The Ford Barn

Brad Hole · 09-02-2017, 05:13 PM

Hey guys! New to the forum, so figured I might as well introduce myself - or more importantly, my truck.

This Ford 79T was purchased by Landon Cartage, based out of Kenosha, WI, as a semi-tractor. In 1959, the truck was bought by a local farmer and used to spread wood chips on Bong AFB as the base was abandoned and being turned into wildland. In 1962, when the contract ran out, he sold the truck to Dave Glasman, of Woodworth, WI (now part of Bristol, WI).

Throughout the rest of the 1960s, Dave converted the truck from a semi tractor to the tow truck, as it stands today. He replaced the original flathead with a 1956 Mercury 312 Y-Block, the transmission with a HD truck transmission, and built every part of the wrecker body from scratch, spare for the winch (which was sold to him by someone that we are pretty sure, erm, borrowed from Landon Cartage).

He completed the project in 1970 and towed very heavily with it through the 1970s and early 1980s (my father remembers riding home in it one night). By the mid-1980s Dave had purchased/built more modern tow trucks and relegated the truck to parade duties. In 1993, when the plates expired, he backed the truck inside of a semi trailer and left it sit.

In July of 2016, Dave approached me about purchasing the truck, as his towing business and repair garage had closed for good and his family wanted nothing to do with it. That following Labor Day, I brought the truck home. Some fuel in the makeshift tank, a new battery and it fired right up! (It did later get new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. I have not yet touched the carb, however - knock on wood)

The unfortunate part, however, is that the air was humid and unmoving in the trailer while it was stored. This means that the rust got pretty serious in spots. I wasn't the greatest with taking some of the before pictures, but I'll do my best to find them as I go.

I've acquired most of the needed parts to fix the bad rust, the rest my father and I can patch. There was one hole, on the passenger side of the bed in front of the wheel that you could stick your foot through, which we replaced last winter (Again, I'll attempt to find photos but no guarantees). Otherwise, other than painting the bed, I have done nothing to the exterior of the truck as of yet.

Photos to follow

09-02-2017, 05:13 PM	#1
Brad Hole Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bristol, WI Posts: 34	1947 79t Hey guys! New to the forum, so figured I might as well introduce myself - or more importantly, my truck. This Ford 79T was purchased by Landon Cartage, based out of Kenosha, WI, as a semi-tractor. In 1959, the truck was bought by a local farmer and used to spread wood chips on Bong AFB as the base was abandoned and being turned into wildland. In 1962, when the contract ran out, he sold the truck to Dave Glasman, of Woodworth, WI (now part of Bristol, WI). Throughout the rest of the 1960s, Dave converted the truck from a semi tractor to the tow truck, as it stands today. He replaced the original flathead with a 1956 Mercury 312 Y-Block, the transmission with a HD truck transmission, and built every part of the wrecker body from scratch, spare for the winch (which was sold to him by someone that we are pretty sure, erm, borrowed from Landon Cartage). He completed the project in 1970 and towed very heavily with it through the 1970s and early 1980s (my father remembers riding home in it one night). By the mid-1980s Dave had purchased/built more modern tow trucks and relegated the truck to parade duties. In 1993, when the plates expired, he backed the truck inside of a semi trailer and left it sit. In July of 2016, Dave approached me about purchasing the truck, as his towing business and repair garage had closed for good and his family wanted nothing to do with it. That following Labor Day, I brought the truck home. Some fuel in the makeshift tank, a new battery and it fired right up! (It did later get new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. I have not yet touched the carb, however - knock on wood) The unfortunate part, however, is that the air was humid and unmoving in the trailer while it was stored. This means that the rust got pretty serious in spots. I wasn't the greatest with taking some of the before pictures, but I'll do my best to find them as I go. I've acquired most of the needed parts to fix the bad rust, the rest my father and I can patch. There was one hole, on the passenger side of the bed in front of the wheel that you could stick your foot through, which we replaced last winter (Again, I'll attempt to find photos but no guarantees). Otherwise, other than painting the bed, I have done nothing to the exterior of the truck as of yet. Photos to follow