The way I describe driving a panel truck to people is to say it's like driving with a 5 gallon bucket on your head with a slot cut in the front. I made some vintage looking 5"X7" mirrors with 2" convex mirrors stuck in the corners so I hopefully can see what's in my blind spots.

 

gotta ''57'' panel , c-6, windsor bought a set of 4'' peeps from whitney they look cool but you gotta have one eye shut to use'em

 

Another suggestion depending on the finnish colour you plan on painting your panel would be to have the side windows tinted or silk screened like they do to the side of the big coach line buses. From the outside you would hardly know the windows were there but you would have all that great visibility from the inside. That's the approach I'd take. I think it would be better than risking the chance of a lot of warpage and creating much more work for yourself, just a thought.

 

56panelford,
I think that might be the ticket. I just have to talk to the guy who does glass work for me on some cars that I am restoring for a couple of different guys. (not ford truck people)

 

I have ole Lazeras. a '59 panel. He's in moth ***** for now, while I work on the 48 F1 but if I keep him, he will be terrorizing the streets one day.
Mike

 

I hope it works out for you, they have moldings now that look much better than the old rubber ones and believe the silk screening could go over them as well.

 

A good glass shop that works on older vehicles (check for a local "drive in" or hot rod show and ask around for the name of the best glass guy) should be able to take care of any leaking of fixed glass, it's not a difficult "fix". Non molded rubber glass gasket like for a windshield should be able to be used if the glass is cut to the right size. I drove a cargo van for about 10 years starting in the late 70s and pull a 24' enclosed car trailer for our race car. you get used to it pretty quickly. There is a trick to adjusting the side mirrors tho. The most difficult situation is when the street you are on intersects another at an angle. It helps then to have a copilot or you learn to try to straighten the intersection as much as possible at the end of your approach and lean way over to look out the pass window.

 

Well gang , count me as one of the few! I have owned a 1953 Ford Panel Delivery since 1982. I lived in Arlington Texas then and I got it via a Iraian student that had been deported from cheating on his finals at U T Dallas , Supposedly he was going to make it into an ice cream truck !
Look, theres way more to this story but suffice to say Had it not been for the members od the Lone Star Early V-8 Club, and Antique Auto Supply, I cou;d have never gotten this truck ever on the road . I will be forever in Stacy Browns debt as well as Chris Morrow with the club! Together , they lent me too;s that I didn't have , shop manuals and even helped me learn how to rebuild the transmission .
By the way , Frank Palmer , whereever ya are in Arlington Texas you deserve a special thanks as you saved me when we had to do a 12 volt conversion , Thanks too to Bob Reams electric who deserves a specia thanks for all the week-end advice he was able to provide as well.
Anyone in the Dallas - Fort Worth area should support these folks as they have always jumped to my aide at all times with this truck . I moved away from Arlington in 1985. Sadly , I had to return here to Richmond Virginia and I miss everyone there but thats another story. Still, I have been to Dakkas and returned five times now on the 100 Horse Mercury F;at head Frank Palmer helped me install in the 53! Try that Volvo, Toyota and Subaru! Ed Shaver

 

I was pleased to see (briefly) a 1960 Ford panel truck in a TV news segment about a couple of local car shows. It's about 46 seconds in, on-line at:
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/clip212795#clip212795

 

I'll add my buddy Rusty's panel to the discussion I guess. It's a '59 that's been renosed as '57. It was originally a service truck at Universal Studios in LA and appeared with Jack Nicholson in the movie "The Border" in 1982 or so. Here's the pics from the movie, and a pic of Rusty and the truck at the Knoxville show a couple years ago. Since then it's been renosed again after we/I hit a deer driving it to West Virginia. I was sick about that move!! Stu

 

Nice to have a truck with a good story behind it, thanks for posting.

 

I have two Ford panel trucks.
One is a 1949 panel with what appears to be the original 8 cylinder flathead and manual transmission.
The second is a 1950 panel that someone stuffed a late model 6 cylinder engine & automatic transmission into.
Neither is road worthy, though both will start & run around the yard.
Rear doors on both are in poor shape.

 

I have a '59 panel. Always liked them, but just never was sure why. I think is just because they are rare. I see just a few at shows here in N.C.
Mike

 

Hello, Does anyone have the specs or know where I can find the curb weight of the 57 thru 60 Ford panel trucks?

Thanks!

 

I bet Stu will have it