Adding hot rod flavor in relatively...
Adding hot rod flavor in relatively obscure places can be rewarding. Reworking the spare tire carrier on our ’40 Ford pickup was completed in an afternoon and added a bit of detail to the bed.
The 1940 Ford pickup is arguably the best looking Ford truck ever built. A pretty bold statement, but beyond my natural prejudice formed by owning a ’40 pickup, let me defend my position. First of all, the number of ’40 pickups that survived is nothing short of amazing, and that is because, like all great collectibles, they were popular right out of the gate, much like the ’53-56 F-100 and the ’47-57 Chevy pickups. And then there is one other thing unique to the ’40 pickup – it was the only truck Ford built that shared true passenger car styling with a truck. Sure some of the earlier ’30s trucks resembled the car sheetmetal, but not to the extent of the ’40-41 pickup. We’re not sure why, but much like the iconic Deuce, Henry got it right and never did it again. OK, so we’ve established this is one good-looking truck, and yet there is always room for improvement.
As this ’40 pickup goes through a rebirth of sorts, the modifications are being kept to a minimum. We added some King Bee driving lights up front, ’36 Ford taillights out back, and it was decided the spare tire would stay, but that spare tire mount would have to be restyled. For whatever reason Ford had a piece of channel stamped that was over an inch too wide to fit nicely on the stake pocket. The bottom of this channel is simply welded to the side of the bed; likewise, the top of the channel was welded to the upper area of the stake pocket, leaving a good bit of the spare tire carrier hanging off in the process.
Early Ford trucks were built...
Early Ford trucks were built for work, not beauty, but even at that it seems they could have come up with a spare tire carrier that was the same size as the stake pocket. The stock carrier leaves an unsightly piece of channel hanging off the stake pocket (arrow).
The cure was a simple one – take a cut-off wheel and pie-cut the top of the spare tire carrier, then close the gap until it aligns with the stake pocket. Weld up the seam and you are done, but even then we thought it might be a good place for a bit of hot rod flavor, so we added a trio of speed holes that really transformed it from an ugly bracket to one suitable for a ’40 Ford. It only took a few hours, and yes, it is difficult to see with the spare tire mounted, but the difference is always in the details and we feel certain this is one detail worth the effort.
When the tire is mounted, a stainless band and full metal face will provide plenty of ’60s flavor and complete our spare change.
The fix is relatively simple....
The fix is relatively simple. We marked a pie-cut on the top of the carrier, and then we’ll remove some material and reshape the piece to meet the stake pocket.
Our Craftsman straight die-grinder...
Our Craftsman straight die-grinder and cut-off wheel made quick work of the V-cut. We cut just inside the top radius to preserve the curved edge of the carrier.
Cut-off wheels leave a sharp...
Cut-off wheels leave a sharp burr that can give you a nasty cut, a little time spent with a file de-burrs the piece. Your fingers will thank you later.
We spent a bit more time filing...
We spent a bit more time filing and gently grinding off any high spots to ensure the fit would be good when the two pieces meet again.
One C-clamp and a deep throat...
One C-clamp and a deep throat Vise-Grip bring the two pieces together. The improvement of a tapered carrier is already apparent.
After tack-welding the top...
After tack-welding the top seam, a pair of Vise-Grips was used to twist the flange straight until it met the lower portion of the carrier.
We finish-welded the top seam...
We finish-welded the top seam and the corner seam. Once again you can see we saved the radius on the carrier’s corner so it would match the other side of the carrier.
A little work with a grinding...
A little work with a grinding wheel, followed by a 100-grit disc and the carrier is beginning to look like it actually belongs on the truck. We also dressed down the factory welds on the stake pocket.
We decided the carrier needed...
We decided the carrier needed a little hot rod flavor, in the form of “speed holes.” After some careful math and a bit of guessing we marked the holes and center-punched the locations.
After drilling pilot holes,...
After drilling pilot holes, three different size hole saws were used to make progressively smaller holes. After drilling, a half-round file was used to slightly bevel each hole.
The “speed holes” went a long...
The “speed holes” went a long way to making this look like a hot rod bracket rather than a utilitarian spare tire carrier.
After a bit of bodywork and...
After a bit of bodywork and some primer, the spare tire carrier and bed are almost ready for paint. Of course with the tire installed this will not be easily seen, but it was still worth the effort.
After painting the bed and reuniting it with the frame it is apparent this simple modification was worth the effort.