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I remember those. I'd see my friends' dads up on ladders burning paint off their houses with them. We lived in an aluminum trailer, so peeling paint wasn't an issue for us. We didn't have one--But we did have tools for fixing frozen pipes.
Thank you to Everyone so far for all your time and responses. I'll answer the questions asked below. Hopefully that looks right. Thanks again!
Originally Posted by FortyNiner
Welcome!
So a couple of questions:
Is there a title?[ [color=#0000ff]Yes, I do have the title.
What's the condition of the drive train? Basically, is it there? Been molested? I haven't been able to dig too deep into the truck yet. But it was sat on the property after the original owner passed. I would imagine everything is there.
What is your bride's opinion? I'll be keeping the truck at the property as there is a large garage that will be perfect for wrenching on it. So she is excited it won't be at our house and to see the final result
What is your background with wrenching? (There isn't a requirement) I'd say I'm competent with wrenching. I'm no gearhead, but I seem to be able to learn pretty quickly when it comes to these types of things.
Do you have space to work on this beauty? Yes, as stated above
How old is your son? My son is 7. He wouldn't be able to work on it by himself, but he is an excellent helper
What kind of project do you have in mind? (stock, resto, darkside) I'd like to make it something fun to drive and look sharp. I'm not a fan of chopping it down or making it some low rider. I really like the stock look but with modern day technology.
That'll due for now. From the pics, it looks like a worthy project.
Originally Posted by jmadsen
Both of those trucks appear pretty straight and solid.
Congratulations on your new property and truck.
Looks a little bit wet there!
Like others have said get it all cleaned up to get a better assement of conditions. Maybe pull the plugs a spray pb blaster in all the cylinders or a 50 50 mix of acetone and ATF. Makes a great penetrant for rusty bolts and cylinders etc.
I would start by seeing if you can get it moving and stopping under its own power if possible without too much time and $ involvment then you may have a better feel for where you want to go and do with the truck. The truck hasn't been started for almost 30 years. I can't imagine I would be able to get it moving any time soon without major engine work. The wheels do seem to be locked up, Any advice on breaking those loose?
Good luck and keep us posted on progress.
Cheers
Josh
Originally Posted by abe
About your question where to find and buy parts, I and many others buy stuff from Mid Fifty in AZ, Mid West early Ford in OH, and Dennis Carpenter. Many things are reproduced. For those that are not or for cheaper prices for good used go online, eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc. Or for more fun go to swap meets. Thanks for the info!!
Does that license plate say WV 63?
WA 63.
Originally Posted by Greg Rogers
Wow, sure is wet... Where are these trucks? Not to be a bummer on your ideas but those trucks look mighty wet, what with the green moss and all. Not like the south west dry trucks we all desire. I would check them out really well before you commit to restore them...There may be a lot more rust than you think. They look like what we have here in Michigan...
The pics don't do it justice. The day I took them it was pouring rain all day. I'm in western Washington near the foothills of the cascades. So far it really seems to be just surface rust with some rust on lower sections.
Originally Posted by ben73058
Hey Kmac,
Welcome Aboard! Looks like you are from the wet part of Washington state.
Nice solid looking truck. A few thoughts:
o Be careful with your Hood & Doors. Noone makes those. You can buy all of the Bed Parts including the wood
& strips you are missing from Midwest Early Ford & other vendors.
o The turn signals mounted to the top of your front fenders are
an add on. (We used the little lights up high in your grill for our turn signals).
o I have no idea what that cylinder is you have mounted on your running board. As brought up down below, it's a torch. It was in the bed of the truck when I pulled it out.
o Early '50's had a different bed with half moon circles on the side & ribbed metal up by the cab.
Your's appears to be from later in the year.
Looks like a nice solid start.. I can't say if it's worth it without knowing the Price. We paid $6500 for our
'50 which was running & driving (barely) and had a lot of challenges. Keep us posted as you make up your mind
on the project. It's good to see another '50 get a chance at life. Honestly if I get a good experience building this with my son I could care less about cost. I don't plan to drop large amounts at single times. A part here or there is how I imagine building this back. The Farm is from 1906, so I think it'd be really cool to have an old truck that use to run around the farm back there.
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
'50 F1
Originally Posted by 52 Merc
Hi neighbor! Welcome to the forum!
By your surroundings you look to be maybe on the peninsula or an island. You're looking pretty soggy. Clean that old truck up and see what you've got. Before getting in too deep, be sure you can get a title for it. The folks at WSP are not the friendliest of sorts to work with on these things. Get it done before taking anything apart. If you don't have a title it will need an inspection to get papers from WSP. And they won't inspect hulks. Tell us more about your situation and location. There's lots of folks in the area to give you advice or a hand. I did notice you have a 51-2 Panel rear bumper, which is about as valuable as the rest of the truck, so be gentle with it. Good luck with your project.
I'm in the foothills of the cascades, so it's pretty wet for sure! So I'm the Son-in-law of the actual owner ( It was passed down to him and has been in his family since 1911). But Him and I are restoring the farm together. It was a 4 acre Veal Farm with 3 large barns and a huge farmhouse on it. The house is the only thing still standing and the property has been taken over by blackberry bushes. We spent the last week digging 13 cars out from the property and haven't even attempted to get into the barn collapse yet. Not only am I helping him restore this farm but I'm also remodeling my own home and now adding on this truck. Needless to say, I stay pretty active! Thanks for the info on the bumper!
Thanks to everyone and all the help! I'm planning on digging into the truck on Friday and will update the feed with more pics/questions.
Hey Kmac,
Our 1950 was a father/son project as well. It was a lot of fun & he got a good idea of how much work went into
it & he drives it carefully. We had the same vision - an old truck with modern updates. Our truck has a 351W carburated engine
with an AOD transmission for overdrive & good highway cruising. We also added seat belts, disc brakes, turn signals, an Explorer rear end for
modern gearing, & we relocated the gas tank out of the cab & put it under the bed. We also kept the crank windows, bench seat, & Cowl as an ode to the 50's.
The first thing I'd do is get it up to your dry garage. You may need to borrow a neighbor's tractor to drag it out of there.
The drum brakes could be rusted to the wheel. You'll want to investigate in a dry place.
Any pics of the other 13 cars?
Ben in Austin
1950 F1 (Pic attached for motivation)
Welcome, and pics of other cars would be nice. I lived in SW methegon for several years. Amazing what blackberries can obscure.
Hey, I wish I had some better pics of the other cars. Unfortuantly nothing else was really wort saving. there were 13 cars plus a 30' RV and a huge box truck. I've attached the only one I have of most.
Finally was able to get the hood open! It's got a decent shape V8 Flathead with what looks like everything there except the battery. Anyone know a good motor guy in Washington state? I hope to rebuild most by myself, but getting it looked at/honed by a pro is my idea.
Welcome! Wow what a find! My '56 F-500 was in much worse condition. It wasn't sitting for 30 years....but was sitting for maybe 20! There wasn't a piece of sheet metal that wasn't completely shot. Literally. Hood, both fenders, gravel pan, both inside fenders, both cowl panels, both door in and out, both cab corners, window rot, floor rot....it was really bad.
Surface rust is fine. I would do what the other guys said: power wash the snot out of it, then rent a big old diesel compressor, roll it onto a massive tarp, pull the tarp up on all four sides and build a makeshift frame to staple the tarp to so you have your own little blasting booth. Blast away! The trap and its walls will keep the media local. Then you can vacuum up the blasting media and reuse it. Clean off all that rust until the metal is gray. Remember that clean steel will start rusting quickly, so best to get the parts into the garage and throw a dehumidifier in there to help keep moisture down.
Here is my list of sellers. Scroll down the post 5. It's quite complete:
Ditto all the above. My truck was in much worse shape when I got it and it looks great now. You have a pretty solid start there unless the mud is hiding something.
Tons of good advice above, from members who know. As mentioned get the title issue figured out first. I think cleaned up with a clear coat over the perfect patina you have there would take care of the exterior. Rebuild or upgrade the running gear and you will have a real nice driver there.
Best of luck on whatever you decide.
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Welcome to the forum!
