If you’re in the market for a substantial truck from yesteryear, here’s a candidate. This 1951 Ford F-6 is listed here on eBay for just $1750. Take a (large) trailer to Thief River Falls, Minnesota to pick it up; the seller has a skidsteer and can assist with loading. The F-6 hails from the first generation of the F-series, with production commencing in 1947. This bad boy is classed as a medium-weight truck, with a GVWR of 16,000 lbs. Typically used for towing or farm hauling, the two-ton F-6 was a lightweight compared to its “Big Job” F-7 and F-8 peers, found in fire houses and on construction sites. Still, it’s impressive and would make a definitive statement at the next ATHS show.
The engine is possibly “stuck”, according to the seller – and that’s likely accurate since the radiator, carb, and other potential airways are open! No word whether the truck rolls, but we can assume not since a few of its tires are flat. The F-6 could be ordered with three engines – a 226 cu. in. inline six, a much beefier 254 cu. in. six, or this 239 cu. in. flathead V8, good for 90 net hp. The standard gearbox was a four-speed manual crash box, or, for a few extra bucks, you could have a four-speed ‘Synchro-Silent’ with synchromesh. Ford’s competition was Chevy’s 6400, available only with a six-cylinder, but still providing immense torque and load capacity.
The F-6’s interior retains its seats, as well as much of its trim, gauges, and glass – providing a leg up for the would-be restorer. Ford was spotlighting cab comfort by the 1950s, with millions of development dollars dedicated to enhancing the driver’s experience. By today’s standards, we’d consider this a rudimentary interior, but features we take for granted today – line of sight out of the vehicle, the ergonomics of the switches and handles, how long you could tolerate the seat – these were improving by leaps and bounds back then, even in heavy-duty work vehicles.
Ok, the bed is growing a bit of moss, but hey that’s not so bad when you consider that the cab corners are very clean. Some prospective buyers might think about installing a modern drivetrain, but I’d prefer to see this bit of Americana restored to its original specs. What do you think?
Ta ta da! A truck, maw, get the boys,,,sorry, it’s just when a truck DOES appear, it’s a special event,,,for me anyway. I had a similar truck, a ’51 F5 single axle dump( I should have kept), an in line flattie 6 and a 4 speed, which, by the way, is the non -synchro compound 1st( aka granny gear) synchros in 2,3,4, and the id tag indicates a 5:83-8:11 rear axle, which should mean a 2 speed, but see no button. No hoist,( Jim?) and I believe the F6 was the top of the medium duty trucks, and the 3 speed was still a crash box. Funny, when looking that up, on some forum, someone, clearly a youngun’ asked, “why is it called a “crash box”? Us old farts can gloat, but a good question, the non-synchro transmissions, you would “crash” the gears if not properly shifted, never thought I’d ever have to explain that.
You know,,,while initially I was opposed to showing these rusted hulks as examples of such great trucks gone by, I’m sure Geo will have a better example of one. However, as nice as his trucks look, something just isn’t right, farm trucks only looked like that ONCE, from the dealer, the rest looked just like this. It’s almost as if you can see the age marks from a lifetime of work, kind of like the lines in the face of an old man. The F6 meant business, and cost about $1700 new, for a bare chassis, and several hundred more for the stake bed, it was a major investment for the farm. Most bought only one, and these lasted well into the 70s, until what you see here, and was replaced. I sadly see less than zero interest for this today aside from kibutzing about days gone by,,.
WOW! Plenty rough old truck, but at least it’s all there. Grain body, but no hoist, must of had an axle lift at the local co-op. If you could coax that engine to roll over it might be worth the ask. I’d go back stock, but that’s just me. As always with these big trucks tires and brakes are where the money is, the rest of it isn’t any different than working on a pickup ‘cept you need a box to stand on.
Come listen to a story about a man named Jed, a poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed….
When I was growing up in our small Mississippi town our family had a livestock operation and my dad had a 2T model of the (now) vintage 1966 model year. I think it had a big six. It had a tall stake bed and was mainly used to haul cattle to and from the sale barn. In Summer it was used to haul hay. It had a “homemade” conveyor that attached to the rear hub and lifted the bales (the small rectangle ones – anyone remember those?) onto the bed of the truck (the rails on the side with lift having been removed). I was about 6 years old the first time Daddy took me out to help gather the hay bales. Since I couldn’t pick up the bales to stack them once on the truck (too heavy for a 6 year old), I was put in the driver’s seat. Of course I was too short to reach the pedals so a farm hand put the truck into 1st gear, got me rolling and then jumped off to the ground to line up the bales to the conveyor. Thank goodness the truck had power steering!!! Mother was none-too-pleased when she found out! Was that ever fun! But the real prize was that once the hay was securely in the barn, Daddy retained a few bales, brought the truck into town and took me, my sister and some of our friends on a hayride!! Became an annual tradition for a few years. Doesn’t get much better than that! Fond memories for certain.
Haven’t seen a conveyor like that for years, usually homemade out of a car rear axle, a pulley on the pinion to run a belt that ran the elevator. Hooked to the side of the truck, one man drove while another stacked. Now there’s the Bale Bandit that hooks on the back of a square baler and bundles 20 couple squares into a neat package you load on a pickup with the loader on the tractor. Nice for all those horse people that can’t stack a pickup.
I remember the small hay bails Tim. Used to see them alot in Eastern Ontario as a kid. Nice manageable size 👍 🐄 🐴
When working on my Uncles dairy operation in SE Tennessee. (In the early/late ’60s) The only bales we would have to gather up. Where the ones we kicked off to the side earlier in the day. Riding on the hay wagon behind the baler you grab the bale as it comes out the shoot and stack it on the wagon. Except those that had a ticked off rattle snake from going through the baler. Those you kicked off the side to “gather up” later. The field always had about 20 some bales laying out in the field in the afternoon.
Back in the day, I was sure that every 3rd farm had one of these rolling around. I don’t recall ever seeing one powered by a six but you could count on the flatty V8. Actually, in an F-5 and up, you could order the Mercury 255 engine. Being on the border, where Mercury trucks often filtered down, the Merc versions (M155) actually came standard with the 255.
I’ll have to say that half of these ’51 and ’52 models were still running the Warner T-9 Crash box, although the Synchro-equipped T-98 was making rapid inroads. You could always tell if the guy was running a crashbox because, behind a Flathead V8 they howled like a banshee. The T-9 made plenty of noise behind a six cylinder too but for some reason a V8 really brought out the noise; almost as bad as some of these estrogen-based talk shows as of late.
Geomechs, you always have the greatest pictures of the nicest trucks and cars and I always appreciate you sharing them. Not only that, but all your knowlege too. I love this one. I actually kicked cylinders for a living years ago. Its definitely not an easy job. But when people watch you kicking ( or rolling) two at a time, it always catches their attention. Seeing those cylinders actually made me miss it…… for a minute…….. Then I remember it was 30 years ago and my back and knees would probably go on strike if I did it now.
Hey Geo, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the K model IH in the background.
Michelle, once again THANK YOU!! I love seeing all these old trucks on here. I realize it’s not running now, but truth be told, it looks like it could be fired up and driven off under its own power. Although, stopping, well, that may be a different story depending on how long its been sitting!!
Thank you again Michelle. I enjoyed this a lot.
I really love these big, old, trucks. But, what do you do with them these days unless you need it for farm work. To get them close to operating in today’s speeds, is almost fruitless money wise. I had 2 1975 F 600 cab overs, with a 390 motor and, wait for it, automatic transmissions. They were retired Post Office trucks with Allison transmissions… Found that out the hard way after putting type F tranny fluid in one… Yep, blown tranny… Funny I just bought a Ford F 350 box van today, seller lost his parking spot, so I bought it thru a buddy… No… I don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet, but I couldn’t walk away from the price…
I have one of those 16′ boxes that I use as a garden shed. The wife didn’t like the look of just a white truck box. So it now has flowers and trees painted on it. My neighbors thought that I was crazy and would damage the box by “driving out from under it”. Just took it slow and it dropped exactly where I had made a level spor for it. (,no damage)
Look at all the other stuff he’s got in the background of the pictures….like a candy store….
About30 years ago I found an old and broke down 63 F-500 for $250 that the people who owned it just wanted out of their yard. Got it home and found the engine frozen. Pulled the plugs, soaked the cylinders and used a breaker bar over a few weeks and got it loosened up. Slowly turning it over, a few rotations a day until it could be spun by the starter. It was a big 6 overhead valve, can’t recall the cubic inches, 300? that once I got it running it was still strong, had great compression on all cylinders with one weaker one about 5 psi under the rest… Put it all back together, replaced the vacuum diaphragm on the brake master. Ran it around the neighborhood for awhile and sent it up to the mountains with a friend who needed it. I wouldn’t let a frozen engine sway you away from buying it for your needs. The flathead might even be easier to break out than the overhead valve engines.
About30 years ago I found an old and broke down 63 F-500 for $250 that the people who owned it just wanted out of their yard. Got it home and found the engine frozen. Pulled the plugs, soaked the cylinders and used a breaker bar over a few weeks and got it loosened up. Slowly turning it over, a few rotations a day until it could be spun by the starter. It was a big 6 overhead valve, can’t recall the cubic inches, 300? that once I got it running it was still strong, had great compression on all cylinders with one weaker one about 5 psi under the rest… Put it all back together, replaced the vacuum diaphragm on the brake master. Ran it around the neighborhood for awhile and sent it up to the mountains with a friend who needed it. I wouldn’t let a frozen engine sway you away from buying it for your needs. The flathead might even be easier to break out than the overhead valve engines.
great piece of yard art. with fuel fast approaching 5.00 a gallon unless your close to this it would just be too much to get to your door
A great find!!! And Michelle a great write up. The first thing not mentioned yet are the Firestone 5 degree wheels. These are the true “widow makers” and will have to be replaced. $1750 is not a bad price for a project truck which will make a mechanically inclined person a great show truck. I see a lever just to the right of the shift lever which should be for the PTO. Maybe it has a hoist under that ex-military body??? The glass is fogged, but it is all flat glass that a glass shop can cut. Just add a seat the right length and cruise to Cars and Coffee.
That’s an awesome truck you have mate. The chrome grill and strips along the side of the bonnet are a thing of beauty, but I can’t get enough of a look at the picture of your truck to know what it is, Really enjoy this Barnfinds every morning with my coffee here in New Zealand, The write ups and stories are wonderful to hear, Cheers to everyone
I don’t see a hydraulic tank for a lift bed. (Usually on the right side behind the cab) And I do believe the lever to the right of the shifter is the parking brake lever. (Brake drum on the drive shaft) there is a white button to the left of the steering column. But that is not handy for normal use. I see some vacuum controls on the firewall. Would that be for the two speed shifting? geo and Jim Randall please correct any “untrue” things I’ve said here. I have never driven any big F series trucks of this vintage. I’m guessing that the vacuum control 2 speed axle button that normally lives on the shifter has been swiped for another truck.
Hey Wayne, while these guys are snoozin’, I’ll fill that in. The plumbing on the firewall is for a vacuum brake booster located on the frame, and not a 2 speed rear. I have seen 2 speed axle switches on a dash, but not here. That white button is more than likely a horn button. Straight 5 speeds with V8s were common, as the V8 had more than enough power. Most 6 cylinders had 2 speeds. I believe if no hoist at the feed mil, start a shovelin’,,,
Thanks Howard.
Like Howard says, this could easily have a single speed rear axle. By the time this truck came out, the axle selector, both vacuum and electric, was pretty much attached to the gear shift lever. Earlier trucks had a mechanical shift lever on the floor but by the end of the war they were up on the shift lever.
Now, the heavy duty trucks, with an air-shifted axle, had the shift valve on or under the dash. They had a big lever that moved horizontally, and never could never be mistaken for anything else, unless the truck was a tandem and had an inter-axle differential lock; its control looked almost exactly like the 2-speed control.
For this truck you’d have to get underneath and examine the axle. A 2-speed is obvious as it will have a vacuum pod, a shift lever, or an electric motor (or evidence of one having been there).
Okay, my nocturnal/early morning potty break is over. I’m going back to bed for a couple more hours…
I have to agree with Howard and Geo. My mistake, that lever to the right of the shifter is the parking brake. Also the bed frame is too long to be a dump? GMC / Chevy had the vacuum 2 speed switch horizontally under the dash as Geo described. The air shift on the Brockway gas job was a cable on the shift lever which actuated a valve under the floor. I cannot remember if the Dodge’s I drove were electric or vacuum, but the shift button was on the stick. My 55 in the above picture is electric on the stick. Also you can see the 2 levers for the hoist, one for the PTO, and the other for the up / down control valve.
Hey Brocky, you know, I may be mistaken, that just might be a 2 speed control, I see a cable actuating something. I’ve never seen the kind of 2 speed lever you and Geo are talking about, aside from the electric switch on the dash of a IH Loadstar cabover, all 2 speeds were on the stick. We can’t see the right side of the steering column, and may be a dash applied pull cable, I don’t recall brake booster hardware had that cable. According to a Vin decoder, if 2 axle ratios are listed on the ID tag, it has to be a 2 speed.
Thanks Howard.
Several years ago I had the opportunity to buy a beautifully restored 1936 Ford 1.5 ton stake bed truck for only $12k! I really wanted the truck and it was a screaming deal, but I passed on it because it would not fit in our garage and I would have had to stop restoring and sell my ‘62 Willys Wagon.
This F-600 will fit in a 25 (+/-) foot long 10 ft wide with 8 ft high door, MIne does!!! Of course larger is always better. Depending on your zoning regulations one of the steel carports will work.