1941 Ford Pickup. Opinions on this truck?

Well this weekend i was doing some digging around trying to find a nice rear end for my coupe build. When i stumbled upon this truck. (from what i can tell its a 1941 Ford...correct me if im wrong).

My plans were to find just a rear axle, but when i found this truck i decided that it was too complete and too nice to let rot. (i guess i've just got too big of heart haha). I picked the truck up for basically nothing, and about the only thing its missing is the interior, grille, and front suspension. I think theres a tail gate hidden some where out there for it, so im going on a scavenger hunt this weekend for it.

Heres what i've got so far...









Now here's where some of you might start the hating. I've seen several builds on here, some of which weren't as appreciated as others. I've been doing alot of reading up on the proper way to achieve "the look".

Im wanting to build a bobber out of this truck. No hood, no fenders, chopped top. I've read that the proper way to do this kind of build is to shorten the wheel base ~10 inches and then cut the bed down, as well and increasing the height of the rails. I've got two motor choices im looking at right now. One is a 1969 302 boss thats got a little larger cam and a little bit more stuff done to it, or a fully built 400 modified with an edelbrock 750 carb and intake, big cam, reworked heads, new pistons and crank, the whole nine yards. havent decided on the motor yet.

Heres a picture of what i would kind of like it to end as. Going to use a superbell dropped front with a ford 9" rear. steel rims with some 700 rears and 550 fronts (or in that area).

 

I personally can't visualize a truck that doesn't have a flat one piece windshield done as a bobber truck. But that said, it might be the most economical way to build a nice little truck out of this one. There was a 36 that the guy who owned one of the Shell stations in town had when I was in high schol that was set up pretty close to what the one in the photo you showed was except it had a shiny blue paint job. I think I might have the shortened 36 pickup grill shell off that one out in the shed.

Unless the photos are deceiving, the best part of the truck is the parts you don't plan to use.

 

Looks like a good deal! I know someone that wants a hood and fenders!

 

"but when i found this truck i decided that it was too complete and too nice"
Whoever made the above statement was right on the money. All talk of "bobberism" is a complete waste of time. That truck has "patina" in spades.
IF IT WERE MINE......(and it clearly is not!)........I would clean the interior up, put one of the engines in there, set up the suspension in a basically stock form,and be proud of my shop truck that could actually be used as a truck. Just my 2 cents..

 

Ack....dont ruin that old truck.

I know where there is another nice 41 sitting in a salvage for many years here in Kansas..you could always save another, and have lots of parts to build a really nice 41.

 

god please dont.

I can appreciate that you dig the bobber trucks but they can be built out of most any pick up. this is a mostly complete truck, build a sweet full fendered ride out it but if your gonna build a truck like that start with just a cab, no need to cut up a good project.

 

I'd rather see it crushed than made into another bobber.


that is the worst part of bobbers, in many cases a good buildable truck was destroyed in the process.

 

please dont....

 

I heard fenders are in....the world doesn't need another 'bobber'.

 

I have something similar - be a man - fix it don't bob it.
If you want a bobber, sell the truck and buy a cab.

Mart.

 

Please don't make it into a rattruck. that truck MUST have fenders to not be a rodentrod. If you must weinie it,I'll stand in line to buy the hood and all 4 fenders. But i'd sooner see the truck saved.

 

Very few bobber trucks actually come out as the owner intended. They have a great vision then a few shortcuts here and there and all of a sudden the truck looks like it should be over at kill billet. Give the truck some respect and make it a cool full fendered trad rod. But there again that is just my opinion, its your truck.

 

hey its your truck man but , you said it yourself , it too complete , but if it where me i would build something that actually looks like it can haul something
Maybe ?vvv minus the keg

 

Hell I've got a good cab and frame if you want to bob a truck, PM me and lets talk before you hack that one up

 

Well my thoughts were to sell the fenders and hood to someone who really wants a full fendered truck, and use that money to finish this truck. Turning 21 next weekend and have a wife and 2 kids... That all adds up to a limited budget.

I can understand where alot of you are coming from saying the truck is too clean and that the fenders and such are the best part of this truck... thats why i want them to go to someone who will fully enjoy them. Im just not that much of a fan of the fendered hot rods... i've got a '53 f100 for the fendered era trucks.

 

L-Diablo... i've never seen that picture before, im not sure if i like it or hate it... I want something along those lines, and i think that out of all the fendered trucks from that era i like that one most.

Im not trying to build something that takes blue ribbons at every show. i want something that i can run and not worry about getting a scratch in the paint or a dent on it. But it wont be cobled together as most rodentrods are. I want something that rides like a caddy but scare the hell outa everyone when i get on it.

 

I happen to like the bobber look but that truck is to complete. My bobber project started as a cab, hood, box & nothing more but that 41 is to rare & to complete to turn into a bobber.

 

"Opinions"? Here's one.. bobber trucks ****.

 

i was going to say thanks for saving an orphan truck , but please please dont turn it into a rolling wart on the **** of society , get a grill and a drivetrane give it a coat of flatz and drive it for a parts hauler , theres enough rolling mutations running around now

 

not sure what happen to your last pic L-diablo, but that pic showing now is ugly. Looks like a rodentrod completely. Not at all what im looking for haha.

Just realized... its the same truck... just a shot from the back side now. the front looks alot better then the back.

 

Being 100% honest with you, and no offense, but at the age of 20/21, I thought some things were a good idea, and now looking back on them nowdays..it certainly wasn't.

By the time you scored a different grill...suspension....etc, even after selling off parts, you would have about as much spent as you would fixing the 41 as it is. The 40/41 Ford grill's are what make them so neat anyhow, in my opinion.

I can understand where you're coming from, but I encourage you to take a step back, and rethink bobber/ratting it. If you were to build it back as it is, you would definitely have a higher resale value, which might even come in handy someday, if you were ever in a pinch, just one thing to consider, of many.

 

My other thought was to build the ch***is, get it all ready, put the cab and the bed on it. see what that looks like, then consider putting the fenders and stuff back onto it.

I've found a place here locally thats full of old vehicles that i can buy for pretty cheap, so i thought i'd start sanding them down and doing a little work on them, then rolling them to the curb and selling them. trying to make a little money to fund MY projects...

 

I wouldnt mind fixing it up and running fully fendered but like you said phucker, those grilles are what made the truck... trying to locate one is going to be a costly peice. If anyone has a lead on one for a good price i would reconsider the whole project.

 

Just because you were fortunate enough to get some valuable parts for "basically nothing" doesn't justify using them on a low end project. If you really want a bobber, fine, sell it or part it out for profit and use the proceeds for parts that better fit a bobber project.

 

Gotta chime in here from a different direction.
Your truck, money, time, etc. BUT why not
Keep the hood
Find a grill
Go fenderless and
MAYBE build some hood side skirts.
If you want to be different, don't do like every one else does.
Just a thought, I don't have many.

 

Keep the fenders.That truck came from the factory looking almost perfect.
My advice ,take it or leave it.

 

Is this deemed more appropriate? because i dont mind this look. i just dont want something im gonna have to sink thousands and thousands of dollars into it. i want something i can enjoy and not get burnt out on.

 

Well I'm not big on the bobber look but it isn't my truck. That truck is pretty complete and I would like it if it were mine with the proper fenders etc. the grill is something that I would probablywork out from expanded metal. But like I said it is your truck and I probably won't snub you ver it this is just what I would do.

If you have a gennie boss the boss is the only way to go. You'll eant to keep the gears pretty deep as they are a revver but that is the way it would fly if it were mu choice. I had a boss powered '68 Mustang once, it was a hoot to drive.

Don't know what you gave for the old hooptie but it could easily replace my stude. Those old fords were nice.

 

Do what makes YOU happy! Forget the others!

 

Well really, im trying to get ideas because i KNOW this truck has a ton of potential. I'd like to see what people consider as "done right".

I know that i would be happy seeing it as a bobber, or i'd like it as a full fendered sleeper. Because the main reason i want it is so i can finally have a bed that i can put parts and stuff in.