Need help with a 1942

[1972ford]

Hi everybody,

I'm looking at a 1942 one ton flatbed near me, the truck is a former farm truck but in very good condition. Very minimal rust, mostly in the corners and along the bottom of the door. The original engine was replaced in the 1960's with either a 302 or 289, so at least the mounting of a similar engine has already been worked out. What I'm not really sure about is that it looks larger than what a one ton would be-heavy duty dually axle mainly. What in the serial number should I be looking at to see how big this truck is? What parts are avaliable for the bigger stuff? I think this might have been a military truck, as the doorframes show OD paint underneath later red paint.

[46fordtruck]

The 1 ton only had single rear wheels, no duals. If you have duals, then it's larger than a 1 ton. The 1 ton has 122" wheelbase, while the bigger trucks had 134 or 158 wheelbase. 1 tons had 17" wheels, the bigger trucks used 20" wheels.

[1972ford]

I took another look, and the wheelbase is 134 with 20" wheels. My biggest concern is the availability of parts as it seems that most suppliers go up to one ton. While most of the parts are there, my biggest concern is the brakes, rear axles and wheel bearings, to provide a safe foundation for the rest of the project.

[46fordtruck]

Check out Mac's, Job Lot Auto, and even try places that repair tractor trailers, you should be able to find the hardware you need. There are also a few guys here with these bigger trucks. While not the most popular of size, they are still restored and in use. Sounds like a good truck by the way you describe it.