Sillens Tow Truck

The purchase of this car was far from planned, and most probably I would have stood over the deal. by Jan Silén

When we have the car meeting  Mid Sweden Nat`s  we usually get the “Baker”. Baker is spillage from the timber when sawing boards. Maybe there’s something else in other parts of the country. Bakaved I know they say in Västernorrland. In other parts of the world I can only imagine.  Why not leave a comment. What do you call it?

Vi usually get “baker” from a small sawmill in the village. From these we build fences around the cafeteria tent.

Current owner’s father used to collect scrap cars in the early 70’s when the state through a drive called “environmental Pete” exterminated old cars.

I remember beeing little seeing him coming with tractor and trailer out on the road with two chrome-heavy cars who went to the assembly point for pressing. Even then as a  6-7 year old I wanted to to run out and stop him as the cars could be left with us, but unfortunately I did not.

Ford Prefect -38
There were a collection point in their home and this Ford Prefect -38 had for some reason been left. Second year we come to the saw to retrieve the baker, the owner has drawn up this car so the first thing I see when we turn to the sawmill is the chromed windshield frame.

Sawmill owner knew that I was weak for old cars and saw easy money. Obviously, the car must be checked out. It was complete but somewhat rusty. Abstinence in Rod & Custom intestine, however, was too great. After a few weeks, I stood there at the sawmill owner with 200 dollars in hand and became the owner of it.

When he lifts it onto the trailer, I see that it seems a little soft in the body. I drive it to my mom and when I lift it off the trailer with the tractor it is even softer after the shaky ride on the trailer. When I lift it releases the floor on one side of the car and an engine falls out on the slopes.

Sit and season for a while.
It sits next to the barn to mature a little, mom comes out and wonder every year what about the junk. I answer that it can be good to have, she just shakes her head.

When I go home I wonder why in heavens name I bought it? Repentance of the purchase is now starting to come. It sits outside  for some years until it can be moved into the barn. Can be nice for it to have a roof over after 35-40 years in the wild. It remains in the barn a few years until our daughter and her boyfriend buys Mum’s house.

My son in law  Andreas tears down the  barn and builds a garage there instead so now the pearl has no roof over it anymore and they also want to get rid of the car. What should I do with the scrap? It’s too bad to be renovated. Maybe good enough as a Rat Rod or garden decoration.

My wife Fia would never go along with that I put it on the lawn. During the build time she believes it to be an executable Rat Rod and not  a garden decoration. Best so for domestic peace, and she could not understand why I would start building another car when I wasn’t done with the first one in the garage.

Chevy bed
I had bought a Chevy bed from Krantz a few years ago, so maybe I would build a pickup truck to have, in front of my nostalgia gas station. After some pondering, I remember that at mums place sits an old rope game from a Chisel so it can of course  become tow truck then.

Gas stations would actually have a tow truck in the past. In the fall of  2013 I  lifted the  Ford into the garage and now it is even softer.

The front and the wheels hanging far from its proper place. They fall apart. Now it is close to the ports on the junkyard. Mother in law passes by when we push the car into the garage and do not understand how this is going to be saved. The day after after I take it of the frame which was quite simple. I hoist up the rear and dislodge the frame by hand.

Mild corrosion damage
I had intended to use the original framework but it turned out to have a less rust damage so it had to be discarded, a piece of the frame were also left in front of the firewall that kept the engine and gearbox. Now I can go full forward  cutting into the body (in some places it is very easy cut) until it becomes a pickup cab that can be welded together.

It fell aoart several times before I managed to get it spot welded to stay. Swept two garbage bags of the car that fell apart on the floor. Had intended to use the original grill  but it was so bad that it fell apart. A grill from a Volvo Tractor was found in my hiddings and become a good front on the salvor.

Luckily, I had an almost complete Volvo Duett frame. The Ford rear axle was mounted to it and the cab was put on

 

The bed was both shortened and narrowed. The towing winch was welded to the frame. An old sadle from a farming machine  become seat for the driver during salvage work. A work lamp larger model for good lights at night was mounted on the roof.

Emergency vehicles from the past had red lights with round top. Took a  yellow at Biltema and painted it   red.

If we are to salvage the big trucks we needed a powerful engine that breathes well, so the exhaust pipes was pulled up through the hood.

A bench from a Nash works as  driver’s seat and Mopar owners talk about a shift knob called the pistol grip. This guy also have a  pistol grip on his stick.

Now  it would be fun to fire up a flathead V8 and take of in smoke. But it fits  well at the gas station too and my wife Fia has approved the decoration..

Roomer’s around.
Apparently, the tow truck was  talked about since I put it at the gas station for cars came very often and look at the  Salvage  of Sörfjärn.

A nightly visitors could apparently not take his eyes of the car when backing up and drove down our fence and a lantern. Of course they drove away but  the driver on the Nash bench was awake and he will in time tow their car off to the junkyard.