The replacement of a stock '48-52 Ford F-1 vacuum wiper system is a decision most F-1 owners are faced with sooner or later in the upgrading process. Many an F-1 owner can attest from past experience that nothing is a bigger drag than getting caught with windshield wipers that can't keep up with driving in the rain at freeway speeds. The worst situation possible when it comes to vacuum wipers is trying to pass slower traffic while climbing a grade, and discovering the wiper-blades have ground to an abrupt halt as soon as the gas pedal is tromped. Going down hill is fine with vacuum wipers; in fact, sometimes they run way too fast with the excessive vacuum generated, and the wiper blades will fly right off the truck.
To eliminate the stock Ford F-1 windshield wipers we turned to the folks at Specialty Power Windows and discovered they have a universal system that easily adapts to the specific needs of an F-1 application. To give a little background on Specialty Power Windows, they have been building wiper systems down in Georgia for over 20 years and they all come with a lifetime guarantee. The wiper transmissions are cable-operated, and the wiper motor can be mounted anywhere under the dashboard a person desires. Not only is Specialty Power Windows' windshield wiper system versatile, it's quite simple, too. There are no arms, levers, or chain drives. It has a minimum of moving parts, and the best part is that it replaces literally everything under the dash. Being able to discard all of the stock Ford windshield wiper parts, and replace them with new means there are no used parts left in the system as a potential weak link.
To make the job easier to do the first step was to remove the speedometer, radio, and glovebox out of the dashboard so we could work through the holes instead of lying on our back, and reaching up. The installation turned out to be a relative breeze, and when we turned the knob and watched the new Specialty Power Windows two-speed windshield wipers sweep across the windshield and then self-park we were happier than a trucker caught in a bad rainstorm with good wipers.