Calling Davey-Joe's Almanac.

[Bgbkwndo]

On the old forum, there was a discussion about the modifying of a Model A coupe. Back in the day, owners would remove the trunk lid, and rig a small pick-up style box into the trunk area. As I re-call, Davey gave a little history to this, including a nick-name for this "new" vehicle and the reasons for doing it. The topic came up recently in conversation, and for the life of me, I could not think of the terminology. Chime in here Dave, and refresh this old memory.

Thanks, Bgbkwndo.

[Rochie]

Bgbkwndo,
For the life of me I can't remember what they were called either. BUT, I do know why they were done. During WWll there was fuel rationing. Fuel was directed at trucks so things could move. So....If you had a coupe or roadster that you couldn't buy gas for...you layed in a box between the quarter panels and now you have a truck and could buy gas for it.

[tinmann]

Wasn't one name "Bennett Buggy"? I'm fairly sure DJo calls them "War Babies". I currently have one. It's a '32 fordor that had its rear pan cold chiseled out. Back in the day, if it looked like a truck you could still buy gas when it was war rationed.

[sqhd]

Tinn, the Bennett bugie was in reference to the cars that were being towed around by horses, due to the gas shortages. Prime Minister Bennett was being blamed at that time for the rationing.

Carl

[Davey_Joe]

there ya go!!..... i always heard of 'em bein' called 'war babies'.... you could get feulstamps fer yer truck,... but not a car!!... sooooo,... the folks would wack the back o' the car off an' put a deck or box on!! some were more ingenious than others. i've seen the one where a model "A" had the lower pan in the trunk removed an' a box made out of 2x10s sticking out about 3-4 ft.... a 38 deluxe coupe with almost the same setup,.... right down to wackin' them off across the top,... behind the front doors an' putting in a wood bulkhead with a lil' window!! i guess ya did whatcha had to do!!.... anyhoo 'goose',... "warbabies" is what i think i always heard 'em coined as!............... hell,... ya still find 'em out there!.........

[Old-Soul]

I saw a 30-31 5 window coupe @ an auction once that somebody had 'converted' (read: butchered) into a truck. I had never seen/heard of it before, so you can imagine what the first words out of my mouth were 'what the f....'

[Davey_Joe]

some would take say,... the back of a model "A" 4 dr,... and wack the mid section,(back seat area,.. an' nail the back window section in for a "much neater" job!!! then a couple o' 4x4 crossmembers,... an' on goes the plank deck!!.... ahhhh,... the ingenuity of it all!!.... any o' you guys got pics o' such beauty??!!........... i do,... somewhere..........

[b-bob]

Davie, does your almanac have any current pics of your '47 panel? We saw construction pics a while back, but how does it look now? You can't let Lee go have fun with out you. Right? Just curious.

[Stan]

...yep...gots one in my back yard...lawn art....the model t is actually a touring...but the seat where gramma sat is long gone.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n319/stashco/modeltlawnart006Small.jpg
.....And it didn't just happen during the war years....anyone who grew up in Saskatchewan during the 60's will know the term "purple gas"....ya see back in those days our provincial government decided the farmers shouldn't have ta pay all those gas taxes...sooooo they sold the farm boys gas with a purple dye in it...at about half the cost....to be used for farm only purposes...keep reading, this all will tie together....to be used only on the farm....well eventually they let ya use it in yer old farm trucks.......on the roadways....so guess what some....errr... a lot of enterprizing farm guys did to the family sedan???...you betcha...made them selves a pickup....had a nieghbour who took a minty 54 meteor sedan and turned it into a "purple gas burner"...last time I saw that car/truck it was on top of a rock pile in his back yard. I still cringe when I think about it.....In fact I dragged home a 57 Pontiac wagon that got the farm yard custom touch....I'll get a picture of it on Thursday when I go out there....AND if ya gots caught burnin that purple stuff in the family sedan...big fines...impounded..........ya know.... my old 47 Merc ran just fine on that purple stuff......so did the 61 chev....and the nova.....Stan .....

[Bgbkwndo]

Thanks everyone for the great replies. I'll say it again; there's no better place to get your "auto info".

Best regards, Bgbkwndo.

[stovbolt]

hell just last year i was running the purple stuff in the dodge deisel but Chevron put a stop to that for me heh!! was nice while it lasted thohttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/v8c1j3/icon_twisted.gif

[Stan]

....got a picture of a car become a truck.....reallity is some wannabe customizer turned a Pontiac station wagon into a parts car... Stan.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n319/stashco/May108009Small.jpg