Featured Car for June 12, 2025
Owned by Dennis & Linda Bryson, Watford, Ontario
Dennis and Linda bought this 1941 Mack ED Pickup Truck 10 years ago this month at the Antique Truck Club of America Annual National Meet in Macungie, PA. Dennis said that the truck needed work but it was doable, so they bought it.
The Model ED is the lightest of the E Series that were built in the ’30s and ’40s, with 2,686 Model ED trucks built from 1938 to 1944.
Dennis and Linda have transformed the truck during their ownership. When purchased, the truck had a wooden box which has been replaced with a metal box. During the course of the work, Dennis received dozens of drawings from Mack Trucks in Pennsylvania on how the box should be constructed. Back when the truck was new, Mack didn’t make the box, just the chassis. The new owner would then specify what type of box to fit to the truck.
The rear fenders were also fabricated at the time. Most of the metal work was performed by Pete Wilson from Metalworks in Lucan.
The truck originally came with split rims but they have been changed to custom tubeless rims for ease of maintenance.
The original engine was replaced by a Cummins 4 BT diesel, a 4-cylinder, 3.9L, turbocharged diesel motor. The truck has a very unique double transmission, that originally had 2 underdrives, 1 overdrive, and 1 direct drive. This ensured a high power/low speed operation but didn’t fit with Dennis’ intended use. He was advised to put in the transmission backwards so that the 2 underdrives became 2 overdrives, which allows the truck to be driven at higher speeds without over-revving the engine.
Other improvements are the exhaust stack from an old R600 model Mack, a fuel tank custom made in Harvard, IL, signal lights from Hedley Bennett Truck Parts here in London, improved brakes and power steering.
The Mack Truck dealer in Cambridge was going to paint the truck but after a number of delays a shop in Strathroy did the work in a striking green and white colour scheme.
The interior is very original, including the dash and seats. The only concession was that the original horse hair inside the seats was replaced by modern foam. The old plywood floor was replaced with new.