A family connection is a highlight of any classic car (or truck) story.
There’s a simple reason for that—very few people connect enough to an old car enough to keep it for life.
Nobody can blame an owner for selling an old car or truck because they are machines first– and family members a distant second.
Jerry Sutherland
Despite the odds, you still see some old iron at car shows with deep family biographies. Richard Taulson’s 1949 Ford F-47 pickup is a great example.
Richard’s uncle bought the truck new for full-time duty on the family farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. These farm trucks usually pile up big miles—but the miles they did run up were brutal and extremely tough on their life spans.
This farm truck had a better life than most because it didn’t see much winter weather. The old Ford rarely left the farm during its working life, and it was stored inside when the crops were done. After that, Richard said his aunt and uncle moved to town and the F-47 was retired from farm duty.
The ’49 Ford wasn’t mint—the truck bed tells the story of a working farm vehicle. It was the go-to grain hauler on the farm, so it’s still packed full of wheat in every opening—Richard is still working on that problem.
He remembered putting the truck in low gear and following it to pick rocks—Richard said they’d “aim the truck at a big rock, pull the throttle and head that way”.
Richard was behind the wheel of this truck many times and admits he “learned how to drive” in the F-47. It’s a huge part of his own life story, so when it came up for sale, Richard was the first guy in line.
The sale was a little more complicated in the 1990s because the truck was listed in an auction as a feature vehicle–so Richard’s uncle was obligated to sell it to the highest bidder. He knew Richard really wanted the old truck, so they cut a deal where he waived the seller’s fee on Richard’s bid.
Richard knew this was a solid truck based on its history, so he wasn’t surprised to learn it was completely rust-free. He hasn’t had to do much to the truck—the biggest problem was a very tricky water pump replacement that required lifting a motor mount and welding a bolt to the original bolt inside the fuel pump to extract it. Flathead Ford guys know the pain.
Richard added aftermarket, period correct signal lights to the truck because he knew he was going to pile up some miles in the old truck. They’re not fast miles because the farmer-gear rear end means the old Ford maxes out at 45 miles per hour.
He also straightened out the front driver’s side bumper because it took an undocumented hit over its 76 years. He added radial tires and even managed to keep air in the factory wheels that were designed for tube tires. Richard admits the truck handles only slightly better, because there is still major play in the steering wheel.
He resists the urge to upgrade the steering box because Richard wants to keep the old truck exactly the way he remembers it.
Richard is hoping the truck stays in the family because his son is interested in it, but he’s a family guy in a big city. Richard lives in a rural area where the pace is much slower, so the F-47 makes more sense.
Hopefully this heirloom keeps its rightful status as a lifetime member of the Taulson family.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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