The 1951 Ford F-3 wrecker is restored back to its former glory and was the AACA Ford award winner in 2020, and now it for sale. All that work and effort to reconnect with it after 40 years, and he sells it I find that strange

the truck attained a Senior Award. At an AACA meet in Minnesota, a Grand National Award, the Postwar Ford Award, and was a finalist for the AACA’s annual Zenith Award, which recognizes the best restoration in the club

This was the tow truck for Zook Motors back in 1951, and is now a national champion almost 70 years later,

Originally purchased to be used as the tow truck for the small town of Kane, this truck was priced at $3,423.55 and built at the Ford plant in Buffalo, NY and upfitted by the Maday Equipment Company, also located in Buffalo. This truck served the community for many years and found its way into the heart of Greg Rich Jr. whose father was the sales manager for 30 years until 1984. For many years, Greg Rich Sr., and late owners and brothers Bruce and John Zook were close friends that ran the dealership together.

Greg’s father started working for Zook Motors in 1954 when Greg was 5 years old. Throughout his years, he greatly admired the truck and at age 16, he himself, was also able to drive the truck when he became a mechanic’s helper. He worked for Zook Motors for 3 years until he left to serve in the US Army in 1968. After serving in the military, he came back to the dealership in 1971 but by this time, the one-time beautiful 1951 Ford F3 had been retired to being stored in the old body shop.

For the next 40 years, the ‘51 Ford was still at Zook Motors, stored along with other old treasures in the abandoned body shop. 

In 2008 a 4-year quest to purchase the truck for a restoration project began. and finally when he bought it in 2012 it had it's first registered owner (as sold by a car dealership)

the cabin of the F-3 tow truck was called a “5-Star Extra Cab.” During the beginning of the second half of the 20th Century, the 5-Star Extra Cab package was considered opulent for a truck. It included a dome lamp with door switches, and instead of rubber around the windshield and backlight, there was a bright molding. There was foam rubber seat padding and two-tone upholstery with vinyl and mohair. Dual horns and dual wipers were standard, along with extra insulation and a cigar lighter. Brothers John and Bruce Zook, owners of Zook Motors, also ordered the truck with a four-speed manual transmission, radio and under-dash heating unit.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1951-ford-f-3-wrecker

https://www.zookmotors.net/history.html
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1594500/1951-ford-f3-for-sale-in-indiana-pennsylvania-15701

and now it's for sale at the Volo museum for 60k

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1951-ford-f3-volo-il-2659010