What's the deal with the lower front apron on these trucks? The piece that fits between the grill and the radiator on the bottom. They are hard to find and very expensive. Is it really needed? What if I run the truck without one? What's the story? Andy
Andy. I asked the same question when working on mine. You can run truck without it, to me the gap just doesn't look very good. I have an old one that needs some TLC if you need one. More than welcome to stop by and get it.
Boop's dad and I had the same conversation last weekend. Correct me if i'm wrong here guys, but I feel as though they are a necessary part of the cooling process for these trucks. The lower baffle is angled such that it directs air up into the radiator thus helping it cool. I'm sure that it will probably cool just as well without it, but given a choice, i believe i'd put it on.
Teacher54, Would love to stop by and pick it up if you are in driving distance. Where is Kennett, USA? Otherwise, will you ship if I pay for the ship costs? Thanks, Andy
Kennett, Mo is down in the bootheel of MO, I'm about 3 1/2 hours south of St. Louis..Will check on cost of shipping and let ya know...Remember it will need some TLC.
Thanks teach', Not worried about how much TLC it will need. This is my kids very first project. It is a '55 first series with a 47-53 nose on it that we are doing a low budget rebuild on. It is meant to be a work truck and not a trailer queen. We are building it so they can get an appreciation of learning automotive systems and HOW to build a project. Their next project is a '66 Mustang basket case that WILL be a trailer queen. I'm letting them cut their teeth on this old 'bolt. The fact that you are nice enough to send the apron to us is awesome enough. I am sure with a mig welder, body hammer and dollies we will be able to get it into a shape that will be more than usable. Check out me and the kids working on the truck in the member's gallery. My shipping zip code is 11743. You can pm me with a price for shipping and I will do the same with my address. ...and thanks again. Andy
Lower Guard I'm with Ken on this one. After giving it some thought, I believe it is needed not only to direct more air over the radiator but also to fill that HUGE gap between the grill and the radiator as well as deflect those foreign objects just waiting to jump into the open mouth on these jewels Put one on if possible. Sure it might cool as well without it but remember it also attaches to the grill in three locations and while not essential it is surely benificial. Mine was EAT up with cancer, I attempted to rebuild it with fiberglass, works Ok but would have loved to have had one in better shape. At least it works that's my 2 bits worth.
do you think they thought that much about this. areo packages weren't a hot item. i think it's just a splash apron to keep the mud off the radiator and thats it. these were sold as farm/work trucks and muddy radiators were a common problem... and as always just my 3 cents... GT
I feel like the caveman on the GEICO commercial "We didn't get internal combustion to you quick enough?" I truly think that all of the auto makers in the late teens, 20's, 30's, 40's etc, etc, spent a lot on R&D, built quality vehicles and knew a lot more than today's generation gives them credit for. The problem they had was being able to sell their product during the Great Depression of the 30's, and WWII (not to mention the Korean "Police Action"). Not many people know that Chevy had an air cooled engine in the 30's. Look at the supercharged engine that Duesenburg produced in the 30's. Today's modern technology is nothing more than an extension of what the true engineers knew, but couldn't sell to the average "joe", in the 30's and '40's. Chevrolet used to advertise that fact that they could send a fleet of trucks across the US and set records for transcontinental transportation of goods. They did their homework and I truly believe that they designed and tested every prototype in their dust tunnels and came up with the exact angle that everything needed to be before they put them on the road. As Kevin said a few months ago, if you want to see an engineering marvel, rent the movie "Tucker".
Ken, I know it has been mentioned and linked to recently but I couldn't help thinking of the '37 Cord while reading your post. You may be right about the Chevy engineers and their attention to detail but those were the good old days when trucks were used for farm work. Around here they even tied plows to them and plowed some fields. I will never forget my uncle who was always getting into crazy situations on his farm. He once tied a plow to his old flatbed 50 chevy and put his son in the drivers seat while he worked the plow. He used a nylon rope and everything was fine till he hung the plow long enough to stretch the rope some. When he pulled up on the plow it jerked him into the bakc of the truck. I am sure the story grew with time but I can't help but see the old codger flying through the air. He is long gone now but I remember him as quite a character. Gater
Gater, you've reinforced my point! My grandfather used to put his AD in Granny gear, tie a rope to the steering wheel, pull the throttle cable out just enough to keep the motor running, and we'd harvest 5 acres of &^%$#@#$% sweet potatoes! Try doing that with a Toyota Tundra!
I agree with Ken that they built these trucks for quality instead of like todays quantity. They had to build a truck that would last because people then couldn't afford to trade every two years like they do now. Coming from manufacturing point of view, they aren't gonna put a part on a truck that isn't needed. That would drive up unecessary cost for them and we all know that manufacturer's like their money. I know for sure that most newer cars that have a similar setup WILL overheat if it's not on there going down the road. Whether it was just a splash shield or needed for air flow direction for cooling, these parts are needed for your truck. Anyway who wants to look in their grill and see a huge gap and see the ground below?
Oh yeah and as far as engineering back then, they were some smart cookies. Sure you may know how the engine works now, but could you imagine sitting around thinking how could I make this horse carriage go without the horse. The person that came up with this is pure genious in my book.
guys, guys, guys... Keep it from overheating? Pa leeeease! Hell-low! Farm truck speaking! Farmer driving meee. My splash pan was/is merely a BEEEER diverter for the yahoo who parked his bottle on my radiator! That beer isn't about to mix with my oil spill from my leaky 6! Okay- time for me to go to bed again...
Little bro, don't make me bust your chops! Think about this. Who puts a worse toll on an engine? He who drives a freeway at a constant 45 mph, or he who is smart enough to plant, harvest and take his bounty to market in the blood, and the mud and the sweat? And how did he do it? IN AN AD PICKUP! It takes a lot more guts to make a truck suitable for the farm than it does for somebody to take one out for a joy ride on a Saturday night! Sorry guys, feeling a little nostalgic tonight
I guess it depends on if the guy going 45 down the freeway forgot to shift out of 2nd 'cause he thinks he's still driving an automatic... Sorry big bro- Parent/Teacher conferences taking its toll...
just my 2 cents here... but the whole reason i got into these trucks (besides nostalgia and my grandpa) is because of the engineering. these guys were not only able to design and build a truck that was dependable, long lasting, economical, and of course, cool looking- they also made sure that EVERY SINGLE PART was able to be FIELD REPAIRED. if you read the owner's manual, it says something to the effect of - we would really recommend you take your vehicle to the dealer for maintenance and repairs, but should one not be available to you.... and then they go on to tell you how to do the stuff yourself!! how cool is that!!!????!!! those days are LONG GONE, lemme tell ya! anyway, that's why i'm doing this project, because i can actually get in there and do some wrenching. jon
