Tim G Posted June 22, 2014 Report Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) Hi, I just had my 1952(?) Dodge Route Van arrive in the UK all the way from Eureka, Montana. It has plenty of rust and missing parts but also a massive amount of nice original patina and sign writing. I plan to get the rot issues sorted and get it back on the road, I will preserve the original paint just as it is. The Engine, Gearbox and diff is missing so i will probably look for an alternative running gear as finding the correct parts in the UK will prove pretty much impossible. First job i want to do apart from the bodywork is the brakes, I think they are mostly complete I will get the shoes relined and i would like to rebuild the cylinders with seal kits if they are good enough but i noticed one rear cylinder is completely missing. Can anyone tell me if these cylinders are the same as any other trucks of the same period? I know specific Route van spares are very hard to obtain. One other part i know i wont be able to buy off the shelf but i'm hoping to buy them for another vehicle and cut/join them so they will work is the window rubbers, is there anywhere online i can see the profile of the windshield rubbers again for Dodge trucks of the same period? model code is: B-3-DUF11 Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide Here are a few photos... As the van was found in a wood where it had obviously sat for a good many years... The day after i picked it up from the docks... After cleaning and waxing a large area, i just love old patina like this! Edited June 22, 2014 by Tim G 2 Quote
Tim G Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Posted June 22, 2014 Sorry, i have just realised i have posted this in the wrong section, can an admin move it for me please? Thanks! Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 23, 2014 Report Posted June 23, 2014 Hi Tim and welcome to the group. Very cool truck! As I am sure you are aware you have something fairly special in that route van. I don't know too much about them but I do know that the IRS rear axle in them is unique to this model. Just a suggestion but you may want to hold off on the working on the brakes until you determine what you are going to do for a drive train. Not sure what all you have for reference material but Don Bunn's Dodge B-Series Trucks book has some decent info and pictures of them. Also there are a few Route Van owners here who may be able to answer some of your more specific questions. Hope this helps a bit. Jeff Quote
ggdad1951 Posted June 23, 2014 Report Posted June 23, 2014 Welcome! I look forward to your project! Quote
pflaming Posted June 23, 2014 Report Posted June 23, 2014 AN ORIGINAL PATINA ENTHUSIAST, I'M NOT ALONE! THERE IS HOPE! WHAT A FIND, LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING YOU BRING LIFE BACK TO A VERY DIFFERENT VEHICLE. You just made my day! PP: AKA PATINA PAUL AKA pflaming, california, usa! Eat your heart out PA! Quote
Mark D Posted June 23, 2014 Report Posted June 23, 2014 Nice van! Would make a great Camper for long road trips. Quote
greg g Posted June 23, 2014 Report Posted June 23, 2014 If you want to make long road trips at 45 mph. I believe these are geared pretty high like 4.56 to 1 or something line that. Differential gear changes might be appropriate if you are not planning on getting near the load weight limit. Good luck with your Van, would guess they are few and far between in GB. Quote
Tim G Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Posted June 23, 2014 Hi Tim and welcome to the group. Very cool truck! As I am sure you are aware you have something fairly special in that route van. I don't know too much about them but I do know that the IRS rear axle in them is unique to this model. Just a suggestion but you may want to hold off on the working on the brakes until you determine what you are going to do for a drive train. Not sure what all you have for reference material but Don Bunn's Dodge B-Series Trucks book has some decent info and pictures of them. Also there are a few Route Van owners here who may be able to answer some of your more specific questions. Hope this helps a bit. Jeff Thanks Jeff, Yeah I am looking at using a fixed diff so will hopefully use the original brakes/rear beam etc and have some driveshafts made. Welcome! I look forward to your project! Thanks, I will try and keep it well updated... AN ORIGINAL PATINA ENTHUSIAST, I'M NOT ALONE! THERE IS HOPE! WHAT A FIND, LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING YOU BRING LIFE BACK TO A VERY DIFFERENT VEHICLE. You just made my day! PP: AKA PATINA PAUL AKA pflaming, california, usa! Eat your heart out PA! Good to hear from another patina lover and happy to hear i made your day Nice van! Would make a great Camper for long road trips. Thanks, I am hoping to do good miles in the truck trading at shows around the UK etc and maybe some european camping trips if it drives well... If you want to make long road trips at 45 mph. I believe these are geared pretty high like 4.56 to 1 or something line that. Differential gear changes might be appropriate if you are not planning on getting near the load weight limit. Good luck with your Van, would guess they are few and far between in GB. It will be getting a 5 speed manual box and a turbo diesel engine most likely along with decent ratio'd diff for size and weight of van, I'd like to get 25-30 mpg and cruise at 60 at decent RPM ideally but we will see. There are definitely no others in the UK and probably not in Europe... I like to be different Quote
48Dodger Posted June 24, 2014 Report Posted June 24, 2014 If you lived here.....it would be different. I think we have one guy in California taking on the task of a route van, and maybe a few sitings in shows across the country. Welcome to where the Old Mopars roam....! 48D 1 Quote
MBF Posted June 24, 2014 Report Posted June 24, 2014 Nice truck-good project. When you say the diff is missing is the entire differential housing, or just the center section? I'm not sure, but I would imagine the actual center section is the same as other 1 ton trucks (someone here may know for sure). If it is, I'd be looking for a 4.3 or the even rarer 3.9 chunk to give you a higher road speed. I would think that the wheel cylinders would be similar to the 1 tons, and if they are, I can give you p/n's of the ones I bought from NAPA. Good luck with your project, and please keep us posted on your progress. Quote
HanksB3B Posted June 24, 2014 Report Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) Not-a-Dodge..but you get the idea...all fixed up and ready to roll. Personally I'm not a fan of patina, but in some cases (like the bike below), I understand the sentiment. (in the background is the famous "Munchkin Hotel" where all the little people stayed during the filming of the Wizzard of OZ). and there's the bike for Paul... that I'll buy him next time I see it Looks like there is some challenge to it that's for sure and no the "diff" is extremely "diff" er ent. Great Project ! Hank Edited June 24, 2014 by HanksB3B Quote
Tim G Posted June 24, 2014 Author Report Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) Nice truck-good project. When you say the diff is missing is the entire differential housing, or just the center section? I'm not sure, but I would imagine the actual center section is the same as other 1 ton trucks (someone here may know for sure). If it is, I'd be looking for a 4.3 or the even rarer 3.9 chunk to give you a higher road speed. I would think that the wheel cylinders would be similar to the 1 tons, and if they are, I can give you p/n's of the ones I bought from NAPA. Good luck with your project, and please keep us posted on your progress. It had a fixed diff with IRS driveshafts but leaf springs and a beam... quite an odd set up, obviously designed for maximum suspension travel without having to hump the floor for axle clearance. Yes please give me the part numbers or links so i can check the wheel cylinders out Thanks Edited June 24, 2014 by Tim G Quote
Tim G Posted June 24, 2014 Author Report Posted June 24, 2014 Not-a-Dodge..but you get the idea...all fixed up and ready to roll. Personally I'm not a fan of patina, but in some cases (like the bike below), I understand the sentiment. (in the background is the famous "Munchkin Hotel" where all the little people stayed during the filming of the Wizzard of OZ). and there's the bike for Paul... that I'll buy him next time I see it Looks like there is some challenge to it that's for sure and no the "diff" is extremely "diff" er ent. Great Project ! Hank Thanks Hank, I saw that ACME IH Metro at the Lone Star Round up in Austin a few year ago, Very cool van, a little too shiney for me though... A lot of the modern European rear wheel drive cars use the fixed type diffs so one from a bigger Merc or BMW should work, it;s just finding the right ratio that will cause some head scratching i think. Quote
cavisco1 Posted June 24, 2014 Report Posted June 24, 2014 Here in the States there are lots of foreign and domestic SUVs with a fixed differential held in a yoke or hoop type arrangement. Maybe something like that can be sourced over in the UK and adapted. Any solution other than the original parts will require some fabrication. Quote
bach4660 Posted June 29, 2014 Report Posted June 29, 2014 for the wheel cylinders, the axles (in the photo) look like the 1 ton trucks, they use 3595 and 3596 for the left and the right sizes. They are two different size bores which is why theres a left and right. Napa sells, them, raybestos makes, sometimes for searching you need to stick wc in front wc3596. looks great and good luck. Quote
Husker Posted July 2, 2014 Report Posted July 2, 2014 That truck is cool! I hate patina but to each their own. Anyway the truck is cool and will be an interesting project. I wonder if the body would fit on the new vans frame as I see them for sale all the time now. Quote
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