This is getting really out of hand. i bought a 1942 ford pickup 4 years ago and did a complete resto - mod to it. i've been searching for 4 years now on information of the 1942 ford pickup. i've found out that production started in october of 1941 and halted on febuary 10 of 1942. thats a 4 month window of production. i think these trucks are rarier then people might think they are. i kno that im the only one in michigan that has a 42 registered on the road right now. we need to come together and figure this one out. HOW MANY TRUCKS ARE THERE????? if someone could even give a guess to how many could be produced in a 4 month span than that would be a start. PLEASE HELP

 

We talk 4 month CIVILIAN production time, also factor in Military production, and there are quite a few. Not many '42 are around, I'm sure many were destroyed in use durinng the War. But if you look on eBay, quite a handful of them pop up, so they are still out there. In reality, not many of the 42-47 Ford trucks are on the road it seems. The '40-'41 and the '48 and later are much more popular. The rarest of the '42-'47s available to Civilians would be the '44's, which could be obtained only with approval from the Government. Of these years, the '46-'47 is by far the most common of them.

 

I have a 1945 and I was able to find the production totals by model of the 1945 models so the info is out there. My current mission is see if the 43 millionth Ford can be identified. It was produced in 1945 and only trucks were produced in 1945. 1945 Prouction consisted of the last 3 weeks of December and was limited to parts on hand and 19,000+ trucks were produced that year.

 

Actually, 1943 was the only year that Ford did not produce civilian vehicles. The stickler was that in order to go to your Ford dealer and buy a truck (including half-ton "commercial vehicles") one had to have a certificate from the government, having shown that you needed the truck to further the war effort.

All government-imposed vehicle purchase & construction restrictions were lifted immediately following VE Day (May 7 1945).

A couple of years ago, I met a gentleman who mustered out of the Army in July 1945, went home to Denver, and immediately walked into the nearest Ford dealership and bought a brand new 1945 Ford pickup. Last time I talked with him, he still owned it.

Mike

 

Howdy, my 1945 ford 1 1/2 ton truck's serial # is 99T737811 . if anyone know's or finds out the production breakdown I'd like to find out what month my truck was made, Thanks, Jess

 

I sent a question to the folks at the Greenfield Village Museum and was told that those records are now in the possesion of the Detriot Public Library. I didn't see any links on there web site for online resourses but it's been some time since I looked so I've been operating on the assumption its a trip to the library next time I get close enough for a side trip.

 

EddyL,

That'd be awesome if you could make the trip and dig up the information!

I'd leave a standing order for you for a tall-boy if you ever make it to California

 

EddyL, thanks for the info, I Have had this 45 for a long time, the pink slip says yr model 45, & yr first sold 45, so now i am researching the ser # & it seems that my ser # is to high to be a 45 ???? my model # is 598T

 

Your serial # indicates a 1945 My 45 pickup is 99C646553. My Mercury Ford Body Parts List book list the 598T as a8 cylinder 100 HP 158" wheel based 1 1/2 ton commercial truck

 

Well truckkid42 you are not the only one with a 42 Resto-Mod if you take a look in my garage[morty0071} you can see that the past 4 years I was very productive with my 42 It also has a crate 302 punched out to 332ci with the steel 302 heads ported and polished , 4 wheel disc...rack & pinion power steering coil spring front suspension, a worked C-4 with a 1500rpm stall converter and a whole lot of other stuff.....Please checkout my garage and get back to me ...let me know what you think...I love Mich..I went to college in Midland rite near Dow Chemical.. my e-mail is morty0071@hotmail.com

 

Does a 42 have a 40-41 front clip or a 46-47?

 

The '42 was the beginning of an all new all truck model for Ford. The '42 is nearly identical to the 46-47, but with some minor differences in the details.

 

I have some (updated?) info about production of Ford civilian trucks in 1945. My dad collected interesting newspapers and I have been looking through his collection. I am a car guy but no expert in older Fords.

My Dad has the Philadelphia newspaper on the day the Japanese surrender was printed Aug 14 1945, and a small news item about civilian Fords is on it as well, I thought the group would appreciate since it shows 1945 civilian production started as early as August not December as well as expected production rate.