When the seller discovered this 1951 Ford F1 Pickup, they learned it had sat since 2004. It has belonged to the same family since Day One and is a solid vehicle offering many possibilities. The buyer could treat it to a restoration, or it would make a sound foundation for a custom project build. Considering its originality, many may decide retaining it as an original survivor is the best move. It is listed here on Craigslist near Hotchkiss, Colorado. They set their price at $12,500, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this gem.
Ford unveiled its First Generation F-Series range in 1947, with the vehicles remaining in showrooms from 1948 until 1952. Buyers faced a wide selection of models, with our feature vehicle being the ½-ton F1 version. Until recently, it belonged to the same family since the day it rolled off the showroom floor. It saw regular use until they parked it in a barn in 2004, but moving it into the light of day revealed plenty of positive news. Its original Code A Black paint shows its age, but its condition is within character for a vehicle of this type and age. The body sports a collection of bumps and bruises, but nothing that justifies panel replacement if the new owner elects to tread the restoration path. The best news is its lack of rust. The seller indicates it is rock-solid, and no issues are visible in the supplied photos. They say the bed timber is intact, having spent years protected by sheet steel. All trim pieces are present, and the glass has avoided the typical cracking and clouding issues. It looks rough around the edges, but if the new owner elects to return the Pickup to active service as an original survivor, it would serve that role proudly.
For those searching for a vintage Pickup offering respectable performance, this F1 delivers. Its original owner ordered it with the optional 239ci flathead V8 and heavy-duty three-speed manual transmission. That wonderful V8 should produce 100hp, allowing the vehicle to cart a full payload easily. After nearly two decades in hibernation, this gem surprised the seller. They added new plugs and a battery, and that flathead roared to life. It runs smoothly, with the owner stating it purrs like a kitten. The F1 runs and drives, the brakes work, and all the lights function as they should. The original owners converted the electrical system to 12 volts, but there are no further changes. It may require further inspection and new tires to return to a roadworthy state, but the seller will work from a sound foundation.
Apart from coaxing its engine back to life, the seller has performed no other work on this old Ford. They haven’t cleaned it or attended to any flaws or defects. That strategy includes leaving the interior untouched. The seat upholstery is shredded and will probably require new padding and a cover before this classic returns to active duty. Those wishing to retain this classic largely untouched could consolidate the splits and rips with duct tape and then throw a blanket over the seat. I’m not surprised the wheel has cracked, but the excellent restoration products now available could allow the new owner to return it to as-new condition without spending a fortune. The painted surfaces show deterioration but should still present respectably with a thorough cleaning. It may not be a luxury classic, but the original owner’s decision to include a factory radio and heater should make life on the road pretty pleasant.
What would be your plan of attack if you bought this 1951 Ford F1? There’s no question it represents an excellent foundation for a faithful restoration, and many have seen a new life as a custom build. Its solid and unmolested nature would tempt me to address the shredded seat and drive it proudly as an original survivor. One thing is certain, regardless of which path the new owner chooses, it will garner attention wherever it goes.
Fix the seat and give it a good cleaning and you’re good to go. Really like the dash.
Aw, looking at the vintage pictures, the “mom” in me makes me a little verklempft, people our folks age, just starting out, and this pickup was a part of it all. Imagine if it could talk. Before I got the squarebody, THIS is what I was really looking for. The “Ventiports”(?) are a funky addition, and appear to be from almost new. I don’t recall ever seeing that. It seems the truck had fender skirts too, another unusual option, for a pickup. This was their baby, for many families, especially on farms, this was their only vehicle. A great find, for half the price, maybe. Sorry, 5 figures is still too much for this bucket of bolts.
You Probably drive a Toyota.
Where did that come from? Sounds a bit sarcastic, and from a fellow member too. What, does my name automatically indicate trouble to some? To haphazardly answer your stupid comment, and way too early to be defensive but I bleed red, white and blue, pal, and will NEVER see me in a rice burner. I drive the most American vehicle one could own, a Jeep, and the catch phrase is true, if I need to say why, you won’t understand anyway.
So offer half the price. smh
Don’t shake your head too hard,,and half the price, or around $6 grand, I feel is STILL too much. And yes, Fred Sanford would agree,,
So offer half the price. Who pays full price?
People like the idiots on BringaTrailer,
who have WAAAAYYYY too much money.
They can say what they want but these pick-ups are wonderful and just like this one. They represent the progress of an era.
May God deliver her into good hands.
worth every penny. Every mile driven would be an absolute treat in this fine old truck.
Price a little hefty but that’s a neat old truck.
I’ve searched for F100’s but this F1 is appealing for sure! where is it located?
Fred G Sanford & Son!
Run it straight over to my place. I’ll drive and fix for a spell then I might decide to restore it. But it would never get the resto-mod treatment. Like Howard said a couple of spaces back, a lot of these were the family vehicle; they should keep a lot of that intact…
This looks like a solid truck ,that could be whatever you want it to be, depending on your skills and bank account. If your skill set and time is limited, but you have a big budget, GREAT! If you are average to above average with some skills and a moderate funds ,this could still be the truck for you. More than anything you need to be good at math and advanced planning. The price of the truck is not out of line, however it is not a slam dunk bargain, when you add up the cost to make it fit your expectations. I think a reasonable plan of attack would be a nice driving truck and reasonable transportation , when you want to drive it, and it looks good too. You have to make some assumptions and hope you’re not wrong. Will the engine, trans and rear end , brakes , radiator and suspension be good enough without a total rebuild to some or all of them. I think a cost of $2,000 would be expected to correct things to an adequate level. Next how nice of an interior do you want. I have done several F-100 with after market pieces and some creativity and kept the cost under $2,000 The big question is body work and paint.This truck looks fairly straight ,I wouldn’t hesitate to attempt most of the body work myself. leaning towards a Patina finish or flat paint. I have done it and you can get great results with lots of work and less money. I have kept this number under 3 K with reasonable results,doing one or both of these. You also need to consider tires and wheels, they are a game changer. They make or break the truck in the curb appeal and nothing makes an old Ford ride and handle better than radial tires. This cost is as much as you want, but probably not under a grand. Finally ,exhaust, wiring creature comforts, Chrome/bling and unknown pitfalls. Could be anything but 5 K wouldn’t be a bad guess. Adding these estimates up and not factoring in a fudge factor of 20% , the total guesstimate is about 26 Grand for a nice driving older truck. Now you need to ask yourself Is it worth it Punk?”
P.S. I think you could remove the port holes on the fenders for free!
Thanks, Joe, we can always count on your opinions to be the voice of reason, and not some stupid “Toyota” quip. Clearly, we’re from the same time, when a truck like this was just a hulk in the back yard, it had served its useful purpose, and was so outdated, it wasn’t worth repair. Older pickups like this are the latest “flash -in-the-pan”,( think Big Healey, Toyota FJ, Dodge Daytonas, etc) and this too shall pass, making these practically worthless, as is. While folks like you and I would love a truck like this, pretty much the way it is, we’re losing ground, my friend, FAST, with each passing day( and old fart) and its only appeal, is to sink a ton of money, like you say, dress it out to the 9s,( resto-mod) and little chance of ever getting that investment back. I see these vehicles, where seller retrieves a fraction of what they invested. IDK, a $20K loss would be not for me. Cost of enjoyment of the build? I don’t think so. Just a matter of time( I say 10 years, MAX) and nobody will want any of this stuff. We’re almost there now.
No one has any idea of what’s going to happen in 10 years. Personally I’m not all that worried because I’ve lived my life, but I’m concerned over my grandkids, and what’s in store for them. We had them at our place for five weeks last summer and Kenzie and I had some opportunities to take those kids to places they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to go. It was great to see them take everything in with gusto.
But you cannot give up on the future either. I’ve got a little part-time job finding and selling old International truck parts and it has blossomed into a full-time+. And I’ve got customers fresh out of high school. I took in one truck/tractor show this year and I was amazed at the number of kids in attendance; it reminded me of my trip to South Dakota State Fair three years back…
“Nobody will want this stuff” As long as people get older there will be desire for things they wanted when they were young. Pickups are the biggest selling vehicle in the US and if you think the market for decent condition vintage ones is going anytime soon I suspect you are mistaken. BTW, I’m 60, with a ’66 Chevy C10 (original, unrestored but well worn) a Porsche 981 GT4 and a ’64 Vette (that I’ve owned for 20 years) . The pickup still brings me more pleasure than either of the other two. This is a nice old truck of which there are not too many left in reasonable condition.
Shame it is a floor shift. This is a replica of the truck I drove in high school except mine was a 3 on the tree. Really want one again. Location close enough.
I’d love to get another truck. Best one I ever had was a 57 Chevy 1/2 ton. Worked that one nearly to death until I bought a 69 1ton .That 1 ton wound up costing me plenty in tires repaint previous owners logo off and new engine. Then got hit in gas embargo while running a cargo hauling business. 6Cyl auto, sucked gas like it was going out of style when loaded.