1938 Ford Utility Body Pickup Truck w/24 Stud Flathead V8 frame-off restoration

Price: - Item location: Algonac, Michigan, United States
Description:

1938 Ford Other Pickups

1938 Ford Utility Bed Pickup TruckINCREDIBLY RARE
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING HERE
More photos here:
(copy and paste link into your browser)https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNQGjAfkFHKww5ldaxdC4iZjSgw4tGYpgkj95vu9TFWeAPCrCKORLXpmp6r-wmkcw?key=RlNyUFNrOG83eS1zeXZDWmVJQ3NKcDhPQ0Z1bXZn
Videos here:
Drive by - (copy and paste link into your browser)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_1uacJpsLk&feature=youtu.be
Start up and walkaround - (copy and paste link into your browser)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-lGL2CwBL4&feature=youtu.be
If you are reading this there is a good chance that you know more about these trucks than I do but I will do my best to describe this beautiful truck as accurately as possible. This truck belonged to my brother-in-law who passed away a few years ago. My sister is afraid that it will just deteriorate over time as she has no interest in contuining to store it and trying to keep it in the great condition it is currently in.
This truck is rare indeed. We have never seen another with this utility box.
This truck was a frame-off restoration done by my uncle twenty years ago or more. He had the vinyl graphics installed on the doors. These grapics are not difficult to remove with a heat gun though I am not going to be the one to do it. That will be saved for you if you so desire.
Since its restoration this truck has always been stored indoors. My brother-in-law purchased it from my uncle seven or eight years ago and did a lot of work to get it up and running again. No, it is not all original or in mint condition but as you can tell from the photos it is in very, very good condition. I will do my best to describe what I know are the problems it may have since they may not be obvious in the photos and for the most part those photos speak for themselves. I do not want to give the impression that this truck is full of flaws because it is not, but I do want to make you as fully aware as possible of any issues with it that I have noticed. Please ask any questions you may have before you bid. I will answer to the best of my ability.
The paint, though very nice and good looking, is not perfect. The most noticible problem is below the gas cap on the right rear fender. Gasoline had spilled on the paint there and the paint came off. I do not know why this happened. My knowledge of automotive finishes is limited at best. There are other scratches here and there in the paint. Most aren't easily noticed but they are there. I have tried to photograph all of them that I could see. You will find those photos in the link I have provided to another photo gallery.
If there is any rust it is not significant and would probably be considered surface rust. I did notice some surface rust on the unpainted surface at the back of the truck under the bed. I think I have included a photo of it in the external gallery.
As you can tell from the photos there is some new wiring that hasn't been routed neatly. There is an aftermarket oil pressure gauge and an engine temperature gauge as well as an aftermarket ignition switch. The starter button is not connected and it may not function at all.
The headlights do not seem to work. It may be that I just don't know how to turn them on but I believe that my brother-in-law never got that far into repairing the truck before he fell ill. The same goes for the windshield wipers. Most of the guages don't work from what I can tell. They may need new wires or sending units. The speedometer does move when driving forward though I cannot attest to its accuracy. There are two sets of numbers on the speedometer, one I suspect is the odometer and the other an hour meter perhaps. The top one reads 01025 and I suspect that is the odometer. The bottom one reads 7777 right on the dot. I do not know if these numbers are accurate in any way.
The headliner is out of the truck. There is a new aftermarket headliner that has never been installed that goes with it. There are supposed to be liner panels that cover the rear cab pillars. They are out as well and I have only been able to locate the passenger's side one. The driver's side is missing. This panel is also an aftermarket part.
There are also a few boxes of assorted parts, gaskets, wires, cables, etc that are included with the truck.
I don't know if the engine is the one the truck came with originally but from the research I have done it is the correct engine for the truck. From my research it appears to be a Ford V8-81A, 24 stud, 221 CID flathead engine. One of the heads is stamped 81-A and the other is stamped 81-T. It is my understanding that the T stands for "truck" which may indicate that the 81-A is not original to this engine block. The base of the fuel pump is cracked as you can see in the photo. An electric fuel pump has been installed on this truck and the crack in the original pump doesn't seem to have any effect at all on the engine. The throttle control doesn't seem to be working. I don't know if it needs a new cable, is frozen or disconnected. The choke control seems to work fine.
I have done my best to describe this vehicle as accurately as I can. It is your duty to know what you are bidding on before you bid. Please, please, please ask any questions you may have before you bid. I cannot stress this enough. I will do my level best to answer any and all questions as honestly and accurately as possible. My brother-in-law owned many classic vehicles over the years and of them all this truck was his favorite. He loved this truck. It is my sister's wish that it goes to someone who will love this truck as much as her husband did.
This truck has a clear title.
There is no desperate need for this truck to be sold so please don't waste your time trying to make lowball offers outside of eBay. Also, please don't waste your time asking to end the auction early. This will not be done.
Please don't waste our time if you are a non-paying bidder. You will be reported. Bid only if you have the funding to back up that bid.
I welcome you're visit to look the truck over if you are so inclined or if you want to hire an agent to look at it I welcome that as well.
Transporting the truck is entirely up to you. I will not drive it onto a trailer or bring it to another location. I will back it out of the garage and drive it in the yard. Anything beyond that you are responsible for. If you hire someone to haul it and they damage it at any point including but not limited to the act of loading it, that is between you and your carrier. Such damages are not our responsibility. The moment the purchaser or the purchasers agent takes control of the vehicle the purchaser or their agent will be responsible for any and all damages the vehicle may incur.
Thank you for taking the time to read and understand this. Again, if you have any questions please, please, please feel free to ask them and please do so before you bid.