Ford '38-39 Truck finish on bolts/nuts

Anyone got a pre-WW2 Ford factory parts book that indicates the factory finish on bolts/nuts on the chassis, attaching front mudguards, panels and components etc. for 1938-39 trucks.

Question arose when looking at a nice truck restoration the other day - on it nearly all bolts were unpainted and one bloke observed "that's how Ford delivered them".

In military vehicle restoration and vintage car restoration the original manufacturers parts books we use to guide authenticity indicate that new vehicles were delivered with few unfinished bolts & nuts.

So we are curious if pre-WW2 manufacturers like Ford delivered cab/chassis with all plain or maybe zinc or cadmium plated bolts standard or should these vehicles too have the whole range of finishes as per the "Finish of Standard Parts [Bolts, screws, nuts, washers, etc]" usually found at the back of the factory issued parts books - eg. "raven finish; black japan; copper plate; nickel plate; tinned; lead coated; rustless steel; clear enamel; bright cadmium; etc" or finished in chassis or body colour.

I've a Fast Moving Ford Canada parts book 1928-1949 but it just doesn't give me enough detail on the 1938-39 truck parts, especially along the chassis frame and body fasteners.

Any thoughts on the subject - would be helpful to restorers to know exactly what the parts book says.

Cheers
:)OldCars

g'day Oldcars .. just a thought on the body to chassis fixing bolts whereby as these things either came in ckd (painted but not assembled) or fully manufactured here (aus) and sent down production lines, may dictate at least, the fixing and assembling bolts

i guess with your attention to detail, this whole subject could be a can of worms...

hope that helps...cheers

Thanks Detective, feel a bit foolish that I didn't consider the CKD option too.

I lean to the notion that the bolts on the '38-39 trucks would have been painted chassis or body panel colour colour depending on what parts or panels they were fastening, but that may well be my MV and vintage car resto background influencing how I think they should look.

Would love someone with either a very original truck to tell us what the bolts/nuts are finished in OR quote from the appropriate period factory parts book.

Quality restorations where all the fasteners are a/correct profile, length, head shape and head markings; and b/ finished in the correct paint or plating not only complete an authentic period correct restoration but significantly compliment it, and it also shows a restorer who takes the extra effort to present a vehicle as it would have looked when new from the smallest details up.

Of course I respect everyone's decision as to how they present and run their vehicle - original, workhorse or authentic restoration or whatever in between those stages - and I've had vehicles that I've owned, restored/maintained and driven at all those levels. However I do get a bit ticked-off when vehicles are touted as authentic A1 restoration and true to original manufacture when they are held together with a grab bag of incorrect, non-period or incorrectly finished fasteners. The right fasteners are almost all available [with a bit of searching] and the infomation about what size, shape and finish is readily available in the parts books.

Better get off get off my soap box now
OldCars

...Oldcars .. you are a rare breed of man ..!

..nuts, bolts and 'nnnth degree correctness is becoming harder to find in the restorer these days...

..cheers

Detective I confess I'm probably an even rarer breed of restorer/enthusiast/driver being a woman who's been actively involved in the hobby in my own right for over 40 years. I'm also the wife of a successful restorer/enthusiast and the mother of another. All 3 of us set high standards for restorations - getting the nuts, bolts and 'nnnth degree correctness right is all part of knowing that we do the best possible job we can on our vehicles. Displaying and driving them as close to what they were when new as we practically and financially can achieve is what we aim for and get a lot of satisfaction in doing. And hey, we meet the nicest people along the way in sourcing information and parts.

I go back to the days when getting information on what could be right and wrong in a restoration relied a fair bit on the old blokes who worked on the vehicles when new [sometimes advice to be taken cautiously], when manuals had to be scoured for at the few Swaps we had [not over the internet as now] and when you waited weeks to get a letter from a fellow owner in the States or the UK and months for books and parts to arrive.

Its certainly easier now with the interweb to locate accurate original information, to share ideas, photos and knowledge and discuss with those who have put a lot of effort into researching just what is authentic/correct and what is not.

Hope I haven't shattered anyones idea of the stereotypical restorer.
Cheers
OldCars

Oldcars

It is great to hear you are so particular with your restorations even down to the correct nuts & Bolts, most of us on hear are lucky even to find the same engine in the correct chassis as along the way most things got changed as a neccesity to keep things running, not a lot of trucks pre 40's survived the war & depresion so most of our truck will never be concourse ready, But we love em all the same.

This is one what i call over the top restoration $100K + was spent on this. www.jefflilly.com/gallery/trucks/1928-int-truck/index.html

My truck will have about 1/10th of that money spent on it, and i know i can drive it scratch it and still enjoy it.

Trevor

A good supply from the states

www.restorationstuff.com/pdf/RestorationSupplyCompany.pdf

www.restorationspecialties.com/2011_Catalog_Web.pdf

Trevor

g'day again Oldcars .. well you just blew me away on the gender correctness (let alone nuts and bolts!)...

restoration of anything has to include some preservation..be-it of a memory, parts to refer to, or even
an anecdote from some one who was there...

to me the less restoration, if practicable, means a better preservation of what it was...

hope that makes a bit of sense ...cheers