Mugsy,
Right up front I'll tell you that the 1-Ton Club here at the Stovebolt Page is the elite of the elit
Only the finest Stovebolters are worthy of owning 1-tons. And if you get that truck, you'll be one of us! The AD 1-Ton -- anything else is just a half or 3/4-ton
(or a bigger truck...)
As owners of an original, excellent condition/unrestored '49 1-ton (virtually identical to that truck), Peggy and I can tell you that your deal sounds very reasonable.
Yes, the 1-tons with unmolested beds are rarer. But the bad news is that they are not as popular as the 1/2-tons. Also, a lot of the drivetrain and suspension parts are different. You can find a lot of the mechanical parts for it, but not the sheet metal (bed sides, running boards, filler panels, etc), so if your bed isn't as good as it looks in the photo, you're in for a hunt trying to find it.
Also, as Doug Peterson and Cosmo will tell you (after parking my truck next to theirs), the 1-ton is at least 6 inches taller than the 1/2 and 3/4 tons, so check your garage door before you bring it home.
As a stock vehicle with the 216, you should be able to do 40-45 mph comfortably. I have a '49 235 in mine (babbitted motor) and we can just about do 50 MPH -- Tony P can tell you as he was following me that day and his speedo was working better than mine
Daily driver? Probably not. But before you go crazy with the t-5 (That's a LOT of truck for a T-5, from what I understand. The 1-ton has a lot more steel in it than your average S-10) and the taller tires, also check your king pins, brakes and steering. Getting up to highway speeds is one thing. Staying there is another. And getting back down to a stop safely is yet another.
The 9-foot bed is really cool, and the truck will certainly get some attention at the Cruise-ins, even if there are other ADs in attendance. Ours does because it is always the only 1-Ton and it stands above the crowd (literally!).
Hope that helps!
John
