Car of theWeek: 1950 International Harvester L110
Larry and Susan Sullivan purchased their 1950 International Harvester L110 pickup from the side of a Virginia road with a “for sale” sign in it.
Prior to living in Milford, Dela., where Larry and Susan Sullivan now have room for an old pickup, they lived in Jersey City, N.J., which is across the Hudson River from New York City. Jersey City is congested, with buildings erected close together; even the houses that were built there during the 1930s and 1940s are so close together that there is no space for a driveway between them. So, if the houses have a front porch, residents often put their car’s hood or trunk under the deck and hope the other end of the vehicle does not go over the public sidewalk. In short, there was no room for a collector vehicle at the Sullivans’ home in Jersey City.
Since gaining more space in their move to Delaware, Larry and Susan purchased the featured 1950 International Harvester L110 pickup. The truck was found on the side of a Virginia road with a “for sale” sign in it.
“I was looking for a project like a Ford or Chevy, because they are the easiest to get parts,” Larry said. “But prices for them have shot through the stratosphere due to the auctions on TV. Everyone thought that their rust buckets were gold!” Susan encouraged him to buy the International.
IH was the last company to come out with an all-new postwar pickup design. At General Motors, the Chevrolet and GMC trucks had been totally restyled for 1947, as was the Willys pickup inspired by the World War II jeep. Ford and Dodge modernized their pickups in 1948, and Studebaker introduced a more contemporary pickup in 1949. By 1950, the postwar sellers’ market had faded, so it was a good thing that International featured all-new skin for that year. Ted Ornas is credited with the design.
The 1950 International featured fashionable, up-to-date lines that were squarer than before. The pickup, though, did not break from tradition and had separate fenders that bulged from the body, and continued to incorporate running boards. The front fender tops were level and without any valleys. The domed hood still towered over the fenders, but it was spread out wider and flatter. The wide, blunt grille had two horizontal bars at the lower end and 19 vertical slots above the double strips. The headlamps were firmly fixed into keyhole shapes with rectangular parking lenses below. There was a one-piece curved windshield and a divided backlite, both sealed in the cab with a rubberized molding. The pickup rode a 115-inch wheelbase, and the 6.5-foot-long box had a metal cargo floor.
slots above the double strips. International’s three diamond logo appears on the hood emblem. Michael Petti
There is a lot of exposed metal that is painted in the IH’s interior. The floor extends “Oklahoma flat” with clutch and brake floor pedals toward the toe board. The instrument panel is broad and flat with two round dials in front of the driver. The left circle contains four gauges: the voltmeter is at the 1 o’clock position, the temperature at the 4 o’clock, the oil pressure at the 7 o’clock, and the fuel is at 11. The circle on the right houses the odometer and the 80-mph speedometer. Gauges use white markings against black backgrounds. Aside from monitoring the mechanical health of the truck, there are no “infotainment” features.
At the center of the instrument panel is the ignition to start the pickup. On the left are two pull knobs. The top knob is for the wipers, and the bottom knob for the lights. To the right of the keyhole, on the top, is the throttle knob that adjusts the fuel and air mixture, and a lower knob works the choke to help start the engine.
The synchronized three-speed manual is column mounted, and the emergency brake has a claw-shaped handle. Larry’s pickup has a block-off plate where the optional radio would be mounted.
“The big, chrome ashtray sits prominently in the center, embossed with the name ‘International,’” Larry notes. There is a button horn in the center of the steering wheel with IH’s three diamond logo. The more familiar IH corn binder emblem that looks like a person on a tractor was designed by Raymond Loewy. The hubcaps have this IH emblem.
A 1950 print advertisement for the International pickup stated, “The Comfort-Vision Cab will put a smile on your face. The roomiest cab on the road. You get full front visibility through the one-piece Sweptright windshield. You get more positive steering control from a more comfortable driving position. You get new maneuverability, shortest practical turning circle.”
In addition to a new body, the 1950 International also had a new engine. It was an overhead-valve six-cylinder that was called “Silver Diamond.” This 220.5-cid six produced 100 hp with 173.5 lb.-ft. of torque.
The components of Larry and Susan’s pickup were in various states of disrepair when they purchased it.
“The cloth-covered wires were brittle and causing electrical shorts,” Larry said. “The front end was all worn out, as was the leaf springs, shocks, exhaust system, cooling system, radiator and water pump.
“I replaced leaf springs and shocks at Glen’s Performance in Lincoln, Delaware, as well as repaired wipers, door window tracks and gaskets,” Larry continued. “Big work was done at William T. Wadkins Garage in Milford. Bill is an IH aficionado and completely rewired top to bottom while converting from 6 to 12 volts. He acquired the parts to rebuild the front end and braking system, rebuilt the carburetor and cleaned out the gas tank. The radiator was sent out to get boiled out and braised, and the water pump was rebuilt.”
With the challenges came rewards. Larry and Susan now have their own personal time machine. Larry enjoys the old school feel from the front I-beam axle, making this presentable hobby hauler ride and sound like a truck from 75 years ago. The low-gear pickup is not for four-lane highways, but for two lane roads, and so Larry drives on scenic, low-traffic byways.
“No electric beeping or a voice telling you how to drive,” Larry says. “Just a fun ride. You’re driving it. It is not driving you.”
The pickup body is drenched in dark green paint while the four fenders have black plumage.
“The interior ceiling and floor are black, as well as the vinyl seat and door panels,” Larry added.
Larry says the easiest way to know his IH pickup is a 1950 model is by its internal door hinges (1950 IH trucks have internal hinges while the ’51 and ’52 have external hinges). He learned this fact from a woman at a car show. She was a little girl when her father bought a new 1950 International pickup and was delighted that Larry let her sit in his truck.
Larry noted that the cargo floor in his truck is metal while earlier IH cargo floors were made of wood. He constructed oak wood railings for the cargo box and also used oak to replace the very damaged metal running boards.
“It’s not perfect, but we’re not trying to make it perfect,” Larry says. “It doesn’t win many awards, but it always makes people smile.”
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