1938 Dodge RC Pickup Build

[vikingminer49er]

Talked Judy and the neighbor into helping remove the bed. 

[vikingminer49er]

Continued to work on the bumper/trailer-hitch.  Removed a fender bracket from the passenger's side.  Was not a similar bracket on the driver's side, and not sure it was original.  Still need a part's book.  Started on the front weld on the trailer hitch, but was throwing sparks into the hay stack.  Fashioned a spark deflector from a ragged plastic tarp.  Decided it was time for lunch and a nap.  To be continued.....

 

Happy New Year!!!  Be careful if you go out tonight.  I call it amateur night.  Pray for the police, they have to do the dirty work.

[RobertKB]

I went back and read your first post and it sounds as if you plan on rodding this gorgeous old truck. Personally, I am very partial to doing these projects stock. Sounds like you have lots of other trucks to put a modern powertrain into but this is one I think would be just as enjoyable done with the flathead. Just my thoughts and it's your vehicle so you can do what you want but you do seem to have spent a lot of time figuring out the stock build of everything from doors, grille, frame, etc.

 

I am truly enjoying your thread.

 

All the best in 2020 and keep the updates and pictures coming!

[vikingminer49er]

Thank you Robert.  You are absolutely correct.  I have several projects trucks with excellent sheet metal, missing the original stock engines and transmissions.  Any one of them would make excellent rat rods, hot rods, street rods, restomods, or whatever anyone would desire.  Also have quite a few engines and transmissions that could be used as transplants.  Have many Flathead 6, 318's, 360's, a 5.9-liter, 12-valve Cummins, a 413, and quite a few V10 engines; 3-speeds, 4-speeds, 5-speeds, automatics, and even a couple of Fluid Drive's transmissions; single-rear-wheel, dual-rear-wheel, single-speed, and 2-speed rear axles.  Have enough trucks, pieces, and parts to keep anyone busy for a long time.  Make an offer I can't refuse, and you can have as many as you want.  Even a 1938 Dodge RC Pickup.

 

Continued to grind and chisel on the trailer-hitch welds.  Definitely Ram Tough, still not broken loose.  Drilled and punched out the last bolt from the shop-built bumper.  Worked on removing the fuel tank.  Found a wooden board used to keep the fuel tank in place.  Removed the two rear bolts on the tank straps, and the tank fell out.  Disconnected the fuel line and fuel gauge sending unit wire and slid the tank out from under the truck.

[vikingminer49er]

Fuel tank is in fair, but repairable condition.

[vikingminer49er]

Took photos of the remaining attachments for the fuel tank straps, and the broken battery tray.  Appears the top fasteners for the battery tray are bolts, and the bottom fasteners are rivets.

[RobertKB]

Having a serviceable/repairable fuel tank is a big plus!

[Todd B]

On 1/1/2020 at 5:10 PM, vikingminer49er said:

Thank you Robert.  You are absolutely correct.  I have several projects trucks with excellent sheet metal, missing the original stock engines and transmissions.  Any one of them would make excellent rat rods, hot rods, street rods, restomods, or whatever anyone would desire.  Also have quite a few engines and transmissions that could be used as transplants.  Have many Flathead 6, 318's, 360's, a 5.9-liter, 12-valve Cummins, a 413, and quite a few V10 engines; 3-speeds, 4-speeds, 5-speeds, automatics, and even a couple of Fluid Drive's transmissions; single-rear-wheel, dual-rear-wheel, single-speed, and 2-speed rear axles.  Have enough trucks, pieces, and parts to keep anyone busy for a long time.  Make an offer I can't refuse, and you can have as many as you want.  Even a 1938 Dodge RC Pickup.

 

Continued to grind and chisel on the trailer-hitch welds.  Definitely Ram Tough, still not broken loose.  Drilled and punched out the last bolt from the shop-built bumper.  Worked on removing the fuel tank.  Found a wooden board used to keep the fuel tank in place.  Removed the two rear bolts on the tank straps, and the tank fell out.  Disconnected the fuel line and fuel gauge sending unit wire and slid the tank out from under the truck.

Has this thread along with “let’s see a pic of your truck” thread turned into a GIGANTIC classified ad??

[vikingminer49er]

On 12/31/2019 at 7:44 PM, RobertKB said:

I went back and read your first post and it sounds as if you plan on rodding this gorgeous old truck. Personally, I am very partial to doing these projects stock. Sounds like you have lots of other trucks to put a modern powertrain into but this is one I think would be just as enjoyable done with the flathead. Just my thoughts and it's your vehicle so you can do what you want but you do seem to have spent a lot of time figuring out the stock build of everything from doors, grille, frame, etc.

 

I am truly enjoying your thread.

 

All the best in 2020 and keep the updates and pictures coming!

 

What is the proper response?

 

Spent today rounding up items to take for powder coating and meeting with the builder who will help with this project.  Will continue removing parts until the week of January 12, when I will take the chassis to Grand Junction for sandblasting.  Plan to start with modernizing the chassis and installing the engine and transmission.  Body pieces will be added as they are finished.  When completed, the truck should appear as a restored 1938 Dodge Pickup, but with updated drive train and running gear for current roads and speeds.  Personally, I'm not interested in spending tens of thousands of dollars rebuilding a 75-horsepower truck that will travel at 45-miles-per-hour in today's traffic.

 

If anyone is interested in following this build, I can continue.  Same goes for the photos of my collection.  If not, I can stop as fast as I can start.  Thank you.

 

Tom Anderson

[1936Forepoint]

I've enjoyed reading of your progress thus far.  Im in a similar place with my 36 Dodge P/U.  Keep up the posts.

 

[RobertKB]

I'm enjoying the posts so far. Love the pictures. I appreciate the work whether restored stock or rodded. Been there, done that.

 

 

 

[vikingminer49er]

Since there are at least a couple of you enjoying the thread I will continue.

 

Had to go to Delta today.  Even with an extra receiver tank, the small portable compressor has worn out.  Still working, but having trouble getting above 80 psi.  Bought a new, larger, portable compressor.  Didn't have all the parts ready that I wanted to powder coat, but went to C&R Kustom Powder Koting for wheels for the 1967 Dodge D500 Pickup that were done.  Dropped off the wheels and the tires at Kwiki Tire II in Hotchkiss for re-mounting.  Didn't get back out to the cattle barn until after dinner.

 

Set up the new compressor with the extra receiver tank, and finished removing the battery tray bolts.  Since the calves were in the barn, didn't grind off the remaining two rivets on the battery tray.  Removed the rear-window frame, the rear-view mirror, and the headliner screws and washers.

[vikingminer49er]

Two more welds on one side of the bottom of the trailer hitch had to be ground and chiseled.  Used the jack to help break the welds.  Finally removed the shop-built bumper and trailer hitch.  Smoothed the frame cross member with the grinder.

Edited January 5, 2020 by vikingminer49er

[vikingminer49er]

Ground, drilled, chiseled, and punched the battery tray rivets.  Interesting farmer fix on the battery tray.  The original corroded bottom piece was folded over.  A newer bottom piece was fabricated and welded in it's place.  The newer piece has since broken at one weld.  Will need to repair the battery tray before re-installation.

 

Cleaned up the steel pieces with the magnet to keep the debris out of the hay.  Joe Cocker's prize Watusi bull died from swallowing a nail on his ranch near Crawford Colorado some years ago.  Our cattle aren't nearly as valuable, but no reason to take chances.

 

Front bolts on the fuel-tank straps still wouldn't break loose, even with the impact wrench.  Soaking overnight and will try again later.

[vikingminer49er]

Front bolts on the fuel tank straps are attached to the strap, and really didn't want to cut them.  Managed to get one off, but the other broke.  Straps were in poor condition.  Roughly straightened them out.  Maybe will either cut off the bolt end and drill a hole for new bolts like on the rear of the strap or fabricate new straps with a hole at each end.

 

Since I was working by the driver's door area, removed the driver's-side, front-fender bracket next to the firewall.  The passenger's-side, front-fender bracket next to the firewall had already been removed, and was in the loose parts that came with the truck.  The brackets are mirror-image of each other.  The fender brackets attach to the front running board bracket. 

 

The three running board brackets on each side, and the rear fuel tank bracket are all riveted to the frame.  Would like to remove them because it seams like they always hit your knees when walking by, or they hit you in the head while crawling underneath.  Too much work to remove them at this point.

 

Removed the muffler/tailpipe brackets.  The double-bolt rear bracket had been bent forward and up under the rear cross member.  the bracket broke while attempting to straighten.

Edited January 5, 2020 by vikingminer49er

[vikingminer49er]

Pulled the rubber grommet for the fuel filler neck.  Will need to be replaced with a new one.

 

Removed the bottom driver's-side, door-strike plate.  Very rusty screw were difficult to remove.  Had to grind, drill, and pry the screw head.

 

Removed the bottom driver's-side, door-weather-strip-cover plate near the seat support.

 

Removed the bottom driver's-side, door-cushion rubber.

 

Removed the driver's-side, door latch.

 

Removed the upper driver's-side, door-cushion rubber.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed the driver's-side, door-weather-strip-cover plate from around the rest of the door opening.  Most of the screws were fairly easy to remove.  Not as rusty as any near the bottom.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed the passenger's-side, door-weather-strip-cover plate, and the headliner-cover plate above the windshield.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed the bottom passenger's-side, door-strike plate.

 

Removed the bottom passenger's-side, door-weather-strip-cover plate near the seat support.

 

Removed the bottom passenger's-side, door-cushion rubber.

 

Removed the passenger's-side, door latch.

 

Removed the upper passenger's-side, door-cushion rubber.

 

Screw, hammer, grind, drill, punch, and pry, as necessary, the fasteners without damaging the difficult-to-replace parts as best as possible.  Slow, tedious work, suitable for an old man.  Better than paying shop rates for some minimum-wage, fumble-finger kid.  Fasteners are replaceable. 

[RobertKB]

You are making good progress! All the pictures you have taken will certainly help during re-assembly. I wrote lots of notes to myself also and bagged all small items clearly marked. Even with notes and pictures, I still ended up having to figures things out. Re-assembly is fun as you are working with clean parts but can still be challenging. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle!

[vikingminer49er]

Removed passenger's-side-door, top door-strike plate.

 

Removed driver's-side-door, top door-strike plate.

 

Removed one fender-clip plate attached to the fender brace near the firewall on the passenger's side.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed the fender brace near the firewall on the passenger's side.

 

Removed the fender brace near the firewall on the driver's side.

 

Fender brace near the firewall on both sides are damaged, bent, or broken, and will need repair.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed the passenger's-side spare tire and transmission mounting brackets from the frame.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed starter rod, spring, bracket, and bolts.  Removed screws, and clips from the firewall.

 

Removed passenger's-side door-swing limiter.  Driver's-side door-swing limiter is missing.

[vikingminer49er]

Removed lower radiator support and mounting brackets from the frame front cross member.