Dropped off the truck at the trimmer this morning, picked it up this afternoon, fitted with a taut and tasty tonneau and matching chain covers. Getting ever closer to '50s, '60s SoCal drivers and speed-shop/gas-station pickups. The rear bumper and taillamps are next, then we'll get the front down and we'll be pretty close to being finished with the cosmetics -- other than the signage. Then it's continue to drive and enjoy it and use it to haul hardware, some of that for its new motor which I hope will be ready to plug in May.
You're evil, Hatch! The F-1 looks so good on the deck that I could almost forget my '50s roots and park it that low. It's gonna do real speed-shop duty tending to the Tardel-McKenzie roadster on the Salt so I'm gonna leave it about where it is, with about 3 inches of drop in front.
I'm thinking either new stock and correct left and right originals with stainless rims, of which I have two, or '48 Pontiacs which have angled bezels that fit the contour of the rear fenders. I have a pair of theses as well. They use the same lens as the '49-'50 lamps and would look particularly sweet on the F-1. If i use the Pontiacs, I'll probably park the license plate in the center of the new rear bumper with a Guide license lamp for illumination. These simple and affordable changes were just same of the things that made these trucks and the early F-100s so popular with hot rodders years ago. Well, that and their new level of comfort and performance.
Jesse -- I'll be building a fresh 274-cid Mercury motor for it this Spring. I've collected almost all the bits and pieces, thanks to HAMB pals Rocky and DiggerDave. I plan to connect it to a T5 and a 9-inch with a 3.25 pumpkin.
Mike, I've got the stainless stock lites on mine. I agree the 48 Pontiac lites would look great also. I had a pair of those I never put on the 42 Chev coupe I had in high school(58 to 62) and college. I ended up using 50 buick tail lites on that for a while as I could bolt them on with no body work, just some filing of the bezels. Yours really looks great. I am fond of the color. There is a guy here that has a street rodded 48 F-1 in the same color as yours. Nice truck. When I first saw his at a swap meet I bought the Ford color chips for 1948 from a vender and called the body shop where mine was and asked if they'd bought the paint. They had already purchased it so mine stayed the original Tan. All the best.
K Member & Mike Great looking F-1. The Merc tail lites look great on the F-1. After looking at Mike's (AV8's) and your trucks I need to add the wide whites to mine. I have had the Diamond Back Classic wide white radials on my Chevy since 1999 and have been quite pleased. I'm just too cheap to discard the black walls (and studded snow tires) that are on the truck until they're worn down a bit.
The '48 Pontiac bezels need only a little work with a Baldor belt sander to match them perfectly to the fender contour. Then it's off to the plater for some fresh heavy nickle and chrome. That means that I'm gonna have to cut a 2-3/4 inch hole in each of those sweet, perfect, unrusted, undamaged 1948 fenders . . .oh well, asi es la vida!
The Jalopy Journal
