1951 Ford F3 Wrecker Is a Vintage Beauty

Special Find

With so many old trucks being "found" by barn hunters and restored or modified in recent years, it seems as if there's also a dwindling supply of vintage iron to choose from. This is the natural course of things that we're used to seeing, of course, and it also makes this 1951 Ford F3 tow truck recently featured by Old Cars Weekly a pretty special find. 

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

Going Way Back

What's particularly cool about this old Ford tow truck, however, is that the person who restored it - Greg Rich, Jr. - remembers seeing it when he was a mere five years old in Kane, Pennsylvania. He also has some family ties to the truck, as it was originally sold by Zook Motors, where Rich's father worked at the time.

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

Doing Some Research

Rich was so enamored with the tow truck that he did some research on it and discovered that the old Ford was converted into its current state by a company called Maday Body and Equipment Co., which took possession of it after it rolled off the Blue Oval's assembly line in Buffalo. Rich wound up getting a job at Zoom Motors when he was 16, and even got to drive the old F3 every once in a while.

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

Time Flies

The years went by, and the Ford F3 wrecker wound up being parked in an abandoned body shop after it had served the dealership for many years. Rich never forgot about it, however, and when he planned to retire and find a vehicle to restore, it was top of mind. Luckily, the dealer was more than happy to sell the 1951 Ford to Rich, though it obviously needed a ton of work to bring back to life after sitting for decades.

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

Moral Support

Essentially everything one can think of needed to be done or redone, from the crusty bodywork to the stuck engine and everything in between. Since F3 body parts aren't reproduced, Rich had quite a bit of work on his hands tracking down the things he needed. It was an admittedly frustrating project, but one that Rich's wife and friends helped keep on track by providing encouragement along the way.

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

Memory Machine

That frustrating process clearly paid off, because this beautifully restored 1951 Ford F3 tow truck has since gone on to win multiple AACA accolades, including a Senior Award, Grand National Award,  the Postwar Ford Award, and it was also a finalist for the Zenith Award, which recognizes the best restoration in the club. Better yet, the vintage Blue Oval hauler also brings up fond memories of Rich's youth every time he slips behind the wheel.

Photos: Old Cars Weekly

>>Join the conversation about this 1951 Ford F3 right here in the forum.

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