Unmolested 40/41 1 Ton pickup?

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1940 Ford Trucks as illustrated in the original Australian Sales Brochure
 
The open cab thread will go down as one of the top five threads I've seen here. And yes, I think I recall the 3/4 tons had a one piece 16" wheel, even though they were on a similar 122" chassis. I also think a 3/4 ton jailbar was available in '42, but not after. Thanks for all the great pics merc (and expaver!)
 
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How rare is this Non V8 Wide Five Ford Truck Hubcap?
I believe that it was fitted to 4 Cylinder Ford Light Duty Trucks.
Can anyone confirm the exact years they were used?
i have not seen any others like this.
 
Expavr. that is one beautiful truck! . I like the Hall back up lamp you have. Is that the one that says FORD on it? What did you use as a switch for it? I have two of those on my bumper as well. Show us some pictures of your dash if you can please? What other accessories do you have on the truck?

To answer your question about accessories I took some liberties with the Tonner that don't exactly fall into the definition of an accessory, but they made operating it a whole lot more usable and roadworthy.

The backup light is a "Yankee" found at a swap meet.
Its triggered by a switch mounted on a bracket that holds an early 4 speed trans shift tower mounted on a 49 Merc O/D transmission which I'm using in the Tonner. (photos 1 and 2)

The dash light and Southwind heater were accessories on the truck when I bought it. Both work. The Southwind heater too well... (photos 3 and 4)

After running the truck for a couple of years on the Firestone polyester tires I had a set of OEM 17" rims modified and installed 16" Michelin all weather radials. The spare is a 7:50 - 17 Firestone which was the OEM tire. (photo 5)

The bed wood is Apiton a hardwood like teak that gets a Tung oil wipe down annually. When the disassembled plywood bed liner is in place the Tonner becomes a hauler again. (photo 6 and 7)


How its being used now is a far cry from 1940 when it hauled 50# bags of wheat seed on a wheat ranch in Eastern Washington, but its not a trailer queen either and gets put to use as the need arises.
 

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557762


How rare is this Non V8 Wide Five Ford Truck Hubcap?
I believe that it was fitted to 4 Cylinder Ford Light Duty Trucks.
Can anyone confirm the exact years they were used?
i have not seen any others like this.


These hubcaps were used on all 41 and 42 Ford 3/4 ton trucks. Ford used the "wide five" type wheels on the 3/4 tons from their introduction in 1939 through 1942. The V8 logo was switched to the Ford script when the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder engines were introduced in 1941. I see these listed occasionally online, typically as a single hubcap from a wall hanger collection.
 
Trying to post photos like expavr, but seems I can only add a "URL"? I can't see anyone's pictures, like Mercman's last 'close up' photo, but I can see expavr thumbnails. Any idea what's wrong here?
 
I have what is left of two of those. No beds. What do you want see?

I would like to see how the rear fenders are reinforced? I believe there's a brace that goes from the frame to the fender, but not exactly sure how/where. Also, looking for what the rear looked like, if it had a bumper, and how attached.
 
Attached are photos of an unmolested 1940 Tonner as bought and as restored. Its been a while since I visited the photo archive of this restoration, but I have photos of the Tonner as it was being torn down and the restoration process that might be helpful. If I can help with specifics don't hesitate to ask.

how were the rear fenders reinforced? were there braces that attached to frame, and if so, where and how did they attach to frame and fender? the rear bumper, same question, and close ups of the tail lights and how attached? Thanks!
 
EXPAVR: While there are a few "mods" to your truck, it is a fantastic example of taking something and adapting it to fit your needs - in a really clever way. I love the transmission setup - Nicely done!
 
Here's a rather crude sketch from memory of Ford's rear fender brace for 122" express and panel from '38-'47. The ford part # is 81T 16341-A. I have owned four tonner express trucks and one tonner panel. All were purchased in an 'as found' condition. I don't recall ever finding one of these intact. Firstly they are directly in the path of the mudstream off the rear tire. They are stamped from light gauge steel. The tab at each end for a bolt has both legs of trhe channel removed, so is effectively a piece of flat strap. They crack off at the unreinforced bend close to the bolt hole. Mine have all been too rusty to weld back together. Lineman friends have let me scrounge 1/4" x 1 1/4" galvanized cross arm braces from junk poles in the yard starting in the 80's with my 38 tonner. Not sure if the best part is they are galvanized or the fact that they are the right length and pre-drilled. Gotta be cherry red to bend the 90 degree bend at the frame so galvey goes away there. Sorry for bad sketch, pencil very dull and I have never saved a stock brace for a photo. Hope this helps.
 

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