1941 30 Cwt F-30 ambulance

[Robert Bergeron]

I helped a friend pull this beauty out of a field . He says it’s rare and desirable . Anyone with info on it ? Is there another known in existence ?

[Lynn Eades]

Were they building 13 cabs in 1941?

[Robert Bergeron]

According to my source , yes , Ford began making Cab 13’ concurently with cab 12 ´s on the same production line in Windsor .I will ask him for a picture . 1942 is known as the beginning of cab 13’s but that might well be a misconception .

[rob love]

The design branch records show a prototype/pilot 13 cab in December of 1941, so it might be possible to see a December truck.

[Robert Bergeron]

picture of the data plate. 23 December 1941.

[Robert Bergeron]

Here are a few pictures of the inside of the box. Same window latches as in my Wireless -5 boxes of 1944 .

[Robert Bergeron]

Everything is there .

[Harry Moon]

incredibly rare! I have three of those folding hooks.

[Tony Smith]

1941 with a 3G engine!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

It is rare. Desirable? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder….

Good to see the rear body is rather complete.

1941 - really? Always thought Cab 13s were not assembled before 1942.

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

It is rare. Desirable? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder….

Good to see the rear body is rather complete.

1941 - really? Always thought Cab 13s were not assembled before 1942.

Me too but it would seem there is evidence - nice to see one of the first Cab 13s ever built surviving.

[Robert Bergeron]

The proof is on the data plate . One of the very first Cab 13’s made on 23 December 1941 !!!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

The proof is on the data plate . One of the very first Cab 13’s made on 23 December 1941 !!!

Yes. But we have seen examples of data plates being switched. So for me it takes a little bit more to be convinced. Happy to hear more from those in the know!

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Yes. So for me it takes a little bit more to be convinced. Happy to hear more from those in the know!

Ford Parts Lists describe the "New Design Cab" as being from Serial No 21566.

But "3G" engine on a 1941 build plate? How can that be swapped around?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

Ford Parts Lists describe the "New Design Cab" as being from Serial No 21566.

Thanks for the confirmation Tony. I was going to grab my parts list to find that reference. Good to have a date against an early serial number.

But "3G" engine on a 1941 build plate? How can that be swapped around?

Interested to learn what 3G stands for - would that be an engine built in 1943?

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Interested to learn what 3G stands for - would that be an engine built in 1943?

The 3 has been thought to represent a late half of the year design or release (1942) for the next year's production (1943).

So this engine number has appeared a good 12 months earlier than expected.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thank you all for the comments . Tony , can you translate that in plain english please ? I mean the 3 G thing . What i know and have seen : I was all over that truck and towed it 150 Km to my shop. The cab is a 13 . The engine house is original to the truck and the data plate is original to the engine house . The data plate has never been removed . There is evidence of a hole in the rear of the cabin and a corresponding one on the box to pass wires or hot water hoses . The ambulance house is not original to the truck and was bought seperately . I have spoken to the seller who is a respected member of this group. There is no doubt it’s a 30 Cwt Dec 23 1941 AMBU Cab 13 truck as far as i am concerned . When did Ford stop making 30 Cwt trucks ? Rob Love said previously that according to his reading of the design records he expected Cab 13 ´s production started in December of 41. Time to chime in Rob ? This is getting interesting !

[rob love]

The cargo box on this truck used to be my daughters playhouse back in the late 90s before I sold it on to the present owner.

Re the date, I will have to look again at the Cab 13 in the Design Records, but I am certain it was December of 41. The 3G engine is puzzling. I guess what we need is someone who has Peter Ford's old infoex list to see what the relative chassis serial numbers were at Dec of 41, thus ensuring that this isn't a slip-up of the 41 vice a 42 date.

[Mike Cecil]

Ford Army Parts Information Letter AAP6, issued 20 April 1942. This is stated to be applicable to CMP vehicles assembled in Victoria, Australia, so may differ slightly from that of CMPs assembled in other states:

Under the heading 1941 Models:

"Engine Prefix 2G was a 3-3/16 bore (Lorry), 4 speed gearbox lowest engine number 2G219F first assembled January 1941."

The same AAP6 states that the last '1G' prefix engine, serial 1G15318F, was assembled in November 1941.

So a considerable overlap when 3-3/16 bore engines with '1' and '2' prefixes were being assembled to 4-speed Lorry gearboxes.

Why, then, could there not be a similar overlap between '2' and '3' prefixed engines?

3-3/16 bore engines with a 3-speed gearbox (passenger cars and utilities) had a 'D' code eg 2D6128F, the first '2D' engine-gearbox assembled which was in November 1941, hence the letter indicates an engine-gearbox combination, not just the engine, so it stands to reason that the number was assigned at the time the combination was assembled, not when the engine alone was assembled.

The ID plate for the truck indicates that the '3G' prefixed engines were being assembled with the gearbox and the number for the combination assigned prior to late December 1941 in Canada, which would fit if there was a similar overlap to the 1G-2G engine/gearbox assemblies indicated above.

Mike

[Colin Alford]

Gents,

3G translates to 1942 model, so it is probably not unusual to find a 1942 model built in late Dec 1941.

Please see attached images.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks Rob, Mike & Colin .No towing hook and ladder stored underneath that is still present . Differential ball painted white .

[Robert Bergeron]

Everything is there and is like in the pictures .

[Pete Ashby]

Very interesting thread and most interesting truck.

There are indeed several photos of 12 and 13 cab trucks coming off the line together. Up until this thread was posted I assumed the date to be late February early March 42 for 13 cab main line production. I wonder if Ford and Chevrolet perhaps had a different phased time scale for the change over ??

Pete

[Lynn Eades]

So, the 42 engine would be (correct me if I am wrong) the Hydrovent speced engine? (along with rear main seal etc)and just because it was referred as the 42 engine, doesn't mean it was first used Jan. 1 1942. It had just come on line as the previous model had been used up. Does that sound about right?

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends , views of a 1941 F-30 Cab 13 truck i retrieved recently from a field .

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends , views of a 1941 F-30 Cab 13 truck retrieved recently from a field .One of the very first Cab 13’s ever produced by Ford in December of 1941.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Awesome truck Robert. Good to see you guys recovered this one....and re-united it with the proper body!

There is a Ford Ambulance in Belgium, but that's a F60L....and another here in Holland; I seem to remember it's also an F60L. I think there is at least one or two F30 Ambulances in the UK, one that featured here on MLU before that didn't start life as an ambulance, but got the body transplanted later in life. I agree they are definitely rare......and supurb candidates for a restoration.

regarding the 1941 build.....I had the same impression others had/have that the first cab 13's were built in 1942......but your truck might prove us wrong, however I can't help it to be skeptic. What kind of dash does it have? is the roof a solid one? is there any lettering under the headlights?

Attached is a picture of 2 in postwar Dutch service.
source:https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/f...6-29a3f34f29ce

source:https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/f...0-7cfa44f7c258

[Robert Bergeron]

Here are a few more pictures i took today . I will take more following your questions Alex .

[Robert Bergeron]

Stairs are present .

[Robert Bergeron]

A few more pictures taken theis morning for my researching friends . Early war commercial production instrument cluster .