The Ford Barn

JtownJoe · 09-30-2012, 12:03 PM

A buddy of mine just bought a 31 pickup. It has an indented firewall & the radiator cover is all stainless with out the body paint color insert on the top, the way most passenger cars do & we were wondering if it is correct or not for a 31 pickup, also he thinks the front fender bead should continue around the front of the fender but I'm thinking it would end near the front the way my 30 Tudor fenders do. Anyone have some input on it?

1930artdeco · 09-30-2012, 01:58 PM

The radiator shell should be black and I think it may actually be different slightly froma passanger car-maybe. The fenders shouldbe like your tudors as the 'eyebrow' fenders stopped in early 1930.

Mike

Charlie Stephens · 09-30-2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1930artdeco

The radiator shell should be black and I think it may actually be different slightly froma passanger car-maybe. The fenders shouldbe like your tudors as the 'eyebrow' fenders stopped in early 1930.

Mike

The radiator shell should be regular steel and painted black but it should be the shape of the 1930 passenger car radiator shell not the 1931 (that is to say, no indentation at top). Comments on fenders are correct.

Charlie Stephens

JtownJoe · 09-30-2012, 03:45 PM

Thanx to replies for the info.

Jim Brierley · 09-30-2012, 02:13 PM

Early "late 31's" like mine had the indented firewall, etc. but many, again like mine, still had the canvass insert in the top, later they had all-steel tops. Original radiator shells were painted, not stainless.

SLPreston53 · 09-30-2012, 10:41 PM

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The all steel radiator should have the stainless, not blue Ford emblem, however. The headlight buckets are also steel rather than SS.

Charlie Stephens · 10-01-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLPreston53

The all steel radiator should have the stainless, not blue Ford emblem, however. The headlight buckets are also steel rather than SS.

I am sure you know but just forgot to include the tail light buckets in the "steel" with black paint category.

Charlie Stephens

CarlG · 10-01-2012, 12:12 AM

My '31 Pickup was rebuilt/restored (or whatever you want to call it) in the late 80's. It came out of "surgery" wearing, among other things, a (1930) stainless radiator shell with the blue Ford emblem. This, of course, wasn't the only thing that was probably not correct, but I only mention it to point out that there have been 80+ years of owner improvements/modifications to contend with.

My rig also has the indented firewall, all steel top, and a narrow bed.

SLPreston53 · 10-01-2012, 08:52 AM

I only mentioned the emblem and light buckets as he seemed to want a "baseline." My truck has non-original stuff, too.

CarlG · 10-01-2012, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLPreston53

I only mentioned the emblem and light buckets as he seemed to want a "baseline." My truck has non-original stuff, too.

You are absolutely correct. When I got mine, I had no real baseline to compare it to.

I forgot to mention that mine has painted light buckets (as it should). Why those weren't changed to stainless when the radiator shell was is anybody's guess!

juke joint johnny · 10-01-2012, 02:17 PM

Mine has all the shiney pieces that it shouldn't have including Cowl lights!!! thanks to a previous owner and wasn't the cowl band supposed to be painted body color as well.

The good thing is a lot of these parts can be painted black and they would look like original steel

John Cochran

Charlie Stephens · 10-01-2012, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juke joint johnny

Mine has all the shiney pieces that it shouldn't have including Cowl lights!!! thanks to a previous owner and wasn't the cowl band supposed to be painted body color as well.

The good thing is a lot of these parts can be painted black and they would look like original steel

John Cochran

The MAFCA/MARC judging standards (must admit my copy is not current) say body color for the cowl band. The book "The Model A Ford As Henry Built It" says "The cowl strip was at first painted black but it was soon changed to body color" (pg 176). Note this quote is in a section on 1930-31 Commercial Vehicles so "at first" would mean in 1930.

Charlie Stephens

AL in NY · 10-04-2012, 10:12 AM

Met a fellow at the New England meet that had a late 1930 CCPU just like my avatar, (Rubelite with tacomia creme wheels), but his had a SS radiator shell, black headlight buckets and body color cowl band. He said the truck belonged to his great uncle and he learned to drive on it when he was a kid. He stated that the SS shell was original from the factory.

SLPreston53 · 10-04-2012, 10:17 AM

Al in NY, maybe it was a special order (the SS shell). Makes me wonder if perhaps a guy back then could do a dealer option to have a SS shell or even headlights.
Just a thought...But if that were so, it might explain the anomalies like this fellow's SS shell.

CarlG · 10-04-2012, 11:13 AM

My '31 PU has an SS Rad Shell, ('30 style), black headlight buckets. I've also been told (by the guy thad restored it, who got it from his Dad who bought it new) that's the way it came from the factory, but have no way to accurately verify that. (lots of heresay there!)

Now on my '31 AA 280A that I had as a kid, it had a SS Rad Shell, with SS headlight buckets, and there's every reason to believe that it came that way from the factory. Dad bought the truck in '49 with less than 10K miles on it.

09-30-2012, 12:03 PM	#1
JtownJoe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Johnstown, PA Posts: 342	31 pickup A buddy of mine just bought a 31 pickup. It has an indented firewall & the radiator cover is all stainless with out the body paint color insert on the top, the way most passenger cars do & we were wondering if it is correct or not for a 31 pickup, also he thinks the front fender bead should continue around the front of the fender but I'm thinking it would end near the front the way my 30 Tudor fenders do. Anyone have some input on it?

09-30-2012, 01:58 PM	#2
1930artdeco Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Lynden, Wa Posts: 3,550	Re: 31 pickup The radiator shell should be black and I think it may actually be different slightly froma passanger car-maybe. The fenders shouldbe like your tudors as the 'eyebrow' fenders stopped in early 1930. Mike __________________ 1930 TownSedan (Briggs) 1957 Country Sedan

09-30-2012, 03:45 PM	#4
JtownJoe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Johnstown, PA Posts: 342	Re: 31 pickup Thanx to replies for the info.

09-30-2012, 02:13 PM	#5
Jim Brierley Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 4,085	Re: 31 pickup Early "late 31's" like mine had the indented firewall, etc. but many, again like mine, still had the canvass insert in the top, later they had all-steel tops. Original radiator shells were painted, not stainless.

09-30-2012, 10:41 PM	#6
SLPreston53 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Beach, CA. Posts: 219	Re: 31 pickup Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The all steel radiator should have the stainless, not blue Ford emblem, however. The headlight buckets are also steel rather than SS.

10-01-2012, 12:12 AM	#8
CarlG Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 9,115	Re: 31 pickup My '31 Pickup was rebuilt/restored (or whatever you want to call it) in the late 80's. It came out of "surgery" wearing, among other things, a (1930) stainless radiator shell with the blue Ford emblem. This, of course, wasn't the only thing that was probably not correct, but I only mention it to point out that there have been 80+ years of owner improvements/modifications to contend with. My rig also has the indented firewall, all steel top, and a narrow bed.

10-01-2012, 08:52 AM	#9
SLPreston53 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Beach, CA. Posts: 219	Re: 31 pickup I only mentioned the emblem and light buckets as he seemed to want a "baseline." My truck has non-original stuff, too.

10-01-2012, 02:17 PM	#11
juke joint johnny Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: London England Posts: 908	Re: 31 pickup Mine has all the shiney pieces that it shouldn't have including Cowl lights!!! thanks to a previous owner and wasn't the cowl band supposed to be painted body color as well. The good thing is a lot of these parts can be painted black and they would look like original steel John Cochran

10-04-2012, 10:12 AM	#13
AL in NY Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Upstate New York Posts: 1,160	Re: 31 pickup Met a fellow at the New England meet that had a late 1930 CCPU just like my avatar, (Rubelite with tacomia creme wheels), but his had a SS radiator shell, black headlight buckets and body color cowl band. He said the truck belonged to his great uncle and he learned to drive on it when he was a kid. He stated that the SS shell was original from the factory. __________________ AL in NY

10-04-2012, 10:17 AM	#14
SLPreston53 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Beach, CA. Posts: 219	Re: 31 pickup Al in NY, maybe it was a special order (the SS shell). Makes me wonder if perhaps a guy back then could do a dealer option to have a SS shell or even headlights. Just a thought...But if that were so, it might explain the anomalies like this fellow's SS shell.

10-04-2012, 11:13 AM	#15
CarlG Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 9,115	Re: 31 pickup My '31 PU has an SS Rad Shell, ('30 style), black headlight buckets. I've also been told (by the guy thad restored it, who got it from his Dad who bought it new) that's the way it came from the factory, but have no way to accurately verify that. (lots of heresay there!) Now on my '31 AA 280A that I had as a kid, it had a SS Rad Shell, with SS headlight buckets, and there's every reason to believe that it came that way from the factory. Dad bought the truck in '49 with less than 10K miles on it.