1949 Dodge B1B Woodie Makeover

[Charles Furman]

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

[HanksB3B]

Charles,

 

What you have is a true treasure especially for me a California surfer dude.  At the time of writing this your post has 53 views and no replies.  It  kind of makes you wonder doesn’t it , but I understand.  Most of the guys (with a few exceptions) follow the rule “If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything”.  While in theory I understand the thrill of a big mill, in practice I think you are/should be aware of what you are challenging yourself with so if you don’t mind I’d like to throw out some objections I have to your project and see what you come back with.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

• 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.
  • 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)
  • 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.  Would I like to see a first class show quality all Mopar 5.7 liter Hemi Woodie ? Sure.  Would I be impressed with a Big Hemi in a frame and body that appears make shift ? Not ! 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.

 

It’s your truck, It’s your call and I wish you all the best,

 

Hank   

 

One of my favorite trucks

Edited February 3, 2014 by HanksB3B

[48Dodger]

I remember you talking about the late 60's 426 Hemi a while back when you were researching this build Charles. I remember bringing up the modern Hemi instead of the 426......glad to see a 5.7 since I know you want to drive it everyday if you can.  What year is the 5.7? 2002-05 are a bit different then 06-up....just curious.

 

You still have the Blue Woodie as your avatar...is that a tribute since it helped in re-imagining the red one?? 

 

48D    

[Dave72dt]

I like the list of proposed changes. It should make for a very comfortable cruiser. I wouldn't mind that combo in almost anything.

[Charles Furman]

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

[Frank Elder]

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

What a gentleman.....you too Hank.

[Barry Maxwell]

What a gentleman.....you too Hank.

Amen!!

[Don Coatney]

Charles;

Good to hear from you. I recall the trials and tribulations you went through several years back when you initially built this truck. I think the upgrades you have planned will give you the vehicle you are looking for. I hope some day to take a few pictures of your truck in my driveway.

[Dodgeb4ya]

I'd link to Jay Leno on a modern drive train. He's got quality upgrade drive train answers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHTwpiojzKY

Edited February 4, 2014 by Dodgeb4ya

[HanksB3B]

Charles,

 

From everything you said I have a good feeling that you and your son's truck is going to work out just great. I know it's going to be one of my favorites. 

 

Hank   

 

Thanks for the kind comments Frank and Barry

[Charles Furman]

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.

[Charles Furman]

Hey Don,

 

I guarantee I will stop by if I ever get close to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

 

Thanks for your support over the years.

 

Charles

[Charles Furman]

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

[48Dodger]

Don't forget to drive up to Clements for the BBQ April 5th.....Your ride will be well recieved!

 

My truck is a 2006 and has the MDS...which was why I was asking. Its a seamless transfer of power, never even notice it.

But absolutely nothing wrong with the '05 version, I just wanted to say we had the same motor..lol.

 

48D   

[Jeff Balazs]

Charles;

Should be a very interesting project. If possible please post photos of the fabrication process as it develops.

Thanks and hope it all goes well.

 

Jeff

[HanksB3B]

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

 

Charles that would be great ! Down at the beach people would go nuts if they saw it. I was talking to Tim about the BBQ and he filled me in on all the details of you having two Woodies and selling one (wow!). Now I remember.

 

Hank 

[Charles Furman]

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

[Don Coatney]

 

 

Anyone have any suggestions about great places to post large numbers of pictures free?

 

Charles

Talk to GTK, you may be able to do it on this site.

[HanksB3B]

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

 

Isn't PhotoBucket free, or did I just get in on the ground floor when it first started. I think I have a unlimited space.

 

Hank   

[Don Coatney]

Isn't PhotoBucket free, or did I just get in on the ground floor when it first started. I think I have a unlimited space.

 

Hank   

I believe there are restrictions on bandwidth when using the free edition of Photobucket. I use the paid version and I have no restrictions. I currently have 5067 photos stored in my bucket account.

[Jeff Balazs]

Thank you Charles. I will look forward to following your progress.

 

For what it is worth I like the idea of making these trucks truly usable. I am sure you really did some soul searching on this. We all know the woodies are extremely rare. Now if you were doing something silly like chopping the top ......or some other form of butchery then I probably wouldn't be to into this. But as it is it sounds like you are going about this very respectfully. Hope to see it in person some day.

 

I make my living doing custom woodwork. I have seen a whole lot of woodies over the years too......even worked on a couple of fairly rare Buick's years ago. I am not just saying this because I am a Pilothouse guy..........but what you have is very special. I am sure you know that. You obviously have a great deal of emotional connection with this truck.

 

Jeff

[Charles Furman]

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.

[Dan Babb]

Awesome looking project.

 

If I were doing another one, I would go the direction you are with it.  The modern EFI and better front suspension will be great and and make the truck a lot more fun to drive.  

[1952B3b23]

Hey Charles,

I really like the plans you have for your project it's going to be awesome. I'm a huge fan of custom cars, especially hot rods and modified classic trucks. I think it's a great way to stand out from the crowd and make your ride your own. The factory built it one way, why not make it yours. I think unless you're modifying something that has a ton of value in stock condition then why not. Any who that's just my two cents. Great build and post up some pics of the progress if you can.

-Chris

[RodFru2u]

Great looking project Charles, Can't wait to see it on the road  and in the wind