1938 Tonner Express (Pic heavy)
 

A friend of mine in the Houston area is almost finished with the restoration of a 1938 Ford Tonner Express (1 ton pickup truck for those not familiar with the lingo). All he has left is to touch up a couple places in the paint, clean the tires, and install the hubcaps. Here are pictures:

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I have a few more pictures here: 1938 Ford Tonner by Fred_Mills | Photobucket

Looking at the truck this afternoon it seemed larger than my F-2. I find that odd since they both are basically the same size (same wheel base and bed size). Maybe it is because the tall 7.50-17 tires on the 38?

Those of you that know me already know how awesome I think this is....... Holy freakin COW

Very nice indeed. Pass along a "well done" to your friend.

Looks like it has the 'heavy duty' 3 speed. I have read that there was a special 3 speed tranny for these, but never seen one in a tonner. I'm basing this on the shift lever. And yes the 7.50 x 17s are just under 34" usually and give it that stance. Does he have NOS hubcaps?

Beautiful! He can be proud of that one. And look at that garage! I have a bad case of garage envy:-X22

That is one gorgeous truck, looks stunning in black

Looks like he's still running the cable brakes. I found them to be very effective, even when loaded.

Hey GB, Have you room for a 46-47 tonner with a 6 cylinder and I believe, an original script stakebed? Got a guy at work that keeps pestering me about buying his.

Heck, I got me ten acres of room. Just not the money to buy more trucks. If it were an express pickup, rust free, I might just have to sell something, but I have a lot of flatbeds already. Out of curiousity, how much?:-X04

Haven't asked but he seems determined to sell it to me.

Someone probably told him only a few 'eccentrics' were willing to buy the trucks larger than a half ton. Seen any of them around lately?:-hair

Very neat truck!

The transmission is actually a regular Ford three speed transmission, like came in the cars and 1/2 tons. But, the gear ratios are different. Where the cars have a 2.82 first gear, these have a 3.52 first gear. Likewise, second gear in the car is 1.60 and is 1.899 in the truck unit. I have seen one of these low gear light duty three speeds in a 41 3/4 ton. I tried to get some interest on here from the big truck guys since I think this would be an even better answer than the heavy three when replacing a crashbox, but noone was interested.

The original hubcaps are somewhere in new england getting the stainless straightened.


This is the last restoration my friend says he is doing. The shop is a space he has rented while running his restoration business. He is moving out by the end of the month, I think.


Yes, the truck is almost much 100% stock (the fog lights are sealed beam, technically sealed beam came out in 1940...)
I agree, cable brakes in good shape work very well. The cable brakes on my 37 sedan will out stop the hydraulic brakes on my 53 sedan. The cables are a lot more work to adjust though.

When pulling a trailer with my '38 tonner I always relied upon the trailer's electric brakes. At first I kept a 12 volt battery on the trailer to run them, hooked up negative ground, with a wire to the controller in the cab... Truck was 6v positive. I have no idea what went on between the trailer ball and both truck and trailer polar opposites. The brakes worked but I was so green then. Why didn't the ball arc weld itself onto the trailer's coupler????

I'd sure like to see some pictures of that!