New member in the UK with a 1956 C-3-B

[jonny]

Hello all!

 

Thought I'd better introduce myself rather than continue to "lurk". I'm Jonny, I live in the UK and a couple of weeks ago I bought a freshly-imported C-3-B truck as a bit of a restoration project.

 

It needs a fair bit of work, but does have the advantage of a solid body and chassis and a good drivetrain. When it arrived it had no brakes and incredibly loose steering, but I've fixed these and now plan to set about fully rewiring it, tidying up the odd bits of bodywork that aren't right (such as a couple of cracks in the rear wings fenders) and painting it in a suitably Fifties cream-over-red colour scheme.

 

The truck is one of the later C-3 models, have found a few places that call them a "C-4" and the Dodge shop manual refers to them as "C-3 After". It's got a 241ci Poly V8, originally it should have had the 270ci but there are a few quotes in the service history for replacement engines at around 150,000 miles. It's a fairly basic version, no fancy optional extras such as a heater or radio and it has the 3-speed column shift manual transmission.

 

My plan for the truck is to restore it rather than to modify or hotrod it. I'll modernise certain aspects, for example by adding a heater, seatbelts, UK-spec lighting and new electrics, but I'm aiming to keep the looks and the drivetrain as original as possible.

 

Have found a lot of useful info on here so hopefully I can contribute something of use as well! 

[Reg Evans]

Nice looking solid truck Johnny.  I like the big back window !  Welcome to the group.

[B1B Keven]

Welcome!

[1950 Special Deluxe]

Looks like a great starting point.

Welcome to the group, there are a lot of smart people on here willing to help.

[William Davey]

Johnny - nice truck.  I have a '55 C-3-B with a 259 Poly V-8.  Check yours carefully, I think a 241 was a true Hemi (only).  The 259 was used in late 55 (maybe early 56) due to a shortage of Hemis.  

[Reg Evans]

My Don Bunn book says that in 1954 the 241 poly (semi Hemi) was the first V8 to be offered in the trucks.

[ruff1148kr]

Welcome  to the site, your in good hand here.   A wealth of information among its members. Great looking truck, you must turn lots of heads when people drive past it.  Love the Red over Cream paint plan. Good luck.

[ggdad1951]

welcome!

[Ram Man 02]

welcome. nice looking truck. i like the red and cream color scheme.

[jonny]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

American trucks are pretty rare in the UK, Fifties ones even more so, and 99% of those are Ford or Chevy... The only Dodges I ever see here are enormous modern Rams or those odd small SUV type things (Nitro?). Once it's roadworthy and painted this one should generate a few "WTF" reactions!

Work progresses slowly, I've got the bed and box off the truck ready to clean up, repair, paint and build a new wooden bed. And I'm curently compiling a list of service items and spares that I'll have to import in order to fix the back brakes, suspension, cooling system etc.

The engine is an interesting one... The block is stamped VT334, which I had previously read was a 241 Poly, but based on William Davey's post and some further research it does seem that it could be a 241 or a 259... I don't think it's a Hemi, it has the rocker covers with a scalloped shape along the outer side which allows access to the plugs above the exhaust manifolds.