I am in the market for a 1948 Ford F1 and have found one nearby. I really would like to find one that is original or close to it. The one nearby is for sale and is all original. The ladies husband had it and has now passed away and she wants to sell it. He got it to re-do, but got sick. It looks great inside and all of the metal is sound and very little rust at all. Original paint in and out. The floorboards have some damage. It is a six cylinder and the motor does run. It came from the Midwest and has sat for a couple of years. ANY IDEAS ON VALUE?

 

Impossible to even guess from such a brief description. Value is such a nebulous concept, depends on so many factors, such as condition, location, how motivated the buyer and seller is. It is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Ask the selling price, or make an offer then negotiate, pay it, or walk.
Are you wanting to buy it for yourself or thinking you can flip it for a profit? Flipping seldom works out, no matter what lies they show on TV.

 

There is a lot to be considered when determining value..


Title .. 20-30 years ago people were not so concerned, but today it is very IMPORTANT Does she have clear a Tennessee title and does the serial number on the title match the number stamped in the frame?
Drive train condition ... Does it run, shift, drive and STOP?
Frame .. is it rusted, cut or welded anywhere? Is the Serial number stamped in the correct location and does it match the paperwork?
Cab.. is the floor solid...the cab corners, both front and rear? The door bottoms? Is the dash unmolested, and are the original gauges in good-fair condition?
Doghouse condition of hood, fenders grill
Bed ... is it intact and usable or repairable, tailgate

You mention "very little rust at all", but how close have you actually examined the truck? Have you checked with a magnet to determine if the 'all of the metal is sound' or if it contains body filler?
Regarding 'original paint' that is a very common claim, but in may cases it is not true.

Since the husband 'got it to re-do' pretty much indicates that it is far from a ready to use truck, probably needing lots of work.

If you want to take a lot of pictures and post them here we can probably give you a better idea of value.

 

Yes, pictures really help in determining the state and value of the truck.
when you post pictures, be aware that our experts will point out any flaws and concerns. Often it can sound like they are really trashing the truck, but the purpose is to make sure you know what you are getting into. Many of us have started with trucks in pretty rough shape. It's a fun challenge, but the more you know about what is needed to make it road worthy the better.

By the way, welcome to FTE!
Don't forget pictures. We love pictures.

 

I will try to add pictures to my question. I have not seen the truck in person and have no idea what causes the paint to look as it does. I think the color on the dash is the original color and maybe the outside color is just faded very badly. What might cause it to look so light and dark? Let me know what you think. Thanks
I could not get the picture to load to this site. Sorry

 

Some people have been having some problems with the photo uploader, but you can post photo to an off site such as photo bucket Google+ or Picassa (which are free) and then just link them here.
What part of Tennessee are you from, I have not seen any 48 F1's advertised any where in the state lately.

Regarding color, after 65+ years it's safe to assume that most of the trucks have been repainted at least once during that time. I have a 50 F5 that was previously painted at least three times and a 51 F1 that had at least two different colors on top of the original. Both trucks were red when I got them, but that was not the original color for either of them.

Now that we understand that you have not actually seen this truck, the truth is that the value of said truck could range from $400.00 to $4,000.00 with a lot of ??????? in between. When you originally said that the truck has very little rust, I was of the understanding that it was your opinion after personal inspection. A sellers idea of 'very little rust' is in most cases a far cry from the real world, especially on a 67 yr old 'project'.

 

Hey Harleymsn, Thanks for the helping words, but I still can not get them to post. When I hit "insert image" at the top of this message - a new part comes up (Upload Pictures at top) and I can get my picture to load on to the new part. Then when I hit "insert" on this page - nothing happens. I am in Maryville and I have a very good friend that lives just outside Crossville and he visited with me today. I believe the truck was a Meadow Green in color - based on the good color left on the dash. Thanks for your help. If I buy the truck, I will have many more questions.

 

Not sure on the value, but how much are they asking?

 

Hey Randy..Have a look at my '48 F1 Photo gallery..
It's a Flat V8 3spd on the floor.
Just now getting around to converting it to 12V..
Listen to the guys..wish I did.
Probably paid more than I should have but truck was local and had a chance to drive it for a while and fell in love with it..I'm a DIY guy but decided that the 12V conversion was above my pay grade..so second mistake was paying a guy to do do it and after $750 into it (I paid and still have material) with little to nothing done..he skipped out on me..
Now it's sitting in my garage waiting for me to gather the courage to do it my self..Youtube..Where are you when I need you most!!

 

Hey Delray,
Go for it! Jump in the water's not too cold!

There are a lot of electricity experts on here who can help you out.
We just installed a salvage yard 18 inch electric fan in our F1 - a lot of high amp
electric work. Go slow & make diagrams of each system & what you are trying to do.
Sense check them here first then dive in.

Looks like fun over there in S. Florida!

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Listen to the gents here Randy, and you can't go far wrong. There is a tremendous amount of experience residing on this forum, whether you wish to do a full-blown restoration, travel the dark side, or want some shade in between.

As for the value, and like has been said before, it can be anywhere from a few century notes, to several grand. Locale has a lot to do with how much you are going to pay. Some areas of the country have very few decent vehicles left, and the average sales price reflects the shortage by being higher. A good visual, up-front and in your face personal inspection is a necessity.

F-1: As Ben says, jump right in! The electrical systems on these old trucks is DC (direct current), and is about as simple and straight-forward as you can get. Converting to 12 volt is basically as simple as changing out the bulbs, voltage regulator, generator, and adding a voltage limiter to your gauges. The wiring and connections are more than able to handle the greater voltage. Even the old 6 volt starters in these trucks have heavy enough windings that they work well with the higher voltage without any modifications.

 

Randy, did you get my email?

 

Yes I did and I answered as well with a picture. I will send it again.

 

OK, sent you the email address again, just in case.

 

I just sent it again. Let me know when you get it. Thanks