VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 34' 1/2 ton help

Hi all;
I'm a new member and I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I just bought a 1934 1/2 ton tk in rough condition so I'm going to need a lot of parts. I'm kind of new to restoring something this vintage and I'm having trouble finding resources on the web for parts this old. Most sites seem to be 36' and up.
One of the first things I would like to find is a pattern for the wood parts in the cab. Most of the wood in my cab is past the point of using as patterns. I know there are some folks that sell kits and depending on the complexity of the pieces I may need to go that route but would like to do as much as I can myself. Any help would be appreciated and thank you in advanced.

I can help with some of the wood patterns. Chevy B has been a good source of chassis parts. Send me a PM with your postal address and what you need.

PMs sent. Thank you.

Well, I've been working on one for 30 years and it's not done...not the trucks fault, just my inability to concentrate! The wood is a bitch! In fact, the whole thing is. There are some flat parts one can make from patterns, but the door posts are complicated! They determine the alignment of many of the body panels and the fits are critical. I put mine all together and the doors were an inch out of whack! I think the factory built cabs on a jig and then drove in the hundreds of little nails while pulling everything into place! We can't do that, so you'll have to put it partly together and keep an eye on the door and windshield fits as you go. Fortunately, I used little woodscrews in place of the body nails, so I could actually undo things when I found problems. Of course it was all painted then, so I really didn't want to be pulling nails!

If your time is worth anything, a whole kit is the way to go, but get the posts, at least, unless you are a design genius and think effortlessly in 3D! All in all, I wish I had started with something else, but it is a nice vehicle, I think. To make it really usable, you need to put in a much newer rear end, to get the ratio down to something sensible. Stock is a 4:11, I think, so 45 is cruising!

Rear fenders are very scarce, fronts fairly scarce, so don't throw anythng away.

Mechanicals are around. I have a drivetrain and steering column I can't give away.

Don't start with the engine and think you'll be well along; it's the tip of the iceberg! My truck came with a '29 engine and I had it almost completely rebuilt before I found out it is wrong, LOL. I put it back anyway, but am now almost done with a proper '34.

There are great guys on here who will save you countless hours, so throw out your problems.

Bed parts are hard to find, because they were beat up in use. There are repros, but expensive. Plan to do a lot of work to keep all you can.
\
Take pictures as you disassemble. Documentation of the body and bed is pretty poor and hard to find. Some of us have a little.
The thing is not as simpple to put back together as one tends to think when looking at it.

Frankly, for the time involved, I would like to go a little faster, so a '34 with complete newer running gear, would be a great inprovement, I think. Now my head is covered, because I'm sure to get some stones. Using an open driveshaft and most any six, from '54 on, would make it easy. If you could keep the wire wheels the rig would look original and you could actually go somewhere.

That said, I like mine and will never mess with it.

Collect all the catalogs you can, read Hemmings and G&D for parts, and get started. I'd love to read about what you are doing and will share all the info I have.

Well now, there's a mouth full. Or a page full!!!

But it seems like Wilson has really opened up and is "sharing" the fun AND frustration. Also seems like he's got the spirit to git R done!

In reading his post I'm certain I've made the right decision by not tackling a project like this. I have (and have had) some very nice cars over 30 something years in the Club. I do sometimes sorta wish they'd been by my hand. But with clumsy hands and NO brains for mechanical stuff, it just wasn't going to happen.

Perserverance, help from the knowledgeable folks in here and a decent bank account are sure to get Wilson and Jim Magill to the finish line! And what a proud day that will be!!!

Good luck, guys!!



Oh yes - and welcome to Jim! It seems like somebody in here always knows the "answer." So be sure to ask....

Bill.

Jim have you also tried Bowtie Bits Antique truck parts www.bowtiebits.com as well as Chevy B and Filling Station. I don't find any of the Chassis parts that hard to get as most are the same as 34 Master car. Get yourself a parts book and that will help a lot.

Thanks for the info or should I say warning. Yes. I have hit most of the sites on the Internet and have them book marked. I am lucky in that I live around Harrisburg PA, maybe 20 min from both Carlisle and Hershey. I just got back from Fall Carlisle and made some progress. I picked up a very nice pair of wheels for $75 and an OK pair for $50 although the $50 pair are 17" they'll do for moving the truck around. My son and I are going back Saturday to see if I can find some tires and tubes. I also picked up a 34 repair manual. Guess I need to look for a parts manual also. I passed up a nice set of front fenders for $700. The one had been fixed and did not have the spare tire well. I thought $700 was a little steep. I also purchased a VERY nice hood form a local guy who threw in a bunch of extra parts he wasn't planning on using. So, I'm on my way!

Good grief, Jim. If you are buying all the fenders and the hood, what did you get to start with? Mine was on the road and driving and not too rusty when I got it for $150 and an old deer rifle.

Buy the March, 1935 Master Parts Price List. All later ones I've seen leave out many parts. The later the book, the less useful.

The 17" wheels are right, as far as I know. I got 5 good wires with mine. The correct hubcaps are the flatish ones, not the bowls. They are $20-100, depending upon condition, and very rare in usable shape.
Get any old tire that will hold air, then when you are ALL DONE, in a few years, buy some wide whites and new tubes. Be sure to use the rubber bands that go over the ends of the spokes!

Have your head magged to check for cracks asap. My running '34, bought recently, had several cracks around the seats! The guy didn't know. He had run it only a little, before starting to rod the truck. I paid too much for a NEW '34 head, valves and springs off ebay, then more to grind the valves and assemble it. At least I should not expect head problems!

You are making me want to get back down in the basement and get to work!

Let us know what you are looking for. The more lead time you have, the less things will cost. And if you see something for a good price, buy it!

BTW, I need the hood catch for the right front, the one mounted on the grille shell, in case anyone has one. Somehow, it was lost in a move.

Wilson

Wilson a 35 parts book is OK but you still should have a later year as some of the 34-35 parts are not yet in service as individual pieces but rather in assemblies so you can't always tell what other year parts will work. Many of the 1/2 ton parts are in the 36 parts manual but not the 35. Some parts were carried over until 1962 especially on the 1.5 ton trucks.

I wasn't as lucky as you, mine is far from running. My thinking is that if I can replace a part for less $ than repairing my part than it makes sense to replace it. The hood is a good example: My hood may require 20 hours at a body shop to make it look as good as the $100 hood and 2 hours of work. As for the wheels, mine doesn't have the correct ones now and all need to be replaced so I might as well get the correct ones. I'm not trying to kid myself, mine needs a lot of work but I accepted that challenge

By the way, I'll give you $250 and a NEW deer rifle if you want to sell yours.

Sorry, my mistake, I bought 2 17" and 2 18" wheels. good thing I re-measured before buying the tires.

Hey, 35, it's good to be back in touch. Do you know a source for the '36 book? I'm about done looking for stuff, but might get one for reference.

Jim, the reason to delay tires is that you'll get paint and grease on them while working, so just put it off. Any old tire will hold a few PSI and let you roll around. If your tubes are shot, you can get new ones for the old tires.

Further to what I said about doing the engine, you will want it ready to mount in the frame sometime before you are ready to mount the body, which may be a year or more. Much more in my case! You can do the engine, tranny, exhaust, and brakes while it's all in the open. You can even mount the radiator and shell and run the engine with no body. You sure want to avoid pulling the engine after the cab and rad shell are on...it's a squeeze and you'll mess up some paint.

Well, it's tempting to ramble on, so let us know what you need most. You might want to pull your head and mic the cylinders, so you can start looking for pistons, rings, ets. There's a large cost range for this stuff. I've done great on Ebay, simply by watching. I even got new valve guides and springs.

I agree on the tires, hopefully I can pick up an old set tomorrow when I go back to Carlisle. If not, maybe Hershey next week. Man I love this area!

Here is the plan.

I have disassembled most of the body, removed the box and am going to evaluate the condition of each part as it goes into storage, repair, replace. I still need to pick up the frame and running gear. I bought the wheels and tires because the truck sat outside for the last 19 years and the tires are gone, shot, just parts. When I get the rest of the truck, it too goes into storage until spring. I was planning on doing as much of the wood work as I could in the basement over the winter anlon with restoration of some of the smaller parts. In the spring I'm going to start on the frame. Completly disassemble the running gear and sent to the sand blaster. Start re-building from the ground up. I'm planning on driving the truck as much as possiable so I'm considering updating the brake system and if I can find higher gearing for the rear I'll replace them also. Once the frame has wheels back under it I'll rebuild the engine and transmission. While I'm rebuilding the engine I'll send the body parts out for repair and paint.

After that, the rest is easy.

Wow Jim, you make it sound so easy.

That's my job, I'm a project Manager.
I've done a couple before but not this vintage. And mostly the "F" word (Ford).

Jim you will find that a production 35 mechanical brake system will stop your truck with no problem and is a safer system than the hydraulic systems. I have forgotten who was making a ring& pinion gear for the 34-35 rear Master axle that was very much like the economy ratio that was a Chevy option in 34-36. That same person was doing the same for the 32 cars. Wilson 35-36 Parts book are hard to come by, but later years 37-42 are available; you might try contacting Forrest Sweet in Texas (see his G&D adv.) Hows the truck doing? Putting the engine in before the cab is put on the chassis is the way to a whole lot easier.

Jim, try these guys in Riverside, CA. They are a good source for many of the manuals.

Faxon Auto Literature Ph# 1-800-458-2734

www.faxonautolit.com