I may have another truck this weekend if the weather stays nice. I got a call from the guy I got my M-3 from. He found me some parts and I can get it for free. I phone up the guy and he says he has a complete '52 F-3 and some flathead V-8 engine parts. I just got to help him move some of his stuff from a shed to his house. He was renting some land and the owner sold it. The P/O must be a good negotiator since he also got me a '51 Flathead V-8 for free. I always seem to pay for junk and get the good stuff for free.

'51 Ford F-1 parts truck - $50
'51 Mercury M-3 - free
'51 flathead V-8 parts - $50
'51 flathead V-8 - free
'52 Ford F-3 - free

Well I guess I shouldn't be complaining. See you "undisfunctional" guys later.

 

Wow Nathan, You're turning into a truck magnet! Good luck, John

 

Some people have all of the luck

 

Nathan,

Good deal! I may need some more parts...

 

Well the guy I'm getting it from is an international guy, my mercury was from a chevy guy and my parts truck was from a dodge guy. You could call it luck. Vern I think you will have to come up here to get those parts you want. If I had money I could also pick up a 48-50 F-135, 48 M-68, 51 F-5 and a 48-52 8 foot box.

 

Nathan,
Seems there is no wrong that becomes you. As I always say "Free? You can't beat free." Even if it is junk. I've got a guy here that has Merc. stuff coming out of you know. If anybody needs stuff let me know he's got a lot. 48-50 stuff.

 

I know you said see you "UNdisfuctional" guys later, but I can really relate. I have been blessed that most of the high dollar stuff has come pretty easy, If not free. And I have worked alot of parts off with my Father in law. My problem is I knickle and dime myself to death at Kragen etc. because I want it now and cant find what I know I already have. Being a pack rat brings on certain organizational and storage problems. We will be moving next month. Thinning out my stuff is Hard!!!!! Some of my friends and nieghbors will be getting freebies as I do. I would rather give it to a freind than dicker over a dime or a dollar.

 

I believe in "What goes around, comes around." If you give something to your friend, eventually someone will give you something. So, pay it forward. Good luck on the move 'Mole. John

 

Atticmole I never meant anything against you. When this thread was started your post was going strong. I just posted it as a play of words. I hope to get rid of some of my stuff this summer but people only want "whole" trucks not parts.

 

Nathan,
I don't know why people are afraid of collecting parts until you have enough to do something with. I guess they don't want to end up like me, with a shop with 80% trucks in it. I however am looking for some decent repairable boxsides for my ''52, it's got a flat bed on it right now. And I've noticed that we aren't that far apart?

Chris
Alberta

 

I collect all the parts I can, you never know when you, or someone else, might need that goofy little part that you threw up on the shelf. My wife thinks I'm foolish to save the stuff but more than a few times I was able to find a part that would have been next to impossible to find in the picked over, cleared out junkyards or local parts house.

 

I do have a '51 F-1 box. All it needs is the bottom lip redone, several holes patched in one side from owner tire carrier and some minor rear stake repairs. If you want you can have it for a low price of $5 obo(All proceds go to funding of my truck). You would have to find your own fenders though. I'm gonna use them on my M-3. I'm gonna make them the same size as the stock M-3 and that would cut off a lot of the bad rust. I have lots of room since I'm on a farm (Anymore stuff is frowned upon by parents ). I have 90% of the parts I need to finish my one truck. I do have to admit that F-1 parts truck has came in mighty handle though.

In my previous post when I listed trucks I forgot about a '52 F-1 flatbead and a '54 M-350. Dixon an autowrecker in Elfros and Balgoney specialize in old vehicles.

Bob I guess I should buy all those trucks and then run a mail order parts company with special discounts for FTE users.

 

51 duelller I never took it negativly, I thought you where playing along, making light of things. I can definetly laugh at myself. And I KNOW I'm Disfuctional. LOL.

I'm also a get the truck First, then fill the parts needs as you go. seems too overwhelming for me any other way. you restore guys impress the hell out of me. I'm a fix it up and make it run and look good kinda guy.

 

Nathan,

I thought about going into the old truck parts business as a part time job to make a little extra money. I have a few parts trucks that I sell parts off of but, I was talking to a friend who has a few parts trucks(Brand "C", ugh!) and he put me straight. He said if we started doing this as a business then we would want to make a profit and by doing so it would take the fun out of it. I thought about it and I had to agree. Some of the people I have met who make a living selling parts and working on these old trucks are the most sour people I have met. Most of the people I have met through my twenty plus years in this hobby are friendly, helpfull people but they are usually in it for the fun of it. I usually run into the sour ones at swapmeets selling fenders for $350 apiece and hubcaps for $50, I see these same people every year with the same parts. I also met a person during a family trip this last summer who only wanted to sell me a truck and had no time to just talk trucks for a few minutes. (read my post from this last summer). I enjoy tearing these old pieces of junk apart and finding the modifications and repairs that previous owners have done on them, some interesting, some rather scary.

If I were to actually charge the price to cover the cost for the time looking for these old truck, buying them (Lately, it seems like everyone around here who has a rusting hulk behind their shed with a few useable parts thinks it's gold plated), hauling it home, storage and labor removing parts I would have to triple the price I charge for my parts. I just want to have fun and try to keep this hobby going. I also like to meet and talk to like minded individuals, online and in person, who like old trucks. We all know between crush laws, the rising price of scrap steel, restrictive ordinances and othe government regulations we have enough fighting against us.

Larry,

My take a restoring a truck is to restore it to drive. I figure I put way too much time into a vehicle to leave it sit and look pretty. I drive my F-2 every chance I can and I don't worry about getting it dirty or getting the frame scratched. I restore it once and try to keep up the appearance as best as I can. The same will be true with my panel, if I ever get it finished!

As for people who restore old vehicles, I think we are all nuts. What sane person would pay for a rusted, half dismantled piece of junk that someone stripped down and discarded many years ago as junk? Then we drag it home and show it our better halves, who never seem to quite see the same value and deep down beauty that we seem to find in them. Then we spend all of our time and money bringing it back to a like new or better condition. Meanwhile, as we're working on this one we are constantly looking for the next "project". Come on, admit it, we all do this. It is a sickness!!!



Man, this is a long post!! But hey, no one at home will listen to me when I start talking trucks!

 

Bob I remember the post from last summer. But sometimes those P/O modifications make disasembly frustrating . Hopefully tommorrow I can pick up the truck. Have to get our Mazda fixed first.