1936 Truck Floorboard

[Guest tsacchi]

Does anyone know what the front section of the floorboard to a 1936 truck was made of? Mine is made of plywood.

[countrytravler]

Mine is metal

[Guest Richie09]

Hi, would you guys have a look at this floorboard (maybe its a toeboard) and tell me if it is the '36 and if so a car or truck or both. Thanks, came with a lot when I bought "39 fenders, bumpers, wheels, ect. but would like to find a home for it, just taking up space here. Rich

Edited January 5, 2013 by Richie09
define better (see edit history)

[jpage]

It's the toeboard and it looks very similar to the one in my '36 car with the exception on the shifter cutout. The cut is deeper,I'd say up to the top of the depression shown on yours. Trucks might be a little different than the cars and it might be from a later year.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

The toeboard,as mentioned, is metal. It's the same in cars and trucks and is a metal stamping with all sorts of cutouts and holes and captured nuts in it. It rises up the inside of the cowl at an approx. 45 degree angle surrounding the transmission tower and the clutch and brake arms and it's basically a foot rest for driver and passenger.It also has 'troughs' in either side to hold the bottom edge of the kick panels. My '35 KCL does. The floors of these early vehicles however were made of plywood sections as far back as 1928 that I know of. They are usually 1/2" thick pieces and are held in place by ledges bent in the metal body. Any I've seen in original condition had strips of black velvet cloth tacked around the edges to keep, I suspect, the boards from squeaking. They are usually held down with metal threaded screws that go into captured nuts already in the metal ledges. Strangely the battery inspection trap door is metal and held down with 2 wood screws in the plywood. This description fits both Dodge and Plymouth of the late 20s into the early 30s. Personal experience.

Edited January 15, 2013 by DodgeKCL (see edit history)

[Guest Richie09]

Thanks jpage, helps somewhat though looks close enough that I will probably need to actually look at those vehicle years, someone may spot my pix.

I did look up in my Master Parts listings: 1936 is 711214 Dodge; 1937-38 is same 583107 for both Dodge and Plymouth. The "rendition" pix do not show clear enough to tell wood or metal, no notes and show only one picture all years (typically).

Just for geewhiz, my 1940 came with plywood but the lot of stuff I mentioned earlier, I got a metal floor board which I think correct with '39...... '40 & '41 is a two piece, just to throw in more variation. Very rare to see MoPar trucks at car shows in this neck of the woods...come to think of it I should go to the BigE show this year West Springfield, usually Jan. but never went yet. Rich

[Guest tsacchi]

Thanks guys. I did not know that plywood went back that far.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

I checked out the net first and they say 'plywood' has been around for thousands of years. But 'modern' plywood was invented by Alfred Nobel's son possibly in the 1800s. I know WWI aircraft had thin plywood in their wooden structure. I was surprised when I first got my '29 Plymouth that it had plywood in the floor. I thought a later repair had been done in the 'plywood era'. But a very knowledgeable Plymouth guy assured me the plywood was original. He was correct as it turned out.