I saw this pickup bed made into a trailer earlier this week and thought it had kindof cool fenders on it. The guy that owned it said he thought it was a middle-50's Chevy, but to me it looked more like a Ford from about 1939. For $50 I was willing to take a chance today that it was something I could use down the road. Heck, a trailer to haul hay out to the steers in the pasture ought to be worth the $50, even if I can't find a rod application, but I really would like to know if I am right in thinking that it might be a '39 to 40 Ford. Anybody think they know for sure???
The fenders do look a little '39-40 Fordish. Any markings on the frame or axle that might provide clues?
i just picked up a 1940 ford bed a few days ago and it looks identical,cept mine has/had the spare tire mount on the other side ,but i think someone may have moved it to the right side.
In sixty some years a lot of things get changed from original. Spare tire mounts, fenders, you name it. Note the tail lights on the back of the fenders. I gotta think that these were added by someone along the way, but who knows.
Looks like a 40 to me, a 46 has a little wider bed and the fenders arent as wide, cant remember the measurements, been too long since I`ve messed with em.
Post a real good pic of the rear of those teardrop fenders, coming down at an angle from the top so I can see if they pinch inward or not. Ford's pinched inward before they came in to the bed, Chevy/GMC curved straight over to the bed. Subtle difference. I couldn't tell from the front, since the area that would have had a molded feature on the Fords where the running board attached looked like it might have been sawn off?
Appears to have the 42-47 parallel leafs with coil-helper springs on the shocks but the axle looks like a 10 bolt GM I'm thinkin 42-47 ford box. Looks a helluva lot better than my 53-56 ford pickup box trailer.
yeah its a 42-47 ford ..im working on 47 looks just it..except the one I have didnt have the lower 8 inches..
The box itself is the same 42 thru early 50 Ford, but the fenders changed in 48. The 10 bolt rear looks like Chebbies 'cause it's a Dana 44 I believe.
Here is my 43, WW2 Boston and Maine RR purchase, still has their B&M Blue under the paintbrush black. I dont have a good shot of the other side.
Sounds like the majority opinion is that it's 42 - 48 Ford. The fenders do in fact come down before they go inward to meet the bed, and there there are coils on the shocks. Also, I agree that the axle itself is non-Ford. Maybe a Dana 44? If a Dana is any good for any rod application, I'll try to get a shot of it to confirm whether that's what it is. As I recall, Smokin Joe bought a Dana something or other for a Model A project a while back, so maybe what's under the pickup bed is not just throw-a-way junk. I'll try to get a better shot of the pumpkin after the sun comes up a bit more.
The 39-40 Ford fenders are basically the same as those up to 47. In fact, you can even use the early front sheet metal on the later trucks. Ford changed the beds every couple years from 32 on up. There is a good reference to this in All Fords catalog as well as BobDrakes.
OK, here's a closeup pic of the rear axle under the 42 - 47 Ford pickup bed. Is this a Dana 44 or what? Any opinions? Is it worth using under a rod? How much torque/HP will it handle? Looks a bit spindley to me.
I was off a bit - according to Mack Hills http://www.mackhils.com/mack_products/ 1938 - early 50 used the same box/stake pockets. The axle looks identical to the Dana/Spicer 44 I took out of my '48 pickup when I swapped in a 9" for ease in changing ratios.
Tim's on the right track. One way to tell for sure, that I had forgot about until looking at that link, is to measure between bed sides. 42-7 is 46", 48-50 is 49"
I think it's a spicer 41 that was used under 49 ford wagons and most likley pickups also. the 44 has a different style cover than the 41's. somewhere around 1950 they went to the 44 type. think it was also used under willy's wagons and 4x4's in the same era. the 44 was a better unit and you can still get parts for them.
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