Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

[Freiburger]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

The second time I ever drove a stick was one of these. I was prolly 14 and working at a local college theater. All the dweeb college kids were to scared to drive this big dump truck, so I volunteered. No license, no problem.

[mustang13]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

Oddly no one has said anything about the "stick in a mud puddle" feel the shift linkage had on one of these with some miles on it. The shift pattern changed with every turn you took. Linkage looked like something Ruub Goldberg thought of which was common to most cab-overs fo the day. Google Image of Bud Moore ramp truck, saw it in person at the SAAC meet this summer, bitchin'.

[Gary 351C]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

I've driven a few of them, 3208 CAT 5 speed 22 ft stakebed, '84 model me thinks, actually not a bad truck!

[oldrustycars]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

Ford did not build the cabs for these. They were built by Budd, and sold to whoever wanted them. These exact cabs were on a number of Macks. Later on Ford bought the rights and tooling for the cabs.

[Freiburger]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

Interesting!

[457Brodix]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck


I came real close to owning one of those monsters, in 1964 the Dodge Dealer in Rantoul (15 miles north) was stuck with a new 63 Dodge 2 dr. sedan (330 I think) with the 415 h.p. 426 Wedge and 3 speed stick (4 gears weren't available with that engine) and they also had one those trucks with a flat bed and we had already contacted the local welder to turn it into a dove tail. Anyway they were going to make me and a Buddy of mine a package deal on the pair, it was pretty cheap plus a 2 year sponsorship including parts (can you say warranty) but there was of course a payment book that went with the deal. I really don't remember why we didn't do it, we were both pretty crazy back then, I still am of course!

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

Phil, did you race any Chrysler stuff? I've seen and heard about a lot of your Chevy exploits.

[457Brodix]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck


Brian, That was a dark area of my past that I'm trying to forget and I'm still receiving therapy today! No really that was a lot of fun, I had a 63 Dodge Polara 500 with the bucket interior 415/426 daily driver so to speak, I made a lot of street money with that car up around Skips Fiesta in Chicago and then when I moved to Joisey but I only had it on the track about 3 times, Oswego, U.S. 30 and Cecil County Maryland and it ran a best of what I remember was a 12.87 or 12.97 at Cecil with a Bob Harrop Tune and tires! I traded it for a 64 Impala and never looked back, I do still have the owner's manual where they tell you to limit your "bursts of acceleration" to 15 seconds, that warning wasn't necessary if you were running the 1/4 mile!

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Cool Old Press Photos: '57 Ford Cab-Over Truck

I saw Harrop's Magic Carpet car at a nostalgia super stock race at Atco a few years back.

That's neat stuff, Phil!

Brian