 'puter. I looked at both of them...thru the sections that pertain to 1948/52's.

Guess how many of these trucks have trim rings in the factory photos? N-O-N-E = NONE!

The only trucks pictured that...do...have trim rings are not factory, but recent photos, most taken at truck shows, residences.

The Standard Catalog of Light Duty Ford Trucks ~ krause.com ~ ISBN: 0-87349-411-3 // Ford Truck Chronicle ~ Publications International ~ ISBN-13: 978-1-4127-1225-5