Fenderless Rod???
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Fenderless Rod???
A short distance from my home I found what is left of a 37-47 Ford pickup. I think it is a 39 because the lines of the cab just look too early for 1947. Nothing is left of this truck but the bed panels, cab with doors and the frame. It sill has both front and rear axles and also the transmission. It has paralell springs front and rear. I thought the fronts were transverse until 47. This old truck has fairly heavy surface rust and would never be a canidate for restoration. I have a 1950 flathead V8, transmission and many other parts. Would this era truck make a good fenderless rat rod project? My thoughts were 39 front grille, primer, sectioned (half my work is done) and maybe a shorter wheelbase. Do you think this is a doable project? The truck owner's son and law thought I was Nuts.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
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From: Orange County, CA
Hmm...never seen many late '30's fenderless truck rods. But first, let's try to narrow down the year (years) of the truck. the '38-'39 had a beltline around the cab that consisted of 3 ribs, in '40 and up the belt line had no ribs, and the door's belt line had a depression running along the door. '42-'47 had the gas filler in the cab, passenger side, '40-'41 had them in the rear fender, except on big trucks I believe. The front suspension, Ford used the tranverse spring until the '42 came out. In '42 the springs went to parallel, and the rear end was an open rear, no more closed drive. I think the '38 grille and fenderless would look good...sounds like an interesting low buck project.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: McAlester, OK
There was a truck, well a '40-'47 cab, on a chassis at a car show in Amarillo one time. It was all polished up and nice. The thing was definetly sortened and the cab was lowered quite a bit on the frame. I thought it was the coolest thing at the show. Didn't have a bed and I don't know if they were finished with the truck or not.
Trucks bigger than the half tons had parallel springs, at least in '40 and '41. You can tell these apart from the 1/2 tons by the large wheels or bolt patterns, and the longer bed.
I think that that is a very doable project. You could even chop off the roof if you wanted a roadster. Although with the parallel springs that special look that the front suspension has just won't be the same, but you can always drop in an aftermarket, especially from the money you'd save from body work.
Trucks bigger than the half tons had parallel springs, at least in '40 and '41. You can tell these apart from the 1/2 tons by the large wheels or bolt patterns, and the longer bed.
I think that that is a very doable project. You could even chop off the roof if you wanted a roadster. Although with the parallel springs that special look that the front suspension has just won't be the same, but you can always drop in an aftermarket, especially from the money you'd save from body work.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,688
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From: Southern Oregon
I also think you have a very doable project. I have looked at my 46 for so long without front sheet metal that I have been thinking along the same lines. You could size down from the big radiator to one that would better fit the bill. Flatten out the engine side of the firewall with the addition of a panel. Leave off the running boards and run side pipes.
As I was fantisizing about this a while back, the thought came that a fabricated brace could run from the sides of the cab where the inner fender attaches, down to the frame attachement and to the radiator for vertical support.
As for what to do about mounting of headlights and such, my axle is a tubular unit from Magnum. It has a blank boss on the top side where I think the transverse springs of earlier models usually mount, and it might be a means of attaching front lighting.
It sounds like fun! Go for it!
As I was fantisizing about this a while back, the thought came that a fabricated brace could run from the sides of the cab where the inner fender attaches, down to the frame attachement and to the radiator for vertical support.
As for what to do about mounting of headlights and such, my axle is a tubular unit from Magnum. It has a blank boss on the top side where I think the transverse springs of earlier models usually mount, and it might be a means of attaching front lighting.
It sounds like fun! Go for it!
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 89
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From: southern New Hampshire
I have a 39 Ford cab from a 1.5 ton. I put it on a 78 datsun truck frame right now, because I liked the look of the front suspension as being a torsion bar setup. I plan to make it a 'fenderless' or with motorcycle fenders and a 68 bronco 302.
This picture from a local swap meet shows you can do anything your imagination can think of.(59-60 Edsel Hot Rod)
This picture from a local swap meet shows you can do anything your imagination can think of.(59-60 Edsel Hot Rod)
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