1932 Panel Delivery questions

[Flathead41ford]

Hello all. I normally hang around the HAMB and this is my first post here on the Ford Barn. I had picked up a 32 Panel Delivery a few months back. It came with a fully restored frame with a 40 Ford Flathead. My goals are to restore it since the frame is already done. I included a couple pics for you to view too! This truck didn't come with seats and its missing floor sections, at least thats my assumption. What kind of seats did this have originally? Bench like a pick up? It seems that the back of the body hangs way off the back of the frame. Were their frame extensions for this or was the floor somehow re enforced? There isn't much as far as a floor behind the gas tank. Was it all wood? I would appreciate any info and picks would be better!! The one pic shows a car grill but it was originally a 4 cylinder standard so I will be on the hunt for a commercial grill. I am sure I will have a TON more questions as I dig into this restoration.

[V8COOPMAN]

Not a definitive answer for ya, but here are some shots of Digger's '33 SEDAN Delivery. Doubt that you would have had a bench seat. DD

[DavidG]

The floor was originally wood, likely oak, with five painted steel skid strips as shown in the Ford Archives illustration below. In the upper part of the same page from the George DeAngellis/Ed Francis book, The Early Ford V8 as Henry Built It, The driver's seat and the optional small gas tank of a big truck version of the '33-'34 panel delivery is shown. The seat and small gas tank are carryover late '32 parts.

If your '32 panel delivery's gas tank is original to the vehicle then it originally had two seats like the one shown. They were attached to the upper lip of the gas tank and the passenger side was hinged at the front so that it could be tilted forward to permit access to the cargo area. The seats were unique and share only the same upholstery material with the closed cab (pickup, etc.) seats.

I believe that there are copies of the original seats' engineering drawings (blue prints) at the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, MI.

There were no extensions of the frame to support the considerable overhang of a '32 panel delivery body. The oak flooring and the side sills were the means of support. Late in the '32 model year a rear bumper was made available at extra cost and the bumper brackets attached to the ends of the chassis frame rails and the underside of the body somewhat giving the appearance of frame extensions.

I could perceive any holes for cowl lamps, so presumably yours was originally a standard model. If it had been a deluxe version, it would have been equipped with the passenger car radiator shell and grill as it is in your photos.

[DavidG]

I believe the subject herein is a panel delivery, not a sedan delivery. The two share very few components above the frame rails other than a fire wall, cowl vent, front floor boards, and instrument panel. Then there is the minor matter of two different model years.

[Flathead41ford]

DavidG. I am under the same assumption that it is a standard because of the lack of cowl lights. The headlight bar also does not have a hole for the v8 emblem so my guess was that the car was a standard 4 banger. I was told the headlight bar was original to it but I can't prove that. From what I was told, I have the gas tank that came from that truck. I do not see mounting holes up front though. More pics included. Do you know if the skid strips are like what would be in a pick up bed? They seem it in the pic you listed. I included a rather poor pic of what I call the "side C channels". Are these the sills you are talking about that just rest on top of the frame? I am lucky enough to have all the wood for the sides, roof and some of the front floor. The solid roof that was put in is only screwed in and what appears to be old "Black Majic" so no warpage or anything from welding and it should be easy enough to put back to stock.

V8COOPMAN, I would think the rear floor is similar between the two. Thanks for the pic. Boy would it be nice if I ended up with a sedan delivery!

[DavidG]

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The big difference in the construction of the floors of your panel delivery and a sedan delivery is that the latter starts out as Tudor sedan body and has a steel floor beneath the wood shown in the photo. The panel delivery lacks that 'second' floor.

The skid strips in the bed of the pickup are an integral part of the bed floor steel stamping. As many survivors' beds are rusted through, especially near the front of the bed where water would accumulate when there was no load in the bed, they get covered up in wood and then skid strips are added. Someone is reproducing the sedan delivery skid strips and they are likely the same in terms of cross section. Roy Nacewicz at [email protected] can likely point you in the right direction regarding the source.

It appears as though several of the original wood cross members in the rear section of the floor have survived. The fore and aft flooring was laid on top of that foundation of cross members. With the extent of hardwoods in one of those bodies, the finished body was surprisingly heavy at nearly 1,000 pounds, heavier even than a station wagon by nearly 100 pounds.

What doesn't appear to have survived in their entirety are the fore and aft pieces of wood that rested on top of the frame rails (like a closed cab truck such as a pickup) and extended all the way back to where the frame rails turn upward for the rear axle kick-up. Because the body is wider than the chassis frame those pieces provide the transition from under the steel body sides into and over the top of the chassis frame rails.

There are at least two barn members who are in the midst of restoring '32 panel deliveries and hopefully they will chime in here to share their knowledge and experience with you as I've never restored one.

[Flathead41ford]

Thank you for the help DavidG. This body also came with a set of rear fenders. They can be seen next to the passenger side door in one of the first sets of pics. Do you know if they are the same as passenger cars fenders? I also have a 32 Tudor that is a hot rod project. It came with brand new fiberglass fenders, running boards and lower grill apron. Can any of these be used on this truck that you know of? I'm guessing front fenders and apron will work fine.

[Capn John]

Interesting that the top of the radiator is polished. The ones I have are all painted, 6 examples. Any ideas on this or that's the way the previous owner did it??

[Flathead41ford]

That is just what the previous owner did. He cleaned, painted and has had this frame on display in his small museum up the road from my shop. That is polished and I am pretty sure there are a million chrome acorn caps throughout the frame =)

[Capn John]

Originally Posted by Flathead41ford

That is just what the previous owner did. He cleaned, painted and has had this frame on display in his small museum up the road from my shop. That is polished and I am pretty sure there are a million chrome acorn caps throughout the frame =)

And you're going to count them???? )

[FlatheadTed]

Welcome to the Barn keep us posted as it progresses ,Ted

[DavidG]

You're right about the front fenders, but the rears are unique to panel deliveries and station wagons. Because of the extra width of those two body types, the rear fenders are narrower than any other '32 rear fender. The two photos below are of a NOS panel delivery/station wagon rear fender. Perhaps because of the relatively low survival rate of panel deliveries and station wagons, these particular rear fenders have for many years been the easiest to find in good condition or NOS and the least expensive of all '32 rear fenders.

[Flathead41ford]

I compared what I have to what you showed. It looks like mine are not panel truck. Passenger car I would think. Something else to hunt for. Thanks again for the help. Once I get farther into my 41 Tudor build, I will be starting work on this panel. For now, parts gathering stage has been initiated!

More questions will be seen for the 41 too. I can't seem to find much info on certain things specific to a 41 Ford Special.

[Flathead41ford]

I would like to bump this up. I am still hunting for parts. A fellow Fordbarn member was able to sell me some rear inner body braces which gets me a little closer. I am hoping a restorer can chime in with some more info and pics of the pieces of wood between the floor and frame rails.

[Rowdy]

I am restoring a 29 Deluxe Delivery and for the most part I have had to buy drawings for alot of the wood from the Benson Research Center. Not cheap, but it seems there are very few that have saved any of their original wood to be used for patterns etc.. Hoping by the end of the year to be done with the wood. Long process on a limitted budget, but will be worth it. Rod