I'm getting started on the '33 pu that I've had waiting in the wings for a few years. Over the years I've gathered up a '33 cab and doors, a set of decent original '32 frame rails, a model A bed with cool bobbed fenders, a great old chrome front end, and a 324 Olds or 425 Buick for power. The cab is pretty rusty but the plan was a 4"-5" chop and a 2" channel so metal work was a given. The original plan: chopped, channeled, fender-less or bobbed rears only. Then along comes a deal on some '32 passenger car front fenders and running boards that I couldn't pass up. So I start thinking full-fendered but I don't think the Model A bed and rear fenders (I have stock ones too) would play well with the '32 running boards so I started looking for a '32 bed...... What I found was a whole '33 pu basket case. It's already chopped (4" I think), the cab has no rust, the bed has no rust and has been shortened so the fenders are centered. It comes with a rolling '33 frame, full fenders and running boards. I now have enough parts to build two pickups. So now what?? My gut says go with the new cab on the '32 frame, with '32 front fenders and running boards but will the '33 bed and rear fenders work with the '32 frame? With the passenger car front fenders and running boards? My basic questions; (I've never had a '32-'34 pu before just coupes and they were fender-less) Do '32 - '34 pickups share the same beds? Do they share the same rear fenders? Are '32 pickup front fenders the same as '32 passenger car front fenders? I looks like the pickups have all metal running boards, are they totally different than the rubber covered passenger running boards? Or somewhat interchangeable? The answers to these questions will become apparent as I spread all this stuff out on my shop floor and start mocking it all up but I was hoping that some of you who have been there and done that could shed some light on the differences in '32s and '33s sheet metal -wise. I'll post some pictures later, I need to get the chassis jig set up and the '32 frame tacked together before I start bringing in all that sheet metal, shop space is limited.
'32 and '33-4 front fender look alike but curve of frame is different, making interchange about hopeless. In back they are also different BUT main issue is the nearly flat area that that bolts to frame at front bottom of fender, which should be fairly easy to redo. '33-4 bed is MOSTLY same as '32, but the fender area is about 6" farther aft because of much longer frame. For a rod, I'd suggest cutting that front part of bed down to '32 length and putting it on...pay attention to where fender ends up so the whole mess will go on the frame with fender bolting up in right place! This way the length effectively comes off the rear of bed, which most people think is too long anyway on a '32. "32 pickups use passenger rubber boards...adapting the '33 type would probably be harder than making a set, since frame contour and width are all off!
Bruce is spot on. Rear fenders are very close 1932 and 1933-34, the difference is in the little spacer below the bed, its about 1" on 1932 and 5/8" on 1933-34 (the beds are the same width and the 1933-34 frame a bit wider than 1932 so the different spacer width)
The wheelbase of a '32 chassis is 106". The wheelbase of a '33/'34 is 112". As @Bruce Lancaster mentioned, you'll need to chop your box to make it all work, as the wheel reveals are in a different place on the '33/'34 boxes, than on a '32. You can chop it out of the front to make it all line up and build your own subframe for the box, as you won't see it once the floor is in anyways.
I went through our Hot Rod Pickups thread and some Google images and I can see the differences you mentioned. I totally forgot about the obvious wheelbase difference and it's the short wheelbase that draws me to '32s. I can see how that affects bed and everything else now. I've always liked the '32 frame with the nice reveal along the bottom and the '33-'34 frames seem much more boxy but I can see that with the fenders and running boards on there isn't enough aesthetic difference to sweat about. I'm going to reassemble the '33 I just bought, stand back and look it over real good. I think the previous owner was on the right track. Thanks for the info gentlemen, I see these trucks on here and at shows and I can't wait to get underway with my own. I've been good - I got all the other projects running before starting on something new.
bob, pay attention to what these guys are saying! I bought a full fendered pickup, titled as a 32 but in all actuality it was a 34. What was odd about the thing when I bought it was the fact that the running boards had a 6in. extention added to them, from the end of the board to the rear fender, Everything else lined up perfect except the boards. It had beautiful rubber coated boards that were meant for a 32, got 34 boards and all was good. Luckily for me a friend of mine knew all the differences between the 32/33-34. Also, the 34 has that wider reveal on the back of the cab. Have fun with it, I did with mine!
Cool truck! Don't see enough Moon discs on the street these days......... The truck I just bought does appear to be a '33. It has the bulgy firewall and it doesn't have the extra reveal feature on the back of the cab. My rusty cab is the same. The new one has a pink slip that says '33 and the VIN Number matches the frame (which is also '33). This was a hot rod truck in the past that was torn down for some updates and never reassembled - we've all seen that happen. I'm pretty excited about it but I can't go pick it up 'til Saturday. I guess that's good, gives me time to clean up the shop a little, LOL. Since High School I have always had an old Ford hot rod of some sort. I traded away my '31 Tudor 2 years ago and immediately regretted it. The consolation was that I had made a deal to buy a '31 RPU. That deal fell through last week so I turned my attention to my rusty '33 cab as I stated above. Buying this other '33 pu will move the project along a bunch! Here's the first cab........... The new one is waaayy better
Well it's Saturday and IT'S HOME! My amazing wife and I took the old blue truck up north and picked up the new project '33. Last time I saw it it was scattered all over the guy's shop so it was great to put the cab and bed on the chassis and stand back and look at it. To say I'm pleased is an understatement. This is gonna be fun. You guys with '32-'34 pickups, take a look at the side view and tell me what is different here? Notice that the cab reveal pretty much lines up with the bed rail. Both are bolted to the frame in the stock holes, the bed having the stock sub-structure in place. The cab looks like it's channeled about 1 1/2" -2" but you can hardly tell if and where the floor has been altered. I really like the overall look, can't wait to get started on it. I'll roll my stock '33 cab over by it tomorrow and note the differences. It was threatening rain so we had to unload quickly and get it covered up.
The second truck looks good as is. The bed looks good to me & I would build this truck on the 33 frame especially since the vin is correct for it. I would make it full fendered & maybe chop it 2-4". The rusty truck would be good to chop & channel fenderless on the 32 frame & make it a full hot rod. You could have one each way . Just my opinion. Bill
I had a 33 and a few years earlier I had a 32. Your 33 is somewhat nicer than mine. I cut mine 5 and 1/2 inches . Never found a correct bed so I used a 27 T box on it 'till I could find a 33...never found one.
Akoutlaw; And a good opinion it is. That's the plan, I now have parts to build two - one chopped, channeled and fenderless on a '32 chassis and one full fendered on a '33 chassis. Rocky; Now that's a HAMB friendly hot rod. Very cool. As for my new toy; A little voice in my head says, "find a flathead" but my (ample) gut says, "Olds and a hydro, like you woulda done in high school" My wallet says, "why spend more money for less horsepower - you have an Olds" The wallet wins every time. First thing on the agenda? Go to the DMV and get it registered in my name.
Can anyone post a photo of how the radiator attaches to the frame on a '33-'34 pickup? I straightened the left front fender and installed it along with the right front. The radiator and grill have me scratching my head. On my '33 coupe the radiator sat on the triangular brackets in front of the cross member but the pickup grill/radiator assembly doesn't seem to fit there. I'm trying to mock up the whole car to see what needs to be done to make it the way I want it to look. Any help would be appreciated.
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