townwagon

I wrote a 164 page book that covers 1917-1980 Dodge, Dodge Brothers, Graham Brothers, Plymouth, De Soto, and Fargo trucks built for domestic, export, and military sales in the US and Canada. It also covers 1953-1963 Australian truck production. This is the most complete collection of serial numbers for these brands available. It covers every model of truck made for the years and brands listed. The information was gathered from hundreds of factory sources and verified by checking thousands of trucks. In addition to charts of numbers there are pictures of serial number tags and frame number locations as well as explanations of how to find and decode a serial number. Look at the link to see the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0997589302

Guys, I was pulling a winder from a 1950 B-2-C yesterday and I noticed it was nickel plated. I went back to my stash and found three styles of winder used in the 1948-50 era. My current understanding of the years used is: Far left 1948 to mid 1949. Middle mid 1949 to 1950 Nickel used 1950 Has anyone found a closer answer to when these handles were used? Why were some of the curvier ones nickel? Korean War shortages? Just another weird detail you find when you look at enough trucks. Eric

My post was to ask what pictures to take. I could spend an hour documenting the truck and still miss a critcal detail someone needed to see. Once I have the pictures I plan to share them. Eric

Desotodav, I've got an NOS DODGE that has the original paint on it as well so there are a couple references for that detail. As for the gas tank seal, I'll try. This is a nice driver and I was trying not to tear it apart much so I might not be able to see the gasket. Once I get the speedo in and we go for a ride I'll try and take lots of pictures of everything I can. The reason I asked was that there might be something specific with the way some tube was run (for example) and if I don't get exactly the right angle with the picture you won't be able to see it. I can't take pictures of everything even if I try. There are too many things to see and too many little places where things hide. Also this truck was used off and on for the last 60+ years so not everything is stock. Let me know if there are any other specific shots you need and I will try and get it. Eric

Guys, I got a call today from a guy with a 1948 B-1B-108 that was bought new by his father and it has always been garaged. It is the cleanest original truck I have seen in a long time. The owner needed help with their speedometer and I will be replacing the guts in their original 33,183 mile speedo (which is in very nice consmetic condition) so the owner and his wife can drive around without hearing the guts of the speedometer tear itself apart. I took a bunch of pictures of the truck showing neat little details like the hood handles being painted black, factory paint on the front DODGE badge, factory paint on the ear of the ram, factory door panels, etc. Does anyone need specific pictures of details for their restoration? I am not sure what to focus on when I go back. I plan to take more pictures, but it would be helpful to know what other people would like to see. Given that I am in WI even though the truck is very solid the frame is rusty (just surface, but too much rust to show things like paint details on the frame). Please let me know what sorts of things you might like to see and I will see if this truck is original enough in that area. I will be returing the speedometer in the next couple days and at that time I will try and get some better pictures. Please let me know what you would like to see. Eric

There is a guy who has stamped out new bedsides for that era bed. Check out this link to see the Power Wagon beds he made: http://www.dodgepowerwagon.com/classifieds/tisdale-0410-13-3rdbeds.php I asked him about making shorter beds and he said all the dies are 8 feet long and he can make any length bed you need. Contact him and he can set you up with brand new bedsides. If you are willing to take a stamped blank, cut it to length and mount the stake pockets yourself he said the price would be less. He makes everything you need for the sides brand new and the parts are super nice. I saw them in person a couple years ago. Call Matt and save yourself endless amounts of labor. Eric

If you get in touch with the owner try and get them to look for a tag like the one in your Route Van and try and get a shot of the dash. Generally speaking if a truck was built in that era on a Dodge chassis the gauges are Dodge even if the body is something unique to that body builder. Eric

This is a link to the locations of the frame number on a 1948 to 1953 truck: http://www.townwagon.com/4853registry/help/framenumber.php The numbers on your trucks frame will be a little further forward and the frame will look at a little different, but this should get you close. There should also be a tag mounted to the front of the firewall and that tag should have the model number, GVW, HP and the Serial Number. The Serial Number should match the number on the frame. Don't just glance at the frame and give up if you don't spot it. You will most likely have to clean the frame with a wire brush or a wire wheel in a drill to find the number. Eric

That is an M-37. The W350 didn't exsist as a model until the late 1970s if memory serves. M-37s are neat trucks though. Eric

Your truck actually looks more like one of the Ford Sno Gos than a standard Coleman. Check out this link to see pictures of the 1956 Coleman that was sold a few years back: http://imageevent.com/townwagon/1956colemanconversion Check out the Ford Sno Go and the location of the lights on the roof: http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1083/578399800_48cddd1b8d.jpg Maybe the same firm converted Dodges? Eric

Yes I meant the Dodge lettering on the side. That should say "Job Rated" CHeck out this picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carphotosbyrichard/4687494241/ This truck has the wrong Dodge badge on the front and the headlight details look wrong, but the badge on the sides of the fender is correct. The truck in this picture has the correct Dodge badge and headlight/parking light treatments: http://www.collectorcarads.com/Picture1/craigslist6.jpg I hope that helps. Eric

Richard, Your Route Van is a DU? The EU generally used 5 bolt rims that use the same bolt pattern as the Power Wagon or M-37, though I recently discovered the EUF uses 6 bolt rims (at least the one EUF I found did). Route Vans are neat trucks, but anything Route Van specific is really hard to find. Don't trash anything without veryifying that it is shared with a more common model of truck. There is a guy that started a Facebook page for Route Vans: https://www.facebook.com/DodgeRouteVan He has a lot of neat pictures he collected. Eric

Dodge built the 1956 C3-HW before the 1957 W500. Both the 1956 C3-HW and the 1957 to 1960 W500s can be seen on this page: http://townwagon.com/pgpws/pgw500/pgw500.htm As you can see they look nothing like Unbreakable's truck. I'm guessing that is a later conversion or just possibly a period conversion for some special application. Even when the W500 was well established other companies still converted Dodge trucks to 4wd. Most of the larger Dodge truck 4wd conversions I have seen were done by Coleman. Here is a link to a picture of a 1957 D500 with a Coleman 4wd conversion. Note the standard D500 fenders vs the D700 and larger fenders used on the W500. http://www.flickr.com/photos/31394972@N07/2945637966/in/photostream/lightbox/ There was a 1955 or 1956 Coleman converted 2 ton 4wd truck running around a few years ago, but it looked nothing like the truck being discussed here. Eric

That bed and rear fenders were an option in 1954-55 so they are most likely original. Here is a link to a factory picture of one from the brochure. http://www.autolit.net/Graphics/0512/ws2299c.jpg Your model number breaks down as: C1 = 1954 to mid year 1955 production B = 1/2 ton 6 = 6 cyl engine. In this case a 218ci 23 inch long flat head six 108 = 108 inch wheel base Looking at your pictures the main thing that jumps out as a later addition is the badge on the front fender. That looks like a 1961-68 Dodge badge, but it is hard to be sure at that angle. Eric

The number on the frame and the number on the serial number tag are supposed to match. That is how I was able to ID this truck using the frame even though the tag was gone. Take a look at this page I wrote to see some common locations for the frame number: http://www.townwagon.com/4853registry/help/framenumber.php What makes the truck I posted about interesting is how early it is. Most of the time the 1948 trucks I find are number 6000 out of the total made or something like that. Finding a truck under 500 is pretty unusual and given that 1948 was the start of production for this body style of truck it is neat to see early odd details like the strange locations for the tags. Finding truck 220 out of 1949 production is not as interesting as production was well established and it is unlikely that anything odd would show up. Eric