This is my first ever thread. I was able to work with a guy during this pandemic to purchase this pretty humble truck project. I agree that the guy a couple of owners up the line needs a pretty stern talking to for cutting up this fairly reasonable Tudor body, but it is going to let me try to make a truck cab without to much guilt. I have other projects in front of this one, so you won’t see something running and driving in a couple of months like some guys are able to achieve. I hope it does become my something from not much build. I call it the eighty bushel build, because that is how many soybeans I had to sell to start playing. The truck box is also half full of parts, so what I think I have is a 30/31 tudor with subframe cut off behind the b pillar, reasonable doors and cowl (big v cut out for a potent power plant)complete with visor, curved headlight bar, windshield frame, pretty rough lower back panel, some roof supports, side glass and mechanisms, and the cut off tudor rear quarters. Whats missing is the rear window and everything else. I have a model a frame and a half, and front axle, but am going to make a footprint template and see how it fits on a 46 panel truck frame I’ve got. I put a boat seat on some 2x4s, and it seems I have room in this thing, even the dog could come for a ride. I know proportions are everything, and hope to keep this fairly tight. At present fenderless highboy style is the plan, I have some ideas for a box, and will likely be making my own. There is an equally humble mullins trailer in the shed that might look okay behind it. That it for now - I invite (cringe) comments and sage advice, daylatedollarshort.
looks to be a 1930 by the beltlines/fueltank... truck/tudor doors have 4" of skin above the top of the upper hinge ... are 29.25" long at the belt... coupe/fordor has only 3"... are 27.5" long at the belt...
Yeah......you guys with soybeans in storage will have big $$$$$$ for future projects !! Looks like a great start.....have fun.
No soybeans in storage, selling the ones we just planted, and have committed for the fall, hope it will be a good year. I will take measurements, but pretty obvious this was a tudor, as I have the rest of the cut up body. It will be interesting to see what I come up with for a rear window and panel, it is a work in progress. The doors are pretty good, there is a new wood piece for behind the visor, the windows crank up and down, hood is straight enough for me. I have one of those olds quad 4 motors, but the trans adapter is pretty pricy, so I don’t think that will be a go. So many options when it is early in the project.
Nope sorry, never met an extended version with a window that I really liked. The farmer in me needs some sort of box, and then these things get too long, need to keep the proportions in mind, but don’t know that I am going to chop it, so it could be a little longer, we will see what makes sense down the road. With the right pieces it could fix the back panel/rear window dilemma. I have a studebaker truck that I might steal the dash from, might check out that back window. I like the sloper windows from the late 30s early forties, but need to keep the flat profile of the other windows in mind or it will start to to look goofy. We will leave goofy to Walt Disney. No skulls or iron crosses for me either, trying to keep it light and tight. I have a pair of studebaker artillery wheels that might make it onto this project, also have 40 style steelies and various wire wheels as well, so many options.Will try to measure and post the studebaker dash later today.
Here is the studebaker dash, looks a little tougher than I remember. Also missing the glovebox door, might have to figure out a plan B.
Thanks for your efforts, both on the right would work, box will be custom, not sure what the wheel base will be yet. I expect longer than original. Feeling the power of the hamb.
While I like the model A cab, you could also be unique and possibly make a 5 window cab with what you have. For me a stock looking A box looks right.
I dug into the bin and cashed out a couple more bushels for these 1934 studebaker fenders. I hope they might be suitable for the custom box I will have to be building, or might try to graft them onto one of my mullins trailers.
Ya know, an enterprising fella could make a comp coupe style car with that as a starting point. Hint hint.
I have some skills, but not like some of the guys that post here. Things unfortunately will progress in the realm of my reality.
Well tonight this storey has a next chapter. I picked this piece up sight unseen from an online auction. I will know better when I have it in hand, but this trailer has been fitted with some sedan delivery type rear doors, we will see what happens.
Thanks TTTom. This 29 tudor- which the auction house called a coach-was what caught my attention initially. I bid on it, but didn’t win it, there were a lot of questions I had that couldn’t be confirmed by the pictures provided. There will be more fish in the sea.
So I got the tudor trailer home for a closer look. I asked the auctioneer for some more info regarding keys and the former owner/ builder. I also have some questions/musings for the hamb.
If I mate this to my other tudor body parts, I guess I will have a version of a panel delivery or panel truck. This is pretty acceptable for a backyard/farmshop type of build, made from original and reproduced metal. One of my questions is about the wheel wells. This profile doesn’t have the crows feet I am used to seeing.
The rear doors have some stability and depth. Another question is how do I preserve the new sheet metal until I get to work on this. Will rattle can primer from tremclad/rustoleum be a mistake?
Finally if I do build this panel truck, do I add a few inches to the body to make it longer? I likely will be stepping the frame anyway, or do I just finish it as a trailer to pull behind a 31 coupe I have in inventory? I think it would pull like a brick, and not sure I could sleep in it the way it is now. I have a mullins I was going to pull with the coupe.
Cool! I would focus on rust removal and a coating of epoxy primer to preserve the metal work until you get to it, what-ever the plan becomes. Looking at this trailer I instantly had images of a conversion into one of those utilitarian kitchen/camper trailers that were more common in days past. If you are in need of some workable rear fenders for it you can always hit me up for a set. I'm close by. Good luck with it!
The Jalopy Journal
