Patina farm trucks have been coming out of the woodwork like crazy lately. The classic truck trend has been going on for years and doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. This 1952 Ford is no exception. Located in Audubon, Minnesota, the seller doesn’t include much information regarding the history of the truck, but it certainly looks all original. It can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $1,750 and a buy-it-now price of $3,200. There isn’t much time for bidding, so I’m not sure if this one will sell or not. If you may be interested, check out more below!
You can see some critters probably scavenged some seat material for a cozy home. The seatback looks okay and the rest of the interior looks intact. A little bit of cleaning and I bet the dash would be pretty nice. There are no obvious holes in the floor, so that is a plus as well.
There is no information in the ad regarding the condition of the engine or transmission. It is clear it has been sitting for a long time and will need the fuel and ignition systems addressed before attempting to be started.
The wood bed is in surprisingly good condition. It appears to be original and it is pretty clear this truck probably was in dry storage. Even the scratches on the bedsides don’t seem too bad and there are certainly no rust holes. The only troubling spot is the driver’s side front portion. It looks like it may be a little soft in the corner.
Overall, this is a very handsome truck with awesome patina. It will probably make a great project for someone, but I think the seller may have to come down a little bit on their price. While classic trucks are strong, this isn’t the most desirable year or body style. Hopefully, it will find a new home and get a second lease on life. What do you think?
Cue “Sanford and Son” theme song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WqazleR3FE
what is the 2nd shifter? Is it a HI/LO for the transmission? Parking brake maybe?
Parking brake
I believe it is an emergency brake.
I see q BIN of $3K. Well worth the price. Shipping for me might be pricey.
That’s a real gem there, a near-perfect candidate for restoration. It will have a T-98 transmission that offers the benefit of synchromesh. The T-9 crashbox that preceded it was all straight-cut gears and the double-clutch option. The T-98 doesn’t whine behind a flathead V-8 nearly as much as the T-9 but you’ll still hear it. I just put a transmission rebuild package together for a customer in Alaska. Got a little pricey by the time everything was tallied up. It was all bearings, seals, and gaskets. He was going to take his chances with the old brass synchro-rings because they’re crowding $100 each.
This looks like it’s got a major front-end problem. I’m reminded of a truck that encountered a sizeable rock in the road (left there by a dump truck). It bent the axle and actually did some damage to the frame. But the wheel position, after the collision, was similar to this one. Most rebuild parts are fairly easy to come by. You may have to get the brake drums sent out to be reconditioned but there are a couple of shops (or more) that do a great job albeit far from cheap.
I’ve actually entertained doing a full restoration on a tonner before I hang up the wrenches. Yesterday they were a farm workhorse. Today, they’re just a real desireable truck to be handled with respect…
I agree with you on the front end. Something is off.
Leaf springs are sacked out, and worn kingpins( KINGPINS, WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE,,,MAFIA?) will make it look like that. IDK, I’ve been in some pretty tough situations with trucks, and never bent a front axle. The transformation to resto-mod starts now.
Bending a front axle isn’t a common occurrence but I’ve seen it happen. We had a ’51 Dodge 1-ton dually with a retractable crane that we used for setting up equipment. Somewhere in its lifetime someone hit something solid with the front axle. It had quite a wow in it next to the RH spring. I remember one time during a slack time in the winter we ran the truck into the shop and got underneath it with the torch and tried to straighten it out. But it just broke. We dropped it out and found a suitable replacement at a neighboring farm. There were some challenges getting the replacement in place because of the distortion of the frame. But we managed and that truck served the shop for many years after that…
Just went for $2k. Dammit!
Are you looking for an F-3 that needs restoration?
I love the term “Patina”, it has been around for about 5 years in the car world. Used to be “Rust” was the operative term, but what the heck. It seems the more “Patina” a car / truck has the better. For all concerned as your significant other gets older and older DO NOT, use the term “Patina” to describe her complexion!!!
Now, this is a cool ride!
And the price is CORRECT!
Ask me how I know?
As usual lost me at the word “patina” or as it is otherwise known “rust”