I have thought only the F-1 Ford script flatbeds came with wooden uprights and the F-2 and up beds had metal uprights. I found a bed on a F-2 that has wooden uprights, like the F-1s. I am pretty sure they are original because they look exactly like the F-1 side, flat uprights on the side and routered on the back just like the F-1s:



I'm hoping the few people on the site with F-1 through F-3 flatbeds will chime in with their insight. The sales literature I have isn't very clear.

 

Yes folks, please chime in if you know or not. Thanks.

 

I had a 1944 Ford army jeep and evey nut & bold had a F script .. that flatbed is so handy to used I have one on my 49 . Someday I would like to get the wood all around.. see the wood on the bottom that the bed set on ,I had to have a place cut them $260. for both of them..

 

The story behind that is that three companies used to make "jeeps." Henry Ford hated the ****** company which like him was producing the vehicles. Along withth eproduction contract was a clause that said the manufacturer was responsible for replacing defective parts.

Henry Ford in his typical stinky frugality cast a script "F" on every piece, nut and bolt of every jeep they produced so he could prove that some broken parts had not come from the *****'s vehicles and thus not get stuck replacing them.

I'm sure you know more about it than I do so correct me if I'm wrong or there's more!!!!!!

PS Bob, does the sales literature have a web site?

 

Ok I can update my previous post a bit.

I'm looking in the 1951 "Truck [Salesmans] Handbook, and here is what it says about stake beds. Apparently there were four different sizes of stake beds: 6 1/2 foot stake; 7 1/2 foot stake; a 9 foot stake and a 12 foot stake.

According to the book, the 6.5 and 7.5 beds had wood stake racks while the 9 and 12 foot stake racks were metal.

I will be happy to download them if you like. But, I haven't figured out yet how to get the site to not resize them down to a useless blur, or download them without the gallery.

Can any one educate me on that!

Edit note: OH! How did I do that? I guess youjust drag them and then they switch over full size....Oye this site sometimes!

PS the dimensions of the larger beds do not appear in the text and they are blurred in my photo. They are 82.06 inches across; 42 inches tall; and 106.0 inches for the 9 ft bed, and 142.0 inches long for the 12 foot bed.

 

Wow. Neat stuff Julie. Thanks for sharing.

 

Where are you people finding these flat beds? I really would like to source a 6.5.

 

Julie, if you don't mind I'll add this information to my flatbed web page. I've been trying to get a dealers' handbook for years but every time one shows up on the 'Bay they go for more $$$ than I'm willing to pay for them.

 

They turn up when you're not looking for them. I found mine about 3-4 years ago when I listed that I was looking for one on a few web sites. I person from Il emailed me with an Old Cars Weekly ad with one listed about 100 miles from my home. Went up and bought it. There was a board member some time ago who bought a F-1 with a new reproduction bed and he had a hard time getting rid of it. He finally sold it but it took a lot longer than I thought it would.

The main problem with finding one is location. They always seem to be half way across the country and cost to either pick up or ship.

 

Tell me about it.

 

try doing this with a pickup

 

I have a 13' steel bed (without Ford Script) on my F6. The metal covers the wood bed and rests on large wood supports. I'd love to see a picture of the steel "U" shaped stakes mentioned in Julie's literature. I've seen the stakes in auction pictures but they are not close ups. Anyone know what they look like and where I might find them and the hardware to connect the stakes?

Thanks for all the great information you folks have accumulated and shared with me! I look forward to seeing your posts every night and havae learned a ton.

 

Hi Bob,

Hey I don't mind you including the pics I scanned on your site at all. But your site is VERY clean. How about sending me your real e-mail and I'll scan you some better copies (saved as jpegs) and send them to you full size so you can work them in and they look a little nicer.

OBTW, my Salemans handbook was $175. It was my Christmas present to myself two years ago - so I know what you mean. And if you buy one on e-bay, you never know if it's complete.

If you need anything else scanned from it Bob, just let me know!

 

Well let it officially be known I am in Houston, Texas and if anyone hears about a 6.5, in decent shape, I'd like to know about it if is any where in Texas, Louisiana and maybe Oklahoma.

 

Eric,

I have a detailed drawing of the Ford Script bed on my web site:

1948-52 ford scrip flatbed

The stake hardware is pretty close, not exact, to the ones availlable at a good hardwares store, my local ACE has them, and McMaster Carr.