Okay, I have the fever. I was perusing through Craigslist and came upon this: 1952 Ford F1 Pickup (PRICE DROP!). I met with the owner yesterday and looked at the truck. Never having bought a truck like this I was a little lost on what to look for, but after reading the literature for newbies I now have an idea what I was seeing. Overall, the truck is in really good condition and in original form. The only real rust I saw was on the back (upper part) of the front two fenders(near the cab/hood line) . Also, the battery tray was almost completely rusted away(figured acid may have dripped on it). The undercarriage has rust, but all seemed solid. It started up easily and sounded really smooth. Everything on the truck seemed to be in working order.

Bottom line, is this truck worth it? My goal is to modernize it.

Thanks in advance. I'm praying you guys say go for it. He said the price is not negotiable. He spent 15,000+shipping(really solid guy so I believe him).

 

Welcome to FTE. This is the place to get your questions answered, the best old Ford truck site on the web.

First, we have to see pictures of the truck and then we have to know the price, then our experts can help you.

 

Hey Lucky,
It's certainly a nice looking truck. What's your plan for the truck?
That might make it easier to give you advice. The statement about the windshield wipers is a bit odd - why wouldn't he just fix them. Seems like a huge inconvenience to run years without them when it's a $300 fix. Not sure how you pass inspection without wipers.

The cab interior looks great - if the body is solid then you are just looking at mechanical upgrades - that's worth a premium. Most common upgrades to these trucks are:

o Upgrade front suspension to get disc brakes & power steering.
A lot of guys will take it a step further & replace the front axle with an independent front suspension. That's a pretty expensive "fix" - $2500 - $4000 depends on how much labor you provide.

o Upgrade Brakes - replace the lines for rust & upgrade to dual chamber master cylinder. $500 or so.

o Upgrade the wipers - These originally came with a single driver's side wiper run by vacuum. Most go with a dual wiper kit - $300 +labor.

o Upgrade Rear Axle to get more friendly driving/cruising ratio. We went with an Explorer 8.8 in. axle - another solid choice is the Ford 9 inch rear axle.

You may want to ask the seller whether any of these upgrades have been done. Good luck over there. A lot of guys have stayed with the original set up & are enjoying their old trucks.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (351W/AOD)

 

Sorry, the pictures and the price are in the Craigslist write-up. I'm requesting more pictures so I can post them.

My goal is to keep the truck mostly original. I would like to do things to make it a daily driver / weekend cruiser. I would do most of my own work(other than paint and engine work) i have a jeep that I have built from the ground up and would apply most of those experiences to redo this truck.

Yes, the windshield wipers are completely missing. They have, what looks like, wine bottle corks in the holes. Again, this is something I could reinstall / fix. There have been no upgrades to the truck. It is all original, the only thing I noticed is the driveshaft is new.

Thanks again

 

The price is slightly high IMO for the various rough edges it has, but overall it's a beauty. Plus there's not many of those trucks left here in the East. You can purchase reproduction factory-correct plugs for those wiper holes. No big deal. I'd buy it, drive it, and enjoy it. They're only original once.

 

The truck looks fine - the interior is clean and from the few pics the exterior seems ok. I'm concerned about the mechanicals. Whenever I see an untidy engine bay, it gives me pause. It has tended to mean (in my world) that the owner focused on cosmetics and everything else was on its own.

What does 'He spent 15,000+shipping' mean? Keep in mind that just because the current owner overpaid doesn't mean that you should. This seems like a legitimate $9500 to $11,000 truck. Since the asking price was lowered, it suggests that the seller hasn't had any other serious buyers.

I would put $10,000 in cash on the hood and let him decide how negotiable he is on price. Dicker a bit and, if the truck talks to you - buy it. Then I would enjoy the tires off this beauty.

DW

 

I have found that the best price for a vehicle is the price you want to pay for it. Figure out how much you are willing to spend and don't go over that. Be prepared to walk away. If you go into the negotiation with your heart set on getting it, you may over pay.
Like Fortyniner said just because he overpaid doesn't mean you should too.

 

Copy that what was said above. My thoughts exactly after reading the c-list ad. Don't overpay because he did. Where was it shipped from? Price just dropped 2K, which was probably "firm" before, too. The key word I read was "can't keep it" meaning it likely needs to be gone sooner rather than later. Is he moving? Getting divorced? Etc? If you can find out his motivation for selling, it could be useful information. It likely needs more than he's telling, so buyer beware. If you think it's worth 10K, I agree show him you're serious with cash and see if he bites. Don't get hung up on the outcome. Remember, he needs to sell more than you need to buy, and the market for a truck like that is relatively small. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

Sorry, I didn't see the Craigs List link this morning. Now that I looked at it it looks like a nice truck but I think the price is too high. I take it you have seen the truck. Have you driven it?

I too would keep it stock. I believe it is cheaper to keep a good stock truck, stock rather than go replacing things to make them more modern....

 

I. Agree the price is a little high,you stated some rust in the fender area....that can get pricey to fix,also it was mentioned about the engine compartment....just look it over really well for major cosmetic work. It looks really good though! If it's really nice throw 9500 or 10,000 if it's really nice! The problem is they stopped making them in 1952 so if that's what you want go for it! And welcome to the club, there is a lot of knowledge here and absolutely everyone is helpful!

 

First of all, thanks for all the solid advise. I agree with everything(well almost everything) that was said. This is an absolute luxury item for me (like most I assume) so I don't need to bite just yet. I was thinking it was overpriced by a little, but wasn't sure. It was shipped from Illinois. Obviously, that has me a little concerned but the frame and body seem straight (other than being a 50+ year old truck). I agree about the engine compartment(will be my first project). It hurts me to see it in such bad shape considering how easy it is to maintain it. Anyway, thanks. I'll let you know what happens.

 

It is possible to find a good, worthy vehicle for the right price the first time out. Doesn't seem right somehow, but is is possible. I didn't want to believe that the first truck I looked at was a keeper - but I dragged a more mechanically inclined brother along to convince me otherwise...and we took it home with us.

Presuming that you become a proud new owner in the near feature, be certain to allow yourself some time to just enjoy the truck before launching anything too involved. Getting some driver miles in will allow you to know more clearly what is necessary and what is 'just fine'. Nothing worse that having a new toy in a hundred pieces for 3-5 years before you get to enjoy the ride.

 

If I have this correct, the truck came from a museum in Ill., Volo Auto Museum:: 1952 Ford F1 1/2 Ton Pickup - Used Inventory the paint job is more than 15 years old and with that in mind, and the condition under the hood, would make me suspect of the mechanicals. I would examine that truck very carefully and make sure you take a magnet with you, I'd hate to have somebody buy that truck and run down the road, hit a bump and have 5 pounds of bondo fall off a fender. Yes, that truck really LOOKS nice, but for a museum, "looks" is all that matters.

 

Take it for a ride at speed down the highway . Check braking . Trans thru gears .Look under dash . From the few pics posted looks like it is cosmetically correct . Engine bay looks sketchy . Look for wet areas under engine , trans , master cyl. & wheel cyls. Good luck & report back .

 

How old is that sales article? The seller has had the truck for around a year. It looks like the truck(to a tee). He also claimed to have bought the truck for 15,000.