Solid 71-Year-Old: 1948 Ford F1 Pickup
It might just be me, but there’s something about the pictures of this old Ford F-1 Pickup that just looks right sitting in the snow. Judging by the overall condition of this 71-year-old vehicle, I don’t think that it has ever spent any extended periods out in the snow. It is a solid vehicle that is ripe for restoration, or it would be just as comfortable being driven as it is. Located in Eureka, Montana, and listed for sale here on eBay, the owner has set a BIN price of $9,500 for the old Ford, although the option is there to make an offer.
The owner states that the F-1 is solid, and is free of any major rust issues. As a commercial vehicle, it does have a couple of minor dings on the body, but there are surprisingly few for a vehicle of this age. As far as actual rust goes, there is a small spot in the floor near the gas pedal, and there is also a little bit starting in one running board. The most susceptible place on these was always the cab corners, and these ones look rock solid. There is plenty of surface corrosion in evidence, and how this would be addressed (or not) will be up to the new owner. One thing that I had to have a chuckle over was the color that he has listed for the vehicle in the Item Description part of the ad. He refers to it as “Greenish.” The timber on the bed is pretty rotten, so that will need to be replaced.
The owner believes that the engine is original, and that would make it the 239ci flat-head V8, which is backed by a manual transmission. The good news here is that this old Ford starts, runs, and drives. There are a few things that will need to be attended to before this one hits the road, but none of the jobs are big. The brakes work but will need bleeding. He suggests that it would probably benefit from new plugs and points. He also believes that some of the tires might be original, so those will certainly need to be replaced. Overall though, the list is quite short.
The early F-1 was not a vehicle loaded down with a lot of interior trim and luxury, and this one is no exception to that rule. The dash is complete and unmolested, and not only are all of the original gauges present, but they all work as well. The owner believes that the cover on the seat is original, and suggests that this could be replaced. Depending on what path the new owner decides to follow with the F-1, they may also just choose to put a blanket over it and use it as it is.
It would be interesting to follow this old Ford when it passes to a new owner and to see what path they would choose to follow with it. There are a pile of options available, and that is one of the things that makes these such a popular pick amongst classic vehicle enthusiasts. I know exactly what I’d do with it. What about you?
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Comments
Any vehicle that has lasted this long and still runs deserves a fresh coat of paint as a tribute. The truck looks great and probably could tell many stories.
Love it.
I would ditch the flatbed and install a regular pickup box with real fenders. Nice truck for sure but it would be restoration material if it came my way. I’m not impressed with the 12V battery; all my flatheads are 6V and if they fail to start I’ll be finding out why. Eureka? Might be a good excuse to take a drive through the Marias Pass and see exactly what’s on the other side…
Yeah but your headlights look like candles.
You have a point there, but then, I don’t really notice the 12V sealed beams on the ’57 Pontiac or the ’79 GMC are significantly brighter. I can see just fine with the 6V lights. But then I admit that I don’t drive my relics much at night…
Make it safe, reliable and clean up the passenger space…drive it exactly as it is, otherwise. I’m not into the patina trend, but this truck as it sits is telling an awesome story about its life…as much as I like restored, the appearance of this old girl commands respect.
I’m with you. To me, “patina” is a 4-letter word. A weathered finish is for a work vehicle or a race car put up right off the track/trailer. This one fits.
Original 71 year old tires? Wow
Flathead car engines thru 48 had the distributor mounted on the front of the engine, this one has the distributor stalk coming up on the passenger side of the engine. Unless there is something different with trucks, this is a 49 or later engine.
Actually the trucks received the new (8BA) engine in ’48 while the cars had to settle for the tried and true 59AB. It was a totally new design and it got the new engine. Now the Canadian version got a little bit confusing. According to the information I have, the ’48 trucks (both Ford and Mercury) still ran the 59AB until the ’49 models came out. Some sources might disagree, and that is just fine because I’m not the sharpest knife in the block…
Why do people hesitate to call rust what it is. This has rust all over it. However I don’t see any cancer. This would be a great project for me because I have a couple trucks just l it. As, I have said, I am out of room to take it in. Good luck to the next owner.
If that color is “Greenish” there is more “ish” than green. It will take a lot of green to have it painted.