Daily Slideshow: The Pride of the Firstrider

First Things First

The 1952 Ford F1 pictured above just so happens to be the very first vehicle Ford-Trucks.com forum member Denny Dahle (AKA Firstrider) ever drove. He was 14 years old when he first drove the truck and would go on to buy it 2 years later. For him, the 'Firstride' symbolizes over 50 years of memories. "From going to the cleared forest and dynamiting stumps with Grandpa, to hunting, fishing and delivering lumber," Denny remembers, the F-1 was a huge part of his youth. "It was the original delivery truck for my grandpa's lumber mill and yard." 

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Well Earned

You wouldn't think by looking at the immaculate condition it is in today, that the Firstride served as a hauler for well over a decade before it was replaced by an F-100 in 1968. When Dahle saw his beloved truck parked on the mill property after "years of punishment," he decided to ask his father and grandfather if he could have it. "A stern 'No' was the answer." They wanted Denny to earn everything he had. "If you paid for something, you took care of it." And so they agreed upon a $50.00 price, "which meant I would need to work at the mill for 50 hours," remembers Denny about his $1.03/hour wage.

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Waiting on the Sidelines

His F1 was special to him from the beginning. After he purchased it from his grandpa, Denny's first truck spent many years sitting in garages and shops. The restoration project has been taking shape over the years, to try to bring the old truck back to the strength of its glory days.

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Brought Back to Life

Dahle has not been one to leave his baby in the hands of others for restoration, unless absolutely necessary. He performed the majority of the work himself other than the paint and the engine machine work. "It went through a frame-off complete restoration from May 2010 till June 20, 2015" Denny said. The results of the hard work easily show. 

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

All Original

The 1952 Ford truck precisely holds true to its original condition. This is not a restomod project which makes it even more impressive. But the toughest part of the process is the work that went in below the surface. "One must try to visualize that once upon a time, this truck was all covered in rust." Denny remembers. "I have many hours behind the business end of the sandblaster and with hands inside the blast cabinet."

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

From the Ground up

One of the most important parts of the project, of course, was restoring the chassis. It was "stripped of running gear, disassembled, sandblasted, epoxy primed, and painted gloss black." The powertrain is the original 8RT truck engine with 110HP and a 3-speed light duty transmission. As you can see in the photos above, Dahle is not one to shy away from the attention that this eye-catcher brings him.

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Easy on the Eyes

Onto the details... The paint is a single stage Original color. The truck has the original Kelsey Hayes wheels, along with an optional rear bumper, OEM locking gas cap with rain flap, and OEM glass parking light lenses. It also is equipped with Sungate Ivory painted grill, painted by Denny himself, custom-made blue Ford hubcap letters and hood trim letters, and as an ode to its roots, the truck bed wears "oak bed boards from Grandpa's sawmill."

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Authentic Interior

On the inside, the F1 holds true to its old days as well. From the door panels and trims to the dome light and radio, everything is original, and all in the OEM color. Dahle himself restored the Magic Air heater and equipped it with a custom-made heater boot. 

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Award Winner

The Firstride caught the eyes of the Curated Content team on Ford-Trucks.com having come across the veteran forum member's incredible truck in a forum thread. We know most of you will be just as impressed with Denny's tasteful handy work as we are, if not more so. 

"Since completion in 2015, the truck has been awarded multiple 'Best in Show' awards," he said speaking proudly of his masterpiece. The list of awards goes on for days, including numerous best in class awards, outstanding vehicle awards, among others from car shows and museums. Best Truck at "Big Daddy" Don Garlits car show, AACA attendance award at the 2018 Boca Raton Concours D'Elegance having been personally invited by Steve Moscowitz, as well as several top rankings are among the trophies in the ever-growing cabinet designated to the F-1.

As you're reading this, Denny is probably at a car show collection some awards with his bright red Firstride.

>>Join the conversation about the Firstride 1952 Ford F-1 right here in Ford-trucks.com.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.