Ford’s F-series entered production in 1948 and proved to be one of the most successful sets of vehicles ever made by any automaker. The F-series embodied Ford’s belief that a truck should be a truck (ie, built on a truck chassis, not a car chassis) but accommodate personal comfort and driveability as well. That theory – making the truck into a family vehicle – was groundbreaking. And as shown by its cars of the same vintage, Ford had a way with design that captured hearts – and pocketbooks. Here on eBay is a 1949 Ford F1 half-ton pickup for sale, currently bid to $5,250 with reserve met. This truck is located in Washburn, North Dakota, and has a clear title. Thanks to Barn Finder T. J. for the tip!
The motor is the flathead six-cylinder; these trucks came either with the six displacing 226 cu. in. and making about 95 bhp, or the eight-cylinder at 239 cu. in. making 100 bhp. The seller indicates that the motor turns but he has never tried to start it. The clutch does engage and disengage; the transmission would be a three-speed manual. The brake master is seized.
The interior has seen better days. The gauges are all present. The F1 featured interior appointments we take for granted today, but which had only lately become standard on trucks in the 1940s: driver’s sun visor, glove box, and ashtray. Optional was a floor-pump “See Clear” windshield wiper for the driver; and for the passenger a wiper, a taillight, and a sun visor. The seller says all the glass needs to be replaced. This truck was probably Barcelona Blue, judging by the wheels. (In 1949 the F1’s wheels were painted body color.) The seller has two extra doors in good condition that come with the truck. Which leads us to a discussion of….
Rust! Yes, there’s what the seller terms “the usual rust”. I have actually seen “unusual rust” on a vehicle, on all top surfaces but none of the bottom surfaces, so yes, this does qualify as “usual rust” being along the lower edges and corners of the truck. The photo above looks to be the worst of it, but we aren’t given undercarriage shots to test that theory. These trucks have a face that’s almost impossible to resist. The grille is almost delicate, versus the ponderous look starting in 1951. I’m a sucker for the clever hood release mechanism too: the passenger’s side chrome bar in the nose releases the hood; the driver’s side is stationary. This truck looks restorable to me. What do you think?
“What do I think”? Oh, thank you, dear, this is going to be sweet. Since the author failed to “get the conversation going”, ( I thought that was a cool thing to say) I’ll start. Here’s the deal, this is the kind of drek you would find on your backwoods dirtbike adventures in the 80s, laying derelict in the weeds right where she died, you’d slow down, deem it’s too wasted, and it is and move along. Someone buys the property, drags this to the road, and VOILA,,,,or so it would seem. There are 18 “alleged” bids, so there is interest, but starting at the bottom here, and every bidder I’m sure, has resto-mod on their minds, and again, that’s okay, at some point, there can’t be many left.
Oh, another story, you’ll like this one. In S. Central Wisconsin, while hiking in the S. Kettle Moraine years ago, we came across “The Donut Lake”. Try and follow me, okay, it was this big donut shaped waterway, clearly man-made with BIG machines,maybe 1/4 mile across, about a mile around with an island in the middle. On the “island” was a giant steel beam, several hundred feet long, anchored in the middle of the island, and the beam was mounted on a truck like this that said US Navy on the door, and then out over the water. The truck was supposedly driven around the outside of the island on a gravel road. Rumor has it, some guy built this in the 50s to go water skiing, but I think, due to the remote location and the intense quality of the build, it had to be military. The island is all overgrown now, and the beam must have weighed a ton as the truck is sunk in the mud, but who knows?
Where do they come up with bidders. To pay these outrageous prices ? You see these vehicles on hear all the time===which tells you they are not pricesless and they are every where you look. All you have to do is look. The reasonable saling price for this should be about $300. It has too many bad things for a high price.
An uncle bought one of these new in ’49, they only came with the V-8 in Canada. It is what I learned to drive on around ’53. Most farmers installed that reinforcing in the rear, so that when you filled the box with grain it maintained its shape. When they needed $$ they took some grain to the elevator.
They came in blue, green, red, and gray, all with black fenders.
That’s about a $1000 truck in my book, in that shape.
I have one with the flathead V8, 6 volt and runs like a top. A true barn find. Excellent condition. It’s licensed and I drive it all the time. Hmmm if he gets over 5 mines worth 25k. I was going to sell it but every time I start it I change my mind.
They are beautiful; it would be hard to part with one especially if it’s a V8 and runs well. Very handsome trucks.
Pretty rough for the money and it’s not even a V8
The reason this truck has 18 bids is because one bidder with ZERO Feedback has placed 10 bids driving the price up out of sight. Someone will pay too much for this truck.
Sanford would love to have it
Parts are not going to be available at your local Walmart and this truck will need a few truckloads of new parts and the total bill will be way over the $5200 asking price! There is a reason why the current owner has not started any restoration,because it will need years of work to get it to be a good looking running truck! Bring a trailer!lol
Jim