1933 Ford Truck

By Joel Bridgeman

This is my 1933/34 truck (we say that since the truck is a 1933 with a 1934 hood/hood sides and shell). My grandfather wanted the ‘34 hood and shell since that shell has the chrome ring and the emblems on the sides. The truck was purchased from a farmer in the Santa Clara, California area in the early 1950s. It was used for about 10 years in Campbell and San Jose hauling pumpkins, apricots and prunes on the Perusina Farm. In the early 1960s, the truck was parked in the shop and left covered for over 40 years.

The engine is a 59 AB and the original 4-cylinder was removed by my grandfather when he purchased the truck, because he did not like the original babbitt bearings. The engine was swapped out in the ‘50s and has not been torn apart or rebuilt since. It was just fired up about one year ago and is now driven as often as possible. It runs great, starts easily and purrs like a kitten..

The original transmission and rear end have never been touched. The mechanical brakes have all new rods, but are not modified from the original. The bed is an original style bed that was purchased from a company out of Detroit (my grandfather can't remember the company) in the early 2000s. It is an original style reproduction bed, with the correct FORD stamp on the back. The top was replaced back in the ‘60s, as the original was torn up from working in the orchards. The truck was repainted in the mid2000s.

I am now the 4th generation of the family to drive the truck and am just finishing up some small items on it to drive in parades.