Early f-1 differences.

Vanspeed

Vanspeed

Well-known member
Hey guys, I can't seem to find any info on early production f-1 pickups. My running boards are different from those I have seen. The grill is cream with stainless trim, lots of other small things I am finding. Is there any info on these different parts? My truck is numbered in the low 6,000's. A few people have told me I have a very early truck so some parts might be different. Is that true?? Why can't I find any information?
 
The info is out there, but kind of scattered, and just like much Old Ford info, in a lot of peoples' heads, not necessarily in print. There is a Ford Pickups 48 - 56 book by Don Bunn that is pretty good for pointing out running changes.

Cream grille with SS bars, with red pinstriping, is correct for 48's. They changed to argent at some point between there and '50, but I don't remember the details.

Are your running boards the type that extend across the top of the frame about a foot? Those were used for 48-50, but changed to the more common repro type that ends at the edge of the frame for late-'50 and on.
 
Nice F1.
There is a lot of discussion over on the Ford Truck Enthusiasts website also that you can pick through. Similar format to the FB.....
Here is he link to the 48-56 section that covers our F1s and beyond. Allot of knowledgeable followers there.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum41/
 
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Ross is correct on what he said. There were minor changes in many parts between years and assembly plants. Some of it is sort of explained in the parts catalogs, but you need to understand how Ford worked. I did Ford parts for 30 years and it still could be a mystery at times.
The wide running boards were 48-50 and 51-52 did not extend like that. the 48-50 had a black division bar in the doors, 51-52 had stainless. The screws holding the access panels on the doors had slotted screws 48-50 and 51-52 had phillips. 48 had side badges on the cowl, were cast and 49-52 were stamped stainless. The stainless grille bars were standard in 48, 49 and 50 were optional. The 48's only also had pin striping on the rims. The grille color changed in 49. THe oil sending unit on the engine was in different spots from 48-50 and 51-52. As you work on it, you'll learn about the small differences. There are more, but enjoy the truck.
 
Probably a lot of the differences depended assembly plants stock. My '49 F4 is an early '49 but it has the cast cowl emblems like the '48s. Maybe old stock parts weren't used up as fast on larger trucks.
Mark
 
If the question is, is an early '48 "special" or more valuable, I'd say "no".

Some other difference thru the years:
Beds had steel over wood, with raised panels on the side, until some time in '50, when they went to wood alone, with flat steel sides, and a different tailgate latching system.

The standard light-duty 3-sp was floor-shift until '51 when it became a column shifter.

Electrically there are some minor differences, in dash lighting and in the starter solenoid/starter switch.

'51 and '52 were very different cabs (but interchangeable with '48 - '50's), with a different dash, bigger rear window, electric wiper option.

PS -- no cowl emblems on 51-52, they were on the hood spears
 
My mistake on the 52 emblems, but anyway, you have a nice survivor. Use it and enjoy. People in the Northeast where I live, would kill for a truck as nice as yours. I've parted out 6 trucks to get parts to build mine. Yours would be an easy resto if you wanted to. I'd love to be able to get in it with all it's patina and history and drive it! I hope this is the year I make some major progress on mine. 30 years is a long time to be working on a truck!
 
The shift away from stainless began for the 49 model year and was triggered by the Korean War. The F1 grille paint was Tuson Tan in 48 and Argent for 49-50. The column shift introduction was a running change during the 1950 model build - along with the non-embossed beds and larger back window.

To the original question about special parts for the 48 model year, if you have a truck engine, there weren't running changes to my knowledge. The car engines in some years were notorious for multiple versions.
 
No 1950 ever had a "big" back window. If you look closely at the trucks on Ebay, they're mislabeled by year. The last one I saw had a 51-52 cab on a 48-50 truck. You could see the 2 gauge pods in the pics and he insisted it was a 50. Don't believe that rumor, no truck left the factory with a big window.
 
There are mistakes in the link. It mentions a lot of the changes, but not differentiate when they occurred. If you were take what they say, it is all listed under the 1948 year. Obviously, they occurred over the 48-52 years. It's too bad someone who had the time, couldn't go to the Ford Archives and get copies of all the tech data on these trucks. This subject could be debated until doomsday, and we'd never have it all down correctly.
 
Barry-ct said:
There are mistakes in the link. It mentions a lot of the changes, but not differentiate when they occurred. If you were take what they say, it is all listed under the 1948 year. Obviously, they occurred over the 48-52 years. It's too bad someone who had the time, couldn't go to the Ford Archives and get copies of all the tech data on these trucks. This subject could be debated until doomsday, and we'd never have it all down correctly.
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I agree - I only use it for the vin data. 15 years and 1300 vins later they are as close as anybody else on the numbers and the gap between V8 and 6's.
 
Keep the answers coming! My truck has all slotted fasteners, except for the pass. door latch screws that are on the side of the door. They are Phillips and look like they have been there forever. All my emblems have pits so they are not stainless. I know the big differences, as in bed sides, back window, etc. I want more info on the things that don't seem to be noticed. This truck is going to be an unrestored driver and I do not want anything out of place. I do have a truck engine. How is the choke cable setup at the carb on a 48? I feel mine is not correct.
 
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mtflat said:
I agree - I only use it for the vin data. 15 years and 1300 vins later they are as close as anybody else on the numbers and the gap between V8 and 6's.
Click to expand...

I didn't see any VIN info on that site? Were you intending to post the FTE VIN thread?

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/423340-1948-1960-1949-1950-vin-cut-off.html

38Coupe -- Are you talking about the ribs on the cab or the ribs on the front panel of the bed? My 52 cab has ribs, I can't say I've ever seen a cab without them, 48-52.
 
Barry, I wonder if that is a big-truck vs pickup thing? Where the rear of the cab would be exposed?
 
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