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1952 Ford F-1 Went From Rust Heap to Black Boss 302CI Single Cab Racer-Cruiser

Ford kicked off the saga of the legendary F-Series way back in late 1947 with the introduction of the “Bonus-Built” trucks. It was a short-lived first generation, through the 1952 model year, but also one to remember.
1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars 59 photos
Photo: Hand Built Cars / YouTube
1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars1952 Ford F-1 Black Boss 302 restomod on Hand Built Cars
Both for the good and the bad stuff. For example, getting such an old truck is definitely an acquired taste that comes with certain compromises. A major one would have to do with comfort, as these trucks are not exactly the most spacious ones. But there is always a solution.

For the owner of this pristine 1952 F-1 that we may very well nickname “Black Beauty” without a second thought, it was “easy.” He just relegated the responsibility of turning it from rust bucket to a show and racing-worthy star to Woodstock, Illinois-based Schwartz Performance Inc.

The trick was “simple” and involved getting the cab, doors, and roof stretched no less than six inches (15.24 cm) for additional interior space. The Single Cab naturally went through a lot of custom metal fabrication before it arrived at the menacingly black, yet entirely elegant conclusion.

As always, the videographer behind the Hand Built Cars channel on YouTube brings us another mesmerizing transformation that is going to make three-quarters of an hour feel like a fleeting moment. Naturally, the vintage pickup truck does not just look plain stunning. It also drives and sounds like a restomod dream come true.

Complete with Schwartz Performance’s G-Machine chassis system, a power steering rack, Ridetech single-adjustable coilovers, racing-style sway bars, 13-inch Wilwood brakes, an upgraded Ford 4R70W transmission and torque converter, and even a TrueTrac differential. Among many others.

Naturally, the Ford also needed a powerful “heart,” so the 1952 pickup truck now sings a modern tune of the Coyote Boss 302 variety. That is just one of the modern highlights, with the rest of the package also including other usual suspects: Dakota Digital VHX gauges, a custom interior, the Vintage Air Gen II Mini A/C system, or the Circle Racing billet aluminum 18-inch wheels.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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