UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on $4700.
Nothing to do with jeeps and not a 4×4, but I thought this Ford Armored F-3 truck was pretty unusual.
“What we have here is a piece of history from perhaps the last days of the “old” west.
This is a postwar, 1947 Ford F-3 armored pickup truck. This is not a conversion or an adaptation, this is a purpose-built armored pickup for hauling something very valuable, though we are not sure exactly what.
The entire cab and doors are wrapped in 1/4″ steel plate. All windows are 5-ply glass measuring over an inch thick each. There are four pistol ports to fend off would-be thieves, and the only way inside the cab is via key – no handles or buttons. There are even instructions posted inside concerning truck rules and the behavior of its operators.
Our first guess is that this truck was used to haul lock-boxes of ore from one of the many mines around the region. The F-3 (1+ ton) designation and the utterly massive stack of spring leaves would indicate that whatever was being hauled was very heavy. And a lack of a tailgate suggests that whatever was being loaded or unloaded was done so via crane.
Our second guess is that it had something to do with the mint and the things of value both coming and going to that location. Denver has had an operating mint since 1906.
Construction is first-rate. The bumpers, bed, and even the rear fenders are made from extremely thick and heavy steel, and much time was put into the craftmanship. Gas welding is done to a very high standard.
Finally, GVW and other markings on the bedsides show that the truck was a part of a “Denver Unit” at some point. What unit – we do not know.
This truck has been sitting in a local collector’s care for the last ten years, and he finally has let it go. Last tagged in 1973. This is an opportunity to own a unique piece of wild-west history.
Condition of the truck is typical of Colorado vehicles – mostly dry, and little rust. There is some rust in the fenders and lower valance. And the floor of the bed shows some rot. Otherwise the truck is extremely solid, and has nothing but surface rust.
The original flathead-8 is long gone but the transmission remains, as does most of the rest of the mechanicals. Sadly the steering column was pinched at some point.
The truck rolls and moves easily.
$4700 or reasonable offer on this unique piece. In twenty years of buying and selling vintage vehicles, I have never had anything like this… everyone wants to talk about this truck!!!
63 photographs of the truck can be seen here:
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/transportationfascination/library/1948%20Ford%20F-3%20Armored%20Pickup
No title; Bill of Sale. Serious inquiries only please; email me through craigslist and include your phone number.”
