4X2 vehicle with steel tray - ID required

[cletrac (RIP)]

The early 13 cabs used the 2B1 box with the fold down sides. If yours doesn't have fold down sides this means it would be made after say March 1942. The rectangular roof hatch was used until early 1944 so there's your year range. The only place I've seen serial numbers stamped in F15 frames is on the top of the frame by the front motor mounts. Fords also usually have the engine number on the top of the transmission ahead of the shift lever. The data plates were screwed onto the dash above the gauges on the horizontal surface. The holes should be there. The 2J1 box is the only one that's 80 inches long. It's similar to the 2C1 but it was bolted together. The 2C1 box was 82 inches long.

[Bruce Gilbert]

Gidday David, from a warm winter's day in Sydney (8-19c for the next week or so).

Thanks for your input - the box (tray?) doesn't have fold-down sides, and as mentioned before, the cab has a rectangular hatch. However, the box may not belong to the truck, as it is sitting on, but not secured to, the chassis rails. The tail gate does have half-moon cut-outs for boots when in the open position.

I will run my tape over it next week, plus some piccies.

Could the vehicle be a Ford OR a Chev? Any mechanical differences to help me identify which is is?. The diff is 'almost' central to the axle; perhaps off-centre by about an inch. Again, tape measure next week.

As this vehicle is 2wd, were there any Ford/Chev. differences in the front (and/or rear) axle construction/design.

Given that the cab has a lot of rust (in summer it could be called 'air-conditioning'), would it be better to locate another cab? Were there differences between Ford/Chev. cabs from model to model or year to year?

Thanks for you help, and thos of others, in this.

Regards

Bruce

[aj.lec]

There is a possibility of it being a bitsa vehicle but is hard to say without seeing pictures , measurements etc.
Many modifications have been done to vehicles over the years as you expect from 65+ year old vehicles . A lot of vehicles are mix and match with other brands thrown in for bad measure
There are quite a few differences between ford and chev
the most basic ones are
-Chev diffs are banjo style (having a full case with the crown/pinion/input shaft plate bolt on the front and plate on the back) Ford has a split type diff(frrom front to back)
-Chev have 6 cylinder engines Ford has 8
-chassis are different and engine mounting points are different ,chev at the front, Ford to the sides
-Chev brush guards have legs front and rear of bumper Ford mounted behind bar
-Generally (in 13 cabs) Chev grills are extruded mesh Ford are woven bar

The nomenclature plate in 13 cab generally is above the speedo to the right side of the speedo facia panel ,you should see 4 rivet holes in a rectangular pattern if removed