I have found an F3 that is disassembled. I would like to convert it to an F1 with the six foot bed. How do I search this forum, what are the best search words to get to any information on here?

 

Help ! lol

 

I think you would be looking at altering your frame to the correct wheel base and likely shortening the rear section as well or finding a F1 frame..

 

There are guys that shortened the frame and bed. Shorter running boards. The wheel wells are larger on the F2's and larger. It can be done a few different ways depending on your skill level and budget. Welcome to the forum by the way. The best place to find the info you're looking for.

Please don't scrap any F3 specific parts. ESPECIALLY bed and running boards.

 

If you want an F1, I'd say leave the F3. F1s are much more common than the F3s, so please don't destroy it.

 

Welcome to FTE.

You will also have to shorten & re-balance the driveshaft and shorten the parking brake cable.

I will echo what has been mentioned a couple of time up above. The 8-foot bed is very, very hard to find - if you cut it up to shorten it the bed boards will have to come out and those bolts are probably rusted on for good. A new set of bed bolts is expensive as well as time consuming to replace.

Keep us posted on your project. Send us some pictures of what the F3 looks like now, we can help supply info on what parts are still worth saving either way.
Tom

 

I went through this very process with my 48 F-3 a few years ago. When I bought the truck I didn't know about the differences and thought I was getting an F-1. When it came time to find parts I found that F-3 running boards and beds were very scarce. I also did not like the look of the longer bed and wanted an F-1 bed. In my opinion a shortened F-3 frame is better than an F-1 because the frame is thicker and heavier duty.

Just behind the cab on the top of the frame, look for a hole about the size of your little finger that is used to mount the bed. You want to leave this hole so that the bed mounting holes will line up (for the most part). Place jackstands on either side under the frame about where the back of the cab ends. Start cutting the frame about an inch behind this hole using a 'Z' cut. Make the same 'Z' cut 8 inches further toward the rear of the frame. When this 8 inch section has been removed, do the same to the other side. Be careful to put something under the rear of the frame also because the rear part of the frame will try to lift up when both sides are cut. If you can keep the 8 inch frame section intact you can trim it a little and weld it back to the inside of the frame rail later for extra strength.


Taking this 8 inches out of the frame reduces the wheelbase from 122 inches to 114. Next, cut 12 inches of frame off the rear (the F3 has more rear overhang than the F-1). After welding the two frame sections back together the frame is now the same length as an F-1. There will be an extra crossmember that you can also use later for shock mounts. When the 8 inches comes out, the rearmost running board support bracket moves toward the front so that F-1 running boards bolt on which means that you don't have to remove or replace running board brackets. An F-1 bed and rear fenders will bolt on. If you have good F-3 fenders up front you can keep them if you don't mind the extra wheel space cutout or you can replace them with F-1 fenders. You will want to replace the rear fenders with F-1s since they are wider than F-3 rear fenders. Good luck.

I was going to attach a picture of the finished truck but adding pictures this morning seems to be a no-go...

 

Hey Craig,
Welcome Aboard! Changing out fenders is expensive - $265 ea if you go fiberglass, more than double that if you go steel.....
Cutting & pasting on the Frame, New Running Boards, etc... I'd stay with the F3 with that nice 8 ft. bed... it's a great look.
Change out the drive train to get whatever performance you want - I wouldn't Frankenstein an F3 to an F1. There are plenty of F1's out there...
let us know where you are in NY. I'm sure we can find one near you or bring in a nice rust free one from the Southwest.

We've got a '50 - lot's of fun to own these old trucks.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Frankenstein???? Except for the F-3 emblem on the sides no one but me knew my finished truck was an F-3. Wonder why pictures aren't working...

 

Don't take it personally. The point that is being made is that a good F3 is a rare thing to find, while there are plenty of good F1's available, so maybe cutting up a good F3 is not the best idea.

As always, your truck, your call.

 

Check my build https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ta-swap-d.html it's kinda the same thing your trying to achieve, I'm just using a different frame

 

Hard NOT to take it personally. I've seen some Frankenstein trucks on this site and my converted F-3 was far from that. I took a POS F-3 and made a nice F-1 out of it. Got lots of compliments on it and never had anybody refer to it as a Frankenstein truck.

 

Looks good to me Vern

 

John, thank you very much for posting my Frankenstein truck. I don't know why I can't post pictures here today.

 

It is not a matter of it being a Frankenstein, looking good, or being impossible - it is the matter of taking something rare with hard to find parts and needlessly butchering them into something more common.

Let's take the Arc of the Covenant and turn it into This Gold Pill Makes You Poop Glitter | Incredible Things