French 32,33 Big truck

[deuce lover]

Just unearthed a couple weeks ago in the North of France. Strange body grafted to a 33 cowl.Dash is 33.Fenders,grille shell and hood 32.Early 32 single pull hood hook visible in second pic.Front frame horns appear 32.BUT? Enjoy the pics.

[Brian]

is that an aluminum head?

[deuce lover]

Yes,first I have ever seen.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by deuce lover

Just unearthed a couple weeks ago in the North of France. Strange body grafted to a 33 cowl.Dash is 33.Fenders,grille shell and hood 32.Early 32 single pull hood hook visible in second pic.Front frame horns appear 32.BUT? Enjoy the pics.

[DavidG]

An interesting hodgepodge of a '33 chassis with a '32 cowl, non-Ford doors and rest of the cab. Both the differing numbers on the engine blocks and firewall data tag are post '32, although given the '32 radiator and grill shell, the engine has been fitted with '32 timing gear cover, water pump, water inlet pipe and what appears to be a '32 front motor mount bracket.


A block with the letters "GS" cast into the side and a other wise stock-looking cylinder head made of aluminum are new to me.

[corvette8n]

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Interesting who’s going to fix it up.?

[mcgarrett]

duece lover,
Would it be possible to translate the mfg. tag shown in of the photos to English? Interesting to know what it says.

[deuce lover]

Okay:
Ford
French Public limited Company
225 Quai Aulagnier is the street address
Asinieres is the city and then ,France



Type: BB LONG BB is Ford's designation for Large commercial and its a Chassis Long. There was a short chassis also but was not noted as such on the Mfg plaque.

Production number 429
Engine number 522347

[mcgarrett]

Very interesting, thanks for the translation. I enjoy getting acquainted with automotive markings and identification on cars/trucks built in other countries.

[PeteVS]

I am often curious about where places are / were. Here are satellite views of the address.

[Brad in Germany]

Interesting that it has an engine block that was cast in Germany: GS = Gebrüder Sulzer.

The GS foundry that cast engine blocks and engine heads for Ford in Germany was located in Ludwigshafen on the Rhein River and shipped the raw engine blocks and engine head castings up the Rhein River to be machined at the Ford factory in Köln.



Perhaps the engine was swapped out at some point?

Brad in Maryland

[deuce lover]

Yes the engine was replaced .The serial number is higher than what is stamped on the MFG firewall plaque.

[Model51]

Thanks for sharing information and pictures of this truck. There is so little surviving information or original trucks today that each one is a treasure. I hope it gets preserved.

[deuce lover]

Unfortunately it won't.The buyer has a 32 short wheel base 32 panel truck body and he is planning to put it on that chassis.He will attempt to shorten that chassis and torque tube etc.It will be a mess as most here don't have a clue.That is just my opinion.

[Model51]

Too bad. If Ford made the two versions of trucks like they did in 1935-36, the only difference with the driveshaft-torque tube configuration is the length of the coupling shaft which fits between the output end of the transmission and the beginning of the torque tube. The frame should be the same from the transmission forward and the from the cross member where the torque tube mounts rearward. The only difference is the fame length between two cross members in the middle. Hard to explain but easy to see in person.