Dirty Deno Posted June 15, 2015 Report Posted June 15, 2015 Thought i would share my build since ive been looking at this site for awhile trying to get info on my truck. The truck is a 1950 i think. My dad bought this truck in 1964, while driving it home (after buying it) it threw a rod. It was parked in the farm junk yard in north dakota until i drove from AZ to pick it up last november. This is how it looked when i got it. The rust is actually not too bad, i shoveled about 20 pounds of mouse crap out of it, smells wonderful inside. Here it is after we pushed on the trailer with a tractor, the hoods in the bed. Amazingly Three of the tires held air. The original engine was toast, I do like the flathead engine but it could not be rebuilt and finding one hasnt been easy so i picked up a 440 and 727 trans (purists cringe here) for a good price. after i cleaned it up, Ive done alot of internet searching for 440s in b series trucks and ive found very little info. I got the engine in this weekend, i had to move the steering box closer to the frame and pocket the front crossmember so i can fit a oil filter relocater. I also had to cut a bit out of the firewall. I tryed to put the engine in about the same position as the flathead so i would have some radiator room. Here is a side view 3 Quote
NiftyFifty Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Looks good, I'm a little worn out with my truck build, so as of today I don't envy all the work to be done, but I remember 5 years ago when I first started, and I loved every minute of it! Quote
TrampSteer Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Nothing better than and old truck ... Quote
The Oil Soup Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Lets hear it for the Arizona Dodge Squad! 1 Quote
Phntm48 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Sweet! Another AZ PH! Cant wait to see this come along. I do like the flathead engine but it could not be rebuilt and finding one hasnt been easy. That aint no lie! I dont understand the people in other (more rusty) parts of the country who for some reason can find old dodge trucks under every rock they turn. Seriously Ive lived in the Phx metro area for 45 yrs now, and with the exception of one time I have never actually seen another PH around here. Maybe about once a year somebody will post a truck or some parts for sale on craigslist or some other want add (newspaper etc.) and believe me I look (daily). Although, I did get the word the other day from someone that a salvage yard in Casa Grande has 3 PH trucks but with it hitting 111deg. the last week I havnt been out to verify. Quote
ggdad1951 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Sweet! Another AZ PH! Cant wait to see this come along. That aint no lie! I dont understand the people in other (more rusty) parts of the country who for some reason can find old dodge trucks under every rock they turn. Seriously Ive lived in the Phx metro area for 45 yrs now, and with the exception of one time I have never actually seen another PH around here. Maybe about once a year somebody will post a truck or some parts for sale on craigslist or some other want add (newspaper etc.) and believe me I look (daily). Although, I did get the word the other day from someone that a salvage yard in Casa Grande has 3 PH trucks but with it hitting 111deg. the last week I havnt been out to verify. my guess is we have more of them due to farming and the history of that, where AZ didn't really have much at all for a long time and is mostly desert vs. farmland. Quote
TodFitch Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 my guess is we have more of them due to farming and the history of that, where AZ didn't really have much at all for a long time and is mostly desert vs. farmland. Possibly, though ranchers used pickups and a lot of that desert is cattle range. I suspect that it is as much to do with population. In the PH era (late 40s to early 50s) the population of Arizona was less than 750,000 while its somewhere around 6,500,000 now Compare that to Minnesota with a 1950 population of 2,982,000 and a current population of 5,379,000. There were a lot more people to buy PH trucks, or cars of any kind, in Minnesota in 1950 than there were in Arizona. Quote
Dave72dt Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 With scrap metal prices going so high about 8-10 years ago and the economy in the crapper, a lot old vehicles, farm machinery, etc got crushed. I have seen a total of 4 in my area, one of them mine, another that was owned by the same family I got mine from and is long gone, a red one I saw in town about 15 years ago and not since, and a green one that showed up a year ago, had some work done on it at a local repair shop and haven't seen it since. They do seem more plentiful is some areas than others, still fairly rare but all the older stuff is getting rarer and good ones, even fewer. Quote
ggdad1951 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Possibly, though ranchers used pickups and a lot of that desert is cattle range. I suspect that it is as much to do with population. In the PH era (late 40s to early 50s) the population of Arizona was less than 750,000 while its somewhere around 6,500,000 now Compare that to Minnesota with a 1950 population of 2,982,000 and a current population of 5,379,000. There were a lot more people to buy PH trucks, or cars of any kind, in Minnesota in 1950 than there were in Arizona. true, but generally (at least in my mind) there are more farmers than ranchers in a given area. So (again in my mind) more trucks per "square mile" where there are farms. All of that plays into more trucks in MN than AZ from the 50's, especially once you include general population. Quote
ggdad1951 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 With scrap metal prices going so high about 8-10 years ago and the economy in the crapper, a lot old vehicles, farm machinery, etc got crushed. I have seen a total of 4 in my area, one of them mine, another that was owned by the same family I got mine from and is long gone, a red one I saw in town about 15 years ago and not since, and a green one that showed up a year ago, had some work done on it at a local repair shop and haven't seen it since. They do seem more plentiful is some areas than others, still fairly rare but all the older stuff is getting rarer and good ones, even fewer. this is why I buy things I shouldn't! 2 Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 The all time coolest Pilothouse truck was an Arizona ranch truck. Just watch "The Rounders" and you will agree. Mark....it is the only one I would break my rule of one truck for. Wouldn't it be neat to find that one? Jeff 1 Quote
ruff1148kr Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Wow what a story and 51 yrs free parking you can't beat that..... Looks like you got one heck of a truck and a great plan can't tell if you boxed the frame, but it looks likesomeone did work long ago.. You will have no shortage of power thats for sure..... Quote
Dirty Deno Posted June 16, 2015 Author Report Posted June 16, 2015 Wow what a story and 51 yrs free parking you can't beat that..... Looks like you got one heck of a truck and a great plan can't tell if you boxed the frame, but it looks likesomeone did work long ago.. You will have no shortage of power thats for sure..... The frame had a repair done to it from a fender bender in 50s. I boxed the frame at the engine mounts, i plan on boxing the rest when i get enough room to take the cab off. My next plans are mini starter, firewall and headers. The headers seem to be a headache. i cant find any fender well header kits and i dont know if some car headers will work without getting my hands on some. Quote
ruff1148kr Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 If your on a budget it seems as if the Dakota starters worked for the 360 I used and were much much smaller than the orginal mopar starters. saved alot of space... all I can say on the headers is mock up the steering set up you plan to use first so you are sure on room you will need. would not have to hack up headers later..... Quote
Young Ed Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 If your on a budget it seems as if the Dakota starters worked for the 360 I used and were much much smaller than the orginal mopar starters. saved alot of space... all I can say on the headers is mock up the steering set up you plan to use first so you are sure on room you will need. would not have to hack up headers later..... I heard way back that the dakota starter and the mopar performance mini starter were one in the same... Quote
ruff1148kr Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 yup only the price looked different to me LOL Quote
Dirty Deno Posted September 10, 2015 Author Report Posted September 10, 2015 I have a little bit of progress on the dodge. I got a starter in, oil filter installed and just found a vintage set of headers that fit pretty good. I have to do a little modification to the passenger side but no big deal. Quote
Dirty Deno Posted September 10, 2015 Author Report Posted September 10, 2015 (edited) The steering box has been a fun problem. I have to move it forward about 3 inches to clear the starter but that makes the steering shaft get in the way of the back exhaust port so now i have to joint the steering shaft to make it work. I am also plating both sides of the frame to about the fire wall to add some strength up front, Edited September 10, 2015 by Dirty Deno Quote
jeffsunzeri Posted September 10, 2015 Report Posted September 10, 2015 (edited) I have a little bit of progress on the dodge. I got a starter in, oil filter installed and just found a vintage set of headers that fit pretty good. I have to do a little modification to the passenger side but no big deal. There were some tests done in the past few years by some Mopar magazine folks that compared various headers and stock cast iron exhaust on the 440 engine. They found that there was little, if any, performance gain to be had with the headers. Not that the headers are crap, but that the stock manifolds were really well designed. In the 3,000 to 3,500 RPM range, hp increase with elite headers was anywhere from 0 to 5 hp. With crappy, no-name headers hp gain was elusive. Edited September 10, 2015 by jeffsunzeri Quote
B1B Keven Posted September 10, 2015 Report Posted September 10, 2015 Check into a set of 'block hugger' headers. I'm running them on my D150. Saves a lot of room. http://www.ebay.com/itm/201189764293?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Quote
Dirty Deno Posted September 10, 2015 Author Report Posted September 10, 2015 Manifolds will not work with what i got going on and it also fits the style of what i want. The comparison that ive seen on these engines is that the headers make a substantially greater # than manifolds on a mild engine, obviously not as much on a stock engine but the sound alone pleases me. http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/mopp-0106-manifolds-vs-headers/ Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 10, 2015 Report Posted September 10, 2015 oh yeah..build it to the max..that way you may have time to get the license number of the soccer mom in the mini van that is accelerating and opening who's kid just flung a loogie at yor car.... in a manner I kid but in truth these newer cars run out surprisingly quick Quote
pflaming Posted September 11, 2015 Report Posted September 11, 2015 I just opened this thread. That grain harvester behind the truck appears to be a Massy Harris, if so it may well have had a flathead egine in it and with very few hours on it. We drove through N.D. In early August and was really impressed with waht we experienced. That is a very nice truck. Quote
gshort Posted September 12, 2015 Report Posted September 12, 2015 Dodge has always mounted their motors about 11/2 inches to the right to clear any steering boxes or shafts. Would this have helped your installation? Quote
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