Preserving a Job Rated Truck.......

[Jeff Balazs]

Some of us started discussing this on another thread that got way off topic quickly.

So here is a thread just for the discussion of this topic. Hopefully it will allow for the exchange of ideas that will help "preserve" these great old trucks for posterity.

 

I am a Truck only guy. And I believe they should be used pretty much as they were intended to be when they were built. That goes for all trucks but to me I think it is particularly true of old Dodges. The vast majority of these trucks were purchased by people who really used them. And not just to haul groceries.

 

Here in SoCal you can see tons of old trucks in varying build levels. A large percentage of them are so over finished that I doubt they ever get used as a truck. Now it should not surprise you to know that most of these trucks are either GM or Ferd products. Rarely do you see a old Dodge......and when you do most of the time it is pretty well worn. To me that is a statement or endorsement in itself. Like maybe it is as it should be.

 

I can only speak for myself but when I take the time to look at another old truck it is only the the ones that show some evidence of actual use. When I see over "restored" trucks I walk right on by. Maybe it is just me but I just don't get it. Why have a 60 year old truck that doesn't have any of it's past history preserved? And by this I mean to say It doesn't have to be rusty or rotting......it just needs to show some evidence of 60 years of use.

 

So that is my take on this. I am sure there are other views.

Jeff

[wallytoo]

indeed, there will be many opinions, and as such, they are all correct (or all wrong).

 

i appreciate a fully-restored truck and enjoy taking a look at them.  i don't like them better (or less) than a functional truck that shows usage scars/wear.  i probably have more appreciation for any truck that retains most of its "as-built" or "as available" condition, even if it has non-original parts in it.  i have less appreciation for them the farther they diverge from that condition.  doesn't mean i don't like the modifieds, just a different impact to me.

 

mine is not original, but it is functional.  i've added back-up lights (because i use it), converted to 12-volts (previous owner), procured non-dodge window winders to replace the non-existent/broken ones in my truck (they are period-available, just not dodge/mopar), added mudflaps, a non-period small tachometer, a functional temperature gauge in the speaker mesh, etc.

 

like everything, there are degrees to modification.  at some point, it is no longer a pilothouse, but rather a modified truck.  nothing wrong with that, either, even if that isn't my own preference.

 

 

if i could afford to, i'd love to make mine "new" again.  i'd have no issue with putting in a generator and regulator to go back to 6v.  i'd enjoy having "perfect" front fenders.  but it probably isn't happening on my watch, because i don't need either of those to be able to use it for the reasons i bought it.

 

wally

[ggdad1951]

odd, I've never even considered that restoring a truck is a bad thing, yet some seem to.  

 

My first stab at these old guys is FEF, as all (or most) of you know.  He is a family heirloom and I decided to restore him to 100% stock, or as near as I could.  He's not a trailer king, he does get driven to shows and for the odd weekend cruise around the area.  He really doesn't haul anything. With stock brakes, tranny, engine, no seat belt and 50MPH or so top speed, I can't even really consider using him as a work truck, he's more dangerous to be on the road that much at those speeds with modern vehicles buzzing around him.  I think once you spend $20k+ on a restoration if you start to toss rocks and lumber in the back you may have taken the wrong tack in the first place in your project.  IMO at that point the person has done the wrong level of work.  

 

Living in the northern climes, unlike the south or coastal areas, our trucks seem to have a LOT more cancer on them and at some point that is dangerous as fenders, and other parts aren't securly tied to the vehicle anymore.  60 years of use or even sitting can make them downright dangerous to the driver and others on the road.  So turn your nose up on restorations that don't carry anything or just visit shows, but to some it is bringing the past back to life and keeping it looking that way as a testament to it's history and previous life and an earlier simpler time.

 

I'm also working on a street rod, TODD, as many know and I'm sure I'll tweak a few noses with him as well.  But I like the look of the old guys and like the modern powertrains so melding them together with some other twists (and build challenges) piques my interest and billfold.  He WILL be a daily driver and used to haul things, he'll be kept up and as clean as possible with (I'm sure) some touch ups over the years, but built right, will be the last truck I'll ever have to have short of a winter beater for the really salty roads being a 300000+ mile vehicle.  

 

I've always said to each their own, and everyone has their own take on what is "cool" and "proper" (except rat rods, those, those just plain scream "LAZY" to me) and I can repsect that, but I'll never turn my nose up or walk by without a look and interest in what the owner has done.

[MBF]

I think well worn battle scars add character to the life of a 60+ yr old vehicle.  Neither of mine are anywhere near perfect, but the both get driven, and get positive comments at any event I attend.   The 50 mph thing is getting to be more and more dangerous here in the northeast as traffic increases, but I'm happiest tooling down a back road at 40 enjoying the sounds and sights.   I don't look as new as I did 60 yrs ago, and I'm accepting that my trucks don't either.  There's a bunch that didn't make it this far - people and trucks.  Mike

[pflaming]

The '53 plymouth Suburban I'm rebuilding has an entry sticker from Mare Island Naval Base on the front bumper. When I saw that, to disturb the original paint on the body was not to be. I want the history and will try to find the service man who drove it. It might interest him. You navy guys may know what this sticker means.

Aug 1979 0935 is the sticker number. I'm going to send that information and the vehicle make, model, and year to the mare historical society and watch what surfaces.

If possible I prefer the exterior history or patina if you please.

Edited March 3, 2016 by pflaming

[52b3b Joe]

I like very nice restored trucks, and driver quality trucks, but if I had to pick, I'd favor the trucks that people are still using. They are trucks, and they were made for a purpose. In my case, I never intended to paint my truck, but it needed a lot of work when I bought it. Once I got started in taking it apart, I figured if I was going down to the frame, I might as well paint it. In the end, my truck came out pretty nice (nicer than I was even hoping for), but it is far from perfect. It has orange peel in the paint, the bed sides are not perfectly straight, and the paint has blemishes.  I changed some things on the truck to better adapt to today's driving conditions. I also added a hitch to my truck. My 52 is the only truck I own, and I don't like to borrow other people's belongings, so if I feel I can use my Dodge without doing damage, I will. I have pulled a lot of trailers with it (up to 4,500 lbs) in local driving only. I won't go over 50-55 mph depending on the trailer and road conditions, but I'm more comfortable around 45 mph. Empty, I will run the truck all day at 60 mph. I mainly use a trailer to avoid damage to the bed. If I do use the bed, I lay blankets down and do what I can to protect it. I do have a few scuffs and scratches on the truck now, but that's part of the game. I built it to drive it, enjoy it, and use it if necessary, and that's what I do! My truck typically doesn't get drooling attention at car shows compared to hot rods and muscle cars, but when I show up to a tractor show pulling my doodlebug, I can't keep people away. I know it has a lot to do with the situation for the attention I get when using the truck, but I think most of it is people like to see the nice old trucks being put to work.

 

I appreciate all cars, but when I'm at car shows, I'm typically attracted to stock cars/trucks. I don't look at most hot rods or many muscle cars. I like nice original cars/trucks, and stock restored ones. If I do venture to a hot rod, its probably because it has all period correct parts. 

 

I know some might think I'm crazy to use it after putting so much money and time in it, but for me its a lot of fun putting it to work. It gives me a glimpse of the past that I will never be able to experience. 

 

Here's a picture of it stuck in the mud! 

[JBNeal]

Use'm, don't abuse'm...once I get things fixed up, I probably won't be hauling brush out of the field anymore, but I'd probably still be running water to trees, and definitely driving it out of town for a day trip on occasion, maybe even put it in the local tractor show (they started a farm truck section a few years ago)...I've had several folks griping at me for not having anything in the Independence Day parade cuz the only Dodge trucks in that spectacle are new and supplied by the local dealership...I'm also against birds confined to cages 

 

I recall an incident on the road years ago, along a 2 lane rural highway in the middle of the day.  I was trailing a delivery truck in my D250 at a safe distance, when he straddled a plastic Coke bottle that had blown onto the pavement.  The vortex under the truck blew the bottle across the double yellow, where an oncoming Honda ran over the mouth...the bottle shot back into my lane when the tire sidewall beared down on the bottle flare, and the bottle glanced off of my truck door, blemishing the paint.  That incident, highway rock chips, rocks being slung from tire treads...they all made me realize that as soon as ya roll one of these beauts on the road, damage will eventually occur that is beyond your control.  And fixing one up just to sit out of sight is like building a nice rocking chair and not being able to sit in it, IMO...if I'm gonna put all those resources in fixing up one of these buggies, I'm gonna enjoy it while I can...but only on sunny days 

[Jeff Balazs]

If you notice I used the term preserve in the title. That is because I think some of us are just as interested in keeping some of our trucks past as we are in having a nice truck. And it is possible to have both. It doesn't have to be ratty or failing apart to retain some evidence of it's past.

 

I mentioned in my first post that I walk right by over finished trucks. And that is about 99% true. I literally shudder when I see flawless body work and outrageous paint on an old truck. And when I see gleaming chrome and highly polished wood in the bed that has never get's anything more abrasive that a blanket in it I just have to walk away. These trucks have had all evidence of their past life wiped clean. It seems extremely unnatural to me and is just the opposite of what a truck is supposed to be. Now some may say I am extreme in how I feel about this but I believe our truck were meant to be put to work. If during the course of this they get scratched or scuffed so what. That is part of every day life. And it is no big deal. I get cuts and scrapes every week.

 

Certainly the keeping up with traffic and related safety issues need to be considered when using one of these old trucks. And there are a lot of different views on this. This ranges from staying 100% stock to putting the body on a modern chassis. I find myself looking at ways to retain as much of the original design while implementing some "evolution of the species" updates. To me this seems a natural response to the demands of daily use in my local traffic conditions. I don't think some modifications are out of place for a 60 year old truck that is being used more or less as it was intended to be.

 

Jeff

[pflaming]

Jeff, while if am of your thinking, there is always room for trophy trucks, and fully restored as well. I too find that more stop and look at my truck at the few shows I go to and many stop by on the street.

Here are some trucks, in use, I saw last summer. I have many more that are complete and at at "rest" or used as yard art.

[Todd B]

Because of the Wisconsin / Minnesota rivalry,   I enjoy teasing Mark but I need to defend him on this one!

 

Jeff, if it hurts to look at someone's very hard work and the time they take to keep it in that condition, maybe you can get a pair of blinders the Amish put on there horses so they don't have to look at traffic.

 

Just my OPINION.

[Jeff Balazs]

Because of the Wisconsin / Minnesota rivalry,   I enjoy teasing Mark but I need to defend him on this one!

 

Jeff, if it hurts to look at someone's very hard work and the time they take to keep it in that condition, maybe you can get a pair of blinders the Amish put on there horses so they don't have to look at traffic.

 

Just my OPINION.

Todd;

I think he can defend himself. And I don't think what he did with FEF is bad or wrong. It is just a little precious...... I am just guessing but I'd bet GG would want to see it used.

[Don Coatney]

Because of the Wisconsin / Minnesota rivalry,   I enjoy teasing Mark but I need to defend him on this one!

 

Jeff, if it hurts to look at someone's very hard work and the time they take to keep it in that condition, maybe you can get a pair of blinders the Amish put on there horses so they don't have to look at traffic.

 

Just my OPINION.

Rivalry and bantering is almost always fun. Blinders prevent line of sight but perhaps twitching may be better to get ones full attention   

 

[pflaming]

Twitchers ought to receive the same treatment!! The Horse-whisperer has proven that. Quite a book.

[Jeff Balazs]

Don;

You are right. I am just giving him a hard time because of how he reacts to a few little blemishes.

 

The over finished trucks I am really talking about are very prevalent at the auctions these days. To me some of them are so absurd they beggar belief.

 

Jeff

[Don Coatney]

Fully understood

[minicooper]

Supposedly, twitching doesn't hurt, but my horse has never given me her solid opinion on that, except for maybe that hind leg kick she gave me after the last vet visit. 

[NiftyFifty]

At the end of the day, nobody's opinion really matters on anyone else's ride, except the owner....they built the truck (unless their just a buyer) for what they wanted it for, and with their own desires/budget in mind. If I could have, I would have sent my truck to a pro shop and just got it back as a perfect dent free and perfect paint job, but that wasn't in my budget for $10,000 on body alone...paint likely another $5-10,000......but I did do a lot of custom work to my own preference and what I wanted out of the truck..it's not perfect, but I've got a lot of years ahead to perfect my skills. If it does come down to just opinions, I actually am not a fan of true stock in a lot of stuff like this...I don't appreciate strong arm steering, low power, and everything factory correct..I'm a fan of taking today's technology and trying to make it adapt to the older vehicle, to make it better then original.

[wallytoo]

better, of course, being a matter of opinion, too.

[JBNeal]

On the '49, I reckon I plan on preserving the original engine compartment firewall paint job.  There are grease pencil markings visible that appear to be some quality control markings similar to what I saw in one of Bunn's books.  I think there are some on the Spring Special, but that firewall is so filthy that I cannot tell for sure 

[minicooper]

Thought I would throw this photo of my B3C's rear end on here. One of my friends said I should keep the tail gate as it is since it was probably used on a farm and adds character. I'm guessing that this truck was used for grain or some type of spreading (probably not salt since it has little rust). There's a long, curved piece of a plow welded underneath to support a hand made bracket and the rough-cut, square opening in the tail gate has a sliding gate over it. The last owner had applied a second rate paint job over the truck and tail gate - if it had the original paint on it, I would perhaps leave the tail gate as is.

 

This truck looks just about perfect parked in the side shed of my barn. I appreciate its swaggering good looks as well it's flaws and blemishes, but will probably replace the tailgate at some point. An engine rebuild is in the near future, so it will wait for while.