I am looking for advise on an available 53 Ford F-350 1 Ton. The truck drove and ran fine according to the owner when he drove it out behind the shop and parked it about 8 years ago. It has a 6 cylinder engine and a manual 4 speed transmission. I am the proud ownner of two 56 Ford F-100's in the restoration phase. This particular truck was spotted by my son and I checked it out. It has a very sound body with all original parts. Its banged up a little with minimum, actually very little rust. Having a lot of experience with my F-100's, I can tell the truck is in very good restorable condition. Im lost from the cab back. It has dual rear wheels. It has a huge wooden flatbed. The running boards appear to be hacked off right behind the rear of the cab. I can have it for $500. Since it has the dual wheels, would this mean it was probably a factory flat bed? How hard is it to get parts for these trucks? I have a spare 329 Y block, will that bolt to the 4 speed manual transmission? Im totally lost when it comes to the 350's but this one is in very good shape and I just dont know what I might be getting into. I think I could get it running pretty reasonable, do the body and paint myself, fabricate an alumium flatbed and have a real nice truck.

 

If the body is as nice as you describe, it's worth a $500 gamble despite what I'm about to say.

Cut off running boards say that it started life as a 9' Express Bed pickup. The flat bed may or may not be a correct one, or home made from the way you describe it. The dual rear wheels aren't, therefore, original to the truck.

The wheels will no doubt be 17" "widowmakers", the trade term for them is "Firestone RH-5°". You'll want to do a Google search of those terms in quotation marks to read about them. They will have the 6 lug x 7.25" bolt pattern which on Fords is unique to the one ton model. Finding suitable replacements will take some looking. Tubeless 17.5" one piece wheels became available in 1956, so they are your solution once you find a set.

The rear axle is a Timken B150 split case, if it wasn't swapped when they did the bed. The stock gear ratio is 5.14/1, optional 5.83/1, meaning you won't be keeping up with traffic. Swapping rear axles isn't technically hard, but finding one with the 6 x 7.25" pattern and a road worthy gear will be your challenge.

The engine, wiring, etc, will be no different than you've faced on your half tons. Since you already have the F-100s, you won't really be needing this truck to be a driver type vehicle. More likely a trip to the dump, hauling mulch, etc. Once the issues are sorted it'd be a great addition to the fleet. Wave as the traffic streams past you. Stu

 

Thanks for your response Stu. I suspected when I saw the running boards cut off it was originally a pick up type bed, but the size of the wheels threw me. They look really large on the truck but I do not believe it is the Marmon Herrington. I am going to take a closer look today. The flatbed does seem to be something home made and the original frame was torched off (I'm assuming, very close to the original end of the frame rails). It appears they torced off the rear bumper brackets to remove the original rear bumber and brackets and added a hanger to tack on a newer GM Bumper. Not sure what a split case axel looks like but it appears to be housed in a single gear housing and looks small when compared to anything on my 5-100's. The floor shift says 4 speed and I believe there is a handle beside it that is an emergency brake. I will have to check that to make sure it not some kind of shifter for a split case rear end? It actually more than I need to take on right now, Im deep into my F-100's. Its a nice old truck and I would like to get it back on the road. I took pictures of the wheels to take to the tire shop today to confirm "widow maker's" as I suspected as well. Thanks for your response............I may have more questions. Darrell

 

You might check to see whether the bolt pattern is the same front to rear. The six lug pattern would not doubt remain on the front, but an eight lug or something else could have been hung on the rear. If the tires are 17" the wheels are widow makers. Later F-350s could have had 16s. The Timken B150 has a case that splits down the middle front to back. This picture is of a 3/4 ton Timken A150 (a M-H front but similar to give you an idea of the split case). The transmission could be the crash box 4 speed, or IIRC '53 was the first year for the synchro box. Others can speak up on that. If the truck is a Marmon-Herrington it's rare as heck (we know of only a handful) but then your challenges really start. Stu

 

I have a picture of the rear wheels to confirm they are widowmakers but have not confirmed it yet. The bolt pattern on the dualies is 6 lug nuts holding the wheel on and inside small circle has 8 Bolts. The front wheels are also 6 lug. The rear end, from what I remember must be split. I am going to get more photos today and see if it has a identification plate for the codes to see if I can get more history on the original truck. I dont know how to post the pictures here yet but will try and get that figured out. Darrell

 

The rear end most certainly is the stock Timken since you're seeing six lug nuts. The eight nuts and bolts on each side are to hold the full floating axle shafts to the hubs. Stu

 

Could we see some pictures? Here is how.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 76f350spercamprspeal

Welcome to FTE, Best Damn Forum EVER!
------------------------
Here's How to Post Pictures:
1. Login to FTE.
2.Click User CP (In the Top Left Hand Corner)
3.(On the Left, There will be a list, The 5th Option Down, will say "Pictures & Albums) Click That.
4.Then, Click Add Album, Enter a title, and description, if ya want to.
5. Click Upload Pictures, Then click Browse, Locate the Files of your truck. (You can add 3 files at a time)
5. Click Upload.
6. Add a description to the individual pictures, then click save.
7. Add more files if ya want.
8. Click The Picture you want to post, it will give you two codes at the bottom, Right Click The Second one (It say's BB Code, Then Say's [IMG]http:blahblahblah...[/IMG])
Then, Once that is highlighted, Right Click, Then Copy, Then Paste it into your post.
You can add up to 30 Images in one FTE Post.
If, Ya need any help, Don't hesitate to ask.


Quote:
Originally Posted by old_dan

You can also go to the "Garage" tab and start an album right here on FTE. After you post pictures to an album, we can look in your album, but you'll also be able to "insert a picture" by pasting in a link to the picture in your album.

It seems awkward, but whenever you "insert a picture" to one of these threads, the forum is looking for the picture somewhere on the web (which is always available) rather than from somewhere on your hard drive (which isn't always available).

Quote:
Originally Posted By Jolly Roger Joe

Welcome to FTE!

Go to Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and sign up for a free account. Then create an album for your truck. Upload any pics you want to post on FTE to that album. Have this album open on your computer when you want to post pics on FTE.

While you're making a post on FTE, select the pic you want to post from your Photobucket album. When the large version of the pic is open, right mouse click on it and select "View Image Info". The image info will be highlighted and will look something like this:
The best photos and videos | Photobucket

Copy that highlighted info (right click / copy).

When you have the spot in your post where you want the pic to be placed, select the "Insert Image" icon at the top of the post (looks like a mountain) and paste (right click / paste) the image info you copied in the highlighted box (just shows "http://" when it opens).

Your pic will be placed in the post.

Hope that helps.

Here's a tutorial Bob put together: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/67...-pictures.html

 

Any suggestions how to identify a Marmon Herrington and if it is one, what does that do to the value?

 

Doesn't do anything to add value, some would say it reduces value because you're biting into a bigger project with need to chase a whole different set of parts. Me I like challenges, and don't mind chasing parts and donor trucks. I like the fact that a M-H is unique, and there's so few left that you're preserving history. How many F-350 M-Hs have survived? Can't say for sure, but I don't recall seeing more that five or six. There's a few more F-250 M-Hs that seem to have surfaced. We have one member here with an F-350 M-H and at least one with an F-250 M-H. If the truck you're looking at is a M-H there will be badges on the hood and dash identifying it as such, or you'll at least see the holes where badges used to be (that's happened to me). Plus you'll see two extra levers next to the gear shift, a lump in the front axle, and a transfer case if you crawl under it. Here's a picture of what you should see on the dash. Good luck. Stu

 

Thanks Artic, I will be getting more picutures today after talking with Stu I need to look a little closer. I will try and get the pictures posted per your help. Thanks again!

 

For sure no extra levers beside gear shift, except what I think was an emergency brake handle. Dont recall any badges or signs of missing badges. Will know more today.

 

No Luck getting the pictures posted in an alblum but will keep trying. The 1953 F-350 is confirmed to have widow maker wheels, all six. A local national chain vender advised they will not fix flats or change tires on these wheels. They confirmed they have no source to purchase new wheels, however did have access to an USA Manufacture that would cut the centers out of the stock 17" widow makers and insert them into an existing 19" wheel that would work. $3800.00 for tires and wheels. There is no ID Badge located on the truck so the codes I hoped to find are not available until I see the title. The stock bed is indeed something that was made out behind the barn. The main frame rails were torched off close to the stock rear bumber brackets or what ever was stock in that location. It appears two 10' 4 x 4's were bolted to the tops of the frame rails from the front to the rear of each rail. 4 's were then bolted across the tops of the 4 x 4's forming a "ladder" frame to lay a wood bed floor of 1x1/2" thick wood. Stock running boards were torrched off even wth the rear of the cab. The straight six cylinder engine appears to be sittin extremely close if not "on" the main side rail to side rail crossmember. I could not tell if it was just packed closed with grease and crud or failed motor mounts. It has a two piece drive shaft. A closer look for rust confirmed floor boards, cab corners, drip rail and bottom of doors all looked pretty clean. One small spot of serious rust in front bumper cowling where cowling meets front bumper on driver side. No signs of rust thru from the back side that I could see and I have experience on rust issues with mid fifty trucks. The whole idea of spending $3800 to fix a flat problem is a negative. I realize there are other options, but any options take money out of the kittey towards my two 56 Ford F-100s that have come a long way and have a ways to go. This F-350 is a nice truck and I would love to get it back on the road,, but just need to justify the expense and a third truck. Im single and not divorced...I want to keep it that way......................

 

You're in Montana it says, so the tire vendor is probably Les Schwab or Commercial Tire. Both have contracts with American Wheel Specialist in Pasco, Wa, for their custom wheel business. Good folks, but $3800 is insane. I hope GB Sisson is reading this because he's in the process of selling his set of 17.5s with good tires for a fraction of that. He's giving his set away, compared to your quote. Sounds like the F-350 stays where it sits. Stu

 

Stu, yeah kind of a sad day facing leaving one behind. I hope someone takes an interest in it and has the sources to make a financial investment that will be good for both the truck and the new owner. Thanks for your help.

 

I've had my '53 one ton for many years. A while ago I started picking away at restoring it. I have the 215 OHV engine with a 4 spd. Single rear wheels and the 9' express box. I used it in my welding business for several years and got good use out of it. At that time I removed the box and built a flat bed for it. It sat for about 15 years before I decided to fix it up again. It was always a very dependable truck. I'm keeping the WM wheels partly because I probably will rarely drive it. About the only parts that are different and have been a bit of a challenge to track down have been the brakes. One of the trucks I wish I had was a one ton a great uncle of mine had on his farm. A f-350, SRW with a wood grain box. The one your describing sounds like a good project. Hope it doesn't get scrapped.

Grant