Hot Rods How Many Rural Mail Trucks Have You Ever Seen?

Hey Gang! Check out this time capsule I just picked up and very happy to be part of collection at Solo Speed Shop! Started out as a 1930 Model A 4 door sedan! Made into a Mail truck & ran the rural roads in MN about 1942 -1947 Look at the old pics that came with it! Tks Bill

 

Wow big 'n' littles gives it a Bantam look. Cool

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this one has been on here......

 

Love it! Don’t touch a thing, awesome piece of history.


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Nice find and neat history.

 

A friend (retired postal worker & Model A expert) has a great example of a Model A mail truck. But, his has a stock ch***is. He'd love to see the tractor tires on this one!

 

Nice! Great piece of rolling American History. Bob

 

Found one of these years ago in a vacant farm along the Canadian border. Had cleated steel rear tires off a Fordson tractor. Didn't have a camera with me.

 

I've seen 2 mail carriers from about the same era as this one. One was when I was a kid in 1975 when we went to visit relatives in Montana.

Second one was an old mail carrier in a small local town when he went to a home and his possessions sold off. In the 1 car garage they pulled out his old mail carrier. This was late 80's or early 1990's.

But neither one looked like this one. They both had skis on the front and the front tires mounted back farther and a metal track over the back and remounted front tires.

You got a nice gem there.

 

I'm waiting to find this *****in c-cab tucked in a barn somewhere

 

This thing rules!

 

Show how tough Model A's were, plenty of torque to pull it through the mud with those tractor tires.

 

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"

A rig like that would certainly contribute to the accomplishment of the unofficial creed of the US Postal Service. It appears to have an AA rear axle under it which would help turn those Mud 'n Snows in the deep muck.

 

Don't know if you can read these but copy & blow up! It was bought in 39 1930 Deluxe 4door w/60K miles very clean he bought for $100 He drove for 2 years on mail route the 3rd year he took all apart and his friend Ed Chermack of Chermacks machine shop in Barron Wis Did the jobs like cutting torque tube so car would be 100" like regular Model A so it was easier to fit in garage he also wanted a 4 speed but never used first unless in the woods! He also noted it was the only Ford with all 4 springs off a Chevy model 490 He replaced the front fenders off a 29 as they were shorted and higher easier to shovel when it got stuck! He never did get stuck and did enjoy driving on bad roads and big mud holes to pull people out who were stuck in mud he only used in winter on muddy or snowy roads as it wasn't very fast and had to use chains in snow He put an ottwel heater on it and did well Before he built this he used a model T snowmobile that had runners in the front and tracks in the back it was a real killer to steer and had to stop using when they started black topping the roads also noted John Swansen in Almena Wis made a lot of Model A Machines! Yes a real piece of history maybe needs to be in a museum! Tks for replies! Bill @ Solo Speed Shop

 

This one's cool. HRP

 

Great truck and a great piece of history. One thing though, remove that "plastic" gas filter from under the hood.

 

Bill,

That is really interesting. I am familiar with all of the towns you mention as I am from that part of Wisconsin. I was just in Hillsdale this past weekend enjoying the regional religious holiday otherwise known as the "Wisconsin Gun Deer Season". I see that the '30 Sedan was bought in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. I was born in Rice Lake and graduated from Rice Lake Senior High School as well. I never knew Mr. Chermack but the name is familiar to me and I bet my dad would have known him.

Thanks for sharing this. It has brought up many fine memories for me.

Steve

 

Okay! Guys dad had in barn for 45 years & he just got it running! We will fix things soon! Tks Bill

 

More Pics!

 

Not a banger but similar set up on my 46 when I first saw it. The fellow I bought it from bought it new and used it in Central Pennsylvania for his job / business. He represented several manufacturers of farm equipment. He visited clients at there farms. So he added a piece of quarter inch cold rolled brazed to the bottom of the oil pan which is still there, had a3/8ths piece under the muffler, and a shapped and fited piece under the diff housing. It was also sitting on 20 inch truck wheels with Firestone knobbies mounted up. He said where the dirt roads ended, the tractor tracks which were peoples driveways began and some of the farm houses were a mile or so up hills through the creek and on the other side of the ridge. So along with those user modified vehicles, there were all terrain vehicles before there were ATVs. Guess mine was one of them.

 

Holy **** that thing is cool

 

Hey Bill, Used to see those when I lived near Canada, there might still be a few around. Yours looks a little like an early g***er so I see you are still on the same path. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Semper Fi

 

This is fricken cool!!!

 

X at least 2 I think more......Ford Power Wagon...

 

What a great piece of history!!
Thanks for sharing

Bobby

 

looks like they welded the ends of a model A front axle to the center section of a chevy front axle?

 

Wow, I see why he needed the tractor tires on the back. Can remember some roads like that around here when I was a kid.

 

With half track rear, these might have been Arps Snowbirds. They converted Hundreds of Fords for mail deliveries etc.
garpo

 

It would make a nice Fuel Comp Coupe

 

Solo Mail G***er HMMMMMMMMMM