Hey everyone, I'm Cody from Kansas and this is my first post. Long time listener, first time poster lol. I've been doing a lot of reading the past 4 years on here and a Ford truck forum and my project is finally in motion. Anyways, here's my story: (I'll be adding pictures to this thread soon) August of 2013 my in-laws told me they had an old truck in the barn of the farm they inherited, wasn't sure what it was. I drove out and looked at it, turned out to be a 1950 Ford F5 grain/cattle truck with the 239 in it. It had been parked in the late 70s. A month later I drug it out and brought it home. Got it cleaned up some (it was covered in bird poo and the inside was full of rat nesting. The truck has some dings but no rust except where the running boards meet the fenders. After some of the restored big trucks, I wanted to go that route. However, when I realized I'd be spending over 2000 in wheels and tires alone to make it safe, I knew the wife wouldn't allow that lol. So it kinda sat for the last 4 years while remodeling the house and building a work shop (24x40 and it's not big enough lol) About that 239, Im going to use it once I can afford to rebuild it. It was frozen when I got it. I got it freed up, but cylinders 1, 4, 5, and 8 only have 50psi compression and the others must have stuck valves with 0psi. I did already rebuild the carb and managed to drive the truck in the yard to move it (barely lol) I had also got a t5 transmission from an 89 4cyl S10 that will go behind that when it's time. I bought the tranny and motor for $150, sold the motor for $150 (free tranny!) So, after reading everyone saying don't do a Ranger frame swap, I bought a 98 short bed (111.5" wheel base) and I was gonna move the rear wheels back and Fab my mounts and make it work. I sold enough parts off the ranger that I made $90 from it. I did this because I didn't ever expect to find an F-1 frame. A while back I picked up bed sides, a front, and 2 tailgates for $75. While looking for fenders I found a complete bed (48-early50) turned trailer for $300 so I picked that up. The front of the fenders are pretty bad, but I'll fix them. Well, yesterday I found a guy that had 2 F1 frames for sale for $300 each. 1 with no steering and 1 with no rear end. I picked up the one with no rear end, got it for $250 (is that a fair price?) it's been modified a little but nothing a cutting wheel won't fix. I'm going to put the leaf springs from my F1 bed trailer on the new frame and an explorer axle on top of the springs. I also plan on getting a disk brake conversion (5x4.5 bolt pattern) for the front and a drop axle and reversing the spring holes. Well I think that's about it for my long winded introduction post, which is going to double as a slow moving build thread. But y'all should be proud of me for using an actual F1 frames instead of a Ranger frame lol. I'll get some pictures up and update this as I make progress!
I look forward to seeing pictures. Glad you were able to find an OG frame and also neat that you'll be able to rebuild the flathead. I feel like big trucks built into pickups will become even more common in the future as the supply of pickups dries up. Nothing wrong with that.
...I'd reccomend getting some later model 1/2 ton shortbed springs, they would bolt rite onto your framerails and ride better than the old stack, they are more arched also, so you can mount the rearend on top of the springs and even use a lowering block if nessesary. You have to "c" notch your frame using the orig. springs and mounting the rear on top of em. here's a couple pics ...
Damn good price. My cousin is looking for one, and would gladly pay double that(maybe triple). His is on a ranger frame now, and it looks like ass.
Rusty - Thanks, I didn't know I'd have to notch the frame using the stock springs, I just got them off my frame rear half today and was going to put them on my frame tomorrow. I might see about getting the explorer springs and mounts from the guy I got the rear end from. eberhama - That's good to know lol. I'm considering getting the other frame from the guy as its suppose to be in better shape than the one I got from him and putting the steering from this one onto it. If I do, I'd have a frame for sale, but it'd be quite the trip!
Here's pictures from where it sat for 35ish years, to getting it home and cleaning it to the frame I have now. You can see the gash on the passenger fender, casualty of being a farm truck I suppose lol. Also have a picture of my bed for the truck, is that bumper an aftermarket one? Not sure if you can see the rust/damage at the front of the bed fenders. Also, my frame has holes where the stock spring mounts were. Not exactly sure what I'm going to do about those. Would it be safe to cut out a square and weld in new metal?
Your F5 front fenders have a larger radius for the wheel opening compared to an F1. Instead of fixing what you have might consider finding the 1/2 ton versions. Looks like that cab cleaned up good.
Those wheels will get your project kicked off of this board in short order, we do hot rods here but no modern stuff. Cab does look real nice though. The thing about the front fenders is, the wheel opening on the fronts will be much larger than the rears since you have half ton rear fenders, that might look odd. But thats something you can deal with when you get that far. Half ton front fenders are hard to find in good shape, some builders have modified the big truck fronts for half ton proportions. Sent from my LG-M153 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I was keeping my eyes open for some but haven't seen any locally and they've all been pricey online. I considered trying to find some f2-f3 rears because if I remember right they have a larger opening, but I guess they're narrower due to a wider bed. Since my rear fenders need metal work (rust repair), maybe i could make the opening larger if I think I can make it look right. But yeah, the cab did clean up good. The floors are solid and if I remember right there's no rust through any where
check the overall length of those Explorer rear springs, they mite be too long to center the rear axle where it needs to be,..here's how my springs looked mounted...you can see they were almost the same length as the originals and mounted close to the crossmembers on the chassis as designed.
Rusty, did you have to move a running board supposed bracket for the leaf springs? I measured some Ranger ones and they'd bolt near the back of the frame and I'd have to move the running board support forward about 4" to have my 114" wheelbase. How long were yours? Measurements online show 56" I decided to get the other frame from the guy. Also got some running boards and a heater. I believe the running boards are from an f2-f3 though. Also, does anyone know anything about this heater? He said it came in an f1, and he had another F1 that had one it it. As far as I can tell it's not factory and I do not see a brand on it anywhere.
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