Jeff Balazs

Oh Dude you crack me up. I got one truck...one dog.....and no zerk covers. I think it is going to stay that way. Jeff

this from a guy who has chopped up about a dozen cabs just to make a big mutated Pilothouse? Shudder shudder and perish the thought! Even I wouldn't do that. I think I would be happy with a plain rubber grommet type cover. Jeff

Thanks. Is it flat? or does it have a bit of a dome to it? I will have to keep an eye out for something....I'd bet originals are rare. jeff

Is that zerk cover metal? I have never actually seen what is supposed to be there. I have been looking for a nice rubber grommet to go there. Jeff

I used Steele for every thing but the doors. It was ok but should have been better for the price they charge. If you have vent windows in your doors Roberts has the seal that fits perfect on them. I could not get over how well it fit. Jeff

Don; You are right. I am just giving him a hard time because of how he reacts to a few little blemishes. The over finished trucks I am really talking about are very prevalent at the auctions these days. To me some of them are so absurd they beggar belief. Jeff

Todd; I think he can defend himself. And I don't think what he did with FEF is bad or wrong. It is just a little precious...... I am just guessing but I'd bet GG would want to see it used.

If you notice I used the term preserve in the title. That is because I think some of us are just as interested in keeping some of our trucks past as we are in having a nice truck. And it is possible to have both. It doesn't have to be ratty or failing apart to retain some evidence of it's past. I mentioned in my first post that I walk right by over finished trucks. And that is about 99% true. I literally shudder when I see flawless body work and outrageous paint on an old truck. And when I see gleaming chrome and highly polished wood in the bed that has never get's anything more abrasive that a blanket in it I just have to walk away. These trucks have had all evidence of their past life wiped clean. It seems extremely unnatural to me and is just the opposite of what a truck is supposed to be. Now some may say I am extreme in how I feel about this but I believe our truck were meant to be put to work. If during the course of this they get scratched or scuffed so what. That is part of every day life. And it is no big deal. I get cuts and scrapes every week. Certainly the keeping up with traffic and related safety issues need to be considered when using one of these old trucks. And there are a lot of different views on this. This ranges from staying 100% stock to putting the body on a modern chassis. I find myself looking at ways to retain as much of the original design while implementing some "evolution of the species" updates. To me this seems a natural response to the demands of daily use in my local traffic conditions. I don't think some modifications are out of place for a 60 year old truck that is being used more or less as it was intended to be. Jeff

Some of us started discussing this on another thread that got way off topic quickly. So here is a thread just for the discussion of this topic. Hopefully it will allow for the exchange of ideas that will help "preserve" these great old trucks for posterity. I am a Truck only guy. And I believe they should be used pretty much as they were intended to be when they were built. That goes for all trucks but to me I think it is particularly true of old Dodges. The vast majority of these trucks were purchased by people who really used them. And not just to haul groceries. Here in SoCal you can see tons of old trucks in varying build levels. A large percentage of them are so over finished that I doubt they ever get used as a truck. Now it should not surprise you to know that most of these trucks are either GM or Ferd products. Rarely do you see a old Dodge......and when you do most of the time it is pretty well worn. To me that is a statement or endorsement in itself. Like maybe it is as it should be. I can only speak for myself but when I take the time to look at another old truck it is only the the ones that show some evidence of actual use. When I see over "restored" trucks I walk right on by. Maybe it is just me but I just don't get it. Why have a 60 year old truck that doesn't have any of it's past history preserved? And by this I mean to say It doesn't have to be rusty or rotting......it just needs to show some evidence of 60 years of use. So that is my take on this. I am sure there are other views. Jeff

So as far as this engine goes as a candidate for rebuild is there any particular differences between it and my 54 T342 engine I should be aware of? I know the oil pan will need to be swapped. Is there any other significant differences? I will most likely add split exhaust and better carburation. Probably raise the compression slightly too. It is my intention to keep all the bolt on stuff matched so it can be transferred to the spare engine when the time comes. I had as part of my original plan always thought I would get a spare engine and rebuild it. Then the one I pull out could be reconditioned as a spare and swapped bak in when needed. I am not a collector but I will keep this truck and use it daily until I keel over. So a spare engine is a good back up to keep it on the road for the duration. Jeff

We have gone way off topic here. Maybe we should start another thread? Apologies to the OP. Jeff

If you say so..........when I look at these all I see are old work trucks. Jeff

Thank you that helps. Jeff

It would if it were nearby. I was hoping to save a 3 or 4 hour trip if someone here knew what the transmission was by the photo. Or maybe the housings look the same for a torqueflite versus a powerflite ? As I said I know very little about these. Jeff

Can you tell from these photos if that transmission has any chance of being a 3 speed torqueflite ? It doesn't seem likely.......but what do I know. Jeff

No worries... He can throw those silly darts at me if he wants to. I won't even be offended. Jeff I don't (and can't) own anything without a scratch or some sort of damage. Never have...never will.

Here are a few images of what the seller has. Jeff

That is called being real. It is a truck after all........and should show signs of use and maintenance. That is normal.........and at sixty plus years it needs to be there even if it has been "restored". When I see old trucks without this sort of wear and tear I never even give them a second look. An old truck should never be immaculate.......that is just wrong. Shows a lack of character and looks abby-normal. Jeff

Thanks Ed; I really don't know much about the mopar cars of this period hence the question. The transmission he has for it does have the parking brake tail piece. Did any of the later 3 speeds have this? The engine by itself looks to be a good deal ......has all it's stuff and if it turns freely I may go get it. Not a rust bucket like some I have seen. Not sure if the transmission is of any use in a truck but if it were a 3 speed model I might consider looking more closely at a swap in. Jeff

The seller say's this is a 3 speed automatic. Is this possible given the vintage? Jeff

Hey Guys; There is a Plymouth engine I may look at picking up to rebuild for use in my truck. Serial # P26 191993 What can you tell me about this as a candidate. I assume it is a 230......made in 1955. It is complete and looks in decent shape. Comes with an automatic transmission which I have been told is a 3 speed? It does have the parking brake at the back of the housing. I am not at all familiar with these trannies. Thanks, Jeff

There could be an issue with how much fluid the Jeep dual M/C moves. It is designed for use more modern brakes with 3/16" brake lines. Some models are specifically designed for 4 wheel discs. As already mentioned brakes are nothing to be rushed. They need to be well sorted before any serious driving. There is a lot that can go wrong during the process of reviving the system on one of these old trucks. Jeff

You are quite correct......there isn't a lot of stuff like this out there for us old Dodge truck guy's. What ever we do on a braking upgrade we have to consider that it needs to be done with the utmost of care as it won't have had the development time spent on it that upgrades for more modern vehicles generally get. Jeff

I have seen a few videos like this. They don't really prove anything. When you do a conversion on an older vehicle you need to be able to "balance" the braking system to the vehicle. By that I am saying that it all needs to be adjusted to the particular load and suspension it has to work with. Otherwise along with quick stops you might get a few other nasty surprises during panic braking. I have thought about adding power braking to my 52 B-3-C. I already have 4 wheel disc brakes and a dual reservoir M/C. At first I thought it might be nice to have less pedal effort. But now that I have had a chance to get used to driving the truck I am not so sure it would be of any real benefit. I think that at the very least one would have to readjust the proportioning and do a fair amount of testing to make certain the vehicle was capable of going into a panic stop with out getting squirrelly or trying to swap ends. I guess what I am trying to say is that updating the braking system has a lot more to it than just buying a kit. Jeff

Also I believe it is possible that the oil pump may not be indexed as it was before the rebuild ..... and that can affect the position of the rotor position inside the distributor. Jeff