New member with a new toy

[Akmark]

Hello everyone I am a new member. I have been restoring Hit & Miss engines for years and have a nice collection.

I was at a farm auction last week and found this 1946 Dodge WF32. The body is in great shape and so far I have not found any rot. The engine is free and I don't think it will be a problem to get it running. The steering linkage seems tight but the brakes do no work. Going to clean all the mouse nests out and then pull all the wheels and start with the brakes. This will be my first truck restore, I think is was repainted at sometime in its life and I am going to leave it the way it is. My plan right now is to make it mechanically sound. 

[Brent B3B]

Welcome AKMARK, wow, that is quite the mirror extension

once you get into the brakes, I sent my cylinders to https://hagensautoparts.com/dodge+-+truck/9-brake/2895

if you are looking to have them rebuilt

[jeffsunzeri]

Very nice find!

It's got a good front bumper and running boards which are very hard to find if not present.

That's going to be a great work truck when up and going!

You'll find a lot of members here are also members on a Yahoo Dodge truck site devoted to these beasts, and there is a lot of good info and support.

[Dennis46PU]

Congradulations on your new addition!  Your truck looks to be a blackout model, meaning very littls chrome available when it was built.  The easiest way to find the original color I found is to remove the cover plates inside the cab top of windshield.  Good luck!

Edited November 3, 2016 by Dennis46PU

[Akmark]

Thanks for the replies !  I probably should have mentioned that I got a second 1947 parts truck with it it's missing the nose but the cab with running boards are there . As far as the brake work I enjoy doing all the rebuilding myself . 

Thanks for the tip on the paint , the door panel is off and it's red paint there . Blackout model is great information thanks , must have been because of the war . 

Mark 

[Plymouthy Adams]

in 1946, what war....lol

[Dennis46PU]

After WW.II. shortage of chrome and stainless.  

[Plymouthy Adams]

sounds good to the ear and a good story around the campfire...makes for a magazine article maybe...but boots allow you to walk through this with little soiling

Edited November 3, 2016 by Plymouthy Adams

[Young Ed]

You might find that its a 45 model. Trucks started up before cars. 

[Akmark]

2 minutes ago, Young Ed said:

You might find that its a 45 model. Trucks started up before cars. 

I have the title and its a 46 , but I guess it could have been built in late 45.

[Young Ed]

9 minutes ago, Akmark said:

I have the title and its a 46 , but I guess it could have been built in late 45.

Take a close up of the interior and exterior door handles along with the dodge badges on the hood. You may just have a 46 that someone painted over the grill trim on. 

[Akmark]

1 hour ago, Young Ed said:

Take a close up of the interior and exterior door handles along with the dodge badges on the hood. You may just have a 46 that someone painted over the grill trim on. 

I checked and the door handles are black with black plastic trim , red paint under the white on the grill. 

Thanks half the fun of doing this stuff is finding out the history.

Mark 

[Plymouthy Adams]

In a world of agree to disagree I will make this remark with the so called shortage…the cars of the 1946 model year were more than decked out in chrome and stainless.  So were many truck lines of the same year, Chevy, GMC, International, Ford, Hudson, and Diamond-T sported chrome and stainless everywhere to give eye candy to the consumer.  Even many of the over the road trucks were sporty in brite trim.  Dodge and Stude it seems took a utilitarian approach to get their trucks to the market, to the very working class and probably at a better price after the war and did not put much emphasis on the brite works as did their competition.  Look to any group of images for examples of the materials very heavily in use immediately after the war, 1946.  Again...as the acquiring owner of a vehicle without provenance, and with the added statement of various application of paint and choice of colors...there is little way to know what is or is not stock to the vehicle.  In todays world of vehicles NOT DESTINED for museums, fix it to your fancy and drive baby drive...!!

[Young Ed]

3 hours ago, Akmark said:

I checked and the door handles are black with black plastic trim , red paint under the white on the grill. 

Thanks half the fun of doing this stuff is finding out the history.

Mark 

I'd have to see them for sure but they sound like the blackout versions. They are stamped vs cast. Same with the dodge scripts. 

[Dennis46PU]

So they should look like these?

 

[Young Ed]

35 minutes ago, Dennis46PU said:

So they should look like these?

 

 

YUP! Some of them even had soybean hood ornaments. 

[Los_Control]

Welcome to the forum AKmark. That is a good looking truck. I am new to the forum and these old dodges myself.

But I have been looking to find the right older 40's 50's truck, to use as a daily driver, for a couple years. And one look at molly and I fell head over hills in love.

Anyways, hoping to have her on the road by spring time.

I live in Tri-cities, 30 miles away from Hermiston. Maybe we can get together with the trucks sometime, or if you need a hand give me a holler.

 

[Akmark]

13 hours ago, Los_Control said:

Welcome to the forum AKmark. That is a good looking truck. I am new to the forum and these old dodges myself.

But I have been looking to find the right older 40's 50's truck, to use as a daily driver, for a couple years. And one look at molly and I fell head over hills in love.

Anyways, hoping to have her on the road by spring time.

I live in Tri-cities, 30 miles away from Hermiston. Maybe we can get together with the trucks sometime, or if you need a hand give me a holler.

 

Thanks! our Pendleton show is in June. All trucks , cars , tractors , and engines are welcome. Plus we feed you lunch and dinner. I will have an engine display setup and will bring the Dodge.

Mark 

 

[Los_Control]

Sounds awesome, those ol hit and miss ... just cant describe the joy they bring, listening to them do their work.

[Dave72dt]

My father was into those hit and miss engines as well as machining.  Built a bunch of miniatures of them, took them to shows and would have the little ones sitting there running.

[Akmark]

Those model engines are awesome , most of them are worth more than the actual engine. Do you still have any? 

[Dave72dt]

Yes, still have one.  Keep telling myself I need to fire it back up.  I do turn it over every once in  awhile.

[Akmark]

Dave 

Good to hear you still have one.

I pulled the front drums off today. The brakes and hardware looked great, no rust on the drums. Both wheel cylinders were stuck fast so I went to my local Napa and they had them in stock. I put it back together, now I need to pull the rear and take a look at them.

Mark 

 

[1952B3b23]

Welcome to the forum. Nice truck and i like your plan for it.

-Chris

[gbhdrake383]

Cool truck. Nothing like starting a new project. well finishing is always good. but are they really ever finished. Welcome to the p15-d24 community