!949/1950 F1 differences

Just found a better picture of the truck from when it was delivered showing the side of the bed.

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Barry-ct said:
The big back window and dash changed at the model year change intro for the 51.

Barry

50 F-1
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Yeah. The reason I asked that is because I've heard "legends" of some very late 50's that ended up with wide back windows like the 51-52's. But I think it must have just been that--a legend.

Hey ct50f1, that is an extremely nice truck. Here's my 49. It's definitely not a show truck. Just a good honest farm truck that got a paint job back in the 1980's. I pulled it out of a barn after about a 20 year nap last summer.

ry%3D400
 
Mountaindoc said:
Yeah. The reason I asked that is because I've heard "legends" of some very late 50's that ended up with wide back windows like the 51-52's. But I think it must have just been that--a legend.
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As part of the "vin" series I've been watching for that and in 10 years of research I have never seen a 50 serial numbered truck with a wide window.

Not saying it isn't possible, but none have come to light in several hundred I've seen pics of.

Beautiful trucks, both of you!
 
cmbrucew said:
Hi MTflat
I have one with a # 97HC274122 LB
I believe ford still assembled car and trucks at the Long beach plant thru 1950.
It would be cool if this one was built there. It runs, original engine,solid metal,
every thing there.
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As a matter of fact it does say LB on the firewall tag, I was guessing that was Long Beach
 
MTflat
The stamp on the cowl looks like 15LB9F22A.
Sorry I took so long.
Bruce


Works good
lasts long time
 
I did a lot of research restoring my 49 F-1 (97HC218820) and the ivory grille insert for 50 didn't show up. My truck is a Highland Park truck.
 
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This is my brother's 50. It has the flat bed sides and the light duty floor shift three speed. It came from the factory that way.

ct50f1, are you sure you have the heavy duty three? Your shifter looks slimmer than the heavy three shifter to me. The heavy threes have a shifter about as big as the four speeds.
 
38 coupe said:
This is my brother's 50. It has the flat bed sides and the light duty floor shift three speed. It came from the factory that way.

ct50f1, are you sure you have the heavy duty three? Your shifter looks slimmer than the heavy three shifter to me. The heavy threes have a shifter about as big as the four speeds.
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No, I'm not sure it's heavy duty. I was told that the lack of a column shifter on a late '50 truck indicated that it was an optional heavy duty transmission. Is there an easy way to tell if light duty or heavy duty?
 
38 Coupe,do you know what color red your brothers truck is? Surprised I didn't see anything about the F-1 emblems as a difference.I am not sure but I think the emblems were raised and chrome on 48 & 49.I know the 50 if it is correct should have flat stainless emblems which I don't think they are reproduced.Please correct me if wrong. Russ
 
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Here's my 49 F-1 97HC218820. Restored in 2000. The color is 1992-96 Ford Truck code EP as I recall. I am a retired PPG auto paint jobber and I could mix the original vermillion in acrylic enamel, but I wanted to use single stage urethane. EP was a very close match to the original red I had. I know of another truck that won AACA senior using the same color. Worked for me.
 

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If the side of the transmission has a cast in T87, then you have the heavy duty three. You may have to clean an awful lot of grease and gunk to find out. Mac Van Pelt has a picture of the case on his website: http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/...s/Flathead_Trans_1948-55truck-HD3spd-case.jpg. The light duty three looks like this, again from Mac Van Pelt's website: http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/FH_trans-pics/Flathead_Trans_1942to48truck_3speed.jpg. The shift levers are also different, but I don't have pictures of each type.

Dick Webber is 100% correct, the color is vermilion. This was Ford's red color for only commercial vehicles for years.

I don't know if there is a year of truck or an assembly plant relation to the stamped vs cast badges. The other difference I have heard about is the 48s had ribs in the back of the cab, in front of the bed. I used to own a 48, but can't remember if it had this feature. Anyone have pictures?
 
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Here is a rear cab view of my July 1949 F-1 clearing showing 3 strengthening ribs that are concealed when the bed is in place.
 

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Mountaindoc said:
Yep, as we both know, 48 was the first year of the "monkey faces". I've got a 49 and a 50. But like we said, you'd be hard pressed to find the original colors on those grills nowadays. The VIN number is the only sure-fire giveaway between a 49 and 50 (unless it's a very late 50 with the above changes).


According to Standard Catalog of Light-duty Ford Trucks 1905-2002, by John Gunnell:

1948

Prototype trucks, seen in many factory photos, had body color grill/headlight mounting panel, while early production trucks originally had Tucson Tan finish there, Argent silver later replaced Tucson Tan and the later trucks also had Argent Silver finished grill bars with red stripes. All 1948 models had wheels done in black.

1949

Body color-coordinated wheels and elimination of the red strip on the Argent Silver grill bare the two most noticeable styling changes for 1949. The headlight and grill mounting panel continued to be finished in Argent Silver, like the late 1948.

1950

This year's trucks were almost carbon copies of the previous year models, although minor modifications were made. The grill recess was finished in an Ivory color.
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Where do the stainless steel grill bars fit in? I have a set on my 49. I do not see them in the listings for optional equipment but I do see them on original pictures of 48 or 49 f1's (ford truck times-it seems the black or white trucks have the stainless grill bars and the other colors have the argent silver grilles.
 
I thought the F-1 emblems were different.1948 and 49 were thick chrome and the 50 was flat stainless?Correct me if I am wrong. Russell
 
Correct me if i'm wrong but didn't they change the bed in 50' to the flat panel sides? I believe it was an option for the column shifter versus a floor shifter with a HD 3 speed or the light duty 3 speed for 50'.Ken
 
medctr1 said:
Where do the stainless steel grill bars fit in? I have a set on my 49. I do not see them in the listings for optional equipment but I do see them on original pictures of 48 or 49 f1's (ford truck times-it seems the black or white trucks have the stainless grill bars and the other colors have the argent silver grilles.
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I bought my '48 from the original family. It has stainless grille bars and had a tan grille behind it. Built April 1948 as stamped on the firewall.
 
medctr1 said:
Where do the stainless steel grill bars fit in? I have a set on my 49. I do not see them in the listings for optional equipment but I do see them on original pictures of 48 or 49 f1's (ford truck times-it seems the black or white trucks have the stainless grill bars and the other colors have the argent silver grilles.
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Think about it for a moment. Only black and white film then. There was no white in the 48 line-up except perhaps for special fleet order. Black, Red, Yellow, Gray, Green - 5 colors.

I have a '48 F6 with a fairly early vin. It was original red with stainless bars.

I can't say how late they went but by '50 the Korean conflict was ramping up and it's safe to bet that ss and chrome were becoming more expensive. Painted grills became more common and whether it was mfg or customer choice I can't determine.

EMBLEMS: All I can tell you is my 48s appear to be chromed potmetal, my 50 has stamped stainless steel emblems
 
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