Lets see pic of your trucks

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 9 is a 1949 Dodge B-1-D-126 Dual-Rear-Wheel-Drive Flatbed that was given to me by a mining partner I have known for over 30 years.  Free ain't really free.  Had to go to Elko Nevada to get the truck.  Fresh off the ranch in Nevada, includes the rare and unusual dual tank setup with one behind the seat and one in the frame.  Not too surprising given the fuel mileage and distances between fill-ups in Nevada.  When I mined in Nevada, I always carried two spare tires.

 

After the truck was hauled home, had to rebuild the carburetor, the brakes, and the kingpins, plus other service and repair items.  Finished mechanical restoration on the truck this past year.  Have had it on the local, rural roads, and at a couple of shows since completion.  Even put it to work hauling pipe at one of my job sites.  Waiting to put it back on the road full time.  Need to hopefully move some of the ones with title, license, registration, and insurance to free up some budget room.

 

So...just so I have this straight:  A free truck cost me about $5,000, plus title, fees, and insurance.  Good truck, though!

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 10 is a 1949 Dodge B-1-DU-117 Route Van purchased from the estate of one of the original ski bums of Aspen near Snowmass Colorado.  Van was converted to an RV many years ago. Includes grated rear step bumper to scrape mud and snow from your boots and slots to park your skis before you get in bed, a vintage Frigidaire ice box, five faded Mexican Turista stickers from 1970 to 1974, and a faded Play Dead Sportsware skiing sticker.

[R&D Dodge]

I'm in! My K2's are ready to hit the slopes!

[vikingminer49er]

I blew the edge out of my red, white, and blue K2 skis in the deep powder through the timber at Snowbird in Utah in 1978.  Since the price of lift tickets in Colorado was over $10 per day, I hung up the downhill skis.  Judy and I did some cross-country skiing when we were younger.  Everything is hanging in the garage, just in case we need them.  Will probably go again as soon as all these trucks are restored.

 

The skis hanging on the wall of the front porch were used by my uncle, Austin Rollag, for the 1932 Olympic Ski Jumping Trials at Canton South Dakota.  He didn't make the team of four that went on to Lake Placid New York in the first Winter Olympics in the USA.  The skis were hanging at my Grandpa Carl Rollag's farm near Valley Springs South Dakota until the farm was sold by my Uncle Vernon Rollag.  Austin was killed on Guadalcanal in September 1942.

 

https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/images-of-the-past/the-canton-ski-hill-1912-1944/

 

https://ski.lovetoknow.com/K2_Ski_Company

 

The History of the K2 Ski Company

Bill Kirschner is the founder of the K2 Ski company. The story of his inspiration begins in the 1950s. At the time, his family was doing business on Vashon Island in Washington. Kirschner Manufacturing were the producers of splints and animal cages, which were made from reinforced plastic. In 1961, Bill decided to use a pattern from a pair of borrowed skis to create a pair of fiberglass skis. The results were amazing! Kirschner decided to present his idea to the Anderson and Thompson Ski Company, which was a Seattle-based distributor of ski equipment.

In 1964, Kirschner Manufacturing delivered 250 pairs of fiberglass skis to the Anderson and Thompson Ski Company. In 1965, they delivered 1,600. By 1967, it became evident that the company could stand on its own. Thus, the K2 Ski company was formed. The company is named after the famous Himalayan mountain, as well as the two brothers, Bill and Don Kirschner.

In 1968, K2 sold 21,000 pairs of skis. Kirschner decided to separate from the Anderson and Thompson Ski Company. He then created his own distributing and marketing programs. Developing a world-class racing ski was his next step.

K2 Racing Skis

That year, K2 racing skis finished first in the World Cup giant slalom race. The event marked the first victory that was ever won with a pair of American-made racing skis. Aside from their phenomenal performance, the red, white and blue skis had a striking appearance. As a result, between 1966 and 1970, sales of K2 skis doubled.

Today, K2 is still a respected manufacturer of racing skis. Additionally, the company sponsors a number of race-training programs throughout North America. Racers who have used K2 skis include Phil and Steve Mahre: The Colorado twins who eventually became Olympic medalists, and Jean Claude Killy, the French Olympic gold medalist. Killy also served as a design consultant of K2 skis. He was responsible for opening doors for K2 sales in Europe.

Edited December 23, 2019 by vikingminer49er
Added text and photos

[Dodgeb4ya]

I used to drive by the K2 facility on Vashon Island in the middle 70's on my way to a weekend job.

I was working on 1950's Imperials and 300's for an old MoPar collector.

[R&D Dodge]

I can not tell you how much i appreciate your response!! My K2 comps are stashed in my shed, which are 210 hi speed long boards... I purchased them after using 175 Rossi freestyles for years wanting skis for speed. Bombing the slopes naturally became popular when longer skis became the trend in the mid 80s here in northern Michigan, soon after K2 Cheese burgers went out of style...

 

I had a pair of k2 ones, which I broke one when I found myself landing between two huge moguls after being launched and out of shape from a bad line down our favorite mogul hill. I repkaced them with the Rossi's then broke my wrist in 79 (senior year) after I thoufht I had helicopters mastered... The break was quite serious and healed very badly. To this day my right wrist is seriously deformed where as it is limited in strength and I deal with significant chronic pain.

 

I ski'd a few years later after moving north in the mid 80's on the 210 K2 Comps. I hung it up after moving back to our hometown after my daughter was born in 92. Last winter I got my 3 younger kids 18, 16, and 14 into skiing and now chaperoning the two younger ones high school ski club. Last winter was also the first time on parabolic boards which I rented. Wow, what a difference! The guy at the rental counter asked what size ski's I wanted to rent, I replied 175's... He looked over the top of his glasses and asked when was the last time I had ski'd. He then went on to enlighten me that 165 were the longest board they offered...I strapped them bad boys on and showed the youngsters the short way down the slope! We start the new season after the holidays.

 

I enjoyed your photos as well as the K2 history, very cool. Ski jumping as well as freestyle, and bobsledding were my favourite Olympic events and still are. Tha Canton history as well as your uncle's participation are very cool. Very sorry to hear of his fate, thank you for his service.

 

Being relatively knew to the forum, I am still learning to navigate around the site as well as figuring out how to re size images to post. I would share some pictures of a trip we took to Copper Peaks which was the largest ski jump in the world which still stands. it is located in the upper peninsula of Michigan near the porcupines in Gogibic county. It is amazing. The jumpers back in the day were something! Copper peaks was supposedly just awarded money from the state for renovations in an effort to re open and hold world class year around events. Unfortunatelya year later they'restill waiting on the check...

 

Visitors can ride the chair lift up to the jump and then take an elivator like 18 stories up, then an 8 story climb by steel grate stairs to the top. My kids and I had a riot. Once you get to the top you realize the scope of what the jumpers are faced with. It seems insane. But as a kid I dreamed of ski flying.

 

So, if you ever get that pile ski rig dialed in maybe we can get a couple bottles of Boone's Farm and do a bonsai road trip to the nearest ski resort!! Ill bring the cassette tapes...

 

Regards,

 

D.

 

 

 

[vikingminer49er]

Hopefully this will help you resize your photos to fit the limit.  Took me a while to figure it out.  I am using a Windows-based computer.

 

Select and click on the photo file in the file directory, and the photo will appear on the Microsoft Photo Viewer that came already installed on my computer. 

 

Right click on the photo and a number of options appear. 

 

Select and click on Resize. 

 

Several size options appear. 

 

Select and click on "M" for medium size best for emails and messages. 

 

Save the resized copy of the photos into another file folder. 

 

I named my folder Resized Photos within the same folder where I keep my truck photos. 

 

Now I have two sets of photos, original and resized.

 

When I want to add a photo on this website, I choose files from the Resized Photos folder.

 

The photo magically appears on the website, instead of the annoying message that there is a size limit on photos.

 

If you still need help, bring your skis when you come to see the hysterical Dodge truck collection this winter.  We are about an hour and a half from Aspen, but we don't get enough snow on the farm to prevent a winter tour of the trucks.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

Tom and Judy Anderson

Paonia Colorado

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 11 is a 1950 Dodge B-2-C-116 Pickup Project Truck saved from Martin's Supply, Windsor Colorado.  Sheet metal on the truck is too good to part out.  No engine, no transmission, blank canvas for the next artist.  Excellent for making a rat rod, hot rod, restomod, or anything else someone can imagine.  Lettering on the doors is: 

 

Barnie's Disc Service

Discs Rolled on Farm

Box 1257

Sterling, Colorado

 

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 12 is a 1950 Dodge B-2-C-116 Parts Truck also saved from Martin's Supply, Windsor Colorado.  Sad, but true, saved the truck for some of the remaining parts.  Fuel tank, transmission, hubs and drums.  Bed is from a 1960's short-bed with a good right-rear fender.  Seams like the right-rear fender is always damaged.  Probably since it's the hardest to see from the driver's seat while backing up, it's the easiest to run into something while backing up.  Still some parts left for salvage.  Even though this truck is not likely to see the road, it will be remembered as an organ-donor for someone's truck still on the road.  He continues to rest peacefully in my truck yard.

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 13 is a B-1 or B-2 Spring Special seen at the farm of Oris Hove near Beresford South Dakota in July of 2015.  Oris was getting his collection ready for a liquidation auction so he could retire and move to Arkansas.  The truck sadly had already been parted out.  Note the "Phone 4441" on the doors.  Can't remember if I could read the name of the hardware store.  As mentioned in Don Bunn's book "Dodge B-Series Truck Restorer's & Collector's Reference Guide and History," a must-have book, this was a very rare truck.  See page 100.

 

One other vehicle caught my attention.  1959 Dodge P300 Chassis with a Universal Sales after-market body.  The van has the first-year, 318-cubic-inch, wide-block, "A" engine, and a 4-speed transmission.  The happy face on the front end smiled and convinced me to take him home.  Have only found three others like it.  One is in Michigan, one is in Wyoming, and one originally an ambulance in rural Nebraska is now in California.  This van has been converted to an RV many years ago.  He deserves his own write-up, but since he has more Mopar Muscle than a Flathead, don't know if he should be on this forum.

Donn Bunn's B-Series Cover.pdf

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 14 is a 1951 Dodge B-3-C-116 Parts Truck purchased near Beresford South Dakota.  Question:  Why would anyone go a thousand miles one way to bring home what is apparently not a very good looking pile of rusting steel.  Simple answer to some reading this forum:  1951 Dodge Fluid Drive.  The rest of the truck pays for the truck.  The Fluid Drive pays for the trip.  Don't worry if you don't understand.  Maybe it's just a crazy old man who would get excited about it.

[Dodgeed]

I have a 1951 w/Fluid Drive. I understand ?

[vikingminer49er]

Forgot to mention the design changes for 1951 that identifies Truck 13 as a 1948 to 1950 Dodge B-1 or B-2.  The B-3 Dodge has the redesigned dash panel and front grill.  The dash panel centerpiece above the controls on this truck is missing.  Additionally, the 1951 model year has the chrome, Job-Rated, grill centerpiece.  After the start of the Korean War, Dodge switched to a painted-steel grill centerpiece, apparently to limit the use of chrome for the war effort.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 15 is a 1951 Dodge B-3-F-170 Dump Truck that came from Conifer Colorado. The truck was previously owned by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden Colorado.  The old school logo is barely visible on the doors.  Took the truck apart years ago to rebuild it, but the frame was too bent to straighten.  Guess they taught them kids how to overload a truck.  Truck ended up as a pile of parts.

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 16 is a 1952 Dodge B-3-D-126 Flatbed purchased in Delta Colorado many years ago.  This is the first Dodge truck I bought that wasn't brand new.  When I went to look at the truck, I first checked the driver's door to look inside.  If the driver's door opens and closes, smoothly and correctly, you know your looking at a good truck.  Next I raised the hood, and to my surprise, the engine was running, or at least the fan blade was turning.  Not a sound or a shiver.  Now I know I'm looking at a very good truck.  The truck was a shiny, bright red from a recent coat of paint, and it had a very nice, smaller, shop-built flatbed.  Tires were fair to good, certainly useable, without  lot of weather cracks.  In addition to running, the truck drove, stopped, and backed up.  The seat was a little poor, but what else could you ask for.

 

Gladly paid too much for the truck, but less than what was asked.  Titled, licensed, and insured, the truck made the local show circuit for quite a few years.  Spent pretty good money keeping the truck maintained and improved over the years.  Re-upholstered seat, powder-coated wheels, new tires when the old ones wore out, brakes and kingpins rebuilt.  Regular items as any collector knows.  Sadly, the inferior paint and electrical wiring finally needed to be redone.  Started the tear-down, but life got in the way.  It's been sheltered in the barn for longer than I care to admit.  Definitely need to raise it's priority, and get it done.

 

When I searched for photos for this truck, I realized how long this has been a work in process.  Could only find one digital picture of before I started the tear-down.

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by vikingminer49er

[Tooljunkie]

Not a picture of my  truck per se, but of some completed work last weekend. King pins,brakes and replaced all the tie rod boots. 
always a step forward. 51 F01

Fargo. Next is address spring bushings and some frame repair.

 

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 17 is  a 1952 Dodge B-3-D-126 Flatbed Parts Truck purchased at Martin's Supply, Windsor Colorado many years ago.  This truck is a source of parts for his companion Truck 16, and others throughout the years.  Gradually disappearing, and have had him so long I don't have digital photos from when he arrived.

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 18 is a 1952 Dodge B-3-F-152 Cab and Chassis Truck purchased in Pueblo Colorado.  This truck does the Big 4:  runs, drives, stops, and backs up.  Converted to 12-volts with an alternator.  Have a few options around here for the bed: flatbed, stake bed, and dump bed.  Haven't got around to finishing off the truck and putting it back on the road. 

 

It's been here for a few years, and would make a great project for someone who wants a bigger truck.  Maybe even find a nice pickup bed, because you can never have a big enough pickup.  Maybe find a car hauler, toter body, or RV body, and go places in style. 

 

Face it, you're on this website because you're different than the corn and beans crowds at the car show.  You don't settle for a couple of vegetables when you sit down to eat, when you can have real meal with Mopar Muscle.  ??

[Tooljunkie]

3 hours ago, vikingminer49er said:

Truck 18 is a 1952 Dodge B-3-F-152 Cab and Chassis Truck purchased in Pueblo Colorado.  This truck does the Big 4:  runs, drives, stops, and backs up.  Converted to 12-volts with an alternator.  Have a few options around here for the bed: flatbed, stake bed, and dump bed.  Haven't got around to finishing off the truck and putting it back on the road. 

 

It's been here for a few years, and would make a great project for someone who wants a bigger truck.  Maybe even find a nice pickup bed, because you can never have a big enough pickup.  Maybe find a car hauler, toter body, or RV body, and go places in style. 

 

Face it, you're on this website because you're different than the corn and beans crowds at the car show.  You don't settle for a couple of vegetables when you sit down to eat, when you can have real meal with Mopar Muscle.  ??

Wow. Awesome collection. A lifetime supply of parts. Impressive. 

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 19 is a 1946 or 1947 Hudson Pickup, with parts car, seen at the estate sale of our famous Aspen ski bum near Snowmass Colorado.  The small field north and west of the party house was littered with vehicles, including a Studebaker M5 and a Dodge B-1-F.  Spare tires in the dump bed were included with the sale of the Dodge. 

 

This is a sneaky way to get in photos of my 1953 DeSoto 4-door sedan with the first-year, 276-cubic-inch Firedome Hemi engine, and 2-speed, Powerflite-automatic transmission.  The rear of the DeSoto was literally buried, and still had moss growing out of the bumper after it got a new home.  The revolutionary-new white-plastic steering wheel crumbles upon touch.  Considered putting the Hemi in the 1938 Dodge RC Pickup, but settled for the 2014 Dodge Charger Hemi instead.  Like you've heard before, the DeSoto was running when parked.  It was running when new, but the question is:  What has it done lately?

[vikingminer49er]

More sneaky pictures of the DeSoto.

[Tooljunkie]

A hudson  truck. Like it. 
like the lines. 

[vikingminer49er]

Truck 20, the first truck of 2020, is a 1953 Dodge B-4-B-108 Pickup Project Truck purchased in Reno Nevada.  This dry-western-climate truck has nearly complete, excellent sheet metal for building your dream rat rod, hot rod, street rod, restomod, or whatever you desire.  Last year of the split-window, flat-glass windshield Pilot-House cab.  First year of the rear-fender-style that would be standard on Utiline pickups, until they were discontinued in 1985 to make assembly room for the Dodge Dakota.  Generally the shorter-wheel-base, 1/2-ton pickups are more desirable.

[Young Ed]

3 hours ago, vikingminer49er said:

Truck 20, the first truck of 2020, is a 1953 Dodge B-4-B-108 Pickup Project Truck purchased in Reno Nevada.  This dry-western-climate truck has nearly complete, excellent sheet metal for building your dream rat rod, hot rod, street rod, restomod, or whatever you desire.  Last year of the split-window, flat-glass windshield Pilot-House cab.  First year of the rear-fender-style that would be standard on Utiline pickups, until they were discontinued in 1985 to make assembly room for the Dodge Dakota.  Generally the shorter-wheel-base, 1/2-ton pickups are more desirable.

can you find me one of those in blue??

[vikingminer49er]

For Young Ed:  Color is only paint deep, approximately 0.1 mm.  You can paint Truck 20 any shade of blue you like.

 

Truck 21 is a 1953 Dodge B-4-B-108 Spring Special Pickup purchased near Loveland Colorado.  A 1953 Dodge B-Series (B-4) can be readily identified by the new style rear fenders, the different style and spacing of the "Dodge"-front-name emblem, and the inevitably-broken, plastic-"Dodge"-dash-center-name emblem.

A few things makes a Spring Special different from any other Dodge pickup of the time.  Primarily the two-tone-green paint.  Typically, a Spring Special had a Fluid Drive, with a 3-speed, column-shift transmission.  The Fluid Drive, like a torque converter, is a container with fluid separating two impellers.  One impeller was attached to the engine flywheel.  The other impeller was attached to the clutch.  The Fluid Drive allowed the engine to run at low speed, with the clutch engaged, without allowing the truck to move.  Therefore the clutch can be engaged when the truck is stopped, but the truck will not move until there is sufficient engine speed to circulate the fluid and transfer power from the engine to the clutch and transmission.  Specifically, it is very difficult to engage the clutch and stall the engine, usually a problem for beginning drivers, and drivers with difficulty mastering a clutch and standard manual transmission.

 

This early version of a semi-automatic appeared on Chrysler cars in 1939.  Technically, it is not a semi-automatic transmission, only a fluid coupling between the engine and a standard manual transmission.  Fluid couplings have been available since the early 1900's, and have been used in industrial applications.  Although commonly used in mining for slow-starting a loaded conveyor belt, most fluid couplings have been replaced by electronic soft-start devices.

 

In addition to assisting with a smooth start from a stop, the vehicle could be slowed to a stop without disengaging the clutch, by using the brakes and slowing the engine speed.  The vehicle was able to start from a stop in any gear, although a start in high gear was much slower than a start in low gear.  If the driver was not concerned with fast acceleration, the vehicle could be operated in high gear all the time.  This approach seamed to be popular for city driving, like for taxi-cabs in stop-and-go traffic.  It was recommended to use the clutch for shifting between gears, but this could be done without the clutch with some practice and experience.

 

In addition to the two-tone-green paint, Spring Specials were typically offered with additional options or features, however this one came without the rear-corner windows.  I do know of one Spring Special with a standard manual transmission and no fluid coupling.  Know of one Spring Special that has the lighter and ashtray in the normally blank plate on the passenger's side of the dash in the 1951 to 1953 B-Series trucks (B-3 and B-4). 

 

Also, some of the versions were labeled Truck-O-Matic, and may be different than the Fluid Drive.  For an explanation of Truck-O-Matic, see Don Bunn's "B-Series Trucks Restorer's & Collector's Reference Guide and History", page 132.  Sorry I can't attach the Spring Special pages from Don Bunn's book due to file size limitations.

 

Have had this truck running, but it is missing some teeth on the ring gear and is therefore hard to start.  Any engine is not perfectly balanced, and over time will tend to stop in about the same place in rotation.  Also over time, the starter will tend to engage the same teeth on the ring gear on starting.  Purchased Truck 14, the 1951 Fluid Drive, to possibly use the fluid coupling or ring gear for this truck.  Haven't got around to finding out if the parts will interchange.

 

Now why is it called a Spring Special?  Here's my story:  Most trucks of the time were purchased in the fall by farmers when they had money from selling their annual harvest.  Some trucks were sold throughout the year for commercial uses, like the Route Vans.  The Spring Specials, I believe, were sold in the spring of the year as a promotional item to boost sales during a slow-selling time.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

By the way, farmers were notoriously cheap and rarely purchased options.  I believe that is why there are so few rear bumpers on these trucks.  Any farmer would think he would rather build his own rear bumper than pay extra for the factory bumper.  Interestingly, the $18-optional, rear-corner windows are quite common.  Guessing the farmers didn't want to cut holes in the cab of his new truck to improve visibility.