Throwback Thursday: First Generation F-series Barn Finds

Barn Finds

Whether it's a closet, garage, attic or barn, places of storage always seem to have the tendency to become a time capsule. They can be filled with decades-old albums, paraphernalia from our youth and old pieces of furniture. Barns are special time capsules though, that are often used to store vehicles, which over time turn into priceless collectibles. In fact, if you ever end up exploring the classic car market, you’ll be sure to hear the words “Barn find” at least once. These cars are often hidden from most of the elements, resulting in a chassis that can be rebuilt and restored a lot easier than those left baking in the sun.  

1948 F3

Who doesn’t love a patina covered truck? This beauty was unearthed a few years back and kept in a supposedly dry garage. A bit of a detailed look shows there is some surface rust on the body and interior panels, which means it definitely wasn’t as insulated as one would want. Also, a lot of the glass has been removed, suggesting that this car was a possible work in progress. Although besides that, the 239 V8 engine was found complete and made it an excellent choice for a possible restore. This pickup was last seen at an auction, for sale to the highest bidder. 

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1949 Bare Steel F1

Like most trucks on this list, this F1 was mysteriously left behind. Eventually picked up by Youtuber Rustymetalz, all the rot on the body was taken care of. A quick look through his Youtube page shows the before and after of the car. He made sure to actually restore it, cutting out the cancer areas and welding in new panels. The interior was restored, as well as the front headlights, grille assembly, and wooden bed. But the most noticeable part of the restore is the straight steel finish. There's no clear coat, oil or polish, and it looks beast! 

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1952 Rat Rod

As always, the patina is King. This 1952 F1 was picked up off a farm by Bill Huff who had hopes of a basic rebuild, and he did it. Essentially, he accomplished the feat by keeping the exterior its natural patina and focusing only on drivability. While the body didn’t change much, the engine was swapped with a freshly rebuilt 283 Chevy small-block, on boost. A couple of suspension modifications drop the body to the ground, while the Mustang II wheels sat comfortably tucked away. Inside, the interior was spruced up with a new cloth bench seat and trim pieces. All in all, it's a sleek ride, decorated with over half a century of wear and tear.  

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1952 F1 Diamond in the Rough

All original, purchased from on a farm in Alberta, Canada, this truck has seen some rust. But as always, there few things that can divert passionate F1 fans, and the problems this chassis faced were no exception. Simplicity managed to revitalized the entire frame, upgrade the suspension and include the 8.8 rear axles from a 5.0 Explore. The engine was rebuilt, fitted with new Reds headers, and paired with a T5 5-speed transmission. Inside the seat was redone with a two-tone black and white pattern that looks fresh! The truck is on a Ridetech E3 Digital suspension system and is sitting on black finished Mustang wheels.    

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1948 Home built F-1

What better way to end this article than with an update from Pezsox and his 1948 Ford F-1. For those of you that are unfamiliar, Pezsox was an avid reader of this forum, that, before attempting this build, had no mechanical knowledge or hands-on help. He took on the opportunity of purchasing an abandoned F-1 with hopes of bringing some life back into it. He’s done some excellent work over the years, including some heavy chassis work, had the stock 6 rebuilt as well as the transmission. Like many others, Pezsox decided to keep the original Patina instead of paint, resulting in another vintage looking chassis. While the truck still has some work left to be done, I suspect it’ll be completed by next year. 

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