It was an ordinary day. Standing next to Dave in the showroom of what at one time was Mohn Bros. Buick on North Prince Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I grew up in the neighborhood, living a block away from the Buick dealership for close to 20 years of my lifetime. Even had my 1955 pink and white '55 Ford painted in the paintshop at Mohn Bros. Today the building houses Horsepower Enterprises LLC which restores and repairs classic as well as late model cars and trucks.
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Old art-deco facade that is now
Horsepower Enterprises in Lancaster, PA |
For the past few months I have driven past the showroom on my way into the city of Lancaster and saw this really neat Ford panel truck in the showroom window. Thought it would be interesting to see it a bit closer so I finally took the time to stop today to see the truck as well as visit with Dave, one of my students whom I had in class over 30 years ago and now works at the place. I told the pretty lady at the front desk why I had stopped and asked if Dave was working today. Within a few minutes Dave was standing by my side answering questions about the 1939 Ford 1/2-Ton Panel Delivery Truck. The truck had a piece of paper in the front window telling the VIN#, type of engine, type of transmission and the price that the owner was asking. Seems that he acquired too many vehicles and had decided to part with this beautiful truck.  |
Magazine laying in the bed of the truck.
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Laying in the rear bed of the truck was a magazine titled "V8 TIMES" from late 2014 and displayed a photo of the truck on the front cover. Opened the magazine and began reading about the vehicle. Owners are Richard and Mary who began a love affair withy vintage Fords early in their married lives. They had purchased a '31 Model A Rumble Seat Coupe at a county fair to start their collection. The next purchase was a '40 Ford Tudor DeLuxe Sedan. But, a job change caused them to sell both cars. Getting the itch once again, in 2010 they purchased a '40 Ford DeLuxe Sedan and a year later bought a 1938 Ford Standard Five-Window Coupe. But, they had always liked the look of the Ford Panel Delivery trucks so in 2012 they found the 1939 Panel Truck near Atlanta.  |
Front of the truck
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Truck was in good condition, but the seller said he wouldn't sell it to them if they had plans to make it into a street rod. They assured the seller that they were purists, not rodders. They found the truck began its life as a coffee delivery vehicle, delivering Maxwell House from a central warehouse to small grocery stores in and around Atlanta. After about 35 years of delivering coffee, the deliveryman retired and as was the custom in that era, the truck was retired with him. He eventually gave it to his grandson who changed the color from the Dark Green to black in his high school shop. In 1990 the new buyer began a restoration of the truck, but eventually advertised it "For Sale" in 2010. So, Richard and Mary bought the truck. The truck had the original 85 HP engine and drive train and, according to the serial number, was built in 1939. 1939 was the first year for hydraulic brakes and the last year for the floor shift and roll-out windshield.  |
Side view of the Ford Panel Truck.
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They found that one of the owners along the line added the second windshield wiper to the windshield. This model also has two matching seats, two sun visors, an optional rear-view mirror and horizontal slats along the sides of the cargo area. In 1939, 6,686 panel trucks such as the one I am taking photos of were made. The '39 model was identical in appearance to the '38 model except for the hood ornament and grille center strip. About a year after Richard and Mary bought the truck, they began a total restoration of the truck. They did a body-off restoration with the restoration being finished in 2014.  |
Rear of the truck.
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They did add a special one-inch tongue and groove White oak cargo floor and had a local artist pin strip and hand letter the panels and rear doors in period-correct lettering and striped the body line and wheel rims. The color is 1931 Ford Balsam Green. The name of the company on the sides of the truck is Mary's maiden name and is a fictious company. They finished the restoration on June 18, 2014, in time for the trip to the Eastern National Meet in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Only thing missing from their story is whether they won any trophies for their fine craftsmanship (craftswomanship). As you can see from the photographs, the truck is beautiful. I'm sure someone will want to purchase it with an asking price of only $40,000 (obo). Well, I thanked Dave for his hospitality and headed out the door. Had a great time talking with Dave about years past and all the neat restorations that are in process at Horsepower Enterprises. I'll return sometime in the near future. And, I'll share my stop with you. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  |
Interior of the truck. Notice the oak floor and side strips.
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| Twin bullet headlamps, with right and left windshield wipers, mirrors and fog lights. |
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| Fan to the left of the steering wheel was to Cool the driver. Notice the floor shifter and the huge steering wheel. |
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You can see the V8 logo on the horn cover. I didn't notice turn signals in the truck.
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Very simple speedometer. Trip window at the bottom.
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Notice the beautiful lettering. Click on photos to enlarge and you will be able to see the pin-striping on the wheel.
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| Side panel in the rear of the truck. |
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