New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Last week I acquired a 1931 Budd cab wide body pickup. My only exposure to a Model A to this point had been when I was in high school back in 69-70 . My Latin teacher ( he was in his 80's, retired and just teaching part time) had a Model A truck that he had purchased new and still had. I got to drive it a couple of times doing yard work for him and since have always thought I would have one. Through the years I have been through all the muscle cars etc. but finally the stars aligned and this one came along. It's very original with some repair and paintwork and somewhere along in its life was converted to hydraulic brakes. I've heard it run and seen it drive but at the point I got it it wouldn't start due to the starter. I took that off and the bendix spring is broken. I have one ordered. I suspect the fellow I got it from tried to start it without retarding the timing?

Anyway, a couple of questions to start.. The truck appears to originally have dual spares. Passenger fender has a patch where there would have been a well. Is that likely? Also, the truck cab is red but the body is black as the fenders. Pictures I have seen of similar trucks the body is always cab color. The body shows no sign of ever being red.. just black over primer. Is this possibly original colors?

I'm just in the discovery phase of ownership. I am in hopes to just getting it driving and doing some touch up initially until I come up with a long term plan. It appears to be a very late 31 with the indented firewall and steel roof. The previous owner just got it from a collector who had bought it and kept it in his collection since the early 90's so it's been idle for a while.

Any thoughts or suggestions would surely help. Thanks! Mike in Maine

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Why not posting a picture of your car ?

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Because he doesn't have a car he has a truck?. ;)

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Welcome to the Barn and good luck with your truck. Is the Budd body the one with the solid steel roof?
Terry

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

I uploaded a picture to my album here. I was going to put it with the post but the only option I could see was adding an online link. I don't have any pictures accessible to the web. thanks Mike

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Yes, it is the steel roof.

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Welcome welcome. The cab and bed would been the same color from the factory. It would have come with a fender mounted spare on the drivers side. Hard to tell what transitions it went through in it's 85+ years. I have a late 31 WB ST that started as a Telephone company truck. By the time I bought it I found it had gone through at least 4 other owners. It was found in a shed on a farm at an estate sale.

Too bad they can't talk and tell their story.

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Thanks... I was wondering. It has the spare on the drivers side. The passenger side even has the hole in the splash pan for the brace and you can see where the brace attaches to the frame so that's why I wondered if it was possibly original as a dual sidemount on a truck. It has the nickel lights and windshield trim also. It was probably a pretty truck in it's day. Not too bad now for an old fellow! thanks Mike

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictur...ictureid=36610

SWEET

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

I am hoping to track down some more of the history of this one.. It would be fun to know. I will work on it. The grandkids said I should have got a crew cab so they could all go for rides this summer. I wonder if anyone has built one? :-) headed for the garage to play with it some more.. thanks!

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

I've seen a crew cab done, but they made it fit an AA truck frame since it was longer than the car frame could handle, but would work for you for a future project. Welcome to the hobby!

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

This is a truck !

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Check the passenger side mount carefully as they generally only had one on the drivers side. Having said that I have heard of them coming with dual side mounts. If I bought a commercial vehicle in 1931 with the quality of the tires I would have gotten dual side mounts. FYI I have a '31 roadster pickup, originally the cheap version of yours. Be sure to get a copy of the judging standards from MARC or MAFCA (same standards). They are written mostly towards cars but most of the parts are the same. Post away, there a lot of people here ready to help.

Charlie Stephens

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

I think I may have looked at that truck a few years ago.At the time it was owned by a salvage yard,and not for sale.If it is the one it is a put together truck,not an original.Makes no difference to me,it is still an A,and an A is just a big erector set.A truck native to Maine in that condition would be one of the rarest things in the world.Non-original things on it are,the windshield frame,cowl band,radiator shell,and headlights.They are supposed to be black on the trucks.Look at the mounts on the frame for the spare tires.If they are riveted they will most likely be factory,if they are bolted they will be add-ons.

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Yes it is, but it's not a Model A truck. My avatar is an example of a model A truck. Funny you chose that big rock wagon. I've been to Sparwood and stood next to that thing. It's pretty big LOL.

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Here is a truck on a truck AND a Model A

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

Forget everything being bigger in Texas. You Aussies take the cake.

Mike

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

And that's not even close to being a Road Train.
First picture - find the Model A These things are up to about 200 feet long and travel at 100 kph

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

I've got some rocks that truck could move but then I would have to have something big to load them! Keith, I wonder if the truck you are thinking of is the one that is for sale in Nashua at "Dusty Old Cars"? It's the same color scheme (with black bed). I'm pretty sure of this one's history back to the early 90's in Maine. Maybe though... you probably didn't keep the engine number from the one you looked at did you?

I tried hand cranking it again this afternoon as it was warm and all I got was a couple of coughs out of it. I can't wait to get the bendix spring. I did play with the horn and got it to the ahhhoooga mode rather than the raspy honk. All the lights work.

Any recommendations on touch up paint for a couple of places on the door and back of the cab. I think it's the Vermillion Red. Looks for all the world like Rangoon Red I've had on a couple of early Mustangs.

Re: New to the Forum and 1931 Closed cab pickup
 

It was in Maine.You won't see many of us stepping foot into Dusty Old Cars that live around here.I'm thinking it was in maybe Glenburn?Turner?Daryl Browns around Chelsea (Augusta)comes to mind,although that may just be because he has passed a lot of A's through his yard.At the time the truck was not for sale.I never looked at the number,no titles in N.H.and Maine for these old cars,so there is not much reason to check them.Different story if you need to have the correct numbered engine for authenticity.