A month or so ago I posted a craigslist find thread. I bought a '46 Ford panel truck from a guy, and had to leave the front sheet metal at his house because it was on a parts truck buried in ice. Another month has gone buy and i can't get ahold of this guy. I used a friends phone and his wife answered. She was being a huge pain in the ass said they broke up and nothing on the property can be sold or moved until the divorce is worked out. These folks are 68 and 70 yrs old ! Probably going to be a bitch entering ther dating scene at that age!!! So I was wondering if any of you know if half ton sheet metal will fit a one ton, or if any other years will work on this thing. I have it rewired and ready to roll just need a front end. Any help would be great! thanks
Go to the house and beat on the door until she answers, and tell her that if she doesn't give you the old man's ph# you're coming back with the cops.
Go tell her you need their full names for a law suit over your parts. Its yours divorce or no divorce. It doesnt matter if they are split up or not.
It is bullshit that i get screwed on their divorce. The real shitty thing is that she lives 3.5 hrs away, and we just had a verbal agreement on coming back for the front end.
Maybe combine both of our ideas. Go there in person, and if she refuses to give you the parts, start calling the cops on your cell phone and tell her your attorney told you that you needed to file charges with the police against both of them in order to facilitate your lawsuit. That might get her talking.
According to the book "Ford Trucks Since 1905" by James Wagner '42 - '47 front sheet metal are the same on 1/2 and the tonners except for paint details. Something you might like to know and I quote the book "Due to a postwar scarcity of large steel sheets required for their manufacture, the Type 82 Panels-available on both the Light Duty (114") and the Tonner (122") chassis-are among the rarest of all 1946 Ford Trucks."
A possible leverage point is that you could file a cheap small claims type suit, keep it slightly vague so it is not entirely clear what of yours is there, and perhaps create a barrier to their property separation til YOU are happy. Still, I would be looking for another source on the side...this promises aggaravation higher than the parts value. Be thankful that you have the rare part of the thing...that is a magnificent truck!
Do you have any thing on paper ie) B.O.S or original posting or add. Do they state parts only? These can seriously make your case if you go this route. By the way great Truck.
Most likely you have a bill of sale or possibly a title. Either one should give you enough authority for them to take notice in the event you have to call the cops out there and get your parts. Since you have already paid for it <I am sure the boys in blue could work in your favor at there door steps.
3.5 hour drive takes some of the fun out of it. So go there on a Friday afternoon and if you get no results that day just get a cheap motel until Sunday. Keep nagging at the front door the whole weekend so the neighbours can see it all happen. Good luck.
I would try to get a pic of the front clip just incase you do go to court. You can obviously see you dont have a front clip on the truck and heres my parts in the pic. I wouldnt worry that it was verbal hell you have part of the truck in your possession legally.
I think I would check again,,, by this time (if the whole divorce thing was not made up in the first place) they will have probably already kissed and made up. I would physically go to the house and call the cops if she refuses to give you the parts. I would be as vague as possible when calling stating something to the reffect that they wont let you get your property. A hotel room would be cheap enough compared to the time, money, and effort required to secure a new front.. BTW the delivery is way cool...
I'd just go load it up. Know the old saying about forgiveness and permission? Hopefully you were smart enough to get a bill of sale or title. Take that with you. And a picture of the front-clipless truck. Logic goes a long ways in the eyes of a good officer. Take 2 friends. With shovels. You'll have it out of the ground and in the back of your truck before they know what's going on.
half ton truck front sheet metal will bolt to the 1 ton body and vice versa BUT the wheel openings in the front fenders are smaller in the half ton fenders than the tonner. I know that using the tonner fenders on a half ton makes the front wheels have a space above them that is not pleasing. Many guys have bought tonner fenders for half tons at swap meets thinking they were correct and regretted it.
Go back with your bill of sale, stop at the local police station show them the paper and tell them they won't let you get "your" parts truck.....lol
I thought it was the 1 1/2 tons and up with the split rim wheels that the wheel openings were bigger.
The Orange bible lists the 21C fender for commercial, another number for trucks except COE...if that's the whole story, this would have had different fender than regular delivery/pickup.
Thanks for all your responses. I called the county Sheriff and they didn't give a shit about it and sent me to the county attorney. He said it was a civil matter and to just call her up and bluff her that you are going the legal way on this. I always have something in writing when i buy something, but for some reason a thought this guy was real trustworthy. I can't get a hold of him his cell is shut off, but I bet he would have no problem letting me get the rest of the truck. I do have a old ass ND title dated 1962 he gave us with the truck. Not in his name of course. I'll try calling her with a friends out of state phone in the next couple of days. She dodges my number every time. I have began the the hunt for a different front end in case this shit doesn't work
I don't see anywhere in your post that you PAID for the front clip, just that you had an "agreement". If you didn't pay for it yet, your screwed. If you paid in cash without something in writing, your STILL screwed.
Unless you have something in writing that shows that those parts are yours, you are at her mercy. Calling the cops won't do a damn thing since you don't have anything that proves the parts belong to you. Try and reason with her, she must know you bought the truck from them in the first place, maybe she will show you some compassion if you talk to her like she was your grandmother
That happened to a buddy of mine. He knuckled under and let the truck go because he didn't want the hassle. Now he doesn't have the truck of his money back....Stand your ground!
If they (she) wont give up the parts, take her (them) to small claims court. The truck was bought before the split, you have MOST of your truck and you have the truth on your side, I don't see how you could possibly loose in small claims court, whether you have the crap "in writing" or not. If it were me, I would either get my parts, or at least get the satisfaction of being one huge pain in the ass... It is a matter of principal.. the parts ARE yours,,,, F that bitch.
I had a similar situation one time, the local sheriff did a drive by for me - they call it a civil assist. He suggested to the person that the transaction go as agreed to and to keeps things nice a friendly so they don't have to respond to a 911 call. It is really amazing how "crazy people" can turn a 180 when Johnny Law is around. Oh and the local PA's office said they can't do anything until the other party refuses to hand over the items.
Good stuff...a legal attack on pre-divorce settlement property likely makes settling the divorce property division impossible til settled... How much you want to bet she threw the guy out because he kept all that junk in the yard, and now she's defending the junk like a starving hyena with a bone??
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