MMcKinney

I have an orginal 6 volt 53 electrictic motor and 2 arms. No switch. The switch wire/cable was cut cut long ago, but looks like a a usable part. Get back with me if your interested. MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

I found the same problem with the dodge truck lock system and I wanted to have the ability to lock the door from the driver’s side and get “in” and “out” of the same door. So what I did was to weld a slide plate to the driver’s door latch/remote. As we all know the passenger door has the actual lock system and when you turn the key the lock cylinder moves a metal lever into a slot in the latch and prevents it from moving the outside door handle. Simple and effective. The driver’s does not have this part on the latch system, but it does have the hole where the lever would go if you had a lock system. So what I did was weld on a small piece of metal to the bottom of the latch just like the passenger side, except have a modern lock solenoid to move the lever “in” and “out” of the slot in the passenger and driver’s door. The whole thing worked well but if you vibrated the latch system enough the lever would slowly slide down and you would be able to open the door again. I was hoping the solenoid, after activation, would hold its position whether it was activated “up” to lock the door or activated “down” to unlock .the door. Unfortunately, the solenoid, after being activated, remains loose in its position until activated again, so I had to add a spring and a small dent in the metal slide rod to hold the slide rod in the “up” position so it could not slide down if the door or the lock system is vibrated or shook several times. I have some photos of what I am talking about and hope this helps. My truck does not have wiring system yet, but when I activate the solenoids in either direction the new remote lock system woks quite well and will stay locked if needed. To activate the solenoids you can add a wireless remote (which I purchased but not tried) or add a hidden switch under the hood if you like. I could not keep the original Dodge key lock system functioning, but I still kept the key cylinder in the original hole to make the truck look as it came from the factory. I will like having the ability of being able of opening both doors and the same time with a quick button push. I also have plans to install a hidden override switch incase the wireless remote becomes lost or stolen on a trip or something. The first photo showes the entire lock system with the soleniod and its attaching wire. I have not drilled the holes in the lever to attach the solenoid to the slide lever. The second photo showes the lock system in its "locked" position. The third photo showes the lock system ready for attachment to the door latch in its "locked' position. The last photo showes the lock system in its "unlocked" position. Thats how I did it.......... MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

Not sure if everyone has seen this yet, but I just checked out this web site and noticed this time that 1937-47 Dodge Truck fuel tank (new) will finially be avaliabe. Check out this page if you are interested: http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=349/category_id=68/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd349.htm Or go to Tanks Inc and look under "View Products", then "Mopar tanks" and finially "Dodge Truck" if the link does not work. I looks like it would even fit the 1948-53 truck as well, but the advertisment does not state it that way. Maybe someone with more "Dodge" knowledge out there can confirm that the tanks might be the same. Not avaliable untill Sept 2012 though. MMckinney Caldwell,ID

Keven I've been looking for those as well and I have a pretty good pair now, but I worry that I may loose one by bumping it or droping it. I see them for sale and they always want a lot of money for these light covers. I have looked through the Jeep stuff and have come really close to the same glass cover, but I have not ordered one to see it it will fit the spot. I did find this one on this web site and I have never followed through with it yet due to the fact I have a "pretty good pair". Check this out: http://globrite.com/car_light_truck/ld_part.cfm?part_id=7A9AC8B5-C272-4386-A3F4B3AA351398BF Its part number 9650 on the Glo-Brite web site. I can not tell if they are galss or plastic. Glass would be better for me. Let me know what you find out and how much they cost, because I do not see a price on the web site. I believe you are the perfect guy for the job.... Mike McKinney Caldwell, ID

I did the same thing. I sold my orginal gauges to Keven and went with modern gauges. I used the gauge plates from Doc's Custom and went with the white face Omega guages. This is how they fit and a tempory dash lay out. The Temp/Volt gauge has 4 LED lights for left, right, high beem & alt indicators or what ever you want. MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

Caldwell, ID -- 30 miles west of Boise, ID.

Hello everyone, I'm down to my last few parts that I need to locate to complete the project. I found a drivers side Sun Visor Arm yesterday and I though I might try on this web site to see if someone out there would have an avaliable Passenger side Sun Visor Am that they might part with. I have a 1953 B4B and I believe the anything in the 48-53 years will work. I realize they are dificult to locate, but someone in this group should have knowledge of at least one. Maybe? Does anyone know if any other Dodge cars, vans, buses or such used the same application of Visor Arm? Maybe something to get a wider selection of sources from... MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

Very nice. Is that firewall part made of the poly-plastic material that Quiet-Ride uses on the door pannels as well? I have a colored swatch of the material that Quiet-Ride send as a sample. I was wondering if the firewall is of the same poly-plastic material. MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

Jeff, thats what I told the guy at "Roberts" and he quickly corrected me and stated that the above mirror & bracket is the one for the 53 truck. I think he is wrong. Yes I would like to see your mirror mount. I have a mirror & mount that came with my truck but I do not believe it is the correct part. You can see below. Mike McKinney Caldwell, ID

Yes, I to am having trouble with the inside mirror and which is correct and such. The guy at "Roberts" indicated to me that this is the correct inside mirror and mounting bracket. The only problem is my truck does not seem to have any factory mounting holes to prove that statement. The first 3 below photos are of the mirror & bracket that "Roberts" sent me. The next 2 photos are of my head liner pannel of the 53 B4B. I can see how it might fit mounting on the flat part of the bottom of the head liner and that looks correct. Maybe the factory did not predrill the holes for a mirror and it was a dealer installed item only. I believe that some acessorys may have been installed in this way only. Can anyone out there confirrm this thought? I'm not concerned that much with being factroy correct, but I would like to get some what close if I have to spend the money. Anyone out there have any idea why those three holes are in the head liner of this truck? Or did some one just mount some there years ago and removed it later in the trucks poor beat up life. Mike McKinney Caldwell, ID

Thanks for the reply. The spring that Robert and Bernbaum have is for the earlier year truck (39-47) and will not fit the 1953 unfortuately. I also called Vintage power wagon as well and they seem to have the same spring, so I'm kind of stuck still looking. Get back to me if you hear anything as I would rather have new machined parts that old orginal versions if I can. Thanks, I will check ebay again as well. MMcKinney

I have a question to ask about the sun visors. Does anyone out there have a parts truck with a pair of them that they would mind selling to me. My truck came with no visors or mirrors inside or out, so I seem to be always looking for the elusive hard to find parts. I have been watching this thread for a very long time now hoping that member George C was going produce a pair from a copy of the orginal part. I was hopfully going to get in on that deal and all would be set. It does not seem like they are able to get that to work. I'm sure that it was not from the lack of trying. I was excited about the whole deal. I don't even care if I get the visor part I just need the left and right arms and I'll make visors if that helps. PM me if you have any information on both or either. Also, I'm short one other part and its that glove box spring, so if your in your parts truck I sure could use the spring as well. I usually have better luck finding parts with you guys that any where else I look. Thanks for any help. Oh yes I have a 53 B4B. I'm getting closer. Mike McKinney Caldwell, ID

So you want to cut your truck! You want to cut out the 8 inches out between the crossmember and the gas tank. What needs to happen is that you remove the gas tank hanger that you have now and, after the cut is made your gas tank will bolt to the two holes already in the factory crossmember. The gas tank hanger seems to be the area that engineers streched the frame from the 108 to the 116 inch size. If you look at the prints of the two frames (and you should) you can see where the frames differ. I had to do the same thing with my truck. My truck was such a mess when I got it. It came to me with a long bed truck frame and someone had mounted a short bed box on it. They extended the front of the box with 4 inches of steel plate on each side and then bolted on the front box side (the part just behind the cab). Then they drilled new holes and allowed the wheels to be out of center in the fenders by 4 inches to the rear. The wheels were slightly (4 inches) to the rear of the fender. I never really noticed it untill I started cleaning all the stuff out of the box and that the fenders did not fit over the wheels correctly. The fenders were kind of beat-up so it helped pull my eye away from seeing that this was not a short box truck like I wanted. Needless to say it was a lot more work to fix the thing, but not impossiable. You can kind of see in the first photo that the wheels are moved toword the back, and if you look very carfully just under the spare tire(just ahead of the stake box) you can see the steel plates that were attached to front of the box to make it longer. Someone just filled in the wood floor with plywood and you could hardly notice a thing. Plus it was full of pine needles, sticks, gargage and snow so I had no idea that the floor faked as well. The last restoration of the truck was a 15 or so years ago and the new paint became old along with the modification of the box. the only thang at tells you that ther is a problem is that the wheels are not fir correctly in the fender holes. The second photo shows the frame cut in half (one of my favoret photos) with the Dodge differential still on the springs. The 3rd photo is the frame welded, and the steel plates removed with the short box sitting on the frame not bolted to the frame. As you can see the fit is pretty good, but many more problems have come about since those days. Also, the gas tank fits between the the two crossmembers as it should on a 108 inch truck. The holes on the frame just needed a slight widening, but with a smaller bolt it would have fit with out modification. Since those days I have installeda Ford 9 differential and got the corrct running borads. The running boards were the most difficult to find and the one I found were not that great. So if you do this be prepaired to find running boards first, they are the hardest part to find. The last photo shows where I am today. You should notice the larger gap between the cab and the box than I would like and also that the wheels again are slightly tword the front of the fender. If you look at the rear wheels in the 3rd and 4th photos. The wheels look centered with the smaller tires and in the 4th photo the wheels are a bit a head of where they should be in my opinion. I can not slide the box ahead, because the correct running boards will not allow the fenders to move ahead. Since I just got this togeather not very long ago, I may be able to adjust some things between the bolt holes and box sides, but it will not be much more that a 1/4 inch or so I believe. Sorry to ramble so much, ....but if you really want to cut your frame be ready for more changes and some work. Also other truck people are not much help because your truck so modified from the factory specs. Good luck! You can contact me if you have more questions. I really can not stress enough how much you need to look at the frame prints. I may be incorrect on where to cut, but that is where I found it to be. My truck won't be perfect, but you might not be able to tell where things have been changed if you just walk by. MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

I am looking for the correct 1953 B4B inside rear view mirror and bracket. My truck came with the one in the photos below and I beleive it to be to from another type of Dodge car or truck. Does any one have a photo of what the correct one is suppose to look like. I have to buy one any way because this one is in rusty shape and I would rather spend money on the correct one then work on this one. The photo in Roberts Supply (page 26, T335 bracket & T353 mirror) states they are the correct part or a good reproduction of the orginal parts. I do not see a mounting hole for the mirror on to the bracket in the roberts photo. Of course Roberts says is the correct one and it will work fine, but he is there to sell stuff and make money. Anyone ever bought one from Roberts or knows where the best place to find one? MMcKinney Caldwell, ID

I really like what you have done here. Very impressive work! Also to add to your information, Vintagepowerwagon.com sells the individual gauges, but they have the black face and not the gray face as the 1953 B4B has. This overlay will allow a person to buy the replacement gauge and then look "near factoy correct" again for minimal cash. I believe the guages in the Power Wagon catalog will fit 51-53 gauge cluster. Has anyone tried these parts in the 47-50 or the 51-53 gauge clusters to see if they really fit correctly? I see in the Power Wagon catalog that the temperature guage can be converted to an electric gauge/sender for those of us who have changed from the orginal engines to make the install easier for other engines. Can you get the speedometer overlay going so the color between the gauges and the speedometer will look the same? This will tie in the both gauges and on one would ever notice. Again, very nice work and I'm ready for a set when you get the speedo overlay as well. Oh, one more thing. How are you going to handle the AMP gauge overlay? There are rivits holding the face plate on and the other face plates have screws. Also, the "pin stops" might be a chalenge as well.. let us know how you go about those situations too. MMcKinney Caldwell, ID