whats the story on 42-47 Ford trucks. some say ugly some say pure art.

I went to check out a 47 ton and a half hoping it was a cabover but when I got there it was a conventional cab.Until that day I thought they were ugly trucks but when I saw it I fell in love with it.Needles to say I brought it home and still have and love it! Go figure.

 

I bought a basket case 1945(yes they made a 1945) back in 1977 and started restoring it in 83. Finally finished it in 1993, and then found out I was moving to Alaska in 1995, didn't want to ship it, so I sold it. Big mistake. So a couple weeks ago I found a 1942 project for sale, Chassis work,including motor /trans, is all done, but the body is all in the rough. Had alot of bondo in the front lower cab section which reminded me how bad the first one I did was. So I passed on it. But I'm still thinking about it.
Oh, BTW I love the look of the stock grille, if I would do anything to change it, I would add a couple chrome bars to cover up the painted ones.

 

do these trucks look good with the top chopped about 3inches?

 

My best friend had one in high school (1981). We had a lot of fun in that truck. Didn't do well over 45 mph but it could pull stumps in 1st gear!

 

I think they look good chopped... But mines chopped

 

you'll be wanting to put a 9" rear in it so when you do let me know and i'll drop over to take the old rear off of your hands and save you the trouble of hauling it off.

 

I forgot to ask, Is anyone making replacement sheetmetal for these Trucks? When I did mine in the 80's it was all fab it yourself or find a donor.

 

yeah just find 4 more chrome bars

 

Yep, thats my old one. Love it to death but had to sell it to get something else I wanted. I would LOVE to have another one. This one now lives in England.

 

The 42-47 Ford truck used to be the ugly stepchild of the Ford COmmercial Line in the eyes of many rodders but there was always somebody building them so they've never really been forgotten. Lots were used as parts vehicles for cars: engines, open drive tranmission and banjo rearend, spindles and brakes, steering, trailer from the rear frame and bed, junk the rest.

 

Chris,

Just curious... What did you have under the hood of your old truck and how'd you get it to sit like that? There's a '47 out in Modesto I might be interested in. Thanks.

 

It was bone stock. 59AB, three speed and stock rearend. I had an axle dropped 3" and removed some leafs front and rear. It rode like shit But looked cool!

 

i love 'em. you dont see one at the turn of every corner. A face only a mother could love...

Mine, in front of Parlange Plantation

 

I have always wondered what one of these would look like with a 48 grille and the finders modified to accept the 48 type head lights and trim?

I thought I would never say that a late model grille would look ok in an early style truck but the 85 grille really does not hurt the looks of one of things!! But then again it would be hard to hurt one very much?

Scott...

 

here it is last sunday

 

Found this on craigslist. Any recommendations on particular parts to look for that are hard to find or any known weakspots where I should look for more than surface rust? My mechanical chops are lacking, so I can't weld or anything like that... Also, it is supposedly from a widow and has no title... I am sure this would be a pain seeing as I reside in the people's republic of CA. Asking $1,000.

 

Nothing wrong with them, as long as you don't look at the front, which looks like it's drooling all over itself.
And what's up with the stupid fenders?

 

I have a '42 that I have slowly been going through for the last couple of years, one of those "b" projects for when I have to step back from more pressing stuff. I've always liked these truck BECAUSE I thought they were the fruit of the ugly tree! I'm kind of weird like that. Mine has a 302 / c4 combo, 4" dropped axle & dearched springs at both ends, American five spokes all around, 165's front &hurst recap cheaters on the back. Still ugly as sin! It does sit great though. I got a kick earlier this year when a book came out on Ford pickups, starting with the mid twenties model "T"'s. Guess which years they choose not to cover? '42-'46, of course!! How cool is that to have a truck so obscure it gets left out! Back on topic, I think the best thing you can do to "pretty up " one of these is use a stock but chrome grill, chrome the hood trim, and reshape the bumper brackets to use a chrome '40 passenger bumper. If you have a collection of old magazines, dig out the October 1964 ROD&CUSTOM, and look on page 32. Been carrying that issue with me since I was a kid because of that truck, so I guess I knew that I would end up with one someday. As soon as my computer skills improve a bit I'll post some pictures of mine.

 

They don't repop the running boards in metal, only fiberglass. Almost everything else can be purchased, hell we ordered a brand new bed with wood and all we needed to do was weld the spare tire bracket back onto it.

Also at the time, the center hood trim wasn't available repop, but it is now.

 

I went and drove one in Berkeley about 15 years ago, a '47 I think, that was stock as a clock, but had a 401 nailie in it. Truck was rusty so I turned it down, but I still think about it. I guess that tells me something...

I really like them.

 

They probably will buty you in it, but I remember when you tried to trade me for my 41 Coupe

Wow, that helps a bunch

?? Really?? 41 is just like a 40, maybe the best looking Ford Truck ever made.

I used to hate the 42-47's but now .............. Nope still hate em

 

heres my old 46 rite before it went to another hamber..it had a camaro front clip with 10 bolt rear..laid out quite nicely.

 

The cab is the same, but the frame is different. Two problems: first, the wheelbase is 2" longer, and that extra 2" is between the cab and the front axle, so your wheels would be too far forward in the front wheel openings. Second problem is that the '40-'41 pickup frame is basically a '40 passenger car frame, which has the transverse (buggy) spring and tapers in at the front. The '42-'47 frame is a straight ladder that doesn't taper in and has parallel leaf springs. You would have major problems with front sheet metal fitting up due to the difference in the frames.

 

I kinda like 'em...don't touch that grille! Here's a couple, the second with a tiki grille.

 

I forgot to ad that the article mentioned early on in this thread was in the very first American Rodder back in '87 or so. It was about a trip down Baja California in a beater '46, and is a great read.

 

I've got a '47 13 passenger school bus sitting at my grandfathers old house in Pennsylvania. It's the bus I went to school on the first day of first grade. He's gone now and my aunt now owns the place. She gave me the bus after I showed interest some time ago . My plan was to build something like Tom McMullen did to his many years ago. It will probably return to it natural elements before I get to do anything with it.
This bus was the donor for the engine I put in my '29 Coupe when I was 16 years old. I drove the stock Model A from Michigan to Pennsylvania on summer vacation in the 11th grade and worked for grandpa for the summer . After chores he and I did the transplant and at the end of the summer I drove it back to Michigan. Quite an adventure for a 16 year old.

Frank

 

Wow, what a neat pickup. I would love to have one of those!

 

I finally found another one. Plan is to make it sit like my old one

 

I agree with 47achers. Leave the grille alone. I've seen so many of these trucks with someone's interpretation of "improvement" and never one better than a stock grille. IMHO these trucks don't lend themselves well to customizing and look better in the "resto-rod" theme, i.e. the right stance and tires/wheels, two pipes out the back and you're done. I have a 46 pickup set up like this, in primer 10 years, and it gets all the attention I want.

 

Heres a coupe pics of my old 47 Merc Panel truck

and with my buddies cars,before paint