Last weekend at a big local swapmeet I ended up finding me a really nice 34 Ford cab. I love these trucks so I had to have it. I'm busy trying to finish up a model a Tudor sedan on a 32 chassis at the moment but as soon as that's finished I'm starting my truck Shooting for around September to start this one. I'm pretty excited to start this one. I'm thinking I want to use a 32 frame,grill/shell,and 32 bed to match the frame. Probably going to go fenderless with wires and just a hood top with lake pipes. Haven't decided if I want to chop this one yet but if I do it will only be 3"
Great looking cab. I too was lucky enough to have a good starter. Fenders are the new wave. Those pickups look much better with running boards and fenders. More complete. I will donate the first left rear fender for free. How about that???
It will be a 34 pickup. Just on a 32 frame and bed haha. The main reason is because I want it fenderless and I like the look of the 32 frame with the reveal a lot better.
The cab is really nice and solid. My plans might change before I start. Who knows I have a few months before I do anything.
The cab is very solid. There is a small hole in the driver lower cowl and the door bottoms are pretty much gone. But that's pretty much the worst of it. Subrails look great.
Yep,I agree. I'm planning fenderless so that's what made me think 32. Might still use the 34 grille though. I think the 33-4 frame and bed was also about 6" longer too. That's why I said 32 bed. But I could just shorten a 34 too.
Just to clarify here.... The '32 bedside has a rolled seam to match the placement of the rear fender. It is forward of the rolled seam on the '33-'34 pickup bed. So if you use the early bed on a '32 frame with the stock wheelbase, your rear tire will be centered properly on the fender reveal surround. If you try and set up for a '32 frame and wheelbase- but you have a '33-34 bed- your tire will not be centered on the bedside roll. The roll will be too far rearward of your tire. A simple way to identify the two different beds is to note that the distance on a stocked fendered pickup between the front of the bed and the front of the rear fnder. It is much shorter on a '32 than on a '33-34.
Does anyone know of a stock looking reproduction 32 bed? I can't seem to find anything. What I can find is smooth sided beds and I would much rather have the rolled seams.
It's a good time to stop and really think about your build before you go any further. My big question would be, Do you think you'll ever want to add fenders somewhere down the road? If you do, that takes you in one direction only. If you always want to stay fenderless, there are many other possibilities. One place to start is looking through pics of other fenderless trucks. Nothing says you have to stick with the OEM Ford bed for your model year. There are a number of truck threads here on the HAMB. I'd do some research. Here are two of my fenderless favorites:
Yep,I will stay fenderless. If I want fenders I will build another one. I'm not really a fender kind of guy 32 frame 32 box shortened to 58-60". I like building stuff this will be my 3rd one in just over a year. Need to finish up the A first though. Just a few more months. In the meantime I will be gathering parts for the 34. Here's a pic of the A im doing.
From another thread...(No guarantee that this is accurate, however, We put a 36 bed on my dads 37 and it was definitely shorter than the 37 bed) 35, 36 are the same 37 is 4'' longer and has a rail support just above the center of the fender under the side rail of the bed. 38-41 ar the same and then the 42-47 get 3' wider
I too like to see fender less on coupes and sedans. To me it's just something about seeing an exposed square bed without fenders on early trucks that gives an unfinished look. Have fun with your project. There's always another time as you suggested.
Dustan: I had this one a few years back. It's a '32 frame, '34 cab with a 35-36 bed shortened in front of the wheel, eliminating the stake pocket. Tim