Charles Furman

Dave, Thanks for your input. The frontend fabrication is not 100% complete so this may already be accounted for in the plan, but we will certainly check it out. You know what they say, "measure twice, cut once". Thanks again. Charles

Because we had to place the cross member below the frame to get the stock ride height, we are adding gussets for additional strength. Here are a couple of pictures. One looks inward and one looks outward.

The front suspension and steering is getting close to being done and I will upload some pictures to the makeover album, but here is a quick look:

Today we test fitted the motor and transmission. I am sure it will be in and out many, many times over the next few months. It really went pretty well. At least, I am happy so far. I posted a few more in the 1949 Dodge B1B Woodie Makeover album.

48D, What are the details? (Please don't say go to Clements and follow the old Dodge trucks) My truck may not be ready for the year, but I promise I will make it to one of these BBQs. They really sound like fun and I would really enjoy meeting some of my vintage Mopar friends face to face. Charles

Jeff, I will be posting some pictures each week in the album on this site called 1949 Dodge B1B Woodie Makeover to document the progress. Here's the link: p15-d24.com/gallery/album/216-1949-dodge-b1b-woodie-makeover/ I am also looking for the best spot to post hundreds of pictures for those who really want to see all the technical details of how this project comes together. I plan to document everything for others who might want to know how certain things got done. Anyone have any suggestions about great places to post large numbers of pictures free? Charles

Hank, You're just up the road in Torrance, so once it's done maybe I can swing by on one of my trips north for you to look it over. Thanks again for being a part of this great group of Mopar guys. Charles

Hey Don, I guarantee I will stop by if I ever get close to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Thanks for your support over the years. Charles

48D ..... The engine is a brand new crate motor from Chrysler, but it is based on the earlier version that does not have the Multi-Displacement System (MDS). The MDS can shut off two cylinders on each bank under light load which is simply too exotic for me. Basically, it's the 2005 version.

Thanks for your comments guys, I appreciate all the dialogue here, both pro and con. Hank raises some important questions that were part of the research and soul searching I went through over the past 6-9 months while planning this project. They are questions that everyone should think through and, yes I did explore a 426 street hemi during that process. Hank, I am a California surfer dude just like you. I bought my 1st car in 1963 while I was in high school to haul my surfboards to Santa Cruz, CA. It was a 1949 Plymouth woodie. Since you were kind enough to throw out some objections you have to my project, I will share with you why I am going this way. I'll put my comments along side yours in red. First off it’s a Heritage vehicle and I’d bet if it was brought into original shape it would cost you far less in time and money and would sell for far more at Barrett Jackson with the original flathead. My response here will probably make you think I am dumber than I already appear. I bought this woodie in 2001 and it was in very rough condition. Over the next 5 years my son and I took apart every nut and bolt and every piece of wood. When we put it back together everything was either NOS, rebuilt, or fully restored to original stock condition. The fact that my son and I spent so many hours together working on this woodie is one of the reasons I won't ever sell it. Next up is just what are your skill levels. If you are a pro and an expert welder then you are not going to be challenged boxing in the frame, cutting the firewall, welding the supports and gussets to make the suspension and steering changes. Of course you are an expert when it comes to electrical, or you have a friend that is. One thing about me is that I won't do anything if it isn't going to be done right. I do what I can, but I find experts to do what I can't. In this case, I did all of the disassembly myself rather than pay someone to do it for me. I am, however, having experts install the running gear and strenghten the frame. You may be surprised to know that a 5.7L Hemi fits in a pilothouse truck without having to move the radiator forward or cut the fire wall, in fact, you don't even have to cut the inner fenders. Next “How deep are your pockets” , but don’t answer that as it’s an embarrassing question to ask. Here in California I see lots of drool-over vehicles. Pickups with air cushion suspension that look like a cross country ride might compare with a German import. But these trucks have 40k upward to 100k plus invested. I'm not embarassed. The budget I worked up comes in at a little over $30k and I think i'll stay below $40k even with the usual surprises. Remember, I'm doing as much of the work as I can myself. Here’s a quote to consider from a member that installed a 5.7 Hemi (it's for sale). “In retrospect, I should have just rebuilt the original motor it would have been a lot easier than what I wound up doing. See my note above - I already went the original way, so I will be looking back from a much different perspective. Personally I’d love to have your Woodie but from owning my 51 B3B pickup for some 30+ years and seeing how others have approached their project this is what I would do.Start from the frame up, determine if the original engine is a good candidate for rebuilding or pay $1,000 for a block with little wear from Vintage Power Wagons ($750 + shipping) Rebuild/or recondition all components yourself ($500) or farm them out (make sure you stamp identification marks to assure you are getting “your” components back and not just an exchange unit. I already did this the 1st time around. Do upgrade and replace the 4.11 differential to a Cherokee 3.73 or 3.53 (or something close ) rear axle with disc brakes and either keep the existing axle and add a disc brake conversion kit. (Like Jeff Balazs did) I changed the rear axle to a 3.73 and added a disk brake conversion kit the 1st time around. Make the change to a T5 transmission like John T-53 did. I could throw out a bunch of figures of money and time but I don’t know how much you are going to do and how much you’ll farm out. I have a really good idea of what everything is going to cost in terms of time and money. Would I like to see a first class show quality all Mopar 5.7 liter Hemi Woodie ? Sure. I am not doing this to show the woodie off, I am doing it for two reasons: I want to drive the woodie on a daily basis both locally and on trips across the country, and 2) at 67 years old, I want my wife to feel comfortable sharing the driving with me on long trips. Would I be impressed with a Big Hemi in a frame and body that appears make shift ? Not ! Trust me, this will not look make shift, however, I will wait for your opinion when it is done. Would I like to see a rebuilt flathead in a truck that was a work in progress where everything was being taken care of eventually according to plan and budget ? That wouldn’t bother me a bit. If you had seen this truck during the 2001-2005 period, that is exactly what you would have seen. It’s your truck, It’s your call and I wish you all the best, In summary, I have driven this truck in it's stock form for many years. I have modified it here and there for safety and comfort. I added disk brakes, and changed the rear end to a high gear ratio. Since the truck has so much of my son and me in it, I won't sell it, so I am simply making more modifications for safety and comfort. At the end of the day, i'll have a truck I can drive anywhere, any time for much less money than it would cost to buy a new SUV. If I really get the itch to cruise around in a vintage Dodge truck, I still have an original bone stock 1948 Dodge B1B108 4x4 woodie. Hank, please don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate everything you had to say and I am glad you said it. I struggled long and hard over those very issues. Charles

I just started a new album to document the upgrade of my 1949 Dodge B1B108 woodie. The album is 1949 Dodge B1B Woodie Makeover. I have been researching and planning this project for over 6 months. This project will transform my woodie from stock to modern running gear and features. My objective is to retain much of the original look of the stock truck both inside and out, in fact, the only thing that will give away the upgrade will be the dual exhaust, no clutch pedal, and slightly wider tires. Here is what is going in: 5.7L 345hp Chrysler Hemi engine with custom headers, 5-speed automatic overdrive transmission, positraction rear-end, 4 wheel power disk brakes, independent front suspension, power rack and pinion steering, air conditioning/heater, sound system, super quiet dual exhaust, rebuilt stock wheels (16x7), 24 gallon gas tank, and trailer hitch receiver & 6 wire plug. I may have questions and needs as I move forward, so thanks in advance for your assistance. Charles