BF Auction: 1955 Ford F350 Stakebed

Seller: Robert R amm (Contact)
Location: Wenatchee, Washington
Mileage: 91812 Shown
Chassis #: F35DR17585
Title Status: Clean
Engine: 223 cui Inline-6
Transmission: 4-Speed Manual

This 1955 Ford F350 was recently pulled out of the barn, where it had resided since the late 1980s. Prior to its life on the farm, it was reportedly used by the East Wenatchee Water District. It’s spent its entire life in the Wenatchee, Washington area, and looks like a solid truck. If you’ve been hunting for a classic truck with a cool look to it, this might be the truck for you! The seller would like to find a good home for it, so they are offering it here as a Barn Finds Auction.

This truck started out its life in Banner Blue paint, according to the trim tag and the paint showing inside. The current white paint is worn through in some areas, giving the truck an interesting look. It’s still equipped with its original Ford stake-side bed, though it could use new wood in the bed, well, at least if you intend to haul anything heavy. The seller notes that, aside from some spots of surface rust, it’s very solid throughout.

For a ’50s work truck, this one is about as well equipped as you could get. It has a full range of gauges, a glovebox, sunvisors, and a heater. That’s really all you need to get the job done, but it is pretty spartan by today’s standards. For us, it’s actually a selling point! There aren’t any electronics to distract you from the task at hand and it’s dead simple to use/work on. The seat upholstery is showing some wear, but replacements are available. Restoring this truck’s interior back to original condition should prove to be a simple task.

Under the hood of this old farm truck, we find a 223 cu in inline-6 rated at 109 horsepower. The engine is paired with a fully synchronized 4-speed manual transmission and a 5.14:1 rear end. The inline-6 might not be the most powerful engine offered, but it’s a durable and smooth-running engine. The seller hasn’t attempted to start it, but did turn it over. Given how robust these engines are, getting it running will likely be a simple task. Getting it back on the road will require a bit more work, as it will likely need the brakes and the rest of the drivetrain serviced.

The seller also notes that the passenger window is cracked, so plan on ordering a replacement. Overall, this looks like a good starting point for a classic truck project. You could keep it simple and just get it back on the road or you could restromod it into a fun cruiser. With Ford having only produced about 3,500 of these stakebed dually trucks, hopefully someone will put it back to work!