Shiny Truck Stuff

CHuDWah

CHuDWah

Well-known member
It seems lots of trucks (especially pickups) have been "upgraded" with passenger-style radiator shells, headlights, taillights, cowl bands, etc - so much so that the painted parts and trucks with them are kinda hard to find nowadays. Presumably the stainless/nickel/whatever parts would have started showing up in junkyards in the 30s. But did folks back then care, or bother, about dressing up their trucks? Or did that start when people "restored" them in the 50s or later?
 
You're right. I see the changes on almost all pickups, including mine.

Those carbon steel parts must have been prone to rust (water collecting in the headlight buckets, and paint/steel oxidizing faster in the heat of the radiator).

I bet a lot of stainless parts were saved from the scrappers during WW2. Why not replace those nasty rusted through parts when you can buy stainless versions for the price of scrap? And, as you suggested, the rest were converted by zealous restorers during the last several decades.

It took me a loooong time to find a really good set of carbon steel headlight buckets and radiator shell. I hope to soon convert my pickup back to what it should be.
 
CHuDWah-

Just a quick sidebar to this thread...

I saw your signature of "WANTED: original flux capacitor and Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor. Must be NOS and reasonably priced"

I just wanted to let you know that the Flux Capacitor is available at O'Reilly Auto Parts. No price is listed, but at least you can bring it back if it breaks.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/flux-capacitor
 
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1930-Pickup said:
You're right. I see the changes on almost all pickups, including mine.

Those carbon steel parts must have been prone to rust (water collecting in the headlight buckets, and paint/steel oxidizing faster in the heat of the radiator).

I bet a lot of stainless parts were saved from the scrappers during WW2. Why not replace those nasty rusted through parts when you can buy stainless versions for the price of scrap? And, as you suggested, the rest were converted by zealous restorers during the last several decades.

It took me a loooong time to find a really good set of carbon steel headlight buckets and radiator shell. I hope to soon convert my pickup back to what it should be.
Click to expand...


I hadn't considered the rusting/scrapping of steel parts but that could be. Only the shell and cowl band had been changed on mine and I never did find those - finally painted the stainless ones.
 
1930-Pickup said:
CHuDWah-

Just a quick sidebar to this thread...

I saw your signature of "WANTED: original flux capacitor and Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor. Must be NOS and reasonably priced"

I just wanted to let you know that the Flux Capacitor is available at O'Reilly Auto Parts. No price is listed, but at least you can bring it back if it breaks.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/flux-capacitor
Click to expand...


Nah, that's the cheap Chinese copy - only NOS originals for my low mileage DeLorean time machine survivor! ;) :D
 
To my eyes a pickup with stainless looks "wrong". I was lucky when I was doing mine I located correct mild steel headlamps and rad shell . I rubbed a pair of tailights down with 600 grit to give a good key and painted them black . The only stainless I have is the cowlband but I have located a good mild steel one I plan to fit but the stainless one does look pretty HHHHM thinks .

John in sunny windy storm "Brian" en route Suffolk County England .
 
When I bought my pickup, it had stainless radiator shell, but the headlight buckets were steel painted black. It's still that way, no intention on changing it. I think I will change out the '30 blue Ford oval for the '31 stainless one though.
 
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