About car puzzle #121: 1946/47 Ford 1½ Ton Truck – 6-cylinder

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Our haunting Halloween mystery was a Ford Truck, yes, and we were not surprised that you knew that. But the sting was in the exact model type and year. We asked our expert Kit Foster to be as precise as possible about this Ford and Kit came up with the following information: It has dual rear wheels and a platform-type (or stake-bed) body so not a ‘Pickup’ per se. It looks like a 1-1/2-ton on the ‘regular’ 134-inch wheelbase. The exact model number depends on the year and engine. It could be a 1942; 1945, 1946 or 1947 car with V8 or six-in-line engine. We can't see the engine so we can't be sure of the model number.”

But Kit was in for a surprise. Steady puzzle contender Ace Zenek wrote: “It’s not a 1945 car since Village Green (trimmed in Tacoma Cream) was the only colour choice for that year. Along with four other colours, Vermilion Red was offered both '46-'47.” Warren E. Henderson agreed and wrote: “It's a 1946-7 Ford 1½ Ton, ladder-type chassis with four cross-members and more body mounts. The transverse-spring suspension was replaced by semi-elliptic leaf springs, with hydraulic, double-acting shock absorbers. Tubular drive shaft and open Hotchkiss Drive were new.” A near-perfect answer, just as we like it, but still Henderson was beaten by another reader – who even beat our own Kit. John Elema found out it had to be a six-cylinder, writing: “Pressed steel wheels, twin at rear, making it a truck. 4-bolt fan hub reveals that the engine is the 6-cylinder sidevalve. Sidevalve V-8's were also available. Toplights and mirrors are non-originals.”

Kit agrees: “He is the only one to identify the engine in the truck, which can barely be seen. I went to the trouble of enlarging and brightening the image, and I was pretty sure that the water pump is not the sort used on V8s. His comment about the fan pulley confirms it. V8 fan was not on the water pumps (there were two pumps, located low and at the sides). Only the six had it bolted to the water pump pulley.” Well done to you John!

(Words Jeroen Booij, picture courtesy Chad Monnie) 

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