Help identifying this old van
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,237
Likes: 299
From: Kenner,La.
Ford van
There was a company called Light Bulb DeliveryService that had 4 of them. We serviced them at my Dad’s shop.They all had 223 cu in engines. 2 were standard and the other were automatic. The automatic ones were the slowest vehicles I can remember driving. The single seat was on a post and the steering wheel was at arms length. Your legs were stretched to reach the pedals. The shorter drivers would stuff cardboard behind the seat post so they could reach the controls. Hot as hell in the summer. So driving with the door slid back was a death wish with no seat belt on a worn out seat that wiggled around. Those were the days!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,351
Likes: 5,373
From: Central PA
It looks like someone messed with the FORD letters to make them spell DORF. And the transplanted F fell off.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,152
Likes: 4,750
From: Burbank, WA
It's a P series Ford Parcel Delivery van, built well into the 60's if not later. The 55 style grille was used for many years, so one needs to check the serial number to determine the model year.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Burbank, WA
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,152
Likes: 4,750
From: Burbank, WA
I'm sure there was several thoughts that went into using the 53 grille for 2 years then; limited production, custom tooling to make the narrower grille, the long '54 fangs would not translate well, if at all, to being narrowed to fit in the space. The 53 and 55 was simple. Beyond that, the grilles got more complicated and Ford saw no reason to retool the entire truck to update the grille. It worked fine as it was, for what it was.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,351
Likes: 5,373
From: Central PA
It is all about the Benjamins, or in that case maybe just a couple dollars times tens of thousands (or however many P series were made} to Ford.
I once found an almost immaculate 55 type grille inside a parcel van at my favorite junk yard around 1999 when I was looking for parts for my 54. I went to the Carlisle Truck show the next year thinking I would make big bucks. I sold it. A half hour later the guy came back and said it's not long enough. I measured it and he was right. We were both befuddled.
Only then did I realize that the grille belonged to the parcel van it was inside of and they are shorter in width.
I once found an almost immaculate 55 type grille inside a parcel van at my favorite junk yard around 1999 when I was looking for parts for my 54. I went to the Carlisle Truck show the next year thinking I would make big bucks. I sold it. A half hour later the guy came back and said it's not long enough. I measured it and he was right. We were both befuddled.
Only then did I realize that the grille belonged to the parcel van it was inside of and they are shorter in width.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,351
Likes: 5,373
From: Central PA