Vehicle Description
When you go old school, you need to do it right, and it's more than
just starting with the right vehicle. This 1948 Ford F-1 pickup
absolutely nails the original look with a perfect stance, awesome
flathead power, and a great color scheme that seems to encapsulate
all that is right with vintage American motoring.
Ford's F-1 pickups have almost always been perennial best-sellers,
even before they were ever known as the F-150. One glance at this
great-looking little pickup is all the reason you need for its
success and the early post-war examples are the epitome of "old
truck" fun. But this isn't some beat-up old farm hand; no, it's had
a lot of work done to bolster its curb appeal, including slick red
paint, black running boards, and fresh oak wood in the bed that
looks extremely clean, all adding up to a high-quality little truck
that has a great deal of charm. The Vermillion Red paint (or a very
close facsimile at the least), arguably the most desirable shade
from this era, looks particularly good on this big fenders, and
even though the finish isn't a perfect trailer queen, the truck has
a great look that makes you want to hop in and take it for a drive
every time you pass it by. In fact, there's not a whole lot to
complain about the paint and body, with an incredible shine from
the finish that looks fresh, showing only very minor imperfections
that's certainly expected. Bottom line, at this price-point you'd
be pressed to find a nicer-looking vintage pickup. Factory trim,
including the wonderful hood vents and nostrils, means it has an
authentic old timey look and the wood slats in the bed and 'Ford'
script embedded into the tailgate gives it an ideal old-school
flair. The beautifully finished light-colored wood bed, which
appears to be honey oak and is held together by chrome slats, is a
nice complement to the red finish, giving this Ford another way to
stand out in a crowd.
Simple is good inside, where you'll find a freshened cab with a
neatly upholstered brown vinyl bench seat that's a nice contrast to
the red paint inside and out. It's quite authentic everywhere you
look, with simple metal door panels and a matching dash up front,
and the vinyl mat on the metal floor below means that cleaning this
cab up is an easy task. The original gauges inside the factory
bezel offer a pretty good summary of what the flathead V8 is doing
up front and the dials themselves are likely restored originals,
which is always welcome in a truck like this. The tan plastic in
the center stack is remarkably well preserved (it may easily be a
reproduction piece, although those are sometimes difficult to
source) and that's where the speaker for the optional AM radio
would pump in the music, although it's ready for an upgrade if
tunes are what you're looking for. A comfortable black steering
wheel anchors the cabin, and the matching tall shifter for the
3-speed manual below is just a short reach away, but beyond that
it's no-frills fun all the way with a Flathead at the helm.
You simply can't go wrong with a venerable Ford flathead V8. This
is the most common 239 cubic inch version of the Flathead V8, which
offers great performance and one of the best exhaust notes ever
created. It's really nicely done under the hood, with bright Ford
Red paint on the engine itself, a correct carburetor, a big oil
bath breather, and an original generator still making the
electricity through the 6-volt system. It starts up strong and runs
great, and with all the recent maintenance and great care since the
restoration, experiencing any "flathead fever" in the future
doesn't appear to be in the cards, so long as that good care is
continued. Using dual exhaust pipes and 'Cherry-bomb' style
mufflers, it has a great V8 sound that's exactly right on a vintage
pickup and despite its modest specifications, the truck feels quick
and agile around town and doesn't mind cruising at decent speeds.
The 3-speed manual transmission shifts easily and doesn't get
grumpy and the rear end looks to be strong enough to handle any
torque curve that Flathead V8 could ever throw at it. The wheels
are steelies that were painted to match and are adorned with chrome
beauty rings and 'Ford' center caps, all of which are wrapped in
beautiful wide-white bias-ply tires that look appropriate on the
old truck.
Flathead Ford F-1s have been popular for decades for very good
reasons, and this truck delivers a motoring experience that's fun
without the hard work. Call today!
