Been clearing up the garage to get a couple of cars under cover. I wasn’t looking for another project but this followed me home today. 1938 Ford pickup, chassis and flathead v8 had been completely rebuilt 15+ years ago. Engine is stuck at the moment. Was the guys grandpa’s truck. Sounded like he had passed away as he said his grandma hadn’t been able to turn the motor over. He brought it to Texas from California. He remembered working on it with his grandpa when he was a kid. It had been stuck in his garage buried under stuff and his wife said it had to go. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it yet but for a $1000 I could not pass it up and it was only 10 minutes from me.
Hav Have not looked at them yet or know what’s missing yet. Spent the day cleaning the garage and driveway so that I could fit it in. I’ll iventory it tomorrow. I know it has the seat springs, headlights and set of fenders. Also have the windshield frame.
Start soaking screws that hold the windshield frame together in 50/50 acetone/ATF now so it will hopefully come apart without having to drill any of the screws out when (if) you need to replace the windshield.
I would love to find something like that. My '99 F150 is starting to nickel-and-dime me to death and it's too hard and expensive to work on. An old serviceable truck would be just the ticket. BTW, the proper term is "Barrel-Nose".
Ok inventoried it today. Have a set of workable fenders. Two sets of headlights. Windshield frame, rear window trim. Grill in poor shape. Set of good hoodsides and running boards. Missing one piece of the front apron, gauges and glove box door. Also the trim above the front windshield is bent up real bad and if there is lower windshield trim it’s missing as well.
Pretty decent truck,especially for that money!You might put a little acetone|atf in the cylinders too,you just might get lucky.
Yep soaking them now. Will see after a couple of days. Does anyone know what size the crank bolt is? I don’t think I have a socket that will fit it.
This '39 on CraigsList is a bit far but it has a grill and other stuff you could probably use: https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/1939-ford-truck-1-2-ton-short/6402674815.html
We did one out of Colorado a couple of years ago. There's a build thread somewhere I think. Fun truck to build.
Well started to put it back together on the weekend. Missing a couple of parts but not too bad. I did open up the block. Engine had been fully rebuilt but has had water in a couple of cylinders. One I think will need a sleeve. It’s been bored 60 over. Has new pistons, cam, adjustable lifters and new valves and water pumps.
I have a 39 that I have driven every day for 17 years. On the windshield screws, it best to drill them out and install new ones
When you order new screws make sure you get the set that has 9 screws not 8 like some of the vendors sell. P/U's need 9 screws, 8 to hold the frame together on the sides and 1 in the middle on the top. I got mine from Joe's Antique Auto for $4.00 for the set if I remember correctly. If you don't buy a set specifically for a p/u make sure the screws you use aren't too long. If they are you can break the windshield glass when you tighten them.
I love the '38-'39 Ford trucks. I bought mine in 1966 when I was 14 years old. It's lettered as a shop truck for Drake Motor Co., our local Ford dealer from 1928-1956. Phone 13, actual number back in the day. On the parts you are missing--I have a set of the chin pieces that go under the grille between the fenders. They're rough and pitted but salvageable, PM me your address and you can have them. The glovebox door is the same as '37 Standard car. '37 Deluxe glovebox door has some extra pieces of trim and some have a cutout for the optional clock, but it will also fit. Headlight assemblies are the same as '35 car. '36 car lenses and rings will fit, and I like the looks of the '36 "bug eye" lenses, so that's what I have on mine.
If you need any advice get ahold of sammamishsam on here he's built a beautiful one and did all the work himself. Don't know if he has any small parts around but maybe.
Picked up a nice 8ba Flathead for it today. The 21 stud that’s in it at the moment will need a couple of sleeves. I’ll need to change the water pumps out because of the mounts. The motor came out of a 52 Pickup. It runs just that the guy wanted more power. He did have the bell housing and adapter to mate it to a T5 but I’m keeping the original transmission. I just need to find the correct bellhousing, clutch and throw out bearing.
There is a glove box door for sale, either on the HAMB parts classifieds or on Ebay, don't recall, but take a look. K6
You'll need a 1/2 bell housing to mate the 8ba to your trans. The truck ones are cast iron and will allow you to use up to an 11 inch clutch. The Merc 1/2 bells are stamped steel and will only allow up to a 10 inch clutch. From the photos it looks like the 8ba you picked up has wide belts already which makes changing over to 8rt truck pumps a simple bolt on deal. Don't know what flywheel came with the 8ba but if it didn't come with one don't try to use the flywheel from the engine you have, won't work. Also, when you locate the 1/2 bell make sure you get the starter plate that is correct for a 1/2 bell. One more thing, a truck or Merc rear sump oil pan for tie rod clearance.
The 8BA does have the wide belts and has the Mercury pan rear sump with the clean out. It does have a flywheel. He did have a pressed steel bellhousing but it had the T5 plate style adapter fitted to it. I have seen on EBay an 8BA flywheel that has all the various clutch plate holes drilled for the different sizes. I do need to get a starter as well.
Well, I'm still gathering parts. Got the missing header panel. Also just picked up a better grill. I've got all the parts to put the 8BA Flathead in and the new clutch kit that was on the original engine fitted the 8BA perfectly. I'm waiting on a new cluster gear for the transmission as my original had some very bad teeth.
Looking good and still can not understand why guys let their wifes tell them what to get rid of in the garage,I guess I have been single too long to let that happen and she would have been gone before the truck.
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