Outside of a precious few of you we’re guessing that a very limited number of BangShifters had any idea that there was such a thing as a 1939 Bantam Super Four pickup, right? When I first saw the thing I defaulted to thinking that it was a home modified/homebuilt creation that someone envisioned as a “what-if” but the fact is that this is a real truck and one of about 500 made by Bantam way back in the late 1930s. This little thing has a payload capacity of 500lbs (as listed on a dash tag) and a little four banger engine that made 20hp, literally. it weighs all of 1,000lbs and according to the seller is one of 30 known to exist in the world in this form (specifically with the rounded bed corners). The tiny bed has wood planking for a floor and the interior looks it would comfortably fit a pair of midget contortionists with no problem at all.
The bed itself is so small we’re not sure you could get 500lbs of anything other than gold bars or lead inside it and even with 20hp, we’re guessing that a wheelie would be possible if the bed were loaded to “capacity” as the gear ratio in this little guy is probably steeper than steep. The restoration of the truck is awesome. The color scheme on the body, the interior, and everything about this truck is cool. Having just driven the new 1.0L Ecoboost Ford engine recently, we’d plop on of those in place along with its manual transmission and cruise this baby. Meh, we’d probably just leave it alone and use it for squirts around town.
What would you do with it? Hot rod it? Leave it stock? A split of the two?
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Dang thats a gorgeous little pickup ! That yes I never knew about either . Problem is to the great dismay no doubt of all those numbers matching restoration geek/collectors out there … what I’m seeing is what a fantastic little hot rod this gem would make . Oh well . Once a ‘ kit basher ‘ Always a ‘ kit basher ‘ To reiterate the wisdom of the legendary ‘ Big Sid ‘ ;
” Stock is a can of beans on a shelf ” 😉
Very cool. I’d leave one of those stock – mostly because I’d rather start with a longer wheelbase if I were making serious power. The short, stubby body is a lot of its unique charm, but would also make it a handful with decent power under the hood.
I was thinking more along the lines of a Cosworth DOHC I4 in the nose to get it down the road . Chop the top a bit [ for a lower CG ] Some Big n’ Littles and you’ve got yourself a little ‘ altered ‘ pick up for the street and/or the shop .