Anyone restored a E28/AR RPU?

Jembow

Jembow

Senior Member
I've had this truck since 1979 and have just started to sort out the rust. In Mack Hils 1979 book he shows a photo of a wood bearer under the bed, and the vendors offer this, but I couldn't see it on my truck. The repro side rails I bought didn't fit and then the light bulb came on! My truck has the body sub-frame of a passenger car running under the bed.

Is this on all E28 pickups? Mine is May 28
 

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Jembow,

Yes, you have an early 1928 Open Cab Pickup.

I, along with quite a few others, did a section in my book"The 1928-1931 Ford Assembly Plants and their Production of the Model A Ford "Commercial Cars...Part2" about this body style.

This particular type of OCP body was made available from December 1927 thru May 1928. Then Ford seperated the Pickup Bed from the Body. Actually the Pickup Bed is not attached to the body persay...just to the body frame rails as one unit.

There are a few around that have been restored such as yours.

You have a unique body style there!

Steve Plucker
 
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So, the first open cab pickups extended the cab sub rails to include supporting the bed? Never knew that. Then in May 1928, they dropped the rear portion of body sub rails and connected the bed directly to the frame. How about closed cab pickups? Same way?
 
Mike,

There were no Closed Cab Pickups from January 1928 thru May 1928 or there abouts.

However the Closed Cab was offered on those early AA Trucks only and NOT with the Pickup Bed.

In May of 1928, Ford decided to utilize the Closed Cab in connection with the Pickup Bed and the Open Cab was also offered with the AA Trucks.

At that point in May of 1928, Ford thus seperated the Pickup Bed from the Open Cab so it was made compatible with the Closed Cab.

Pluck
 
Thanks Pluck. That would explain why I've never run across any closed cab pickups earlier than May 1928. I have at home a junk Feb 1928 AA with closed cab and a junk Dec. 1928 closed cab pickup, which fits the scenario you describe.
 
Mike Peters said:
Thanks Pluck. That would explain why I've never run across any closed cab pickups earlier than May 1928. I have at home a junk Feb 1928 AA with closed cab and a junk Dec.
Click to expand...


The February 1928 AA would have had the 82-A d1 Closed Cab with a higher rear window and Ford script above the window. This is shown at:


https://aafords.com/cabs/82-a-closed-cab/#ubpd


The 82-A became available on the A chassis starting June 1928. So the d1 82-A was not found on the A chassis. However, the d2 82-A (March-June 1928) could have been installed on the A chassis. The d2 82-A did not have the Ford script above the rear window.
 
Hans Kalinka from WI restored an early 28 RPU like this and won many awards in the 1980's - 1990's. The restoration was well covered in the MARC issues of the day. I don't have an index to reference, but MARC had several mentions of his super early RPU.
 
d. said:
Hans Kalinka from WI restored an early 28 RPU like this and won many awards in the 1980's - 1990's. The restoration was well covered in the MARC issues of the day. I don't have an index to reference, but MARC had several mentions of his super early RPU.
Click to expand...

Here are the articles:

COMMERCIAL (1928)
“Advertising the Light Commercial Vehicles”: MAN/60/6/30-31 (2013)

76-A: Open Cab Pickup
MAN/13/1/6-7, 22 (1966)**1
MAN/22/3/2 (1975)
(Early) MAN/31/3/8-14 (1984)
“Advertising the Model A Ford, The Pickup”: MAN/59/3/28-30 (2012)
(P)…TR/6/3/10 (1961)
(P)…TR/8/4/32 (1963)
(P)…TR/9/3/21 (1964)
TR/24/3/10-17 (1979)

78-A: Early Pickup (Bed)
MAN/13/1/6-7 (1966)**1
MAN/31/3/8-13 (1984)
MAN/44/3/8 (1997)
TR/25/5/14-17 (1981)
TR/52/3/44-48 (2007)
“How I Built My Pickup (bed) Canopy---John Stone”: MAT/15/2/32-34 (2019)
TR is The Restorer...MAN is Model A News

Pluck
 
I know this is an old thread, but is there a way to read these articles about RPU's online or just run across some one's old magazine collection?


Thanks!
 
I do not think any of these are "on-line" BUT I think between the two national clubs that they each have put out CD's with these older issues on them.

Not sure if MAFCA still has plans to do a book on the Model A Open and Closed Cab Pickups or not...I know that before Alex Janke passed away he and I had plans to do one but since then I do not know.

A good book on the subject sure would be great for the hobby.

Pluck
 
Jembow said:
I've had this truck since 1979 and have just started to sort out the rust. In Mack Hils 1979 book he shows a photo of a wood bearer under the bed, and the vendors offer this, but I couldn't see it on my truck. The repro side rails I bought didn't fit and then the light bulb came on! My truck has the body sub-frame of a passenger car running under the bed.

Is this on all E28 pickups? Mine is May 28
Click to expand...

The bed is unique! The bottom part of it has a different shape and it is, I think LONGER by 1" too 1.5"! You should talk with Charles Reese,...he know all this.
 
Follow Plucks advice in two post BUT refer to the earlies as E28, there were NO AR's unless it was built entirely of obsolete parts as listed --------AR in the parts catalogs...
 
I only used AR in my header cos not everyone has got on board with E28. My bed is not longer, I have bought repro side panels which match my originals. The only mismatch was the bottom rail not matching the subframe
 
Drawn a blank on a quick look on the body crossmember for assembly plant code. I'll have another careful look tomorrow.

This car was/is badly rusted, I could only read the first 2 digits on the frame number to establish it as May 28. No documentation with it, the title was for a 1930 and the motor, trans and rear axle were 1931, only half of the wheels and drums were E28. A typically worn out and abused truck!
 
Still no luck finding a plant code, but I measured the old bed side rails v. the new repros - 1/2" difference, and , of course the difference in shape.
 
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