1948 Dodge B-1-C Very Amateur Restoration Update

[Ralph Pearce]

Hi all,

 

     This is just a brief update to the restoration of a B-1-C (3/4 ton) truck that I purchased last June.  Most of the work occurs on Mondays for 4-6 hours when my dad makes the drive from Santa Cruz to San Jose to work on the truck with me.  He's never owned a truck, but gets a kick out of helping me with it.  One of our primary tasks has been to completely replace the brake system (will likely convert to disc down the road), and we finally got them bled well and working.  We're now focusing our attention on the bed, need to completely replace wood and hardware (angle strips, etc.), weld a few bad spots, little fender work, positioned on frame, etc.  Have found threads and info. from MAR-K very helpful.  Also cleaning up the cab (Keven provided restored instruments) and will eventually reinstall the cleaned-up gas tank and rebuilt carb (yes, I replaced all gas lines, fuel pump, etc.). 

 

     No real questions at this point, though I always pay attention to any thoughts or suggestions with thanks.  I was originally hoping to have the truck ready for the upcoming bbq (a short drive from San Jose).  It turns out that there was more to the job than I realized, and while it's not nearly a nice a restoration as some of you guys have done (are doing), it's still taking a while.

 

 

[Todd B]

looks pretty nice to me, welcome

[ruff1148kr]

I think your doing a great job    miles ahead of me

[RodFru2u]

Great Looking Truck, Take your time and do it right the first time. Enjoy the time working with your Dad, It's a GREAT  Father/Son hobby & project.

[B1B Keven]

More pics!! Are you coming to the BBQ?

[Jim Shepard]

I think you're close enough to make it to the BBQ...

[Ralph Pearce]

Thanks guys.  My dad and I'll be there for sure, hopefully with the truck next year. 

[Ralph Pearce]

So my dad's been trying to get me to use oak for the bed (appears it was original in the 48's).  When I went out to our local lumber yard to price it out, their fancy prices got me to thinking that clear pine would be just fine.  My dad was still keen on oak, so I checked with a woodworking friend and he suggested a smaller outlet hidden away in a light industrial area.  I went out today just to take a look.  They don't have nearly the selection, but I found what I needed and decided I better grab them before someone else did.  I had to unstack and restack a large pile of 8' planks to get the widths I needed (most weren't wide enough), but I wound up with some nice red oak planks for $180, $70 less than I'd have to pay for clear pine at the other place. 

 

You can see that I've got a ways to go on the bed.  Still needs some grinding, welding, new angle iron, and general clean-up besides the bed installation.

 

 

 

 

[Dave72dt]

Your box looks a lot straighter than mine did and the tailgate looks bunches better than mine is.  I believe the tow outside boards on that wide box are wider than the rest and the original board material I think was yellow pine, painted black.  I don't think I'd paint boards that nice black though.  I did a truck for a guy that wanted a weathered look on his new boards so I applied a weathered gray stain to them.  Somewhat "faux patina'd" them, and they did look nice against a satin black.

[HanksB3B]

Your truck is coming along nicely. The bed takes more work than you think....mine was a basket case

 

Horkey Wood and Parts to the rescue..

 

Keep at it !

 

Hank 

[ggdad1951]

I used White oak on my bed....somewhere on here I did a whole thread on rebuilding the wood part of the bed

 

here it is:

 

http://p15-d24.com/topic/30202-building-your-own-wood-bed/?hl=%2Bbuilding+%2Bwood+%2Bbed

Edited March 31, 2014 by ggdad1951

[pflaming]

OR you can get a good 8'x4'x 3/4" marine plywood sheet. Finish it as you wish, slide it into place and bolt it down with the shovel strips. No one but you will ever know. You'll save yourself a LOT of TIME and $$$$$$$$$$. 

 

I did that and stained my near black. No one has ever commented one way or the other. 

[desoto1939]

ALso I think the boards were a ruff cut and not a smooth finished style like everyone is putting into the beds.

 

i do know that AACA is no longer accepting the trucks with the smooth highlky finished oak beds.  They are now taking off major points for this. They have determined that most of the beds were painted black with ruff cut boards.

 

ANy thruck that has been previously judged is now grandfatered but newer trucks that have not been previously judged fall under the newer rules.

 

Rich HArtung

desoto1939@aol.com

[ggdad1951]

ALso I think the boards were a ruff cut and not a smooth finished style like everyone is putting into the beds.

 

i do know that AACA is no longer accepting the trucks with the smooth highlky finished oak beds.  They are now taking off major points for this. They have determined that most of the beds were painted black with ruff cut boards.

 

ANy thruck that has been previously judged is now grandfatered but newer trucks that have not been previously judged fall under the newer rules.

 

Rich HArtung

desoto1939@aol.com

yes all original beds were rough cut.

[Jim Shepard]

I decided to stay "stock" on my bed also.  While I like the furniture finish on custom trucks, the original black was just fine with me.  I went with Horkey's kit, which is white oak.  I finished the boards with four coats of Cabot's black deck stain (sanded between coats) and three coats of Spar varnish (also sanded between coats).  It's been almost ten years now and the bed looks great (but it is garage-kept).