F.A. Gun Tractor

[James E. Roy]

I have a 1940, Ford 4x4 with a Type 11 cab on a 101" WHEELBASE. The fellow that I bought it from said that it was an F.A.Gun Tractor. He based this on the fact that it has 20" rims. It has a regular cab but no rear body. There are no model plates on the door, nor does it appear that there ever was. The serial number on the frame is rusted away; all I can make out are the last 3 characters...82F. The original motor is gone. On the rear frame cross member, there are two numbers...0?1 over 5035. The first number could be 011 or 071 or possibly 0F1. It doesn't look to me like it ever had a winch, although the vendor said that a previous owner had kept it when he bought the vehicle in the 1960s. There are no fairleads. It appears to have a one-speed transfer case. It does have a PTO but I don't see a tire pump. The other units of this model, that I have seen around here, all have overload springs on back; mine doesn't. One even had one piece rims. Is this an F15 or a Gun Tractor? Did early gun tractors have the "crew-cab" type of body or a regulsr GS rear body? What about those other units (type 11 0r 12?) with the overload springs? Incidentally, my unit came with a DND Instruction Book, Aug. 1940. Also, I have my eye on a 1942 carrier.