New member

[Boody]

?Realy love the forum! Picked up a 1952 dodge panel according to the body # . Engine was trash, friend has a 230 from a 1950 car . It has a 3 speed stick . It looks better in the pictures but not to bad. Don't like what was done to the back doors hopely can change. It's a work in progress . Hopefully we'll have the motor in by spring and be driving it. Don't like the rear bumper either. Thanks for all the great tips and ideas.

 

[Todd B]

Looks like it’s an orphan with a 48-50 front grill

[Boody]

 I thought so too what it was registered as a 52 and the body number says 52

[Todd B]

I forget too say “Welcome”

[Boody]

Thank you !

[Tony WestOZ]

Welcome

I do love a van. What seat or seats does it have?

 

Tony

 

[Boody]

I picked up seats out of a dodge caravan at pick and pull for $45 2 buckets and a bench . Made brackets for the buckets to make them sit lower.

[John Rogers]

Welcome 

               John 

[Dodgeed]

Welcome to the Forum. Lots of good guys here. Good looking truck you've got there. Windshield wiper placement makes me think it would be a '51 or '52, etc., but not a '48-'50, but that grill definitely looks like an earlier age. Agree about those tail lights. What were they thinking? ?

[RobertKB]

Welcome. Nice project. Not sure about year with the grille and wiper placement but I do know that it has a 1954 Plymouth hood ornament.

[ggdad1951]

welcome, I look forward to your progress as you make him YOUR panel truck! 

[Lingle]

Welcome!  I've only been on this forum a few weeks and its awesome this group of guys.  

[Radarsonwheels]

Man that thing is straight out of a cheech and chong movie I love it. Not drugged out but kinda that 70s custom van era. I like those movies for the comedy but they are also usually set in seedier neighborhoods where people were still driving 50s cars not as antiques or restoration projects for the well heeled but as what they could afford. These were only 20 year old hoopties back in the 70s.

 

I can see somebody getting their hands on your panel truck and having big dreams of airbrushed wizards and porthole windows but only getting as far as junkyard taillights and a big chrome nerf bar.

 

Anyway if it was mine that stuff would have to go but I appreciate the wacky story this thing would tell if it could say where it’s  been.

 

It looks like a great start to a project- thanks for sharing and I would love to hear what you have planned.

 

radar

[Boody]

 this summer this summer I worked on the brakes if I had joined the Forum a lot earlier I might have done a rear end swap instead probably would have been cheaper and more efficient. Also put an axle seal in . The pinion seal is leaking I guess I need to borrow torches to get it loose . Will look up on the forum for tech on that. 

[Vet Doc]

When I replaced my pinion seal, I finally got the old one out with self-tapping sheet metal screws on either side in the seal and a slide hammer attached to vice grips. Worked great after trying several other ways with no success. The yolk shaft had a couple of large grooves and I had to fill those with JB Weld and put on a speedi-sleeve before reinstalling, but it seems to be good now.