Thread: '50"s Ford f1 4x4 drive

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The truck seems military with OD paint / black fenders but I've never seen anything like the front wheel drive system.

Anybody happen to know if it is a Ford built it like that or somebody added the fwd on.
The floor looks hacked where the control levers come through.

it has a Flat head V-8, three in the tree and a Hi and Low divorced transfer case
it might have had a forward PTO
interesting set up the axle stays straight and the wheel pivots in the inside
pretty cool survivor
the truck has good history around here as it was used to carry drums of diesel fuel to the Cats that built a winding road out of our little isolated valley. Before the road you could ride a horse in, fly or take a boat to get here.
Anybody else see anything like that fwd system?
cheers
hank

That's an interesting setup

I have some hazy recollection of it being peculiar to Canada, but whatever is lurking in the far corners of my memory refuses to come out into the light!

According to this site the first ford 4x4 was in 1959 on a f250, not sure if that helps.
Ford Trucks History
But then when I found this site
http://www.therangerstation.com/reso...ory_of_4x4.htm
it states: The 1959 model year was the first time Ford built light truck 4x4s in-house. Up to that point, they were farmed out to Marmon-Herrington (M-H) for conversion using a Dana 44 closed knuckle front axle.
So maybe this was a Marmon- Herrington conversion?

Here is some info and parts on 4 wheel conversions
Ford Dana-Spicer Model 44 Closed Knuckle Front Axle

The more I read on these it looks like Marmon-Herrington converted a lot of vehicles to all wheel drive during ww2, including fords. What you have there is quite possibly a rare ww2 surviver probably worth a lot to a pure collector. here is more info on the Marmon company
http://marmon-herrington.webs.com/truck.html
and here is a website of a guy supposedly the expert on these trucks, per the ford forum( Marmon Herrington Ford F1 - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums )
Chucks Trucks LLC., Chuck's Trucks, Chucks Trucks

Whoops my mistake, if it's made in the fifties, it wouldn't be ww2 survivor, but still probably a military vehicle possibly used stateside or in Korean war.

It's funny the more I look at the front wheel assembly the more it reminds me of some heavy duty old logging truck wheels. The worst part is I've seen a front axle like that but can't remember where!

I copied your photos and sent them to an old logging buddy for id. He has driven and worked on all kinds of 4x4's dating back in time, if anyone knows what it is either he or his neighbor will. I let you know if I get a reply. All of the Marmon Herrington conversions I've seen don't look like that front wheel assembly.

I've seen them with the other "more conventional" front axle but I'm not sure what yours is.

003-3.jpg

Thanks for all the leads and interesting reading ,stovens
I still haven't seen another front wheel drive like it
still looking
cheers
hank

Hank
Turns out what you got there is very rare truck here is a add a guy on the ford site knew what it was. It is a 1951 COLEMAN. he states"It's a 1951 COLEMAN!! Rare as all get out on a half ton. The hub covers are missing. Hope the rest is operational 'cause parts aren't gonna be easy to come by. It's a great find." another guy said"That may be the only one known to exist. Is your friend local to NorCal? I'm curious where he found it. " They would would like to know if it's yours or for sale.

here is a shot of one of their hubs and a little more info
here http://forums.aths.org/PrintTopic141474.aspx

Talking with the last owner the truck came as a 2 wd and was used one year then it was sent down to Vancouver BC by freight boat to be converted to 4wd-- just what he had heard from the other PO.
we heard of 5 POs.
So it has been in this British Columbia valley since new
flathead engine spins by hand- the starter is sitting on the passenger floor and smells burnt?

I can see the broken off bolts in the hub for that wheel cover
thanks for digging that info
cheers
hank

PS
I guess everything is for sale at the right price

Hank here is more info:
The American Coleman Company did quality AWD conversions on many big Fords used in the construction, mining, etc. industries as well as in government service. But finding it on a small model is very unusual. Here's a diagram that was one of their advertisements.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...rdcoleman2.jpg

For service and parts if your friend owns it I'd suggest contacting Chuck Mantiglia of Chuck's Trucks in CT. He owns a Coleman F-7 and would have a line on any Coleman parts suppliers