Description
H&H Classic Auction @ The Imperial War Museum, Duxford/ Cambridgeshire
9th October, 2024 13:00
1945 Ford 99C Half Ton Pick-Up
Estimate
£16, 000 - £20, 000
Registration No: NXS 982
Chassis No: 643453
MOT: Exempt
Discovered abandoned in Shoshoni, Wyoming where it had been stored for more than forty years
Imported to the United Kingdom in 2018 and provided with a full mechanical restoration
Original patination and paintwork retained throughout
Benefitting from some £47, 000 worth of expenditure during the restoration
Supplied with a large history file including photographic documentation of the restoration
With prospects of the war ending shortly, in February 1945, Ford received permission to resume production of pickups after an absence from the market for three years. First relaunching production with the pre-war 21C Model, it was thereafter followed by the model 59C in May. During 1945, only 1/ 2 ton pickups were built, and on the 3rd of May 1945, the 31 millionth Ford was built, which, unsurprisingly was a pickup. The Pick-Ups utilised a Flathead V8 engine and a three-speed manual transmission with floor change.
Manufactured in 1945, chassis number ‘643453’ supplied new to the United States of America. Discovered in an abandoned workshop in Shoshoni, Wyoming in 2017, it is understood that the Pick-Up had resided there for over forty years. Offered through Hemmings, the Ford was spotted by the vendor and his son who decided to purchase and import the Truck due to its incredible originality and patina. Arriving in the United Kingdom in 2018, ‘643453’ was entrusted to Belcher Engineering to provide a full and comprehensive mechanical restoration. The original block was found to be cracked so a correct type block was supplied and overhauled; gearbox overhauled; the chassis was cleaned and oiled; the axles and suspension renewed; radiator re-cored; fuel tank restored; brakes renewed; and wheels clear coated with new Longstone tyres.
The bodywork was provided with fresh metalwork as required, welded and finished to match previous scars and repairs from before its lay-up in America. Thereafter, the body was prepared and clear coated to preserve the surviving original paintwork and patination. The interior upholstery is inspired by the local tribe in Shoshoni, the Shoshone Tribe, with their fabric pattern used for the bench seat drape. Total expenditure on the project reached just shy of £48, 000 in total and is pleasingly documented across three large history files and several articles for the Early Ford Club, providing a comprehensive written and pictural record of the restoration. Since used and enjoyed, including attending several shows, most notably being displayed at the NEC, the Ford started readily and ran very well during our recent photography session, and is offered for sale with a spares package.
