Looking for a 1936 Ford Truck model

[joemac]

Hi gang. New-B here, who's been out of the model building hobby for a while. I want to build a scale model of a couple of old fire trucks, namely a 1936 Ford closed cab and a 1937 International open cab. I'm not particular of the scale, although 1:24 or 1:25 would be ideal. I don't expect to find exactly these trucks as firetrucks, but I wouldn't mind finding something that I can modify. I'd prefer resin kits, but die cast would work if I can't find resin. Thanks in advance for any leads.

This seems like a decent crowd here.

[62rebel]

i don't think these years have been addressed by anyone yet, but the possibility is that you might adapt another year by kitbashing. you might try searching Hemmings or Collectible Automobile for articles on these year trucks and determining how closely another year or even another maker's body resembled it. i, for one, can't really form a picture mentally of what a '36 Ford truck looks like. i know that '37-38 is distinctive, and Revell has a kit of that one. AMT/Lindberg's had the '34 reissued bunches of times. sounds like an interesting build, nonetheless.

[joemac]

i don't think these years have been addressed by anyone yet, but the possibility is that you might adapt another year by kitbashing. you might try searching Hemmings or Collectible Automobile for articles on these year trucks and determining how closely another year or even another maker's body resembled it. i, for one, can't really form a picture mentally of what a '36 Ford truck looks like. i know that '37-38 is distinctive, and Revell has a kit of that one. AMT/Lindberg's had the '34 reissued bunches of times. sounds like an interesting build, nonetheless.

Thanks for the reply. I figured I might have to resort to kitbashing, which I don't mind.

Here are the two trucks.

[Jairus]

Joe,

The International I know nothing about but the Ford I am building myself. The problem exists that most of it will need to be kit bashed or outright scratch-built.

All my research is in storage but what I have managed to find picture wise can be found in one of my fotki folders. Most of the pictures are of '35 - '37 trucks for frame and interior modifications. The windshield, hood sides and grill are the most difficult body mods but not impossible. Windshield on the '37 truck is of-course split and will require modifications to the cowl, vent and header. The grill is fairly easy to replicate if you have some skill.

(click on the pic to go to Fotki)

The tires from one of the Monogram Dusenberg kits are closest to the correct diameter but there is nothing out there in the aftermarket even remotely like those cool 5-hole wheels.

Some have suggested using the very rare Revell of Germany Opel Blitz chassis and wheels for the build but upon acquiring one from a very generous Model Cars member I found out that nothing but the flat bed came even close! Wheels, tires, frame and rear axle were completely off. However, in a pinch and if you don't care, it is passable to the man on the street.

Additional research can be found in the pages of this pamphlet, 1932 - 1937 Commerical truck specifications., from Bob Drake.

Good Luck!

Jairus

[Danno]

The tires from one of the Monogram Dusenberg kits are closest to the correct diameter but there is nothing out there in the aftermarket even remotely like those cool 5-hole wheels.

Some have suggested using the very rare Revell of Germany Opel Blitz chassis and wheels for the build but upon acquiring one from a very generous Model Cars member I found out that nothing but the flat bed came even close!

Wheels, tires, frame and rear axle were completely off. However, in a pinch and if you don't care, it is passable to the man on the street.

Actually, Al Raab (Ma's Resins) makes beautiful Ford split-rim steel disc wheels for the 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 ton range of Ford trucks. The disc wheels were unchanged from 1930 through 1952.

The 1928-1929 Ford Model AA was significantly different and not interchangeable; they featured heavy duty wire spoke wheels.

The large commercial Fords used the same chassis, axles, springs, wheels and tires from 1930 through 1952. In 1930-1931 the Ford Model AA chassis was powered by the standard Model A 4-cylinder; in 1932 Ford began offering the flathead V8 as an option to the 4-cyl engine. Minor chassis changes began occurring around the end of the 30's and early 40's.

All American Models once marketed a resin rolling chassis suitable for the 1930-1940 era and it would pass most inspections for any Ford truck through 1952, other than the mechanical brakes earlier trucks had. The AAM chassis and wheels/tires have not been available for ten years or so. Later, Herb Deeks offered a resin early 30's chassis and wheels/tires, but it has not been available for about 5-7 years.

As mentioned, Ma's Resins currently offers beautiful resin wheels/tires (proper 6.00 x 20 size in scale) for the Ford AA, BB, and mid-30's through early 50's heavy commercial trucks.

[Jairus]

Dan,

Good to know! Already sent Alan a part request! Thanks

[Art Anderson]

Hi gang. New-B here, who's been out of the model building hobby for a while. I want to build a scale model of a couple of old fire trucks, namely a 1936 Ford closed cab and a 1937 International open cab. I'm not particular of the scale, although 1:24 or 1:25 would be ideal. I don't expect to find exactly these trucks as firetrucks, but I wouldn't mind finding something that I can modify. I'd prefer resin kits, but die cast would work if I can't find resin. Thanks in advance for any leads.

This seems like a decent crowd here.

joemac,

AAM did make, years ago, a 1935 Ford 1.5 ton conversion kit in resin. It's of course, long out of production, but still, the project you mention can be done today, albeit not inexpensively.

Danbury Mint produced a 1/24 scale 1935 Ford pickup in diecast a number of years ago, may still have a version of that model still available. Yat Ming produced a 1938 Ford fire truck in diecast, also 1/24 scale, with the wheels, tires and suspension characteristic of a Ford truck of that era as well, which would work for your project with modifications.

So what's the difference between a 1935 and a 1936 Ford truck? Very little, actually! The biggest difference is the grille shell, which while 1936 carried over the same styling from 1935, was much thicker front-to-back due to Ford's constant battle with overheating of the early 21-stud flathead V8 (those long exhaust passages through the water jacket coupled with water pumps mounted in the heads SUCKING the coolant out of the heads themselves, leading to the formation of steam pockets around the valves. Ford's solution? Double the thickness (number of tubes) in the radiator core!. There are some little detail differences, but they aren't as noticeable as the much thicker grille shell. But that's something that can be altered on the diecast FM grille shell with a little bit of work.

The Franklin Mint '35 Ford pickup is fairly expensive if bought new, but I've seen examples at flea markets, model car swap meets, even on eBay for a fraction of what they cost new in recent years. The Yat Ming '38 Ford fire truck model was lots less expensive to start with, and was still available as of about 2 years ago, again I'd keep an eye on the 'Bay, as well as at flea markets and swap meets for a used one (all you would need there is the rolling chassis and the pumper bodywork). To adapt the '35 pickup cab, fenders hood and grille to the '38 model, the biggest issue beyond the obvious shortening of the running boards and splash aprons (and how to mount it on the somewhat dissimilar Yat Ming chassis) would be to enlarge the wheel arches in the front fenders to clear the much larger 7:00-20 truck tires used on Ford's heavy duty trucks. With only minor details, the wheels of the Yat Ming model are correct for any Ford 1.5/2-ton truck mid-1929 to the end of the 1952 model year, as is the rear axle unit.

Hope this helps!

Art

[Art Anderson]

Actually, Al Raab (Ma's Resins) makes beautiful Ford split-rim steel disc wheels for the 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 ton range of Ford trucks. The disc wheels were unchanged from 1930 through 1952.

The 1928-1929 Ford Model AA was significantly different and not interchangeable; they featured heavy duty wire spoke wheels.

The large commercial Fords used the same chassis, axles, springs, wheels and tires from 1930 through 1952. In 1930-1931 the Ford Model AA chassis was powered by the standard Model A 4-cylinder; in 1932 Ford began offering the flathead V8 as an option to the 4-cyl engine. Minor chassis changes began occurring around the end of the 30's and early 40's.

All American Models once marketed a resin rolling chassis suitable for the 1930-1940 era and it would pass most inspections for any Ford truck through 1952, other than the mechanical brakes earlier trucks had. The AAM chassis and wheels/tires have not been available for ten years or so. Later, Herb Deeks offered a resin early 30's chassis and wheels/tires, but it has not been available for about 5-7 years.

As mentioned, Ma's Resins currently offers beautiful resin wheels/tires (proper 6.00 x 20 size in scale) for the Ford AA, BB, and mid-30's through early 50's heavy commercial trucks.

Dan,

Just to clarify the Ford truck wheel story here: 1928 AA trucks began with those welded steel spoke wheels that look so very much like the passenger car wheel, but with 33" high pressure truck tires on them. 7:00-20 rim diameter, and spokes that were about 1/2 inch forged steel. In late 1928, Ford began offering a pressed steel, 6-slot wheel, only slightly offset, too shallow to allow for dualling, which wheel carried on into midyear 1929, when it was replaced by the soon-to-become-standard Kelsey Hayes 5 slot/5-lug offset wheels which could be mounted either convex (front wheel, or rear wheel inner) or concave when dualled with a second wheel on the rear axle. AA trucks began in 1928 carrying over the worm drive rear axle that had been produced for Model TT trucks, along with an "Express" rear axle which was simply a much larger and heavier version of the passenger car unit (torque tube, 3-pc 3/4 floating rear axle and housing) and radius rods, mounted with a very heavy-duty transverse leaf spring in the same concept as Model A passenger cars. In mid-1929, Ford introduced their full-floating rear axle (axle shafts running in roller bearings at both the hubs and at the differential, the weight of the diff and the vehicle itself being supported by the axle housing, not the the shafts themselves), along with the newly introduced Kelsey Hayes 5-slot, 5 lug pressed steel wheels that could be dualled (this wheel was used widely throughout the truck industry in the 30's BTW). In the interim, Ford also offered a 6-slot, 5 lug shallow pressed steel wheel that could not be dualled, which introduced the split rim, but used old fashioned high pressure truck tires. The 5-slot/5 lug wheel was used as standard OEM equipment on Ford 1/5 and 2-ton trucks from midyear 1929 through the end of the 1952 model year, with only detail differences.

Art

[Art Anderson]

Actually, Al Raab (Ma's Resins) makes beautiful Ford split-rim steel disc wheels for the 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 ton range of Ford trucks. The disc wheels were unchanged from 1930 through 1952.

The 1928-1929 Ford Model AA was significantly different and not interchangeable; they featured heavy duty wire spoke wheels.

The large commercial Fords used the same chassis, axles, springs, wheels and tires from 1930 through 1952. In 1930-1931 the Ford Model AA chassis was powered by the standard Model A 4-cylinder; in 1932 Ford began offering the flathead V8 as an option to the 4-cyl engine. Minor chassis changes began occurring around the end of the 30's and early 40's.

All American Models once marketed a resin rolling chassis suitable for the 1930-1940 era and it would pass most inspections for any Ford truck through 1952, other than the mechanical brakes earlier trucks had. The AAM chassis and wheels/tires have not been available for ten years or so. Later, Herb Deeks offered a resin early 30's chassis and wheels/tires, but it has not been available for about 5-7 years.

As mentioned, Ma's Resins currently offers beautiful resin wheels/tires (proper 6.00 x 20 size in scale) for the Ford AA, BB, and mid-30's through early 50's heavy commercial trucks.

Dan,

Just to clarify the Ford truck wheel story here: 1928 AA trucks began with those welded steel spoke wheels that look so very much like the passenger car wheel, but with 33" high pressure truck tires on them. 7:00-20 rim diameter, and spokes that were about 1/2 inch forged steel. In late 1928, Ford began offering a pressed steel, 6-slot wheel, only slightly offset, too shallow to allow for dualling, which wheel carried on into midyear 1929, when it was replaced by the soon-to-become-standard Kelsey Hayes 5 slot/5-lug offset wheels which could be mounted either convex (front wheel, or rear wheel inner) or concave when dualled with a second wheel on the rear axle. AA trucks began in 1928 carrying over the worm drive rear axle that had been produced for Model TT trucks, along with an "Express" rear axle which was simply a much larger and heavier version of the passenger car unit (torque tube, 3-pc 3/4 floating rear axle and housing) and radius rods, mounted with a very heavy-duty transverse leaf spring in the same concept as Model A passenger cars. In mid-1929, Ford introduced their full-floating rear axle (axle shafts running in roller bearings at both the hubs and at the differential, the weight of the diff and the vehicle itself being supported by the axle housing, not the the shafts themselves), along with the newly introduced Kelsey Hayes 5-slot, 5 lug pressed steel wheels that could be dualled (this wheel was used widely throughout the truck industry in the 30's BTW). In the interim, Ford also offered a 6-slot, 5 lug shallow pressed steel wheel that could not be dualled, which introduced the split rim, but used old fashioned high pressure truck tires. The 5-slot/5 lug wheel was used as standard OEM equipment on Ford 1/5 and 2-ton trucks from midyear 1929 through the end of the 1952 model year, with only detail differences.

Art