Years ago, I found an orange ’46 Ford half-ton for sale at the local antique festival, and I ogled it awkwardly for two days before deciding that it wasn’t quite right for me. Regretting that decision, I later found a ’46 1 1/2-ton stake truck for sale in very decent shape for about the same price, but it failed the speed test. The speed test is simple – can I make this thing go 60-70 mph without feeling like it’s going to explode. One of my few goals in life is for any car in my fleet to be ready to drive almost anywhere, and the stake truck failed the test…But it looks so cool! People own Model A’s and Model T’s and have a great time, and that brings us to this ’41 Ford. It clearly fails the speed test, but speed isn’t everything, right? What would you do with this ’41 Ford I found on Marketplace in Belleville, Michigan?
The first thing you’ll have to do is get it running, although the engine is not stuck. It’s the long-lived and historically-significant Ford Flathead, which was offered in both 221 and 239 cubic-inch varieties in 1941 (85 or 95 horsepower). The seller doesn’t say which one this is, and it probably doesn’t matter; either one will be slow. The big Fords had a 60 mile-per-hour speedometer and rear axle ratios in the five and six column, so 40 mile-per-hour cruising is what you’re likely to get. A two-speed axle was available, but its low gear was in the eights. Yep, it was a crawler.
The interior will need a good bit of cleaning and a parts-store seat cover to get you going. This may be one place where a Comet wash and some black Rustoleum for the floor could do a world of good. I doubt anyone will give this rig a 100-point restoration, so getting it presentable would be the quickest and cheapest way to enjoy this big old workhorse.
Being in Michigan, there is some rust in certain areas of the truck, but it’s far from a goner. The bed looks reasonably sound and it fits in with the ethos of the rest of the truck: I’m seeing working yard art here for a pumpkin farm or something of the sort. It’s the kind of a truck you could use for hayrides in the autumn months, a cider and donuts truck, if you will.
Aside from the speed test, the main reason I passed on the ’46 stake truck was the price of tires: I looked at six of those big truck tires and realized that they’d cost as much as the truck itself to replace. (And are those split rims? Yikes.) Still, some of you out there might have the space for a big truck, a love of tinkering and making things run (these are a few of my favorite things), and a love of prewar Ford styling. If these apply to you, this one’s been on the market for a few weeks with an asking price of $4,000.
Wonderful shape! This truck could grace my property anytime.
Interesting engine in this one. I don’t know why but it seems to me that if this engine is original, and it’s designated a 221, it is, in reality, a 239, only sleeved down to 221. Found a number of 11A (and 21A) engines set up that way. I don’t know if it was the military demand and Ford couldn’t keep up with production or what but a lot of 19A/29A engines were made from these by just removing the sleeves.
’40 and ’41 used this front sheet metal on the larger trucks but adopted the “Waterfall Grill” by ’42. Even the 3/4 ton had this.
You wouldn’t want to talk to my Dad about this style. Out on the ranch, crossing the river while going to and returning from the river flats was necessary. These had the daggoned fan on the end of the crankshaft and nothing aggravated you more than attempting to rush across the river in hopes that the distributor didn’t get drenched…
Tried for a 👍🏻 but it wouldn’t work so here it is anyway, geomechs.
Fine write-up Aaron. Your 40 mph comment caught my attention. Today when traffic everywhere seems to move at warp speed, I have to remember where and when this vehicle did its job. For example, the hilly rural area of my youth. There, even the blacktop county roads traversing the hills and following the hollows were (and are) narrow and twisty, with essentially no shoulders. So 40 mph was plenty, maybe 30 mph was better.
Cool truck. I’m also seeing it used somewhere like the newly-opened country market near me, which sold mums, pumpkins, and Christmas trees this fall.
Great find, wonderful writeup, but back to reality here. The author mentions just the tires, and a restoration of any kind will be equally as pricey, and again, for what? Not to thwart the authors ambition, but there was no “speed test” in 1941 when it came to trucks. Speed was the last thing of concern. Strictly a workhorse, nothing more. These rarely went very far, and put away until needed again. It all boils down to use, as mentioned. Used to be, just fixing up the old gal and putt-putt to the feed mill, was a fun hobby. Today, if the style appeals to you, plop it on a modern chassis for your “speed test”. You’d be a fool to try and make this applicable for todays roads.
In ’40 and ’41 Ford used the car frame and front sheet metal for the half-ton but the 3/4 ton and up used the heavy truck front sheet metal but shared the same cab all across the board. The 3/4 ton used four parallel springs so maybe that necessitated the different front end. My grandfather managed to get a new ’42 Tonner before it got impossible to get a new truck and Dad thought the new fan position was a vast improvement.
As always, thanks for your comments, geomechs. They’re always informative, well-written, and positive.
You’re sure welcome Dave. I worked on a lot of vintage trucks over the years and I managed to remember most of it…
Lots of suggestions that keep it as a stake body truck, but given enough money and the correct fabricator, I would love to see this made into a ramp truck to haul hot rods.
Are there any other rims that would fit this besides split rims? It’s very hard to find anyone who will work on those.
I think there are common tubeless wheels available for this one. I can tell you there’s nothing for the ‘41 1 tons though. Those lock ring wheels are really not a problem anyways. I run them on my ‘41 with no issues. I have radials with radial tubes in mine. Drives like a dream.
Bargain
It’s a cool old truck like the 1960 Dodge a few weeks ago. I had a 1959 Ford one tone dually with 8’x12’ flat bed with cattle racks back in 1985. It had a 390 with 4 speed truck gears. I bought it in Provo, Utah drove it to Everett, Washington, then the long trek to Miami, Florida taking the southern route down through Oregon, California over the Mountains, across a part of the Mojave desert to Kingston, Arizona and then I-20 to Memphis, Tennessee, then south to Miami. What a trip it was, but more on that at another time. That truck had no problem rolling 70 mph and was pulling a 5’x8’ covered trailer. We slept in camp sites never any motels. It took a total of 3 months as we stayed in certain areas for extended times. Very memorable trip.
God Bless America
Take a zero off the price and it might sell.
I would have fun getting this back on the road I live in a rural city where it’s common to see farm equipment parked at the local feed store or people riding their horses around the residential neighborhood. I also wouldn’t care if you were back there riding my tail because you want to go 60 and I’m only going 40 the closer you get the slower I go. I would just put it to work
Nice truck, and $4k is a steal! I would get it running and drive it. Good dump runner, and ranch truck. I live in a rural area, but only a couple miles from town. Around here, farm tractors share the road – and they’re not doing 40!
I recently sold a ‘36 1 1/2T for $3k, and it wasn’t near as nice as this truck.