Projects 1949 M47 pickup. Basement barn find!

About three weeks ago I got a call from a buddy that his landlord has to clear his house out because his hoarding had gotten the attention of the city. I was told he had an Indian Scout for sale so I popped over. Showed up at the guys house and he showed me what he had...a 1948 Indian Chief!! while digging around in his basement looking for parts I found a 1967 norton that he "forgot he had" that was in boxes. While looking for a muffler for that norton I pulled up a tarp and found the frame, motor, and trans for a truck. Looked around the room I was in (by flashlight....no lights down here) and lo and behold this entire truck is here. I asked the guy and the cab was under the back porch but the entire truck was there. So I made a deal for both bikes and the truck and now they are mine!
I've since moved the Indian out of the basement. the norton is coming out friday, and the truck will have to come out in the spring!! the truck was put into the basement in the early 70's and just never had anything done with it. The motor was apparently freshly rebuilt, attached to the trans, and then 8 guys carried it into the basement in the frame. Since being put down there, houses have been built and fences have gone up so getting it out is going to be a chore.

The focus the first few times i was there was getting the Indian out (its since been sold to someone that can actually afford to rebuild it) but I am going back in two days to start taking inventory of the truck, turning over the motor and seeing what I've got. My goal is to ask this guy if I can get this motor to run before I pull it out of his basement in the spring, and I think he will be amenable to that. I have ZERO idea what im doing. its a flathead v8. I'm used to motorcycles. but a motor is a motor. I am hoping I can find the carb and as many parts to get the motor running while I am there in a couple days, but I will be making a list of what I need to take back to try to get it going. The guy says the whole truck is there minus the gas tank, the bench seat, and the tail gate....whether or not I can FIND all the parts is a whole other story. i also have a 74 dart ive kept on the road the past two years, so im not completely clueless, but I definiteley am flying blind with this potential project.


anyways, here's the very few pictures i managed to get of the truck, because like i said, my focus was the indian the first time. plus a bonus picture of the indian.

View attachment 5258184

 

Well, nobody can say hoarders are “lazy “ people!

 

That will be a pretty nice project once you find it all....

 

Congratulations, you won the lottery! HRP

 

The flathead engine you have is the later 8BA flathead engine. I see it was made in Canada so the engine could have been made from 1949 to 1954. The flathead engines were made up until 1954 in Canada.

 

Very nice. I see he collected blunt old lawnmowers too . That rusty orange and red lawn- boy contraption looks a little over thought by the designers . Now back to the blue flathead, has the block been smoothed between the exhaust manifold and head.

 

Great score and very cool pictures. Not real sure why you wouldn't want to get it home first before trying to get it running, it appears there is very little room to work there and you'll have to haul in tools, also if it's inside it's going to smoke out his whole place.

Probably wouldn't hurt to pull the plugs out and spray some oil down the cylinders for the winter just to get things moving smoothly come springtime. It may not be necessary but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

I would at least try to get the cab and small stuff home before winter . After all it,s a Mercury.

 

i live in the city in an apartment. the reason its gotta wait til spring is because thats likely the earliest ill be able to find a space to put this in though I have put hte word out. but moving a motor from a basement, through a back yard, between two houses and around to the front in the winter might be just about impossible.

the benefit though is that all of this stuff is literally three blocks from my house!

I have been trying to find more info about this. I thought I read that mercury was putting these motors in trucks as early as 47? but i will be going back to see if i can find any other numbers on it if you've got any insight on how i can date the motor.

I was told it was a 48 by the cab and it only having one windshield wiper. the previous owner thought it might have been a 46-47, but he wasnt sure. I will be trying to find the VIN on the frame (thats where i read it was stamped) to date it on friday as well.


as far as smoothing between the block and manifold head.....i have no idea? what am i looking for?

 

The 8ba style flathead came out a year earlier in the pickups (1948) than the cars , so it would be correct for a 48 pickup.

 

Wow.

So a 1947 Mercury truck thread goes to the Antiquated section ?? So a Mercury brand ... 2 wd Ford F1 truck. 1947.

That's gonna' affect a lot of F1 or F100 threads, no ?? I am indeed, maybe .. lost AF then.

Did someone possiblt think an M47 was a military or farm model ? There is an "F100 Back From The Dead" thread on the main.

 

Great fine ! The Speed Gods are with you , good luck . It takes a real trained rider to handle the Indian , controls are on opposite sides of most . Good luck , keep us posted and be safe , don’t hurt yourself . Destroying a back isn’t worth any of it .

 

I thought maybe I put it in the wrong section since it was moved but I'm new here so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Either way I'll post some updates on what I uncover on Friday night!

 

Weird. The main point was the truck....but whatever you say. Motorcycles were just how I discovered it.

Maybe I'll just start a new thread after Friday?
Seems a bit weird to not be able to tell a story about a barn find because it talks about motorcycles tho.

 

awesome thank you!

Like i said. full updates friday night most likely. with all kinds of pictures of this truck....and likely a whole ton of questions!

 

Damn Moriarity, I'm sorry. I see the moto discussion. I get it. Skipped thru to the truck, obviously.

This is now a bashful Ray Charles emoji -->

 

gotta love the passion some have to store and for things mechanical.......

 

That's what happens when you start new projects before the others are finished.

 

What a haul. I’d give my left nut for that Indian.
Don’t even bother trying to start that engine till you get it home. If I had to guess, I too think it’s a rebuild.
Moving stuff???
If it’s that tight rent yourself a front end loader and get it it done.

 

A Bobcat type skid loader might be better in tight spaces. A good operator can damn near thread a needle with one.

 

yeah part of my work tomorrow is going to be measuring the width between the house and the fence to see what will fit where. My initial plan was to grab an offroad hand pulled wagon/buggy and have a buddy with a winch at the street level pulling it all up.
motor and trans in one trip.
frame flipped up sideways in the next with some people holding it steady.
cab and body panels by hand in other trips.

if the frame will fit between the house and the fence i might mount the axles and leaf springs and do it that way and it will be very easy. but based on my experience with the bike that likely wont work.

whenever this does happen, I can guarantee you there will be tons of pictures and video because its gonna be a production.

 

That hood is definitely a 1948 style hood, from what I can see, all the stuff you found is correct to a 1948 Mercury truck. Pretty rare being a Canada-only thing. Now I understand why it's gotta sit until spring. Go find you some shop space!

 

Post motorcycle photos on the Antiquated . There’s a thread there .
Keeps us nardowells off the main board

 

Wheeled carts or heavy wagons. Buy some OSB to lay down on the ground so it's easy to roll. You can get all the parts out that way.

I have 2 boat trailer axles and can chain or ratchet strap them to all kinds of stuff. Very handy.

I'd get stuff moved as soon as possible. People can change demeanor during the course of a deal and things get strange.

 

It's a 48-50

 

I have a 52 M1

 

The serial number should be on the left frame rail edge by the steering box. 48-50 Mercury trucks had all of the plastic dash pieces done in a grey colour. The radio delete and speaker cover, choke, headlight, heater control knobs. None of this is reproduced so be careful with it.
The M47 badge on the side of the cab cowl in place of the F1 refers to Mercury 4700 lbs , same as M68–. 6800lbs load rating, M105– 10500 lbs etc. After 1950 Ford of Canada changed the names to line up with USA trucks. M1, M3, M5,M6. No F2 or F4 tucks in Canada and Ford never sold Flathead 6 motors here as well.