Hi Guys,

hope you are all well, i would like to ask you knowledgeable lot a question re: the 1951 f1 what i would like to know is approx how many 1951 trucks are still around in their original condition i.e. not customised, chopped, bigger engine or 9 inch rear ends or front clips, or custom wheels etc....

I am restoring my 51 to its original off the production line look so i need as much info for its historic interest etc.... for shows i am planning to do with it here in the UK.

Many thanks
best wishes

Trev F1

 

Trevor, thats a question that is almost impossible to answer. You being from the UK, obviously you have one and they are scattered all over the globe.

So to get a poll on your question would be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.

 

Just a guess, but I'd say less than 5% of original production are truly stock and on the road. U.S. production was somewhere around 100,000 so less than 5,000? Even that sounds high.

 

Pekka Lahde has one . Location -Finland .He recently acquired a heater boot for the Magic Air heater in his F-1 truck .If you have a Magic Air heater in your truck , need any fresh air tube parts , or a heater boot let me know . Later, Denny

 

The problem would be even if you found one that was still "original", it's likely been worked on enough over the 60 years of it's life that it's not truly original anymore. My Merc is the perfect example. While much of it is still stone stock, it has had the engine replaced with a Ford authorized remanufactured flathead probably back in the 50's, and ten years after that disassembled again to the point where enough parts are missing so it's certainly not "original" anymore. And any truck this old still running is bound to be changed enough as to not be relaible for an accurate "original" reference. You'd be more likely to get correct information from a non-running, parked for 50 years, barn find.

That said, if you have specific questions, I can't think of any better group of enthusiests who may know your answers than right here. So ask away. Just try and stump the experts.

 

Wayne, just for reference sake. Why do you think your Merc is not still considered factory stock because of the Engine rebuild over the years?

I know there are numbers on the the block under the intake, but in reality its still a 239 ford 8BA Engine.

Please don't get me wrong on this question, but there are some guys that still believe a Merc Truck should be a 255 C.I.D., not so.

Sure the Heads could have also been changed, but there are Canadian Heads out there, and Aluminum Intakes, and Timming Covers.

You have all the important items like the correct Trim, and Name Plates I assume. Thats the hard stuff to find even here in Canada.

Once again please don't take this the wrong way as no offense was intended, just a mere question.

 

It may be stock but it isn't factory original, which is what purists want.

There was a '51 here in town that an old gent had for sale, that was original except for wear items, seat covers, and paint. It had never had the engine apart (had been his father's truck so he had records), and only had 70k miles on it (and not a lick of rust). It was the most original, perfect truck I've seen, and I could have bought it for $7k -- but he'd painted it a really ugly two-tone brown... But anyway, that is hard-core purist restoration material. I'd say less than 0.01% of Bonus Builts meet that kind of standard, because trucks got used back then, and trucks that get used wear out.

 

No worries, no offense taken whatsoever. It's a fair and valid question. The fact of the matter is, if one is asking for factory original stock, that means exactly as it left the plant. Once you've changed the battery, or spark plug wires, anything much past gas in the tank and air in the tires, it's no longer factory original. An AC Delco or Western Auto "Wizard" voltage regulator on the firewall isn't factory stock. And if someone is looking for a historical reference, that wouldn't be it. Close, maybe, but no cigar.

That's why concours restoration people pay crazy premium prices for NOS date coded parts, trying to recreate as close as possible "factory stock". To have their car or truck look exactly as it did on the showroom floor before it's first drive off the lot. I respect their dedication, but it's not the kind of restoration I'm into. I'd rather drive mine. And building something to that degree eliminates that, imho, and relagates the vehicle to garage and trailer status forever. Too much money has been spent on rare and obsolete pieces to "ruin" them.

Yes, I am fortunate I have all the good Mercury trim pieces. And they are all in near perfect shape. That's the real reason why I bought it. I knew the trim alone was worth more than I paid for the whole truck. But I have no intentions of parting it out. It's too cool and too complete, and I always thought having a Mercury pickup would be cool. The one piece I would like to have that I don't is the radio block off plate the says Mercury on it. I can always put a radio in the hole, and I will if need be. But having the block off plate, I think, would be way cooler.

BTW, you mentioned aluminum intake. Are Canadian trucks supposed to have aluminum intakes? Ross asked about that once, too.

 

I have to agree with 5 Star on his answer. I guess it's a matter of drawing a line and saying "if you have replaced this, it's not 100% stock" (which might even be considered different from "Factory Original" as Wayne and Ross poin out).

At what point would you say something has been replaced and say it's still 100% - new choke cable? Window Glass? Autolite (ford or motocraft) Generator regulator? Polyurethane paint as opposed to laquer or enamel? Chrome headlight doors VS bright metal?

I don't think that line ever been drawn. But I think if the effort hase been made to duplicate or build to 100% stock, then yes about the 5% would be close (if not a tad high).

 

i dont know if all Canadian trucks had aluminum intakes or not,but my 50 merc m-68 does.
wayne,i will let you know about the block off plate if i dont use mine.

 

52 Merc in answer to your question about the Aluminum Intake, yes also the Timming Cover was Aluminum.

I totally agree with you on the restoration part the price to restore one to show room condition, is very costly. I had my 50 Merc down to Dearborne and I drove it there 270 miles one way. I didn't enter it I just wanted to see the different Cars/Trucks that were being judged. There is a lot of cash tied up in these Vehicles.

Don't know whether you can see it to well, but here is an under hood pic of the 50 Merc I used to own.