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History WW II car to truck conversion

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by hudson hot rod, Oct 25, 2009.

  1. hudson hot rod
    Joined: May 9, 2009
    Posts: 266

    hudson hot rod
    Member

    Looking for pics of WWII car to truck "gas ration" conversions. Anyone build a hot rod out of one? I was told they were called "war babies". I cant seem to find much info on the net. Thinkin of building one and any info/pics or web sites would be cool. Ken.
     
  2. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    Well...I met HAMBer Edmurder here on the HAMB, cause he wanted to take his 31 Chevy coupe, which was turned into one of these abortions, and try to return it to a normal looking car. I believe his new HAMB name is "burger". Try PMing him, and see if he's got pics. I might have some in my "vast amount" of archives, but it would take days to find them.
    Most of the time, these 'creations' were built by farmers, or kids with no dough, so the quality of workmanship, and style, is about a big ZERO.
    There might have been some nice ones done, so prove me wrong.
     
  3. model.A.keith
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 6,279

    model.A.keith
    Member

  4. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Years ago a friend had a 1935 Ford Station wagon that had been converted into a pickup for use in a Victory Garden. wood cut a lot easier than steel and it was a good looking car, I'm sure soneone converted it back to a Station Wagon buy now.
     

  5. skidsteer
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 1,251

    skidsteer
    Member

    I've seen two -- one about a month ago on eBay, and one in a local scrap yard, both '38 Plymouths. They're pretty basic, they just cut off the body behind the front seat, welded on some kind of back window panel to fill in that gap, then put a pickup box behind that. They usually still had the original car rear fenders. Also, Plymouth dealers actually had available an optional pickup box in 1937, but that was before WWII. PM me, and I'll send you a pic next time I find one.
     
  6. There was a guy out in the country in so oregon that had a 1940 dodge sedan that was cut down into a PU cab with a wood mill saw attached to the rear of the frame :eek:
     
  7. 64Cyclone
    Joined: Aug 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,496

    64Cyclone
    Member

  8. bobwop
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 6,115

    bobwop
    Member
    from Arley, AL

    send a PM to Povertyflats. He had a roadster that was made into a pickup. I bet he still has photos. He is a good fella and happy to help, so don't be bashful
     
  9. 5foot2
    Joined: Apr 28, 2005
    Posts: 291

    5foot2
    Member
    from Maine

    I just picked up what I think is a '30 Murray bodied Fordor that had the back half cut off years ago. The original work looks old enough to be WWII vintage. The back of the "cab" was filled in with 1x6 T&G pine (really nice clear pine) and some sheet metal was nailed on to fill in the top. They used copious amounts of black mastic to seal the top.

    When I picked it up someone had recently used OSB to build something like a delivery body on the back. What a waste of perfectly good building materials, and time.

    The guy selling the car also had a 28/28 fordor that had been cut at the B pillars but at least was fitted with an A pickup bed.

    Whoever originally drove the car I have must have been thin as a twig. There was not much room between the steering wheel and the 1" thick seat back they had installed.

    Personally I'd categorize these conversions as purely function and need. They go right along with the Doddle Bug tractors people would hack together. Just making do with what you've got to get by. A nice example of each should be in a museum somewhere. They're fine examples of ingenuity and gaming the system during the depression/war years.
     
  10. weps
    Joined: Aug 1, 2008
    Posts: 544

    weps
    Member
    from auburn,IN

    Somewhat related, a buddy has what is left of a Nash factory wrecker, that became a farm truck, and now his. says "Nash service" on the side with the logo and a phone number.
    Supposedely they made them for their dealers. has some crazy timken rearend in it.
     
  11. Crazydaddyo
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 3,343

    Crazydaddyo
    Member

    Here is one I saw a few month back.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    chrisp, 2Blue2, Hdonlybob and 3 others like this.
  12. I really like that
     
  13. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    The Coupe Pickup was offered by several makers in the US from the mid 30s-WWII.
    Usually a coupe body with a small pickup bed slid into the trunk opening, sometimes even being a two-piece telescoping unit that disappeared after use into the trunk and the lid could then be lowered. The homemade coupe, etc. pickups were usually much simpler and much much cruder with the rear panels being torched or axed apart and often a crude wooden bed made and bolted in.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2009
  14. 5foot2
    Joined: Apr 28, 2005
    Posts: 291

    5foot2
    Member
    from Maine

    That's not bad. Sort of the Chevy Avalanche of it time. The stock tailgate doesn't really work though. I wonder how a unibody CC A pick up would look. Might need to stretch the cab a bit.
     
  15. Floorboardinit
    Joined: Dec 2, 2004
    Posts: 771

    Floorboardinit
    Member

    Yeah, thats thing is slick! Looks like a sport coupe ute! I even like the cut down model A wheels. Just needs to be dropped 2-3 inches and a rubber rake and that thing would be insane. John
     
  16. 067chevy
    Joined: Sep 18, 2005
    Posts: 2,073

    067chevy
    Member

    Here's the part they cut off to make a pickup out of a coupe.[​IMG]
     
  17. povertyflats
    Joined: Jan 8, 2007
    Posts: 8,282

    povertyflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Here is a 31 I sold recently to new Hamber Jim Galli in NV. It was a WWII conversion and used as a farm truck. <center>
    [​IMG]<br /><br />
    [​IMG]<br /><br />
    </center> I think he has it for sale in the hamb classifieds.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
    dana barlow likes this.
  18. I've had several. One 30 the body was cut off at the B-posts and a factory bed put on, my buddy had one that they cut the back out and tacked it on and put a wood bed with factory fenders on it, and the one junkyard had a couple more. One the body had fallen apart and I got some of the pieces and used them to cob up another cab which I then sold.
     
  19. 64Cyclone
    Joined: Aug 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,496

    64Cyclone
    Member

    Was it cut with an axe? :eek:

    That would make a nice loveseat.
     
  20. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    there used to be several of them around the town I live in when I was growing up. One was a 30/31 Model A coupe that had what looked like a Model T pickup box in the back. the couple that had it drove it regularly up into the mid 60's although I don't think I ever put groceries in it when I worked as a boxboy back then. It was pretty well done as I remember from looking at it a couple of times when it was sitting in town.
    <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
     
  21. Xdrag48
    Joined: Mar 1, 2009
    Posts: 474

    Xdrag48
    Member

    I saw this one on ebay a few years ago,not sure if its what you were looking for
    Steve
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 20, 2018
    Hdonlybob, volvobrynk and kiwijeff like this.
  22. Probably hammer and chisel-really.
     
  23. V4
    Joined: Feb 14, 2007
    Posts: 146

    V4
    Member

  24. Okie Pete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2008
    Posts: 4,967

    Okie Pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    V4 That is a kool car . I like the way the wood fits the car, the vices, and the tire chains. Looks like it is ready to head to the job site.
     
  25. hudson hot rod
    Joined: May 9, 2009
    Posts: 266

    hudson hot rod
    Member

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...nt.php?attachmentid=794916&stc=1&d=1256530018

    Thanks for all the pics guys! Thats exactly what i was looking for. I have always liked those car/trucks for some reason but don't ask me what it is,lol. Anyway I have been kickin the idea around in my head to build one of those out of my Hudson. No!! I'm not gonna do any cutting on the body, just make it fit where the trunk lid goes. It would be a bolt in only so I can always put the lid back on. And its not gonna be as crude as some of the original ones. Just an idea, love it or hate it let me know what you think. Ok let me have it!! Ken.
    Oh and thats an old glass school bus stop light i was gonna use for a third brake light.
     

    Attached Files:

    kiwijeff likes this.
  26. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    I'm sure you can build a nice pick-up out of a coupe, as the first pics show. The others are more inline with those old conversions, ugly, but functional, and crude.
    Build something more on the style of the Aussie Utes, and you'll have a nice, unique pick-up.
     
  27. retromotors
    Joined: Dec 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,045

    retromotors
    Member

    I LOVE that!

    Air up the tires, half-ass clean the windows, toss the dogs in the back and it's good to go!:D
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  28. Little Wing
    Joined: Nov 25, 2005
    Posts: 7,505

    Little Wing
    Member
    from Northeast

    Theres one in a junk yard near us ,,its an early 50's Chevy

    not so much 'war era' but still like a wooden kinda bed stuffed in teh back
     
  29. Okie Pete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2008
    Posts: 4,967

    Okie Pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Scott Hall in Wichita Ks. has a 29 Hudson truck that was a 4 door car . It has a wood flat bed . The wood spoke wheels have been replaced with steel wheels. Stacks out of ford driveshaft tubes with the ball at the top. Neat ride
     

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