Hello! New to the forum. I have an old truck that belonged to my grandfather. Not sure exactly what it is, and I thought someone on here may be able to help. I think it may be a 1947. The gas tank is on the passenger side, and the shifter is on the floor. The hood emblems read Thriftmaster. I can’t read the plate near the drivers door and don’t see any plate in the engine compartment. Thanks in advance for any help with identifying the truck and ideas for making the identification plate easier to read. Also wondering what modern rims and tires would fit. The originals were stolen, and I want to move it before something else disappears. I have been told that rims from a E350 van will fit. Can anyone confirm?
Try to just rub the data plate with a wet finger or damp cloth to see if the stamped number will show up. The prefix will be the truck model. I cant tell by the pics exactly what it is but yes any of the older 8 lug ford steel wheels will bolt on same pattern. From van or truck shouldn’t matter. May need a thin spacer up front to clear tie rod/wheel clearance or some light grinding on tie rod end.
Also looks like they took the stock back bumper and mounted it up front.
Usually, Ford has a different bolt pattern. Someone will chime in with the correct info. 47-53 were pretty much the same.[url=http://www.classiccardatabase.com/index.php]A a place to look for specs.[/url
Ron, The Computer Greek I love therefore I am. 1954 3100 Chevy truck In the Gallery 2017 Buick Encore See more pix 1960 MGA Roadster Sold 7/18/2017
Thanks. How old of a rim from a Ford do I need? Will modern eight lug Ford rims not work? Some from an 08 Ford van too new?
Im pretty sure you need pre-99 wheels. The pattern you want is 8x6.5”. All the newer stuff is 8x170. There are a few other stocks trucks that had 8x6.5” spacing too. Just go out and do your homework on which ones to look for. The very common ford wheels are just easy to get. I think I paid $100 for all 4 of mine in mint condition with zero rust on them. I have seen them on ebay new for like $50 per wheel also. Your best bet is craigslist or junkyard.
Barnfind is on the money with the Ford lug pattern. You'll need '97 model or earlier wheels from a Ford. The front bumper looks like one for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck (and maybe 1 ton). The bigger trucks had a deeper channel bumper.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Barnfind is on the money with the Ford lug pattern. You'll need '97 model or earlier wheels from a Ford. The front bumper looks like one for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck (and maybe 1 ton). The bigger trucks had a deeper channel bumper.
E250/E350 never changed over to 8x170 they remained 8x6.5 through their entire run. I have an 89 E350 chassis with 2000 E350 rear brakes sitting under my 52 Willys pickup body and everything is 8x6.5
The rims I got from a 79 F-250 fit. I was able to read the vin number, which is 21FS, and then a faint D, then four more numbers. My research tells me this means the truck is a 1948 one ton thrift master manufactured in Janesville Wisconsin , and the letter D indicates the month it was produced which I believe would be April. Does that sound correct to you guys?
That's a nice find/gift. You know some of its history. Glad you found the ford wheels and didn't go down the 8-hole Chevrolet wheel rabbit hole like I did. The 16-inch Chev wheels will not clear the tie rod ends. When/if you get to the point of alloy wheels, 6-inch, 0-offset trailer wheels will work nicely. There may also be steel trailer wheels available. Just don't go with wide wheels or the steering will be negatively affected.
I would get right on this project before the mice steal any more of the seat stuffing . Is the deck worth saving? Can you tell if it is a factory bed? Chevrolet did deliver stake and platform models to dealers. The ones I have seen were higher quality than aftermarket ones. I would save the marker lights on the cab . That's a nice period touch. various years came with different configurations as the laws changed. For '51 in Washington, one light on either side of the cab were required; for '52 the law added the ICC configuration of three more in the center. Other years required a single light in the center in addition to the ones on the cab corners. To complicate things it varied by state. You can see why Chevrolet shipped pickups and chassis/cabs with only one tail and stop light. I don't know if the stake and platform models had factory clearance lights.
1951 3800 1-ton "Earning its keep from the get-go" In the DITY Gallery 1962 261 (w/cam, Fenton headers, 2 carbs, MSD ign.), SM420 & Brown-Lipe 6231A 3spd aux. trans, stock axles & brakes. Owned since 1971.
. Is the deck worth saving? Can you tell if it is a factory bed? Chevrolet did deliver stake and platform models to dealers. The ones I have seen were higher quality than aftermarket ones. I would save the marker lights on the cab . That's a nice period touch. various years came with different configurations as the laws changed. For '51 in Washington, one light on either side of the cab were required; for '52 the law added the ICC configuration of three more in the center. Other years required a single light in the center in addition to the ones on the cab corners. To complicate things it varied by state. You can see why Chevrolet shipped pickups and chassis/cabs with only one tail and stop light. I don't know if the stake and platform models had factory clearance lights.