1947 Ford 1 ton Pickup
Model 79Y 122″ wheelbase Body style 81
Donated by Bob Rorison Surrey, BC
Called the “Tonner” because of it’s one ton carrying capacity. Note the tear drop rear fenders, longer truck bed and the 17 inch split rim wheels It also had the rear sliding window and the 100 Horsepower V-8 engine offered by Ford at the time.
The truck spent most of it’s life in Hope, BC. It was used during the construction of the Fraser Canyon highway in the 1950’s and the 1960’s from Hope to Cache Creek The construction included 7 tunnels built between 1958 (Saddle Rock) and 1964 (Ferrabee).
The longest tunnel in China Bar (1961) It was purchased by a family in Hope in the 1970’s where father and son rebuilt the truck to it’s present condition. The tires were hard to find but they were able to purchase them from Dairyland who used the same tires on their milk delivery trucks.
The Truck was stored in a shed in Hope. Bob Rorison found it, purchased it from the family and brought it to the Lower Mainland Bob rebuilt the seat and cleaned up the interior and engine compartment. Bob donated it to the BC Vintage Truck Museum in 2016.
Specifications
100 HP 8 cylinder 239 cu. in gasoline engine.
4 speed manual transmission
Wheelbase: 122″
Debuting in 1942 was an all new design for ford pickups and for pickups in general. Leaving the car-like front ends commonly found on previous trucks, the new design incorporated integral hood and fenders into a more sweeping flatter nose, a distinctive waterfall type. The Door handles and headlight bezels were chromed, but once the trucks were being used for the war effort switched to painted units in February 1942.
The new half-ton pickup had a stronger frame and a more modern suspension and driveline. The half tons got ladder-type frames and four cross-members, allowing more body mounts and a stronger chassis. Also new for this generation of truck was semi-elliptic leaf springs at each corner, getting rid of Henry Ford’s archaic transverse-spring suspension.
In 1946, sedan deliveries, half- and one-ton panel trucks were available and in 1947 they all got a minor facelift
Although not as revered as the look of the 40-41 Ford truck, the war department became the prominent buyer for the next few year and style was completely secondary.
in 1947, Ford sold 247,832 Trucks which comprised 20 % of the total domestic truck production, second only to Chevrolet with 27%. Ford Truck manufacturing moved to Highland Park Michigan during 1947.
Available with three engine choices, a 90 Hp 6 cylinder, 95 Hp 6 cylinder and a 100 hp V-8, all the engines offered 180 ft. lbs of torque but the 6 cylinder offered it at 1200 rpm while the V-8 reached it at 2,000 rpm.
Other optional equipment was heavy duty battery, Heavy duty generator, an oil bath air cleaner, AM radio, right hand windshield wiper, Heater defroster, duck-covered seats, sliding rear window, rear shocks and a Right hand taillight.
The truck line starts with a 1/2 ton model and also has 1 ton, 1.5 ton, 1.5 ton cab over engine, Commercial truck and School Bus.
Various body styles were offered starting in late 1945 including the 6.5 foot Sedan Delivery,6.5 foot Pickup, 7.5 foot panel, 6.5 foot Platform/Stake, 8 Foot Express, 9 foot Panel and a 7.6 foot Platform/Stake.
