1952 F3
 

Hello,
I'm in the process of working on my first project truck. I don't know don't have a huge knowledge on trucks, but I do know some. I don't know really where to start.
As far as the truck goes, it's 1952 F3. The previous owner lost interest in it. He did do a motor and tranny swap, 390 and a 3 speed out of a '68 Fairlane Gt.
The rear window is shattered, there is someone nearby that have the glass out of a 51 F2. Would it fit?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...152f5a86d9.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...626f4679c0.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...8312257c02.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...dde1f5f24e.jpg

Welcome. Glad to have another F-3 join the group. I see from your profile that you live in Illinois. What area? I'm in the Spfld area. Your glass will swap just fine. You'll probably want to put in new rubber with it. Stu

Im from Carbondale. Thanks for the info! I got a LMC magazine, and everything says either F1 or F2. I thought I had heard somewhere most cab parts would fit a F3. Not positive though, I'd hate to spend money and it not work.

Congrats on that! It looks great....actually looks pretty solid..if you plan on driving it make sure it safe

It is pretty solid, worst rust is on parts of the bed. The frame has very little rust. As far as making it safe, i plan on doing all new brake hoses and lines and changing the brakes themselves to start.

Welcome from Maine.

That is a nice solid truck there. The F-3 specific body parts that aren't available new and hard to find are in pretty good shape on yours.
Nearly everything else can be found as new reproduction parts since the F1 shares quite a few parts.
Looks like you have an extra tailgate. Nice...those are one of the hardest parts to find. You might be able to trade that with a member here that has something else you need.

Tom

Thanks! I thought that they shared a few things. I have just started looking at parts, wasn't aware that tailgates were a rare find. One of them isn't in the best of shape though.

As for brakes...the front ones could be 12" and shoes and cylinders aren't hard to find. The rears could be 14" and it gets a little trickier to find parts. But not impossible. Just need to measure and carefully examine what you have to match them up with new parts. Your master cylinder has a larger bore than the 1/2 ton and you have larger diameter brake lines.
Upgrades to whole brake system can be done - for example convert to disc in the front and still keep the 8-lug pattern.
Lots of advice and information here in the archives. Search for '8-lug' and many threads will appear that will cover F2 and F3 wheels/brakes/rear differential topics.
good luck and thanks for posting pictures.
We like that!

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Any shape F2/F3 tailgate is still a good thing.
Welders/fabricators can make them look good and straight again. It's harder to make a reproduction F1 tailgate ever work for someone who is missing a tailgate. Like stretching a queen size sheet to fit a king sized bed. :D

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Stock rear brakes in 1952 are Bendix 12". The 14" Lockheeds went away mid year 1951. If the p.o. swapped in the 390 and 3 speed he might have swapped the rear end too. If not a 1967 to 1972 F-250 Dana 60 is an easy swap. Stu

Thanks for the info! I'm sure there will be more pictures to come! I plan on doing a full restoration on it. I'm waiting to do much to the body, my fiancée wanted an old ford at our wedding. So I was given the permission to buy this one!

Definitely something I'll keep in mind! I'm sure I'll find something I want or need for it!

Everything in and on the cab is the same for all 51/52 models.

Might be easier to mention what isn't the same with a 1/2 ton:

Frame, all four fenders, bed, tailgate, brakes, steering box, running boards, rear leaf springs, rear differential.

Other than that, you can pick up some parts catalogs (LMC Truck, Dennis Carpenter for example) and go nuts fitting up that truck with anything it needs that you want to buy new.

Thanks for the info! Everything is original except the motor and tranny he said. Don't laugh, but what's the reasoning for the rear end swap? I don't have a lot of experience with trucks yet. I figured I'd learn working on this one.

I figured that would be the case. Wasn't sure, I was looking at a bench seat out of a F1 but wasn't sure if it'd work. Someone already bought now. Better to be sure than sorry I guess.