New Guy w/ 1929 AA Truck

[Cali29AA]

New Guy w/ 1929 AA Truck

Hey Guys just as it says New Guy with a 29... I have to say I feel quite refreshed since I found this site... When the company I work for first obtained the 29 from its previous owner I did an internet search and I found very little... My Vintage Ford parts dealer wasn't much help either...
So I trudged on anyway... Unfortunately nearly ten years have passed since we've had the time to put any work into it but I was given the go ahead to begin the process of getting it back on it's feet again...

We first obtained the 29 from the step son of the original owner it was an orange grove truck in Redlands until the 80's where it was retired and the groves sold off... It originally from my understanding was a stake bed and later in its life they solely used it to deliver fuel to the smudge pots out in the groves... The former owner was very reluctant to sell the truck but through negotiation we paid the sum of $500 dollars for the truck... The truck however was in pieces... A basket case of sorts...

Currently the Cab is off awaiting patch panels and some new wood... The frame was reunited with its wheels and drive train a couple of years back. Now the search begins for what is missing...
When it was kept strictly on the grove property they removed the bumper, Fenders, Running boards and probably a few other things I'd have no clue about...
Unfortunately I didn't remember to grab the pictures when I could have last week so alas I'll have to wait to post them...

There is this one thing that has had me curious all these years... It's in regards to one of the parts... I have a Leaf spring assembly... The assembly is appx 18" long, it has about 5 leaf springs that start about about 12" that get smaller and smaller with ford script logo's on them. The longest has a flat on it that looks like something rested on it or pushed down onto it. This assembly is bolted through a piece of L iron that is about 12" long... The leaf springs are also only half of the arc. Anyone have any clues... As we all know pictures help... but it'll have to wait till next Friday... I'm no stranger to forums so when I get so pic's I'll surely post them...

[spectria]

New Guy w/ 1929 AA Truck
...There is this one thing that has had me curious all these years... It's in regards to one of the parts... I have a Leaf spring assembly... The assembly is appx 18" long, it has about 5 leaf springs that start about about 12" that get smaller and smaller with ford script logo's on them. The longest has a flat on it that looks like something rested on it or pushed down onto it. This assembly is bolted through a piece of L iron that is about 12" long... The leaf springs are also only half of the arc. Anyone have any clues... As we all know pictures help... but it'll have to wait till next Friday... I'm no stranger to forums so when I get so pic's I'll surely post them...

Welcome Cali29AA!

I am in Sonoma, and have an AA I am also putting back together.

I have a second one in Plumas County, a stakebed.

The springs you are mentioning are helper springs that bolt to and inline with the frame behind the rear axle and land on the Perch on top of the axle. The only difference between yours and mine are the number of leafs.

Do you have the "Ford Model A/AA Truck Owner" by A.G. McMillan?

On page 121 of my copy are Maremont Helper springs with similar leafs but a different bracket set-up...

See pic of my sad set...

31 AA Booster Springs CIMG1924_resize.JPG (63.76 KiB) Viewed 7118 times

31 AA Right Rear Booster Spring and bent frame CIMG1891_resize.JPG (78.65 KiB) Viewed 7118 times

[Cali29AA]

Ah... Now I have someplace to look in mounting those things... I looked all over and couldn't make heads nor tails of it...

No I don't have that book yet... I'll have to look it up and order it... There was another book I was looking at getting through C.W. Moss in Orange County but never got to it... Could be the same one...

Wish I had some pictures to post but being that the parts are spread all over the place its a bit difficult the Cab is actually upstairs in storage in our warehouse here... Maybe I'll shoot some pictures of my mess when I come back to work monday...

[russ]

Greetings Cali29AA, welcome aboard.

russ

[spectria]

Ah... Now I have someplace to look in mounting those things... I looked all over and couldn't make heads nor tails of it...

No I don't have that book yet... I'll have to look it up and order it... There was another book I was looking at getting through C.W. Moss in Orange County but never got to it... Could be the same one...

Check the Sacramento Vintage Ford website:
http://www.vintageford.com/sect_vehicle ... AA%20Truck

Then click on books...

[Cali29AA]

Yep... Thats exactly where I found it too... Did a little search on the name/title and they were top on the list... and that was the book I was looking to get before we shelved the restoration too...

Thanks for the welcome there Russ...

So what exactly is your AA there spectria looks like it has a winch on it of some sort ?

[spectria]

...So what exactly is your AA there spectria looks like it has a winch on it of some sort ?

When I found it, it was sitting under Gravenstein Apple Trees in an Orchard on Hiway 12 leading out of Sebastopol towards Bodega Bay.

It had been parked there for 30 years.

It was last used as a Log wincher. Pulling huge redwoods up out of the forests near Gualala on the Coast.

It had an A frame attached near the front of those helper springs, you can just make out the brackets welded to the top of the frame.

The owner told me it was the original "ICC" long haul mail truck for the Sebastopol run. The truck has an ICC plate attached to it.

When I got it, the winch (made from a early AA rear axle) was still welded in place, powered through what I think was a 3 speed transmission that got its power from a PTO attached to what I think was another 3 speed transmission that was linked directly to the rear of the original 4 speed AA transmission (which has a PTO opening unused

31 AA Secondary Trans w-Power Take Off CIMG1698_resize.JPG (81.27 KiB) Viewed 7017 times

[spectria]

Another winch pic

[Drew Mashburn]

spectria:

How many fingers do you suppose that ol' Boogher crushed? I don't think it would pass safety standards today.

-- Drew

[spectria]

spectria:

How many fingers do you suppose that ol' Boogher crushed? I don't think it would pass safety standards today.

-- Drew

Come to think of it, the older man who used this thing and sold me the truck did have a couple short digits...

[Cali29AA]

Wow... When I got the one we have now they actually ran some sort of brake booster off the manifold I had stuff welded all over the frame but I don't think it was as intensive as what you have there... They even used a rod from an a motor welded to a shaft to actuate the brake booster...Wish they would have saved the bed though... I think thats going to be the achilles heal of this project...

Nah the winch don't look to bad ya just don't stick your fingers where they don't belong... I'd worry more about a cable breaking...
I use an 1850' die cutter in a print shop I work in from time to time it ran off of a steam driven drive shaft or pedal power and that thing is a mangler they've taken more fingers I've heard...

Old stuff is so cool...

[Shorthaul]

Nah the winch don't look to bad ya just don't stick your fingers where they don't belong..
Old stuff is so cool...

Yeah, your right. I get a kick out of looking at good old American ingenuity with all the Rube Goldberg setups. Looks like that winch put a lot of mules out of work. But, I doubt if it stopped any the cussing.

Terry

[Cali29AA]

Well here are a couple of pic's of what I have stored in the warehouse for the time being... Mainly the cab right now...





I've got a few rivets on the cab I'll have to re-set as they have worked there way loose over time... but over all for its age I can't complain...

[Cali29AA]

More pic's...

This one I call winning a 100$... I was bet I couldn't get the frame... Rear A frame and front A frame through that tiny gate... When the vehicle was put behind the fence we accidently planted a tree where the rolling frame was to exit... Oops... Needless to say I almost had to tear the fence down because I got the Rear A frame with wheels attached stuck in there some how I walked it out...


As I left it yesterday I picked up some more of the parts to start getting it all together... At least now its a roller I have a few more things to do to hook up the driveline and the brakes.


I'd really like to run the spoked wheels but as I understand it would not be correct for my chasis No. *AA1049294* which shows for Late in February... The six spoke wheels are okay but where can I get the hub covers I have two and they are pretty worn...?


Thanks Spectria for letting me know where these went truly those helper springs were a mystery for me for a long time... They were actually a lot bigger than I thought they were...


I suspect from the wear and the bolt size this part affixes to the axle frame for it to ride against.


I've got a few more things I'm going to shoot pic's of perhaps over the weekend I have the original floor boards for the cab unfortunately a chunk is missing out of one... I'd like to make a set up that are solid like the original that are not made of plywood... I also have a strange battery box I don't think it was stock... One of the things I'm going to have to do is get a proper battery box back in place so if anyone has any pic's I'd sure appreciate it...

Brian