Very few times in life am I rendered speechless, but it happened back in 2010: A man approached me in a parking lot and asked me if I was the original owner of my ’53 Buick Special. I was 33 years old. As I did the math in my head, I realized something…I must have looked horrible that day. Nevertheless, I get a chuckle whenever I see a one-owner claim that is a bit of a stretch, and it was the first thing I considered when I saw the ad that Barn Finds reader Jack M. sent us for this “one-owner” 1954 Ford F-500. If you do the math, however, it’s very much possible (unlike the relationship between me and my ’53). Either way, this looks like a solid old stake truck, and it’s for sale on craigslist in Bruceville, Texas, with an asking price of $3,900.

Not to mix my stories, but right around the time when I was asked about the ownership history of my Special, I found a derelict 1954 Ford stake truck sitting in a parking lot near my home. I don’t touch people’s vehicles as a general rule, so I didn’t open its hood, but I remember wishing that it had the big Lincoln Y-Block. Unfortunately, that engine was not available in the F-500; you could order a Ford 239-cubic-inch Y-Block or stick with the standard six, shown here. It’s the 223-cubic-inch “Cost Clipper Six,” which produced 115 horsepower and 193 lb.-ft. of torque, and sent it through a four-speed transmission with a 6.40:1 first gear. When combined with the F-500’s standard rear axle ratio of 6.20:1, you could probably walk alongside this handsome Ford as it idled, not that OSHA would approve of that kind of stunt.

The craigslist ad mentions that the original owner rebuilt the engine, but it needs a carburetor rebuild; therefore, I’m assuming it doesn’t run. You’re always taking a chance with a non-running vehicle with a rebuilt engine, but let’s face it, you’re not going to buy a truck like this if you’re afraid to get your hands dirty. The interior looks tired, but there’s so little to retrim on a working rig like this that you could hose it out with a power washer and throw a blanket on the front seat.

In fact, this could very easily be a truck that you could be driving with a few weeks of work; the only issue will be tires (and rims? Are they those awful split rims?) and brakes. The seller has a clean title (and can do layaway, which is good, because you’ll have to figure out a way to transport it). I fell in love with that long-forgotten ’54 that I perused in that parking lot long ago, and I personally like the 1954’s front end the best out of this generation of Ford truck. If the seller truly is the original owner, I hope the buyer can swap some stories; it would be fun to hear about the ownership history of this neat F-500.