Jump to content

1953 Dodge 'coupe' truck project


Recommended Posts

Great work Dav.  One day I will progress to sandblasting too...sounds like I had better start saving though!

Re the brakes...are you staying original?  I understand even when working at their peak these vehicles have trouble stopping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great work Dav.  One day I will progress to sandblasting too...sounds like I had better start saving though!

Re the brakes...are you staying original?  I understand even when working at their peak these vehicles have trouble stopping.

 

I have a new sandblaster now who charges realistic prices, and appears to do a good quality job too.

I am staying original with the brakes on the 'Pop' coupe truck. I have not had any issues in getting my blue 52 truck to pull up from travelling at speed, and I suspect that the 53 truck will perform the same. I must admit that I do keep the drum braking distance in the back of my mind whilst travelling though and I adjust my follow gaps accordingly.

Edited by Desotodav
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

There is still plenty of work going on with the 'Pop' truck but I don't have much to show. I started stripping the cab down yesterday ready for sandblasting and made an interesting discovery when I removed the windshield center bar... the external part is actually stainless steel (which I have never seen before). All three of the center bar pieces had yellow numbers (part number's?) printed on the back of them, but I couldn't match up any of those numbers in my parts books. The gray interior center bar (which is also the type to take an interior rear-vision mirror) has plenty of what looks to be the original gray paint attached, which is handy as the Pop truck will be painted as close as possible to the original color.

post-3915-0-21449600-1418795200_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-83929500-1418795210_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am yet to decide whether I will install the external awning/sun visor back onto the truck (see photos). I have seen other trucks here in Oz with the same awning, so it would appear that it was a factory option here.

The seat frame appears to be solid, and there seems to be little rust in the floor under the seat. The seat frame has red upholstery attached to most of the outer frame - there is even a vinyl piece which has press studs in it where it attaches to the rear parcel shelf (behind the seat). I will have to take numerous photos for the Upholsterer before I remove the trim from the seat and send the seat off for sand blasting.

 

... and the fun continues !!!

post-3915-0-41905700-1418795896_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-16333500-1418795908_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-91708200-1418795920_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-79151800-1418795935_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

wow a SS center bar..who would have thought?

 

The visors here in the US were a dealer option I think, or after market adder.  I was going to add one to TODD, and in fact have a REALLY nice one in the basement, but after discussing it with people here and on the FB page, I most likely will NOT be adding it.  While cool looking they are a problem at higher speeds and have been know to literally rip them selves off at higher speeds.

 

Hopefully you were far away from the bad stuff that went down in the chocolate shoppe mate!  I thought of you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a place here in Oz who make the external sun visors... http://stores.ebay.com.au/australianmadesunvisors?_trksid=p2047675.l2563... they make mesh ones and also solid ones.

I have cleaned up the visor from the Pop truck and it looks quite solid. I have been 'convinced' that it needs to go back onto the truck. It mounts to the gutter rail on both sides and has two mounting points to the center bar. I'll post more pictures down the track.

 

The incident at the Lindt Chocolate store in Sydney was a terrible tragedy with the needless loss of human life. Sydney is around 11 hours driving distance from my place. I may well be heading down that way again in January 2015, so will have to try to catch up with Ryan and Martyn on that journey.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I picked up a couple of presents from my Brakeman today (see photos)...

He finished rebuilding the brakes on my diff, and he made me a complete new one-piece fuel line. The brake lines on the diff don't look quite right, so they will require some more work. He will have the front axle (complete with new brakes and king pins) back to me in the next few days.

The truck diff housing remained the same, but I swapped out the standard 4.1 ratio truck diff center for a 3.54 ratio car center. I've included a photo of the stamping on the diff for those able to decipher the numbers - it would appear that the diff is from a 55 Dodge? I found that the car diff housing was about 2 inches shorter overall than the truck diff housing, so the diff builder's told me that they used the majority of truck diff parts (axles/housing/backing plates). They used the car hemisphere and swapped out the planetary gears for the truck ones (for those more mechanically minded than me!). I was told that I was fortunate that the axle spline count was the same with both of the car and truck diffs which I supplied.

I'll have to clean up the mounting blocks now so that I can mount the new diff on the chassis! One small step after another!

post-3915-0-50689200-1419238284_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-82919400-1419238295_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-41395400-1419238307_thumb.jpg

Edited by Desotodav
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Things have been moving a little slow on the 'Pop' truck project, so I decided to start work on the engine. I managed to strip the engine down yesterday, and then spent a couple more hours today pulling the head, sump and water pump.

The bore looks good, good enough to see the cross marks inside from the last cylinder hone.

The pistons are stamped 'JP', which would indicate that they are from JP Pistons here in Australia (South Australia).

It's a pity that the picture I took of the head was a little blurred, but you can still see the large amount of carbon buildup - I suspect that the person who rebuilt the engine ran it for some time with a lead additive in the fuel.

The block has the coolant hole at the front blocked off (as I have seen people here on the forum discuss previously) - I was happy with that as I have a number of those new head gaskets here at home. There appears to be a large amount of sediment in both the block and the head, so I suspect that both will receive a steam bath or acid dip.

The engine sump has a small oil weep at the lower join of the dipstick, so I will have that brazed or silver soldered before it is painted and re-fitted to the engine.

That water distribution tube looks like it will be a PITA to get out!

... and the fun continues!

 

post-3915-0-68877900-1422430151_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-41458900-1422430163_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-80026400-1422430174_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-18271800-1422430185_thumb.jpg

post-3915-0-95095400-1422430195_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That water distribution tube looks like it will be a PITA to get out!

... and the fun continues!

 

Did you read thru this Dav?

 

Resources-->Tech-->Tech Tips-->Water Distribution Tube

 

48D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you read thru this Dav?

 

Resources-->Tech-->Tech Tips-->Water Distribution Tube

 

48D

 

Thanks Tim. Have read through that and seen many conversations over the years. I'm about to swing onto night shifts so expect to get the tube out in the next few days. I plan on installing a stainless steel WDT (long block) when I get the other one out. Fingers crossed that it won't be as difficult as some on here have experienced!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Davin;

Every time someone posts about a WDT the hair on the back of my neck goes up.  :eek:  Might want to start dosing that one with your favorite penetrating oil.

If it makes you feel any better it doesn't look anywhere near as bad as mine did at this stage. I reckon my place on the wall of shame is still safe.

 

Jeff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings, is that the original motor? (is it a KEW) because none of the ones I have have an external bypass in the cooling system. According to the workshop manual 6 cylinder automatic Chrysler Royals had a 3.54 diff so the earlier Plymouth/ Dodge / Desoto sedans may have too (the manuals had 4.1 and 3.9 in the Royals). Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings, is that the original motor? (is it a KEW) because none of the ones I have have an external bypass in the cooling system. According to the workshop manual 6 cylinder automatic Chrysler Royals had a 3.54 diff so the earlier Plymouth/ Dodge / Desoto sedans may have too (the manuals had 4.1 and 3.9 in the Royals). Cheers

 

The engine which I am rebuilding for this truck was from a similar truck (thanks again to forum member Lloydie) and is a T307. I have seen a few blocks here with the bypass. I suspect that he initial 1955 diff which I converted for the truck was from a Dodge Kingsway sedan, but the one which I am converting at present came from a 1955 Desoto (car-bodied) ute.

Edited by Desotodav
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great photos Dav.  Man, you are one very organised and tidy restorer.

I tend to be a lot more messy, with crap everywhere....maybe I need to come up to Qld and get some lessons :P

 

Interesting election results ......big swing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great photos Dav.  Man, you are one very organised and tidy restorer.

I tend to be a lot more messy, with crap everywhere....maybe I need to come up to Qld and get some lessons :P

 

Interesting election results ......big swing!

 

It's all done with smoke and mirrors GK! I do suffer from the many lessons in life along the way, but I continue to move forward regardless (see attached).

 

You are most welcome at my place if you travel up this way mate. I'm heading back down south to Kiama again soon to collect an antique writing desk which I bought down there during my last visit. I'll catch up with Marty again while I'm in his town.

 

I'm not sure yet what the election swing will bring us here in sunny Queensland, but I suppose that time will tell whether we have been dealt a kind or cruel hand.

post-3915-0-39468300-1422808454_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent.

Reminds me of our Jack Russells......I did not understand why they kicked grass like that after doing the business, but now I understand!!!

They do always look contented after they do it.

 

I phoned that guy re the carby gaskets, but no response yet as had to leave a message.  Thanks for the intro.

Edited by Geekay
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awsome build, I haven't been on for a while, good read. So my two cents worth on a couple of items, keep the visor, way more comfortable than having 30+ degree sun comming in the windscreen. Original brakes are OK, the old addage drive to conditions is just more true, consider the old 6.5" rag tyres and slippery gravel.

Over the Australia day weekend I took the old girl out camping, near Boonoo Boonoo NP, traveling 45 to 50 miles per hour on gravel roads, all good while it was straight, noisy, tyring and exciting -> but add corrogations and cornering + braking.

Keep up the good work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Terms of Use