Art & Inspiration Ford panel becoming yard art

I bought this '52 Ford panel about a year ago with two '46 Chevy pickups. I only wanted the panel to flip because I know about Bonus Built Fords but know nothing about Chevys. I had to buy all three as a package deal. OK, but what I panel and thought I could sell if off pretty quick. I got a real good deal. Well, the two Cheys sold withing a week for more than what I paid for the deal. The panel, well that sat on my front lawn for about three months and then winter came and I stored it. I brought it again in the spring and it sat all summer, got a few nibbles mostly for trades for things I didn't want.

I had all the parts to complete the truck, most important all of the next to impossible panel truck specific parts; two front seats, two very decent back doors and gas tank. The truck needed work and had to be ***embled. No one who would be interested in a vehicle like this 10-15 years ago wanted to take on a project.

I started parting it out. Sold the front clip, the flattie. The cab, which was patched together with parts from another panel, I guess, was OK, the guy did a great job of welding the patches, IMO. I decided to use it for lawn art on the barn bank in front of my barn. So far I swapped the body onto a farm wagon running gear I got at an auction for $10, I bought a set of Ford truck rims that fit the running gear and I got a couple of pallet racking beams for free. I had to narrow the running gear by 8" and adjust the front to back wheel base, using the beams to stiffen the running gear up. I had a front clip from a '48-50, which I like better so I tossed it on the truck. Next a coat of rusty metal Rustoleum followed by $100 tractor paint. After starting this project I was able to sell the stock ch***is for a decent price.

 

To Each his own

 

Not that it matters because it is already done but I really think inflation has taken everybody's extra spending money that is why you aren't seeing anything sell.
That truck was pretty clean and it's a Ford I would have thought the market would have been fairly decent.
Now ignoring all that I'm cool with it, it's a m*** produced item, the only thing that makes it kind of rare is it was around when the lead fueled dinosaurs were still roaming the planet and it is almost guaranteed it was used commercially so most of them got destroyed 50-60 years ago.
What I would personally do with it is make it relatively weather tight and I would store junk in it like car wheels or other things that you don't really care about but make a mess when they are strewn across the yard.

 

Ah Yes, saw your thread on FTE- now I get it- Yard art. Cool!

 

I wanted to sell it as a package but no one wanted it. The cab is patched from the front doors to the back doors so it has little value. I'm getting as much by parting it out as I was trying to get for it and now I'm left with a good base for the yard art. At this point the cab didn't cost me a penny

 

@bobj49f2,
Isn't it time we get to see what it looks like as "completed" yard art?

 

I've trying to get paint on it but just don't have time. Every weekend I planned to paint it something else came up. Once I get by from KY I'll pull it into my shop and hose some color on it. Then it's out to the front of the barn.

 

This old car market is really confusing me lately. There's worse yard art than an old Ford panel though!

 

Got the panel painted over the weekend. Cost about $200 for paint and materials. Not the greatest, finished the body work with 80 grit paper, Rustoleum rusty metal primer and Ford blue tractor paint. Looks better in the picture but still better than a "patina" finish. Only needs ot look good from the road, parked in front of my barn.