Help, I bought a 37 Ford 1/2 ton pickup to build a hot rod and it came in pieces. I'm ***embling the truck box and so far so good except for one problem. The rear cross member of the box ends up about two inches p***ed the end of the frame rails. W.T.F. Do I have a different year box or are the rails clipped for some unknown reason? Box measures approx. 71 inches. I poked around and found a picture with some overall dimensions and the length in the picture is 69 inches. Is this correct??
Likely not unusual. My bone stock '41 ihc box extends 8" past frame rails. Frame ends at the yellow wire,, thats a bumper bracket I made extending beyond
So, possibly sounds like I have a 36 ch***is instead of 37. The owner of this truck p***ed away so I have no way of knowing what he did or what he had for stuff. Any suggestions on how to remedy? Extend frame, shorten box? All the box sheet metal that came with it is in good shape. Thanks for the feedback !!!!
'35 - '41 pickup ch***is are the same. No dimensional differences. Same for Cars except they changed in '41. If you have the vin no stamped on the ch***is you can validate the true date. 1935, 1936 or 1937 ch***is won't matter from a functional sense. What I was originally saying is that a 1937 pickup box is a bit longer than it's 1935 or 1936 cousins therefore with the same ch***is lengths you could expect some overhang when a 1937 box is mounted. Hope this helps. Pm if you wish and we can talk more. Pete
Pete, I'm one of those guys that believe all bed weight should be transferred to the frame. Maybe I worry too much. 3 of the 4 cross members of the bed do their job but the one under the tailgate gets me. It's hanging in mid air and the next one that carries any load is approx. 20" forward. Are the other 3 good enough to carry the load? I don't want flexing/distortion issues once I'm done. Changing the subject, After I bought the pickup I looked high and low for a vin. # and didn't find one. I'm taking someone's word as to the year of the pickup. I was also worried it may have been stolen. Can you tell me where I might look to find it? In Idaho, Dept. of Trans. will issue a new vin # after the pick-up is road ready. Tony
vin number is stamped in the left frame rail. search Google for "1937 Ford vin location" and all will be revealed
I'd extend the frame rails before modifying good sheet metal. I lengthened the frame rails on my '36 Chev p/u about 6-10" and welded in a 2x3" rear cross-member to install the Reese style hitch I designed & made. No problems
Tony Vin no located as noted by rdscotty. There is an additional place or two but I don't remember. I have a 1935 ch***is on the operating table in my garage and here is a measurement you may find helpful: 146" from rear face of the rear crossmember to the center of the front motor mount hole. I can take a look at a '35 pickup in the barn later and report back how the bed extends past the rails. If not too dark, I can send a photo.
Thanks for the feedback, I was thinking the same thing. didn't want to cut up the sheet metal. -tony-
Tony Ok, here is an update: I have 2 1935 pickups. On both the length of the box, as measured by the length of the sides is 70 3/4". The box is mounted to the ch***is by 8 bolts. The rearmost bolts are 4" on in from the end of the floor panel. These rear bolts go through the box floor and a tall (about 5") wood block into a hole in the rear corner of the ch***is. If this were not there, the next mounting hole into the ch***is is 18 inches in front of the rearmost hole noted earlier. I think a '37 box is 3" longer than the '35, but am not positive. In looking under the truck the box extends deyond the ch***is about 4". Attached is a kind of dim picture looking up showing the overhang and the wood block.
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