For Sale: 1951 Ford F1 in Ft Worth, Texas

When you go old school, you need to do it right, and it's more than just starting with the right vehicle. This 1951 Ford F-1 pickup absolutely nails the vintage look with a perfect stance, awesome flathead power, and a great color scheme that might seem a little crazy on paper but really works great in person.


You'd think that a neutral color like light blue would be a mistake on a V8 truck with a blue-collar attitude, but it turns out that it looks exactly right. Of course, it helps if the truck in question is one of the best-looking pickups ever designed, the Ford F-1, but if you hadn't seen this one in person, you'd probably never believe how right it looks. A big part of that is the clean bodywork underneath, which only enhances the shine and gives you something to look at beyond the subtle driver-quality paint. Nothing on the body has been chopped, shaved, or deleted, and although the paint is several years old it still cleans up very nicely and gives the truck great curb appeal. The finish is shiny and bright, a perfect 1950s hue that seems right at home on the vintage pickup's rounded bodywork, with great factory gaps and doors that shut firm with that familiar Blue Oval 'thud' your Grandpa loved. Most of the chrome and brightwork trim remains, including the bumpers, the hood trim, the iconic front grille, and the bed has been finished in dark-stained oak with brightly polished stainless steel slats.


The interior keeps it equally simple and it's every bit as effective as the exterior, albeit with the use of some modern tricks. Late model power bucket seats are both comfortable and practical wrapped in supple leather hides, which is definitely something you want in a truck that's going to get driven and enjoyed. The door panels are custom pieces with matching black upholstery and a little wood paneling that warms things up inside, and the use of the door inserts against the painted steel makes the panels look artistic, not merely functional. Simple blue carpets insulate that cab and are easy to maintain, especially in a truck, and the big original steering wheel offers a commanding view of the road. Updated Omega Kustoms gauges are in great order and look great inside the trucks original pods, offering a much more comprehensive read-out of the Flathead under the hood. Unlike most vintage trucks, you do get some creature comforts with this '51, starting with the aftermarket cold A/C running through the underdash unit, an aftermarket turn signal stalk attached to the column, the power seats and seatbelts, and the Kenwood AM/FM/CD/AUX head unit that manages the tunes.


The engine is a venerable Ford 239 flathead V8, which is always a welcome choice in a vintage hot rod like this. It's brightly painted in corporate red paint and uses an original-style 1-barrel carburetor with a chrome air cleaner, so it looks quite correct and hasn't been over-dressed for duty. There are some modern features that help with reliability too, including the chromed alternator, power steering system, modern A/C compressor, and big aluminum radiator and electric fan up front that keeps the Flathead nice and cool under any circumstance. It's backed by a 3-speed manual transmission and a heavy-duty rear end, so it's still ready to work as a pickup yet scoots through traffic without feeling too truck-like. A custom dual-exhaust with glasspack-style mufflers gives it that vintage hi-performance sound and the suspension has been augmented with heavy-duty springs, newer shocks, and front disc brakes up front and leaf-springs and shocks in the rear that work together to improve the ride quality. Cooper whitewall tires wrapped around 15-inch steel wheels from a later-model Ford give it an update on the factory look that's just different enough to stand out.


A very neat little truck that's a lot of fun to drive and easy to love if you're a fan of the era. It's one of those vehicles where old and new are seamlessly blended to create a fantastic cruiser. Call today!