My 1941 Ford 1/2 ton pickup restoration

[Barry Wolk]

Originally Posted by 41panelmark

Very nice p/u Barry.

Thanks. Wish I could lay claim to the work. I bought it as a "restored" truck. The body and interior were beautifully restored, but the chassis was a worn-out hunk of junk. The PO had added 3 full width leaf springs in the front and removed 5 from the back. It was godawful to drive.

I actually bought it 3 years ago and stashed it when by wife was struck with cancer just weeks after I bought it. I became her primary caregiver, a reversal of roles. I put away my toys for almost 2 years. She's doing great so I tackled a mechanical restoration from front to rear, replacing every wear part, seal and every bit of rubber.

I was very pleased with my work, until I hit a substantial bump. With no rear shocks the rear end came off the ground and moved over a good foot before landing with a screech. I installed a rear shock kit from Joe's and it became a very roadworthy vehicle.

I'm not saying there was hack work done on my truck, but of the 30 or so cotter pins required to keep the truck together only 3 were installed. I thank my lucky stars that it didn't come apart the 50-miles I drove it.

The engine compartment freshening turned into this.



I have a number of old cars. Some of the technology is unfamiliar to me and are worked on by others. Not this beauty. I must state that, categorically, the Ford products of this era are the best candidate for a first-time restoration. Every single wear part seems to be available at an incredibly low, almost laughable, price. Parts for my '55 Porsche are made of unobtanium and cost 3-5 times what these replacement parts cost. It was my first experience in doing a mechanical that didn't take months to complete. I'd order stuff from Joe's, and others, and it would be at my doorstep in two days. That certainly helped the flow.

I wish I had seen this thread before I did mine. I guess you're supposed to learn from your mistakes.

[oldrelics]

fitting more of the front end

[OldFordFan]

Originally Posted by oldrelics

fitting more of the front end

The fit looks excellent to me. I really like those 40/41 pickups.