I have secretly wanted a panel for some time...and going to Bonneville sealed the deal! There where a few down there and I was telling Jamie how awesome it would be as we could take Lucy the hound, sleep in it, etc. Jamie even made the remark "great, I bet within a month we own one" I got home and looked online a little. I was not too concerned on year, actually I wanted a little newer one as they are cheaper and I want to put a little more updated running gear under it and it is just easier/cheaper. I have a huge soft spot in my heart for 1942-1947 Ford commercial rigs as my first flathead car was an old 1946 Ford pickup. It was wore out but I loved that thing. In fact, out of every car I have ever owned, that is the one I miss!! Anyways, I have know about this panel forever. It sat right off a main road in a small town next to Spokane. I have stopped on it in years past but it was never for sale. Well, Friday my Brother called me out of the blue and said "how would you like a 46ish panel?" I said hell yeah, where is it and how much? He replied "it's the one South of town, they guy said 200.00 would buy it!" So today we go and load it up. The guy who had it said he drug it out of a creek bed on his property about 25 years ago. He was planning on doing something with it but never did. It's pretty banged up, but nothing that cannot be brought back. At one time it had the rear lower panel and doors removed, and it looks like it had a solid wood door attached. I do have a line on a set of original rear doors. It has also been flipped on the passenger side. Not a lot of damage aside form the fenders and it pushed the roof in a little right at the drip rail. I think a little port-a-power and hammer work will bring a lot of it out. Other then the front floor pan it is virtually rust free! All the running gear is there, it's a 6 banger. Notice it has had blue painted on the fenders with white stars...pretty patriotic! Here is the plan: I want a car that I can jump in and drive anywhere. These where parallel leafs factory, so I am thinking a 292 Ford with some sort of Ford 3 or 4 speed tranny and an early 9" with 3.00 gears or whatnot. Dropped axle up front with F-1 brakes. It should all pretty much bolt in with some mounts and be a basic, cheap, bulletproof drive train and should run/drive/stop like a 60's car. Pretty advanced compared to all my other stuff I want to do this thing on the cheap, so will scrounge parts when I can and for now try to sharpen up my metal working skills...I don't think I can hurt it too much So here it is. It'll never win a beauty contest but I can't bitch at the price!! If anyone has any parts, lemme know!!
Got one of those once years ago for free! It was full of used clothes. Body was great, didn't run. Sold the engine to one guy, trans to another. Then sold the body/chassis to a third guy less the open drive banjo rearend which I kept for years then LOST???. They are great trucks. The hardest thing in the world to find for them are the back doors and lower panel! Love it, enjoy, I wish I'd kept my free one.
Yeah, I met a guy with a 38-39 panel yesterday at a car show and asked him if he knew of any rear doors. His reply "I have a spare set, but they won't work for me as they are for a 40 and up..." I quickly grabbed his number and plan to meet up with him this week! As for the lower pan, I think if anything I can fabricate one. I'm not looking to restore this ol wreck, just straiten it out a little and get it sealed up.
It's a back burner project so don't hold your breath Gonna collect some part sand plug at it from time to time.
I gotta stop looking at posts like this that get me scouring the classifieds for the next super cool project! Great looking wagon, very envious.
You can't have too many old Fords. I had a 46 ford sedan delivery and did just what you want to do. My wife and I hauled our junk to the swap meets and drove the wheels off of it. Here are some before and after photos. Just do it. Lynn
congrats. hope you get it up-n-runnin. from the looks of that fender, and my recollections of the 60's, i bet that someone's done some smokin' in that thing. and i don't mean burley tobacco. if you don't score a set of back doors, you might wanna consider making one big skin (plannishing hammer; english wheel; etc.) and hinge it at the top. i've always wanted to weld the two doors together on clarence and hinge the resulting door at the top. if you live long enough to have as many cool memories in that panel as i've got in clarence you'll be getting pretty old. the only time you'll ever regret driving a panel is when you're 3 states from home with a bunch of buds and they start buying all the cool stuff at a swap meet. guess who gets to haul it all home?
I like it. Keep the stars It was great to see you and Jamies out on the Great White. Same thing happened to us after driving the roadster to Bonneville last year. Wanted something that hauled stuff easier and could sleep in in a pinch.
So the roadster was ready for the wedding is this the set up for the honeymoon? But really that looks like fun. & reminds me I need to start on the wife's fairlane wagon pronto.
Well guys, after a whopping two days of looking I tracked down a set of NICE rear doors! Actually my friend Lenny met a guy with a 39 panel at the Goodguy show over the weekend and the guy said he had an extra set of doors...they would not work for him as the belt lines are different. Went and grabbed em last night! While I was out in the truck, my friend Darrell said "I got a whole front clip off one of them ugly things, come get it!". The fenders are big truck but I scored a NICE hood and grill, along with the trim! I also located another panel South of town I may pick up for the rear door hinges and the panel below the doors. Once I get all that crap, I'll be pretty set!
I went over tonight and cleaned the years of dirts, moss and crud out of the back. The floor is in nice shape except twards the rear. I also put the doors up in their place and it sure makes it look nicer On a side note, I bought a 39 panel to get the rear door hinges and the panel below the rear doors. The whole thing is in pretty sorry shape, but will donate some needed parts to me and I will probably sell of the rest.
chris, if you decide to chop your panel the extra roof & the door tops will really come in handy; assuming that they are in reasonably good shape. note: photobucket is blocked here at work so i can't see your pix.
I can not keep up with the cars you buy and sell. (or just buy and store). I think you own one of everything.... enjoy the new rig..
With this panel I only own 4 old cars...Probably a couple too many but I really like my current fleet. I think my 33, 34 and 41 are all keepers. This panel is just a "cheapy". It's nice working on something that 100.00 goes a LONG ways. A hundred bucks don't getcha nothin on a 33-34 Ford or convertible
The Jalopy Journal
