Diamond In The Rough

by Phil Arendt aka Dr. Gizmo

Restoring a vehicle can be a monumental task that has many rewards when the job is completed. Many enthusiasts look to restore the first vehicle they owned.  Some look for unusual vehicles such as World War II Jeeps or tanks to celebrate and preserve history.  Some people restore bicycles.  Other individuals focus on trucks.  Many restore vehicles to make a profit.

Having spent most of my life in repair shops, auto salvage yards and insurance auction yards in the Midwest I know through experience it is slim pickings when it comes to older restorable vehicles in the rust belt states.  Available vehicles need a lot of sheet metal replacement work due to rust that costs a bundle repair.  While there are always some vehicles hidden in barns that have not met the ravages of corrosion, they are rare and come with a high price.  Having said this there are some lucky individuals who purchase entire estates.  Unknown to them when they open a locked storage shed they find vehicles that have not met their demise and are in great restorable condition. 

Whenever I travel, business is my pleasure so I often hit salvage yards, auction yards and flea markets just to look for automotive treasures.  Sometimes I purchase a trinket or two.  An Arizona salvage yard just happened to be on my bucket list.

Since we reside in the Midwestern rust belt, old vehicles in good condition are nearly impossible to find.  Usually, road salt and chemicals add to Mother Nature’s ravaging rust as it gnaws away at the frame and body until the shell deteriorates to the basic ferrous materials that return a vehicle to Mother Earth.  It is Mother Nature’s way of recycling.  Additionally, salvage yards crush and shred vehicles to recycle the materials.  So, chances are very great that a historic perfectly restorable vehicle might be reincarnated into a computer cabinet, kitchen utensil or new car.

Thankfully our country has many climates.  The desert southwest offers conditions conducive for vehicle preservation.  Sure hot temperatures and blazing sun decompose interior trim and exterior paint but the body, frame and powertrain are likely in restorable condition.

During my latest expedition to the desert I found several diamonds in the rough.  One in particular caught my attention because it is next to impossible to find one in good condition in the Midwest.  My find was a 1940 Ford ½ ton Step Side pickup truck with floor mounted manual transmission and flat-head V8.  The vehicle was located at Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix, Arizona. It appeared in factory original configuration.

As you may know this auto salvage yard recently began restoring vehicles on a cable television reality show, Desert Car Kings.  During the show they restore a vehicle within limited time constraints.  They go through the entire process of restoring the vehicle including the search for difficult to find parts, recruiting experts to restore certain parts of the vehicle and of course follow their own experts through the process of restoration.  During the last segment of the show the vehicle is auctioned to the highest bidder.

 

 

The roof of a 1940 pickup caught my eye above the first row of vehicles I scanned.  From about 30 yards away I could see the left door frame and roof.  The paint was nearly gone due to exposure to the blazing desert sun but I could see only surface rust.  A check of the Desert Valley Auto Parts web site on my phone found the vehicle was indeed a 1940 Ford.  Way back in the old days, Ford made some of the best commercial vehicles so I had to take a close look at this vehicle.  In the blazing 115 degree heat I made my way around some newer 1960 and 1970s vehicles and maybe a rattle snake or two but it was a necessary risk to examine this vehicle.

Upon a close look, all the sheet metal is only suffering from surface rust.  The only dent is in the left rear corner of the roof.  The cargo bed has a dent but only surface rust.  This is rare.  You could easily push a finger through the rusted sheet metal of the bed of a vehicle such as this in the Midwest.

Along the left side, the paint is faded and nearly gone.  Surface rust red is the predominate color but there are no dents or scraps.  The left quarter, fenders, running board and door are in great shape.

A look within the cab found the bench seat material cracked but in restorable condition.  The headliner is down and steering wheel materials are cracked and falling off but certainly restorable.  Even the instrument panel is in good shape with 38,000 miles displayed on the odometer.

A close look at the floor pan foot wells found the sheet metal in great condition.  No rust perforation anywhere in sight.  Even the shift knob on the shift lever is in good condition.

A look under the hood found the drive belt missing, but the generator and water pump turned with ease.  The engine showed no sign of leakage.  Even the spark plug wires, air filter, cooling system hoses and radiator adorned the engine in relatively good condition considering age.  The radiator surprisingly showed no sign of leakage.

The front of the truck still has the original chrome grille and bumper.  Sure they are rusted.  The grille is not dented and there are minor dings in the bumper but this is nothing compared to the damage found in the Midwest.

A close look at the right side found similar conditions to the left.  The paint is faded away, surface rust, no dents, door glass in the frame, running board straight as an arrow, spare tire with wide white sidewall affixed to the right quarter.  What a find!

Despite the fear of heat exhaustion, scorpions, tarantulas and rattle snakes I crawled under the truck to examine the undercarriage and clearly found the frame in great condition. Of course fuel lines, brake lines and hoses need replacement, but the driveline looked original and in good condition. 

A look along the rear of the cab found no dents or damage.  The rear glass was missing but a second look in the cargo bed found the glass in good condition with the weather strip around the entire glass.  Also, found in the bed is a chrome bumper for a 1938 Desoto and some exhaust parts for another vehicle.

A look at the rear of the truck found the tailgate in great shape with the Ford V8 logo proudly displaying the heritage and power of the truck.  This vehicle is equipped with either a 136 cubic inch displacement 60 horsepower engine or 221 cubic inch 85 horsepower engine. Another plus!

I had to learn more about this vehicle.  I found Gregg Ovist, Restoration Shop Manager.  He explained that the truck has a clean title.  He stated that it was purchased as part of an estate sale and was found in a barn.  He said that his company purchased 150 vehicles from the estate.  He said they did not have another vehicle like this in their inventory, but any missing parts could be found because in the old days many parts were interchangeable especially among commercial vehicles.

 

The only parts I could see missing are interior window cranks, weather strips, fuel filler neck hose, gas cap and the windshield, but otherwise the truck had virtually every necessary part.  Gregg stated that in September when the weather cools a little his guys are cranking up the engine to give it some exercise.  He also stated that 50 people are bidding on the vehicle and one person made a commitment to purchase it, but backed out at the last minute.

If you are in the market to purchase a restoration project, consider searching the southwest for diamonds in the rough such as this 1940 Ford.  Restoring a vehicle in such good condition definitely gives you a cost advantage over most rusted-out finds in the Midwest.

If you are interested in this vehicle you can email Gregg at Gregg@dvap.com and visit the Desert Valley Auto Parts web site at http://www.dvap.com to view their inventory including this 1940 pickup truck.