It's a period aftermarket bumper Badger Hound gave to me for the cost of shipping it. It fits the truck perfectly. After trimming it for the long bed, at least.

Not sure if i'd trust it to tow a car trailer but i'll just put on a real hitch for that.

 

That bumper has traveled more than some people I know. Made in Ohio, I bought it on my truck in California, brought it back to Michigan and finally sent it to Steve in BC!

Steve - that truck is really looking beastly. Have you considered putting a grill guard on the front? Also, it would make a cool looking plow truck with an antique, safety orange plow on the front... that said, it would probably be hard to control in the snow just being RWD.

 

i thought about it but i have a '51 bumper that came off a really nice F1 that the guy was 'upgrading' to chrome on.

I really like how wrong the nicely painted bumper looks on an otherwise derelict war horse. For which the one you sent me is the perfect contrast. Hope you don't mind me cutting those wings off too much.

As for a snow truck, I have too much mechanical sympathy. Sketchy's many days of neglect are over, albiet replaced with a novel form of 302 related abuse. But it'll at least not be seeing rain, let alone snow, ever again. Plus it'll spin the wheels if i let the clutch out too fast at idle in second gear. Snow's a s-no go, i suspect.

Now I just gotta get glass in it, get that lock cylinder out, sit on my hands and furiously wait for spring.

Also, the bumper might end up travelling even more. I'm trying to set up a video game studio with some friends in conneticut, as the bridgeport arts board is really desperate. Might end up passing through ohio on the way there, who knows. Things were rolling along real good until the world ended. Kinda gets in the way of things.

 

Glad you could put that bumper to good use - I figured the wings would have to go due to the different profiles of the F1 fenders vs F2/F3. Hopefully your gig in Bridgeport works out eventually... things will get back to normal(ish) at some point I imagine!

Also I forgot to mention that Ilya (51PanelMan) also has, or had, a Chrysler airflow. He's not very active here anymore, but he was a great source for fat fendered parts. You may want to shoot him a message if you're looking for a hard to find part for your desoto.

 

I'll keep that in mind.

All the 'soto really needs is a clutch and a trans mount. Everything else is there or in the pile of spares.

 

I have a 1951 F3 with a Flathead V8 & 4 speed transmission. I am in Ontario and the truck I believe originated here. The box was shot, but the rest of the truck was in pretty good shape, so I have decided to make it a flat deck with wood racks.
On a recommendation, I swapped out the stock rear end with a 3:55 from a 92 Ford 3/4 Ton......not much for modifications, basically moving the spring perches.
I was able to get new springs made for me and I was told that springs for the 51 were available to purchase.
I removed the 17" "widow maker" rims for 16" 8 hole rims that necessitated me to put smaller F1 front fenders.
Its a fun build and I hope to have it complete by summer 2021.
Other than the rear end and wheel size change, its pretty much stock and what I wanted to look like.
Hope this helps.

Flipper55
1951 Ford F3

 

Was mocking up the tail lights but I'm not sure where to put them. Farmer ted welded those tiedown bars overtop where the stock ones bolted on so stock is not an option.

The turn signal switch i have doesnt do brake lights, so i gotta use 4 lights total. Plus i gotta light the liscence plate with marker/running lights, so i most likely need to attatch the plate to one of the lights. I would also like to be able to take the big diamond plate bumper off at will without issue, so I'd prefer not to bolt lights onto that.

The option I like most is putting the shield lights on top and using that as brake and turn signals, and making the tiedown bar into a box section with more angle iron and attatching the plate frame to that light. Was hoping to get some opinions on what to do.




Oh yeah and i installed the most important part of the truck. Can't go wrong with an 8 ball.

I had to turn the truck around anyway so i took it around the block for the first time since september. It's just straight up scary fast. Maybe it's the stiff springing and lack of windshield, but if i'm tailgating cars doing 60 while I'm idling in third, I think it's a bit nippy. Currently the fastest thing we have is the rover with the supercharged AJ8 and an alleged 400 horsepower. I've banged it through the gears a couple times and it hauls, but Sketchy feels like it's two orders of magnitude faster. I'm not saying it runs 10's (yet.) but I cannot wait to get it on the wide open road and see what it can really do, spring can't hit soon enough holy hell.

Also forgot that that fender wasn't bolted down and it absolutely fell off and I had to be that jackass blocking a lane while i scavenge it off the side of the road. whoops.

 

Got the lights on, sat in the truck and realized i wired the turn signals backwards. Oops.

Also pulled the door off and got the lock cylinder and mechanism out, which was probably the largest obstacle left.

 

Went to put the door back on and discovered why it had sagged so bad. Someone busted off the retainer for the tapped plate that holds the door up. The plate was sitting loose at the bottom of the sill.

Thanks, farmer ted.

 

Just doing odds and sodds at this point. Finished some leftover wiring, got the plates and turn signals set up on it and put the fenders back on. Also ordered some slapper bars, so that'll be fun.

Now if it'd just hurry the hell up and get warmer so i can put glass in and get a title inspection, that'd be great.

 

Keep plugging away Steve, the taillights fit perfectly in the openings!
Stay healthy, Mark.

 

I don't get around much but have never seen a turn signal switch that didn't incorporate the brake lamps. What brand is it?

 

It's whatever the hell this thing is




Autolane i think? It's period aftermarket, i guess the intent was it was for vehicles not intended to have turn signals so they assumed it'd be an entirely separate circuit added on top. it's only got four wires, with the fourth being for a dash jewel i don't intend to use.

I embrace the jank. But please ignore the rats nest of wiring, i don't embrace that jank.

 

I love your truck, it'd be nice to catch up at a truck show or a meet sometime and park ours trucks together, if I ever finish mine of course.

 

They're pretty similar. I'd say the only meaningful difference is mine's a hopped up roller era block and i kept the manual box.

Tennessee is a bit out of the way, though.