Through an friend I will hopefully get a chance to go check out a truck soon. All I really know is that it is a 1940s Ford truck and from what I have been told I think is a 44 or 45 1 1/2 ton. I also have been told it needs a new engine and paint.
Does anyone know of any particular areas or parts on these trucks I need to pay special attention to or is it just the standard things like cab corners?

 

For rust, cab corners are the usual suspects, but luckily patch panels are available for all 4 corners. Check around the windshield as well, not the easiest of places to repair, and patch panels are not available new. If it's had a leaking windshield or cowl vent check the floor boards as well, again, these panels can be purchased new. Let us know how it goes, good luck.

 

Hi, I hear that the big Ford trucks in the 50s had laminated frames. If stored indoors they should still be good. I don't know about the 40s big trucks but I would check the frame. I believe trucks made during WW2 are rare. My Uncle had a 1945 International with a large grain bed on it. I always liked the looks of it. I think there was enough room for two persons to sit on the front bumper to eat lunch. Sorry I'm not much help, just got a little excited about looking at an old truck.

 

Thanks to both of you for your opinions. I didn't think about there being no patch panels for around the windshield, so repairing that area probably would amount to quite a project. I also didn't know about the laminated frames on big 50s trucks. I am excited to have the chance to go look at on old truck, especially since I hardly ever get to see larger trucks that haven't been completely customized.

 

As 41505379 said the 1 1/2 and 2 ton trucks, even in the '40s, had double frames. Depending on where you are at, there could be a lot of rust between the frame layers. They were doubled from the rear spring hanger on the front axle to the front spring hanger on the rear axle. A lot of the larger trucks also had their frames cut and either lengthened or shortened during their working life.
Mark

 

How would I be able to tell if there is rust between the frame layers? Would it be something I should hopefully be able to see if I clean off a few spots and just look or is it more complicated than that?

 

The rust between the frame layers will cause them to buckle and spread apart. The outside frame will not appear flat where there is rust between. The top and bottom frame flanges will be wavy with visiable gaps between the layers and the flat sides of the frame will be more convex in places.
I hope that made sense, Mark

 

Oh great, now I'll have to go down to the shed where I stuck the '47 I bought in the spring. I'm hoping to start on it this winter. I hope neither of us has the rust in there. I've seen it on landcruisers and it isn't pretty, nor is it an easy fix......

 

I didn't mean to paint so bleak of picture. Unless a truck is from a dry climate, they probably all have some rust between the layers of the frame. I would pay most attention to the area around the ends of the outer frame.
I hope you find the truck in good shape. I like to see these bigger trucks brought back to life.
Mark

 

Thanks for explaining that 49fordv8f4. Luckily down here in AZ it will probably be pretty dry. I just need to hope all the flooding around here recently doesn't get to it too bad or I could end up seeing it float down the road.

I hope your '47 is doing good GB SISSON, and good luck working on it.

 

I need to make a correction to my earlier post. The shorter reinforcing frame rail on the trucks with the doubled frames is on the inside, not the outside as I stated earlier. Sorry for the confusion.
The Ford parts book lists the reinforced frame available for the COE in '41, COE and conventional cab trucks from '42-'47. A non reinforced frame was also available for those trucks.
Keep us posted what you find out. Mark

 

I have a doubled frame on my '40 COE, also.

 

OK, so I went back and read again. It's the big trucks that have the reinforcement. I know it's OK on my '47 2 ton. I thought you were referring to the 1/2 tons, which is what I have down in the shed. This afternoon I rolled around in the gravel under it looking for a laminated frame. It didn't seem doubled anywhere. I did however marvel at how thin and light it seemed. Last spring I succumbed to this 1/2 ton. I have probably owned over 25 old ford trucks over the years, but this recent '47 is only the second half ton. The first was in '80 and it was a '48 f1 that didn't run. I traded a guy at work a stanley block plane for it and later sold it still not running for 35 bucks to a dump truck driver that was delivering drain rock for our new septic system. The system is still running and doing it's job, but last winter I recognized the '48 rotting into the ground in a densely wooded private junkyard here on the island.

 

One other thing to check is the condition of the wiring and the brake lines. Unless kept indoors, figure on new wiring and brake lines. My un-restored 42 1-1/2 ton needed both totally redone. Those old brake lines can spring leaks unexpectedly, and that old insulation can have bare spots that ground out on inappropriate things like the fuel line. (Ask me how I know)


Good Luck!