Thank you to everyone who replied. This IS
a weird truck. Lots more input / info needed to
complete research.
I got some requests for details.
1939 Ford 1.5 Ton Panel. A top-of-the-line offering from Ford.
"Options" include biggest available flathead V-8 (95hp vs. 85hp), dual
wipers (!), dual rear 20" wheels with wider rear fenders and
runningboards.
Truck was discovered in the famous Central
California old-car wrecking yard "Romo's". It came from an Armenian
gentleman's 100+
vehicle collection in Tranquility, CA.
It was mislabeled a '38. '38's don't have hydraulic brakes.
This panel has had three paint coverings and
two primer coats in its 62 years of existence.
The earliest color is a glossy dark brown OD. Imagine a greener UPS
truck and that's it. The next coat is a standard OD green, without
gloss. Finally, a cheap medium-green respray
is what I first saw.
Top speed? I haven't checked but it must have a horrendous rear-end
ratio. 50 mph MAX?
Unequal rear leaf-spring packages make it
lean to the left. This coincides with the fact that
most of the weight was on the right side (heavy tools--six toolboxes).
The QM adjusted the lean by adding four extra leaves to the right side!
Mr. Mel Miller brings up the fact that the stripes and "tug" hitch are
indicative of airfield
work. There's evidence of stripes on the roof!
However, this truck toiled on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in
the 50's and
60's. High visibilty was a must. So? I'm not sure who added the
stripes. They're not on the
earliest OD green.
Lang Transportation Corporation was the owner in between CA N.G. and
SFOBB. The
distinctive LANG stair-step logo is everywhere
on this truck, even on the inside. "TradeMark of
a Service" was their motto.
I know this panel lasted in the N.G. to atleast
the mid-50's. How? Because it has the Korean War Era 40th Division "BALL
OF FIRE" motto
on three doors.
Please ask all the questions you like!
Thank You, Don Kenyon
ps all the other trucks shown in the pics are
1930's and 40's IHC
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