Why a Dodge/Fargo Truck....

[48Dodger]

For me....I was racing late sixies Mopar muscle when my wife pointed out an old truck by the side of the road. Never gave it much thought, til I stopped to take a closer look. I didn't realize it was a 1948 Dodge...ok...game on, I bought it. My wife passed in 2004, and in time, I began to embrace the old truck. I met Jim Shepard in 2007, followed by Bob Koch and Reg Evans. By 2010 I was racing a 50 truck in Bonneville, filling my place with wayward trucks, and inviting members to my house for a BBQ.......

My truck story only goes back to 2001.....but, for me, a profound one.

So I'm asking:

How did y'all decide it was a Dodge or Fargo, and...

When you found out it was a lonely road in the after market, why did you continue????

48D

to make it interesting, I added a poll

Edited December 23, 2011 by 48dodger

[Don Coatney]

You got sompin against Plymouth trucks?

[48Dodger]

lol...awe crap.....sorry.

48D

[ggdad1951]

mine is simple:

my great grand father's truck, then my father's and I learned to drive in the truck. Can't back away from that history, and honestly, being different will be nice vs. being one of the ferd/cheby crowd.

[B1B Keven]

My Grandfather sold Dodges new in the late '40's and '50's. Growing up that's all my Dads side of the family drove. I wanted an old Dodge after seeing all the family pics. That's why I bought my "49.

[Desotodav]

I stumbled across my 52 Desoto in a mate's shed and ended up buying it a couple of days later. The odd look and shape of the truck is what appealed to me the most. I was also drawn to the truck as it was not a Ford or a Chev - but then again it's not a Dodge or Fargo either! 6 years down the track and I think it looks alright. I had 7 trucks recently, but I'm down to 4 now. What started as a hobby is now a habit!!!

Desotodav

[JBNeal]

my '48 was bought new by my great grandfather, its first 20 years were as a farm truck, Dad drove it to college after high school, did some more farming before a stuck ring retired it to the side of the old barn for 10 years before I started tinkering with it in junior high, couldn't scrape up enough $$$ until after college to get it running again...since I'm so hard-headed, I figgered after I got started that I was going to finish, even if it was going to be more expensive than them other more popular brands...plus the uniqueness made me want to keep on plugging away, as bragging rights to hard work & ingenuity rather than ordering something in a catalog or picking up a part at AutoZone.

[41/53dodges]

I was rompin around in the woods and saw something shiny about 100' off the trail, turned out to be what is now my 41' flatbed. ironically, i didnt actually get it till after i got the 53',but i always called it mine.

[TheMoose]

In the mid 60's my Dad & me took a '53 B4B 5 window & dropped in a 273 V8 out of a Baracuda, with a Plymouth station wagon push button automatic trans & rear end, it was the family truck till my Dad bought a new Dodge Adventurer pickup in 1969 (still have that truck too) & the 53 was sold.

In '75 I turned 16 & tracked down that truck for my first vehicle.

I'd like to find that old '53 again but that truck is long gone.

But I do have my shiney "new" '53.

[70rtse440]

My son and I went to check out a old junk yard. While walking we spotted a 51 B3C. We checked it out, told my son cool old truck. Well on my 50th. birthday my son rolls up with the cool old truck.

[3dodgedoobie]

Well always been mopar. Just the look of the cars and trucks just always caught my eye. I tore down and rebuilt Dakota. Always had something to trade on mostly gm products. Had 85 ram with built 360. Out run 5.0 stangs alot. She was mean. But she got sold. Made double my money. But right down the road sat an old 49 dodge truck. Always loved that truck. Always kept an eye out for one to buy. But never happened at right time. Until I found a chevy guy that got my current 52 he was wanting something different seen parts was easy to find in aftermarket world like chebys. Wanted old chevy to build. So I helped him out.

Of course my wife said I traded around to much. Since me and her been together I had a total of 26 in 3 yrs. Before we got together the number if things I traded on was up to 82. She says I will trade this one off. Im out to prove her wrong.

[Merle Coggins]

I've always been a Mopar fan. My family always had some type of Chrysler of Dodge vehicle as I was growing up. One day a friend gave me a 360 out of a '75 Dodge 4WD truck that he scrapped out. I was sort of looking for a project to put it into and stumbled across a B-2-B for sale along side the road one day. It caught my attention enough that I turned around to go look at it. It was advertised as a '50 that ran good for $1200, but it was so rusty I wasn't sure what was holding it together. I took a pass on that truck but it peaked my interest, so I began my research. I soon found the DPETCA site and this forum in it's previous version and learned that the truck was indeed a '51, but no matter, I was hooked. I finally found my truck on ebay out of the Cedar Rapids, IA area. I ultimately decided to keep the flat head engine and sold the 360. I don't regret it. I love my truck.

Merle

[Plymouthy Adams]

My son and I went to check out a old junk yard. While walking we spotted a 51 B3C. We checked it out, told my son cool old truck. Well on my 50th. birthday my son rolls up with the cool old truck.

excellent...I love it..

[Jeff Balazs]

Hi Guy's

I suspect my reasoning on this choice is probably different from most on this forum. For me it was simply the most bang for the buck. I had been looking for a old truck for a while but I will be honest I was thinking C---Y .......

One thing I noticed early on is that they were either fairly trashed and hence affordable or built and expensive......same for F--D's and they don't do it for me anyway. I was trying to keep an open mind on this subject and even looked at Willys and a few Studes and Internationals. They seem to not be that rare in SoCal. Then I came across an ad for a Dodge.

Now I have never owned anything by Mopar and I am not even sure I had seen one of these trucks before about a month ago.....but I starting looking closer. It wasn't that I had anything against them....I just never had one.

But I found this group and did some reading. At first I will admit that the parts availability issues had me a bit concerned but as I read on it seemed doable. The first couple of trucks I looked at were OK..interesting at the least.....but a few too many issues and a little too rough.

Then I found this one and it all made sense. Especially when I considered that it was a lot less money than the ratty old C----Y's I had looked at. The body condition alone was really all it took. I made my mind up thinking "who cares if it might need a whole drive train". And that has already changed. As I delve into it it appears to be in remarkably good condition......and I really like the overall build quality. It has all the charm of the other trucks from this Era and then some. Can't wait to get it running.

Jeff

[Dave72dt]

I'd seen mine on the road several years before I ended up with it. It stood out because the bed was black and the cab wasn't. Didn't see it for a few years, then showed up in a farmers' salvage area, much the worse for wear but it had those rear quarter windows that made it unique compared to everything else in the area. Didn't matter if it was Ford, Chevy or Dodge, I wanted on old truck and the windows sealed the deal.

[Bobacuda]

I learned to drive in our '51 1/2 ton farm truck. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter and always noisy...I was hooked. I could never get my uncle to agree to sell me the farm truck (but he did sell it to someone else). So, I drove old Plymouth cars and kept looking.

An older man that used to drive school buses in my hometown had a '53 1/2 ton with corner windows, fluid drive, long wheelbase and overload springs. He took the bed off to paint it with a brush, but his emphasema kept him from finishing the job, or putting the truck back together. I tried to buy it and he ran me off. I went in Navy, but I kept looking. About two months before I got out of the Navy, my folks called and told me the old man passed away and that they would let me have the truck for $100 (back in '75).

The truck was bought from a dealer in my hometown (pop. less than 750 back in '53 - dealer has been gone for years) and had never been further than 100 miles from home (until I bought it). I still have the truck and I am in the process of rebuilding it.

[sniggle_t]

My father had a '49 B-1-B when I was growing up. We used it on the farm for years. He parked it in the back when it got really rough and my cousins and I "worked" on it. Of course, as 10-14 year olds we did more damage than good. When I was in my 20's I brought it to my shop and tore it down in hopes of building a rod out of it. I had the cab on some 55 gallon drums just inside the door. A friend was pulling up to the shop and his brakes went out. He crashed into the cab and pretty much destroyed it. Well, I kept the tags and the rest went to the crusher. (it was very rusty so don't hate me)

About a year ago I was searching ebay and stumbled across a '51 B-3_D that looked like a good project. I talked to the owner and he also had a '48 cab in really good condition. I purchased it with the idea of selling the '51 for a bit more than I paid to cover the purchase price of the '48 cab and then save the cab for a future project. Well, I fell in love with the '51 so here it sits till I can afford to do more with it. Hoping to restore it as nicely as ggdad1951 is restoring his.

[1955 plymouth]

you guys did it to me...I learned it from watching you alright...

Edited December 26, 2011 by 1955 plymouth

[pflaming]

A friend and I were just above Madera, CA looking at two small lakes for possible fishing sites. On the drive home we took a route that took us into Madera from the north. This truck was on the side of the road, been there for 17 years. I noted it was solid so out of curiosity we went back and looked at it. I bought it for $250 and $50 to get my friend to help me haul it home. I was going to put it on my wealthy bro's drive way for christmas but my friend said, 'Let him buy his own, fix it up for yourself'.

So I am. I am a complete novice but with this forum I am learning. Been ill but now back on my feet so maybe get it on the road this spring.

Thanks to all for your patience with me.

Happy New Year to all!

Question: Any guess why the 48 and 52's are the most selected?

Edited October 1, 2017 by pflaming

[Dave72dt]

'48 might be because it was the model changeover year. Any idea why there were so many green ones produced? Seemed to me about 50% of the trucks here on the forum were green to start with butthat may be just my imagination.

[Don Coatney]

Any idea why there were so many green ones produced?

Color of MONEY:p

[pflaming]

If memory serves me correct prior to 48 the color choices were dark green, dark blue, dark red. So maybe most just kept what they had and the green was the closest to their John Deeres!!!

[Young Ed]

41-47s had red orange blue black grey and green. There were 2 different blues during the run and I think the orange was discontinued after the war.

[Young Ed]

You got sompin against Plymouth trucks?

That is a sorry excuse for a plymouth truck. This is a plymouth truck. And the one in the picture is what lead me to want a truck. Dad and I got this one when I was about 16 and started working on it at the cabin. Five years later when it he asked me what I would want for my first old vehicle a truck is what I said. Couple months later he bought me my 46 dodge 1/2 ton.

[48Dodger]

ED, Jerry, and all the my other Plymouth truck buddies....soooooo sorry I didn't put Plymouth in the poll. My bad.

48Duh.......