original Ford bed or not.

paetsgone

Senior Member
I have passed this through the military boards and thought i would ask here. I am building a copy of the 1940 ford pickup in the photo and i can't figure out if it has a altered stock bed or a custom build bed. What do you think.
 

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Thats a truck I've never seen before in any WW2 literature. Any idea what units used it ?
 
Are you sure it's not a movie prop? To my eyes it looks to thrown together if you know what I mean for GI. I've been around movie sets a lot and also old military vehicles as well. Something is just a little off here.
Just my two cents, Tim
 
I vote movie prop. It really looks like something Jethro Clampett's brother might have driven.



If real military the lack of official serial number indicates a conscripted and repurposed civilian vehicle. Way to much patina and abuse to the running boards for a 1940-41 vehicle which would have been almost new when the military was desperate. Way to much work on the windshields for a quick and dirty adaption. LHD makes Australian or UK origin unlikely. The only real possibilities might be Philippines resistance or an outlying South Pacific island away from combat and decent supply chain (Think Mr Roberts).
 
I can imagine with the sudden onslaught of war, there were quite a few vehicles thrown together until proper fighting vehicles could be delivered to the field. And in some places throwing vehicles together is a way of life. That said I CANNOT WAIT to see what you are building! Will it look like it just rolled off the assembly line or with it be ragged and war-torn like that in the photos. Oh, you had a question... Photo quality is just too poor to see the stake pockets or the embossed bed sides. Any other pics? Tailgate? There is a thread here called something like 'Australian open cab military trucks'. It includes 2 photos of 40 fords remarkably like your photos. Here's something similar that I threw together from random parts two winters ago.
 

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I can imagine with the sudden onslaught of war, there were quite a few vehicles thrown together until proper fighting vehicles could be delivered to the field. And in some places throwing vehicles together is a way of life. That said I CANNOT WAIT to see what you are building! Will it look like it just rolled off the assembly line or with it be ragged and war-torn like that in the photos. Oh, you had a question... Photo quality is just too poor to see the stake pockets or the embossed bed sides. Any other pics? Tailgate? There is a thread here called something like 'Australian open cab military trucks'. It includes 2 photos of 40 fords remarkably like your photos. Here's something similar that I threw together from random parts two winters ago.

Neat, GB. I likes it.
 
I'm thinking non original ford pickup bed in your photos.... If those are stake pockets they look to be about 4" in from the ends of the bed. Ford's are maybe an inch in. The cut rear fenders shown in the photo below look an awful lot like those in the oroginal post.... Here's that pic from the Australian truck thread. It is WELL worth looking at the whole thread.
 

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The vehicles in the photo that GB SISSON posted look very similar to the vehicle that paetsgone is enquiring about? Also notice that the wheels look similar.
 
I can imagine with the sudden onslaught of war, there were quite a few vehicles thrown together until proper fighting vehicles could be delivered to the field. And in some places throwing vehicles together is a way of life. That said I CANNOT WAIT to see what you are building! Will it look like it just rolled off the assembly line or with it be ragged and war-torn like that in the photos. Oh, you had a question... Photo quality is just too poor to see the stake pockets or the embossed bed sides. Any other pics? Tailgate? There is a thread here called something like 'Australian open cab military trucks'. It includes 2 photos of 40 fords remarkably like your photos. Here's something similar that I threw together from random parts two winters ago.

its going to look as close to photos as possible. chipped paint no dent repair beat up. no rust though. thanks
 
I can imagine with the sudden onslaught of war, there were quite a few vehicles thrown together until proper fighting vehicles could be delivered to the field. And in some places throwing vehicles together is a way of life. That said I CANNOT WAIT to see what you are building! Will it look like it just rolled off the assembly line or with it be ragged and war-torn like that in the photos. Oh, you had a question... Photo quality is just too poor to see the stake pockets or the embossed bed sides. Any other pics? Tailgate? There is a thread here called something like 'Australian open cab military trucks'. It includes 2 photos of 40 fords remarkably like your photos. Here's something similar that I threw together from random parts two winters ago.

nice truck. mine will be beat just as photos with a gloss black showing through as chips. I have more photos but in none can i see the embossed line.
 
Thanks everyone. It was a real truck used by the lrdg. I can not see an embosed panel line in any photo of any of the 1940 trucks they used. The large post pockets could have need added but who know. All photos are bad but i thought i should see an panel line. thanks
 
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