Help with descriptions!
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,793
Likes: 19
From: Austin
From an accuracy point of view... The '48 - '50 trucks came with:
o No door lock on the driver's side. You locked it from the inside & scooted across the seat to get out on the passenger side.
(supposed to be safer when you parallel parked on main street). Keeping doors locked & shut on turns is a real issue...
they come flying open at inopportune times.
o One windshield wiper - passenger side didn't have one.
o No seatbelts.
o No turn indicators.
o Often came with a spot light to help mend fences or poach at night...
o Exterior windshield Visors - I'm not sure about when they were an option.
o These trucks came with little triangle glass side window pieces for poor man's A/C while
driving down the road... Plus they had a Cowl up front that could be opened
for a lot of air to come howling through the cab for outside air. (They always leak).
o The lowest gear was good for stump pulling but not much else. You change gears very quickly
for a top end speed of around 50 - very high rpms, LOT's of noise ….
o Steering is with a big 15 inch wheel - no power steering or power brakes. Hard to turn at low speeds.
Often worn out steering made keeping it straight difficult - a lot of wandering. Front suspension is a straight axle -
no independent front suspension here - you feel every bump. We hate changing out the king pins! Or Removing the
Door Pins! Awful jobs requiring a BFH (ends in hammer).
o The rear view mirrors are almost useless & making seeing around very difficult.
o Bumpers were extra I believe so a lot of farmers made their own or bought some after market
ones to weld on there. The Gas tank was in the cab behind the seat & you filled it from just behind the
driver. (Yes it often smelled like gas & you can easily hear the gas sloshing around on turns).
Good luck on your book!
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
o No door lock on the driver's side. You locked it from the inside & scooted across the seat to get out on the passenger side.
(supposed to be safer when you parallel parked on main street). Keeping doors locked & shut on turns is a real issue...
they come flying open at inopportune times.
o One windshield wiper - passenger side didn't have one.
o No seatbelts.
o No turn indicators.
o Often came with a spot light to help mend fences or poach at night...
o Exterior windshield Visors - I'm not sure about when they were an option.
o These trucks came with little triangle glass side window pieces for poor man's A/C while
driving down the road... Plus they had a Cowl up front that could be opened
for a lot of air to come howling through the cab for outside air. (They always leak).
o The lowest gear was good for stump pulling but not much else. You change gears very quickly
for a top end speed of around 50 - very high rpms, LOT's of noise ….
o Steering is with a big 15 inch wheel - no power steering or power brakes. Hard to turn at low speeds.
Often worn out steering made keeping it straight difficult - a lot of wandering. Front suspension is a straight axle -
no independent front suspension here - you feel every bump. We hate changing out the king pins! Or Removing the
Door Pins! Awful jobs requiring a BFH (ends in hammer).
o The rear view mirrors are almost useless & making seeing around very difficult.
o Bumpers were extra I believe so a lot of farmers made their own or bought some after market
ones to weld on there. The Gas tank was in the cab behind the seat & you filled it from just behind the
driver. (Yes it often smelled like gas & you can easily hear the gas sloshing around on turns).
Good luck on your book!
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
From an accuracy point of view... The '48 - '50 trucks came with:
o No door lock on the driver's side. You locked it from the inside & scooted across the seat to get out on the passenger side.
(supposed to be safer when you parallel parked on main street). Keeping doors locked & shut on turns is a real issue...
they come flying open at inopportune times.
o One windshield wiper - passenger side didn't have one.
o No seatbelts.
o No turn indicators.
o Often came with a spot light to help mend fences or poach at night...
o Exterior windshield Visors - I'm not sure about when they were an option.
o These trucks came with little triangle glass side window pieces for poor man's A/C while
driving down the road... Plus they had a Cowl up front that could be opened
for a lot of air to come howling through the cab for outside air. (They always leak).
o The lowest gear was good for stump pulling but not much else. You change gears very quickly
for a top end speed of around 50 - very high rpms, LOT's of noise ….
o Steering is with a big 15 inch wheel - no power steering or power brakes. Hard to turn at low speeds.
Often worn out steering made keeping it straight difficult - a lot of wandering. Front suspension is a straight axle -
no independent front suspension here - you feel every bump. We hate changing out the king pins! Or Removing the
Door Pins! Awful jobs requiring a BFH (ends in hammer).
o The rear view mirrors are almost useless & making seeing around very difficult.
o Bumpers were extra I believe so a lot of farmers made their own or bought some after market
ones to weld on there. The Gas tank was in the cab behind the seat & you filled it from just behind the
driver. (Yes it often smelled like gas & you can easily hear the gas sloshing around on turns).
Good luck on your book!
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
o No door lock on the driver's side. You locked it from the inside & scooted across the seat to get out on the passenger side.
(supposed to be safer when you parallel parked on main street). Keeping doors locked & shut on turns is a real issue...
they come flying open at inopportune times.
o One windshield wiper - passenger side didn't have one.
o No seatbelts.
o No turn indicators.
o Often came with a spot light to help mend fences or poach at night...
o Exterior windshield Visors - I'm not sure about when they were an option.
o These trucks came with little triangle glass side window pieces for poor man's A/C while
driving down the road... Plus they had a Cowl up front that could be opened
for a lot of air to come howling through the cab for outside air. (They always leak).
o The lowest gear was good for stump pulling but not much else. You change gears very quickly
for a top end speed of around 50 - very high rpms, LOT's of noise ….
o Steering is with a big 15 inch wheel - no power steering or power brakes. Hard to turn at low speeds.
Often worn out steering made keeping it straight difficult - a lot of wandering. Front suspension is a straight axle -
no independent front suspension here - you feel every bump. We hate changing out the king pins! Or Removing the
Door Pins! Awful jobs requiring a BFH (ends in hammer).
o The rear view mirrors are almost useless & making seeing around very difficult.
o Bumpers were extra I believe so a lot of farmers made their own or bought some after market
ones to weld on there. The Gas tank was in the cab behind the seat & you filled it from just behind the
driver. (Yes it often smelled like gas & you can easily hear the gas sloshing around on turns).
Good luck on your book!
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
Oh, this is super useful! Thank you!
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
Wow, us guys dream about ladies that like to work on old trucks. So, yep - still interested!
To answer the question about completion time....you have to define 'completed'. You can take a truck that has been sitting for years and get it on the road in as little as two weeks or as long as 20 years.
We have members here who have done it in that entire spectrum. It depends on what condition the truck was in to begin with, and how carefully the truck was stored. And also to what extent you want the truck to be safe, comfortable and correct-looking before it rolls on the public roads again.
Some old farm trucks are completely worn out, abused, cobbled together, parts aggressively taken off for other uses and then dragged to the back corner of the property to rust in peace and be used as a shooting target. Other trucks are taken care of during their working years, maintained, and then driven to a part of the barn to be protected under cover until a younger family member is old enough to take interest in it and continue using it. The engine cylinders are filled with oil, mouse traps are set, the paint is covered with a soft tarp to keep the bat poop off, battery removed, fuel drained, etc.
You will have to decide what the life the truck lived before it was put away. Cause that will determine how easily the girl character has it to put the truck back on the road.
Sometimes all that is needed are new tires, fresh fuel, new points, new battery and cleaning some wire terminals and it is rolling again. (This almost never happens) Other times you need to replace half the truck in order to get it to resemble a operational pickup again. (My current truck project falls in that category - it had been beaten like a rented mule and then sat outdoors in a junkyard since 1968)
So it depends on how long of a story you wish to write. If the truck is only part of the book, then I suggest having it somewhere in the four-month range of getting it back on the road again.
On this very forum are real projects underway in which it will happen in that amount of time.
Hope this helps. Glad you came here to ask.
Tom
To answer the question about completion time....you have to define 'completed'. You can take a truck that has been sitting for years and get it on the road in as little as two weeks or as long as 20 years.
We have members here who have done it in that entire spectrum. It depends on what condition the truck was in to begin with, and how carefully the truck was stored. And also to what extent you want the truck to be safe, comfortable and correct-looking before it rolls on the public roads again.
Some old farm trucks are completely worn out, abused, cobbled together, parts aggressively taken off for other uses and then dragged to the back corner of the property to rust in peace and be used as a shooting target. Other trucks are taken care of during their working years, maintained, and then driven to a part of the barn to be protected under cover until a younger family member is old enough to take interest in it and continue using it. The engine cylinders are filled with oil, mouse traps are set, the paint is covered with a soft tarp to keep the bat poop off, battery removed, fuel drained, etc.
You will have to decide what the life the truck lived before it was put away. Cause that will determine how easily the girl character has it to put the truck back on the road.
Sometimes all that is needed are new tires, fresh fuel, new points, new battery and cleaning some wire terminals and it is rolling again. (This almost never happens) Other times you need to replace half the truck in order to get it to resemble a operational pickup again. (My current truck project falls in that category - it had been beaten like a rented mule and then sat outdoors in a junkyard since 1968)
So it depends on how long of a story you wish to write. If the truck is only part of the book, then I suggest having it somewhere in the four-month range of getting it back on the road again.
On this very forum are real projects underway in which it will happen in that amount of time.
Hope this helps. Glad you came here to ask.
Tom
I'll add that probably any truck that has been sitting for an extended period of time will need these things replaced at a minimum:
Fuel pump, carburetor float & gaskets, spark plugs, ignition points and condenser, ignition coil, battery, brake fluid, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, fan belt, radiator coolant, engine oil, several light bulbs, and the Indian blanket covering the seat springs that are poking out.
Tom
Fuel pump, carburetor float & gaskets, spark plugs, ignition points and condenser, ignition coil, battery, brake fluid, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, fan belt, radiator coolant, engine oil, several light bulbs, and the Indian blanket covering the seat springs that are poking out.
Tom
This! This is what I need. Thank you Tom! This isn't going to be anyones main mode of transportation, just a side project. It doesn't even really need to be completed in the story - more on the side of taking it for a spin for the nostalgia. I hope to turn this into a series, so the truck might be spotted again in books down the line, but at that point there is no definite time-line, so who knows how long they've been working on it for.
I'm so glad I found this forum! I tried another one, but after 3 weeks of waiting for admin approval I started googling again. I have been busy with my day job, but I hope to put in some time this weekend looking over other people's projects on here, to help me sound like I know what I'm doing. Even just the vocab in people's posts can be helpful.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
To get it restarted, we replaced the battery and fuel pump, "touched-up" the points with a little sand paper, and rebuilt the carburetor. We used a gas can for a fuel source, and it started right up.
We did not change any fluids, wires, or belts, etc. After the brakes were reconditioned and some used tires mounted, I was able to drive it. The muffler was shot, the lights, heater, wipers, and gauges didn't work, and of course it didn't have plates or insurance, but I had it out on the road (in a very rural area).
We did not change any fluids, wires, or belts, etc. After the brakes were reconditioned and some used tires mounted, I was able to drive it. The muffler was shot, the lights, heater, wipers, and gauges didn't work, and of course it didn't have plates or insurance, but I had it out on the road (in a very rural area).
Knuckle Bandage Sales Rep
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,676
Likes: 1,245
From: Maine
Alexis, I just thought of something and perhaps others here did too....
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,911
Likes: 1,192
From: Deerbrook, WI
Julie's involvement here was sadly before my time, but her presence still lingered like the faint hint of perfume on an old but not forgotten love letter. Julie would be perfect! Members here I'm sure will be able to provide deep insight into her character and motivations. LOL.
Jim
Jim
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,757
Likes: 138
From: Alberta Canada
Welcome to the FTE, sounds like you have an interesting book in the works.
I think you need to determine whether the truck was running and stored becasue of Grandpa's passing, or was if stored because there was something mechanically wrong with it so Grandpa didn't get around to fixing it. Most vehicles in the 40's and 50' would be run until something in the engine or power train broke then they would be stored out in the back 40 to be robbed for parts.
If your truck was "running when parked" then usually it would probaly need clean fuel, oil checked and elecrical for distributor, dead battery, coil and points before it would fire up.
I used to visit my uncles farm as a wee lad, and would dream about getting my grandpa's 1949 Fargo truck running. It had sat out behind the barn for 15 years at that point. Unbeknownst to me my uncle gave it away, and even bought the guy a coffee that came for it.
Keep us in the loop, and good luck with the story.
I think you need to determine whether the truck was running and stored becasue of Grandpa's passing, or was if stored because there was something mechanically wrong with it so Grandpa didn't get around to fixing it. Most vehicles in the 40's and 50' would be run until something in the engine or power train broke then they would be stored out in the back 40 to be robbed for parts.
If your truck was "running when parked" then usually it would probaly need clean fuel, oil checked and elecrical for distributor, dead battery, coil and points before it would fire up.
I used to visit my uncles farm as a wee lad, and would dream about getting my grandpa's 1949 Fargo truck running. It had sat out behind the barn for 15 years at that point. Unbeknownst to me my uncle gave it away, and even bought the guy a coffee that came for it.
Keep us in the loop, and good luck with the story.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
Welcome to the FTE, sounds like you have an interesting book in the works.
I think you need to determine whether the truck was running and stored becasue of Grandpa's passing, or was if stored becasue there was something mechanically wrong with it so Grandpa didn't get around to fixing it. Most vehicles in the 40's and 50' would be run until something in the engine or power train broke then they would be stored out in the back 40 to be robbed for parts.
If your truck was "running when parked" then usually it would probaly need clean fuel, oil checked and elecrical for distributor, dead battery, coil and points before it would fire up.
I used to visit my uncles farm as a wee lad, and would dream about getting my grandpa's 1949 Fargo truck running. It had sat out behind the barn for 15 years at that point. Unbeknownst to me my uncle gave it away, and even bought the guy a coffee that came for it.
Keep us in the loop, and good luck with the story.
I think you need to determine whether the truck was running and stored becasue of Grandpa's passing, or was if stored becasue there was something mechanically wrong with it so Grandpa didn't get around to fixing it. Most vehicles in the 40's and 50' would be run until something in the engine or power train broke then they would be stored out in the back 40 to be robbed for parts.
If your truck was "running when parked" then usually it would probaly need clean fuel, oil checked and elecrical for distributor, dead battery, coil and points before it would fire up.
I used to visit my uncles farm as a wee lad, and would dream about getting my grandpa's 1949 Fargo truck running. It had sat out behind the barn for 15 years at that point. Unbeknownst to me my uncle gave it away, and even bought the guy a coffee that came for it.
Keep us in the loop, and good luck with the story.
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Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
Alexis, I just thought of something and perhaps others here did too....
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
Who knew I would have found my people here in a ford forum. Keep these gems coming.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 9,366
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From: AKRON ohio
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,174
Likes: 4,781
From: Burbank, WA
Alexis, I just thought of something and perhaps others here did too....
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
Have you got a name selected for the main character yet? If not, might I suggest Julie?
Years ago on this very forum was a very capable, sharp, helpful, can-do-anything, tool slinging lady that educated and entertained us that went by that name. We would love to see her recreated in this book. She met a tragic end like some story characters do but that needn't be the way that it happens. We have good memories of her here.
Just a suggestion. Tom
If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to stir up trouble, like poking at the bee hive over a sleeping grizzly bear. LOL!!!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,911
Likes: 1,192
From: Deerbrook, WI
It was all a mistaken identity foil not so unlike what one so often sees in Shakespeare's lighter comedies-- there may just be a striking resemblance in our Julie and your Louise/Lou character. Now isn't that a coincidence (or is it called irony in literary circles)?
Jim
Jim
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
OH MY GOD, that is amazing.
That said, the text was still beautiful and I still wanted to be remembered with beautiful words like that. That said, no misleading here, though my first name is spelled the Danish way Hanne (instead of Hannah) and that can throw a lot of people off.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
It was all a mistaken identity foil not so unlike what one so often sees in Shakespeare's lighter comedies-- there may just be a striking resemblance in our Julie and your Louise/Lou character. Now isn't that a coincidence (or is it called irony in literary circles)?
Jim
Jim