Hello all, I recently found a 1940 ford truck, I assume it to be a f1. The guy who owns it said that I could buy it for $500. The truck is in decent shape rust wise but is missing the front clip, interior, and the bed and rear fender. engine is a flathead with a three speed. no title.
Is that a decent enough deal for it? and what would it cost to find all the body panels

Thanks!

 

Run Forest, run. JMO Better to find a complete truck rather than trying to piece together a project with no title - you'll be money ahead. And FYI: Ford didn't start using F1 until 1948.

 

Ditto, you will almost always will be ahead to buy a better truck.

 

If you have the time and money, 500 for a project starter with chassis might not be too bad. A Jailhouse 42 to 47 (or better yet A 41) parts truck could contribute to your beginner's kit with a bed (which has to be narrowed 2-3" and a new 40 tailgate) and rear fenders (which have to be reshaped on the bottom front end to fit 40 running boards). Interior parts like a glovebox door and instrument panel (with 40 decals on it would probably work), except the 40 had a voltmeter where the Jailhouse had an ammeter. Seat springs would have to be cut down before recovering and hinge differently from the 40, but you'd have to get them recovered anyway. You'd probably want a new headllner for the 40, as well as a new radiator.. In front of the cowl you'd be stuck with having to scrounge almost all the sheet metal and grille parts (some the same as a 40 standard car), maybe selling the later cab, doors, tail gate and chassis parts off the later parts truck to raise some dough for the project. I went through all this when I built my 40 daily driver in 1977, and use it daily today, 140,000. fun miles later. Prettiest pickup Ford ever built for my money, but it will take money and determination to get it done. I would make a serious bet that there are more 40 steel pickups on the road today percentage wise than any other prewar vehicle that Ford or anyone else manufactured. Jalopy and demolition racers and early hotrodders burnt up a lot of roadsters, coupes and sedans, but the farmers kept their pickups... Before you jump into a project like this be DAMNED sure this is the one you want and you'll be much more likely to see its completion. It's worked for me.