'49 F-1 Build Picture Thread - with pics this time!

Well, even though it isn't 100% complete, I am sitting around the house with a family full of Flu, so I figured it was a great day to spend a couple hours building this post.

I found this '49 F-1 out on Cape Cod in August of 2007. Decided to buy it and restore it to original rather than chop it up. After a bit of Google time, and a couple phone calls, I found the original owner in Alabama. I was able to talk to his son as the Dad died in 1990, leaving the truck to his Son. The Dad bought it new in '49 and used it as a farm vehicle until he died. The Son drove it aound town for a number of years and then put those horrible wheels on it. In 2004, the Son sold it to a dealer who then took it to Cape Cod to flip. Guy on the cape bought it and let it sit outside for 3 years.....he got sick and decided to sell it. Now I have it!


It was a fairly solid truck. Running but had some damage from sitting on the Cape with leaking windows and a bed full of leaves. I registered it, drove it for a day and then began ripping it apart. As you would expect, it was a bit worse than I had expected once I dug in, but oh well..



Spent the winter of 2007 cutting rusted bolts, scraping off undercoating, and trying to keep all the parts in some sort of order. Got right down to the frame and started putting it back together.


I did some work on the flat 6, but it had been rebuilt not too long ago so I didn't go crazy. New bearings, seals, gaskets a good cleaning and some paint did the trick.


All of the sheet metal needed significant work. Patch panels on all the fenders, lot of work on the cab, new floor, etc... Spent a couple months doing the sheet-metal work right and went from there. My friend Jeremy (DirtyPetcock on the HAMB) and JetMek gave me tons of help and time - thanks for that guys! So did my Dad (woodtruck). CharleyVW was super generous and sent me parts whenever I needed something he had - Thanks Man !

The Grill was an interesting project. The original grill had messed up bars, but the headlight surrounds were great. I bought another grill that had great bars and wrecked headlight surrounds. So, I cut them both up and made one good one. Decided to bolt it together rather than weld it again - this worked great.


Got all of the metalwork in primer over the summer of 2008.


To make a long, long story short......got it all to paint over the winter of 2008 and spent all of this year putting it back together. just got the hood and front fenders back a couple weeks ago, and here it is. I still need to fit the doors, hood and do a little wiring, but its running and driving and turnin heads !



A big thanks to the HAMB as this project would have been much more difficult without this great resource. Thanks HAMB!

Just started my next project - a scratch build of a 20's style Grand Prix speedster.....Bugatti and Alfa Romeo inspired. Probably do a build thread on that once I get the frame made.
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Congrats on a beautiful job! Now go drive the wheels of it! Regards, Dave.

 

Beautiful truck. After watching your build, I picked up a stock '50. I think I'm going the same route you did but with a flathead Merc I picked up from a Ranchwagon project. I'll probably steal your paint color (thanks again for the code).
You're welcome on the parts.
Great job!

 

Thanks Dave! Good advice - I will do my best.

 

those are my favorite trucks. lookin good, i'm jealous

 

Good luck Charley......should be nice. Let me know if I can help...As I said, I have a few boxes of parts left over.

I love that Meadow Green - just looks right.

 

wow! great job I wish I was that motivated.

 

WOW man!!! Nice, nice job!!!

Comming soon my Ford Truck is finish like yours...

Good Luck...

 

Excellent job on the truck.

 

After 2 and a half years of pretty regular work.......I am looking forward to working on something else ;-) But now I can drive to the parts store in this !

 

Don't be jealous - next time you're in Upstate NY, lets go for a ride.

 

wow, nice job!!!!

 

Great work, that thing looks super nice.

One question, were the inner-fenders originally body color or black? I can't remember how mine were when I tore it apart years ago.....

 

Well done; beautiful bed. Factory color was a great choice, too!
Robb

 

Well, when I got mine, the inner fenders were black, but when I stripped that paint off, there was the original meadow green under the black. So, I really don't know......the truck had been painted a few times. I decided to go with green.

 

Nice looking truck and a driver/parts chaser to boot, can you say win/win? I've got a '48 that I intend to get started on (you know, the best intentions of mice and men). However mine will be a little more on the performance/heavier hauling nature. I'm waiting for a front crossmember from ElPolacko to adadpt a Dakota front end to it and it will get a BBC 4L80E engine trans, 9" rear.
I think all of them must have been painted green as yours along with mine and about a half dozen trucks that I have harvested parts off of are all that color. lol

Frank

 

I think this chart has bounced around the HAMB before, but here were the choices back then....I like the green obviously.

 

Very CLEAN job my friend, I think anybody would more than proud to own that GREAT truck!

Nick.

 

Wow! Nice job. I like a well restored 48-50 F-series. My dad has a 49 F-1 torn apart in his shop now...I need to show him your pics to re-light the fire.

Neal

 

A little shot of inspiration during these marathon projects makes all the difference !

 

Ain't that the truth. Just since posting on this thread I went out to the shop and took a look at the old girl. Did a quick inventory and walked back to the computer. Sigh!! How many times have I done that? Oh well, one of these days I'll start on it for real. Hope it's before the dirt nap as I really want to drive the thing.

Frank

 

That's funny. I'm sure you can hang in there long enough to get it running.

 

I have a chance to get one of these from a family friend dirt cheap. Are parts for it easy or semi easy to get, or is it a mad hunt to find stuff?

 

Man!! your truck looks great!

 

If you got a flat 8, you will be able to find parts. Gauges and interior parts can be tough and sheet metal can be hard to find, but generally speaking, an early ford supplier, Dennis Carpenter, LMC truck, etc... can hook you up. The HAMB is the other major source....the guys up here, in my experience, are more than willing to help.

 

He'll be here tomorrow to visit my dad. Pops had 5 bypasses 6 weeks ago, so I hang close and do all the driving for now. Only his 2nd hospital stay and he is 66 today. If I get the truck I will probably pro-street it and such. It isn't going to be in original enough shape for me to be doing something bad to it. I am not sure what engine is in it.

 

Good luck with the truck and your Dad. Hes too young for that crap!

 

You have done a beautiful job on the truck! Very Very Nice!!

 

Beautiful pickup!
Takes me back to mine. Had a later model ford ohv6 but was stock otherwise and
painted about the same shade of green.
Nicest thing about early 50's f1s is they were as comfortable as a car to drive.
Had mine cross US several times.
Enjoy your ride.
Bill.

 

Nice work sir...