My Canadian parts book (48 to 51) shows some paint codes, but no # 36 is listed, and no white listed for 1951? Might need a newer book. (48-56?)

Notice how the serial plate (id / vin?) is attached on Canadian models, …….sheet metal screws.

 

Interestingly, decoding the vin shows the truck is indeed a 52, not a 51 as the exterior trim would show.



BD = Ford F-1
A = standard style truck
83 = pickup body style
B = deluxe cab
H = built at home office (Windsor, Ontario)
P = 1952
8700 = consecutive unit number

 

Sungate Ivory was a 52 color used mostly on grills, but, having not seen th eCanadfian Books and knowing they used the two tone paint scheme, I would imagine that Sungate got two toned with almost all the other colors. You might check the 52 books and #36 as Sungate Ivory (or black).

 

Awesome aquisition . Super good shape to start your build . Looks like the leftside door check is missing . Look inside the door . It may be on the bottom .

 

I'll go out on a limb and suggest the white is either a special order or one of the really light grey colours available. And iirc, there was one. From the photo provided, it doesn't seem to be yellow-toned enough to be ivory.

 

well you have a very good start of a project. looks like the floor is in great shape. As far as what to do first get it running and stopping good and drive the wheels off that thing. I sure wish i would have been able to do that with my 59. because i got it when i was a freshman in highschool and now im a sophmore in college and its maybe 5% done. That leads to the next item. SIT DOWN AND MAKE A PLAN and research it all. thats one of the reasons that mine isn't done. i keep bouncing around on what i want to do with it from making an extended cab with new technology to building it as an old school 4x4 and the list goes on. If you sit down and make a plan of exactly what your going to do to the truck and research how to do all of those things the project will be much cheaper and faster. Ive learned this from having to go back and redo all the body work on the cab because i didn't know what i was doing the first time. Well that about it and have fun with it.

 

I think you may be right Wayne. Question: is there a decode for "Trim 13?" Here's a pic of a 52 off the Mercury Truck Site. It (including the grille) look pretty white!:



Unlike this one, the OPs truck is definately trimmed as a 51. I wonder if he can see the duct hook up on his Magic Air to see if it's square or round! (The heater has the 51 emblem on it)

 

Julie and gang: Took a quick look at the intake duct just now and the duct hook up from under front passenger fender is SQUARE. (to be clear the duct is round until it couples at the fender / cab wall, where it becomes square coupled to the inside with some sort of horseshoe like coupler plate. Sound right?) What does it all mean?! Family says 52, VIN plate says 52, titled 52, but the trim sure looks 51 and even with my limited knowledge, seeing some chrome on there had me real curious. (Wasn't chrome a no-no starting in 52 due to the war?) What could have happened that my grandpa changed from a column shifter to a self installed floor one? Are column shifters just a pain in the ****?

 

PS. Julie can you please post the link for the location of that picture. Was there anything to read alongside it? Thanks.

PPS. Julie made a comment about the signal lights and the one tail light... Are these legit factory installs? Is there a way to tell? And what's with only the one tailight and how does that make it "very original"?

 

Sure, here's the link for the pic. You may have to navigate the site a little (and the threads below) but I think you'll enjoy it. I'd recommend that you save all these sites you come onto as sometimes they are hard to find again. Here ya go:

1948 - 1952 Ford Trucks* Canadia

Here also are some good threads about parts venders and manuals:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-to-socal.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/901018-1950.html

http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Re..._Material.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...extra-cab.html

'52 F-1 Brake question - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-everyone.html

1948 - 1951 Canadian Serial Code

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...-look-for.html

We have had many discussions about the differences between the 51 and 52 models. Beside the hood and nose trim, the change to the 215 OHV 6 cyl engine in 52, there is also a difference in the way the Magic Air heater mounted to the side cowl from 51 and 52. In 51 there was an inner ring on the inside of the cowl that transitioned the square end of the tube to round. On the 52 trucks this plate was not installed. So if the rubber boot inside the cab at the kick panel (that connects the heater to the tube) is square on the heater side and square on the duct side it is a 52 heater (as fas as the drawings all call out). But if that rubber boot is square on the heater side and round on the duct side, it attaches to that round plate - only installed on the 51. There is also some discussion about the 52 heater tubes being closer together than the 51s. But that still seems to need to be nailed down a little tighter.

Also, I encourage you to flip through my galleries (not the albums) for lots of technical drawings and specs.

Edite note on the lights: The trucks were produced from the factory with the bare minium amount of equipment they needed to go out and WORK! There were available options, and some were installed at the factory. But a majority of the options were installed by the dealers. As produced from the factory, the right tail light was an option as were signal lights (and as a matter of fact the back bumper). The front parking lights, as installed, would not support signal lights because they were single filiment bulbs. And with only a left tail light you can see how signals inthe back could present a problem. So, like most everything else from the 50s that came in a "Kit" there was a Signal light "Kit" that included the lights needed,wires, flasher and steering column "clamp on" signal switch. And rather than run extra wires for an extra tail light and front signals, the lights you have on your bumpers were installed (sometimes the back signal lights were installed on the stake pocket above the tail lights) and wired as a seperate system.

I know I gave you lots to read with the links above but heres a couple more things out of the sales brochures for 1951 (which at the moment you truck seems to mechanically represent more than a 52). Also, we have had multiple discussions about mismarked data plates here - it's not unusual. If your truck was Canadian made, the serial number should be stamped on top of the front LEFT (drivers side) frame rail close aboard the shock absorber mount. Maybe it was one of the last special ordered 51s and was actually built on the line as they were switching to 1952s and already using the new 52 nomenclature - something like that.

 

Interesting note, Julie, is that none of the literature I have about Mercury trucks make any mention of "5 star cabs" or calling the deluxe version "extra". It's simply standard and deluxe.

Regarding the one tail light/two tail light thing, One tail light was all that was required by law until 1939 in Washington state and 1940 throughout the US for passenger cars. It wasn't until the mid 50's that the same requirement was passed along to trucks. I don't know how that worked in Canada, but I can say that my 1952 Mercury pickup only had one tail light from the factory, based on wiring and bracketry. A right side one was installed at some point subsequent. Possibly when it was imported to the states later in the 50's. It never has had turn signals installed.

 

Thanks alot for the info everyone! It's looking like she's almost assuredly a 51... I'm not changing our Forum ID though! (Can we just call her a 52 with 51 cab and trim?) I'll get some pics of the ductwork on the magic air and the other serial number and be done with the guessing. Then we can move onto finding out what the interior colors were. THEN making a plan to actually start teardown! Now I've seen some different figures but what was the new retail price for our girl?

 

Why would you think all of a sudden your truck is now a '51? If your title says 52, your family says 52, and most importantly your serial number says 52, my belief is that it is a 52. You have a very low unit number and I would believe it to be an early 52. That doesn't excuse the 51 hood trim, but surely there's some explanation for that. And I would never use the heater air pipe as definitive proof of model year. Those were typically dealer installed from a kit, and it may have been one sitting on a shelf for months. You should find your frame number stamped on the left frame rail just above where the steering box is mounted and the sector shaft passes through. But since you know the history of your truck and given it's originality, I have no doubt it will match and concur with the other numbers. My 2c.

The metal parts of the interior would be painted the same as the exterior body color. And those appear to still be the original white/light grey color. Only the seat cover, sunvisor and headliner and other cardboard cab trim would be grey or tan. If you have any remnant of those pieces, that should end any speculation on that issue. With the exterior color it is, logically it would be grey.

Information I have shows msrp of a Canadian 52 Ford or Mercury 1/2 ton pickup as $1603, not including taxes or delivery charges.

 

The trim pieces in question aren't chrome plated. They're actually a very low grade of stainless steel. But to answer your question, chrome plating wasn't banned during the Korean war as it was during the early days of WW II, but there were some materials shortages and usage limitations that made life difficult for a lot of people.

Is the transmission a 3 speed or a 4 speed? Column shift isn't a pain in the ****, but it is clear the transmission has been changed, for whatever reason. Could be the original trans took a powder, or maybe grandpa simply wanted a 4 speed. The column shift transmission has no provision or any way to convert it to top load floor shift like yours is.

 

Delivered Prices (Truck [Salesmans] Handbook prices were 'Delivered' Prices) varied slightly be region. Here are the prices from my Truck (Salesmans) Handbook for the truck and the options I can see in your pictures.

Delivered price of a late 51 early 52 F1 with a V8 was $1495.00.
5-STAR EXTRA cab including extra chassis trim was $52.00.
Heater and Defroster - Fresh Air intake type [Magic air] was $65.00.
Oil Filter - Replaceable Element [pictured] was $8.00
H.D. 3 Spd Transmission with 11" clutch was $42.00
6.50x16 6 ply rating tires were $50.00.
Turn Signal Light Kit was $8.00

Total Price $1720 (USD).

So your truck without any taxes or registration would have been approximately approximately $1670 - $ 1750 based on other options we can't see.