57 Dodge 300 DeKalb milk truck

[9 foot box]

   A couple months ago, I went searching for a milk truck in an area that had a few dairies forty or more years ago. Well I found a couple and a 39TC and a 40VC. The 39 could be a good project, the 40 has some badly dented rear fenders and a newer year left front fender. So the headlights mount different on each fender. The 50 Dodge is missing the front and rear axle and engine parts. The hood was laying on the right side, so I put it back on. It would take too much rigging to load on my 20’ 12,000 gvw trailer. A local man with a roll-back said he would charge $300 to deliver it to my place and I would unload with fork extensions on my forklift and set on some square timber’s. Upon opening the hood on the 57, I thought that I could get that running. I called a week later, and the husband of the owner said that the grand kids were coming and he’d let me know. He called about a month ago and bumped up my offer, that I agreed to. On a Friday I went to the ranch and filled the tires and squirted some ATF in the cylinders, oiled the door hinges, added brake fluid and pulled it into a position for an easy load. I went to get the truck the next day and emptied what was in the back and hosed it out when I got home. Sunday I rolled it off the trailer and parked it in a convenient spot to work on. It was still light out, so I did a compression test and got 105 psi in all six cylinders. I had disconnected the lines to and from the fuel pump but the pump was spitting old gas so I plumbed the line into a jug and capped the fuel line from the tank. I took the screws from the carburetor top out and sucked the old gas out of the float bowl. I hooked up portable gas tank. It started up, had good oil pressure and idled fine. Since then I have replaced all the coolant hoses and detailed it a bit by painting the headlight surround’s, air cleaner, oil filler cap. The engine doesn’t have a serial number but the frame has a number that I will use for registration. I have it on a 4 post lift now, to do an oil change, fuel tank removal and scraping of the crud that accumulated over the years and the mandatory brake and seal work. The last license plates were 1982. The left front fender needs more work than the right front. The 1” horizontal and vertical trim at the rear corners and wheel wells are aluminum, and I look forward to getting the paint off of them, they will add a nice accent to the body. I had other pictures, but these worked, I think. 

[sidevalvepete]

Well done. Looks like a good project. Look forward to more progress.

[Young Ed]

Nice find. It looks to have survived well. Did you get any pics of the 39-40s?

[9 foot box]

   Here are three more project trucks. I have some more talking to do. The daughter said she learned how to drive in the 39, which is a bad reason to let them deteriorate anymore. I found a 50 cent Disneyland parking stub with a note to her dad on the back and a pair of  pliers in what was left of the glove box. I'm going to give them to the woman as keepsakes.   

[Plymouthy Adams]

scarred battle wagon for sure....wonder if these are from her "learning to drive"

[Veemoney]

The milk truck is in nice shape and in good hands now. looking forward to the updates. I don't recall ever seeing a truck with as many dents in the fender as the 39. I'm sure there is an interesting story on those dents. Learning to drive on a farm starts in an open field for most, I guess they skipped that step?

[Young Ed]

Be a great one to get running and put back to work!

[9 foot box]

   The mostly blue truck is a 39, the beat up one is a 40. The 40 has a hose connected to the tailpipe and a pile of sand in the bed. The owner used to put the hose in a gopher burrow and fill any exhaust holes with sand. The husband of the owner trailered it to a car lot for an ugly truck show, in the past, and drove it into position. I have to see them again and check out a bone yard of more parts that might be around. That odd ball fender might have come off of a decent donor. Parts is parts for any W series truck owner. I saw the radiator from the 39, the top tank was getting eaten away from the PH of the acids on the brass. As an aside, a rancher a few miles away has a Plymouth truck box and tailgate sitting on the ground, loaded with cast iron to recycle, I’ve talked to them a couple times and I guess it will just rot into the ground. I’ll try one more time. Iron prices are better.

[9 foot box]

    The PO must have hit a deer, because the tie rod, oil pan, gas tank and drive shaft were all hit. The drive shaft is out .012” in the middle. I got the pan and tie rod straightened. There was an 1/8” of lead sludge on the bottom of the pan, not to bad. There was about the same amount of sludge at the bottom of the filter canister. I took the Floato oil strainer off to clean, and it felt heavy. There was a solder patch and hole in the top of the strainer, it was full of oil making it a Sinko oil strainer. Got four 16” lock ring wheels sand blasted last Friday. I got four 17.5 wheels with the truck that could be mounted tubeless, but tires would be an expense I don’t want to deal with yet. And I have some good 16” tires. The rear end is geared 4.78, so a tall tire is preferred, but it’s a tapered axle with a 5 on 4.500” pattern with a bolt on adapter to 6 on 7.250” pattern. Not a full floating axle that I would expect on a one ton. The adapter came off so I can use my hub puller. My W series trucks and wheels use 9/16” studs, B models and later, went to 5/8”. I got a K-Series service manual and there are some discrepancies with a Dekalb and Dodge chassis. I called gas tank renu in Spokane, but they don’t seem to be in business anymore. Or Northwest Radiator gave up on the franchise. I’ll pull the gas tank tomorrow, I have a gas tank on a 53 Dodge chassis that I have, that might work. I could probably use the rear axle too. It would have a higher gear ratio and I could take out a few leaf’s in the rear spring’s. I won’t be loading it with any weight. I imagine 100 gallons of milk in glass bottles, in metal crates, would add up. That’s where this project is presently. Rick D.

Edited November 23, 2022 by 9 foot box

[9 foot box]

   I thought I might bring my 57 Dekalb up to date. I think I saved the gas tank, by my cleaning process and dent removal. The wheels and tires are on another tire woe thread. Rick D. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

The tires and wheels look beautiful!

Edited December 3, 2022 by Dodgeb4ya
Spell check

[9 foot box]

   I also think the wheels should be painted that way, of course. But I thank you for a post, rather than a trophy or heart. Rick D.

Edited November 27, 2022 by 9 foot box

[9 foot box]

   I had mentioned about detailing, well I did a little bit on the trim today. It’s paint on gray primer and needs multiple coats of stripper. The old paint is tough. The trim moulding seems to be nickel alloy maybe. It’s not as magnetic as the fender flare.  I did a little more today. Rick D.

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by 9 foot box

[RNR1957NYer]

Keep us updated - this is a great project!!!

[9 foot box]

   I conversed with Larr991 about a couple things and thought I’d address semantics. You can have a renovation, restoration, rejuvenation or resurrection or any number of references. I prefer resurrection, because it will be be coming back into use. It need’s higher gearing at present but I have parts to fix that. I thought about restoring the side panels with the original lettering but that probably won’t happen. I just got to get it drivable and fix the front fenders next. It is a project. I haven’t stopped looking for the earlier model Dodge’s with the offset engine and independent rear suspension though. Maybe it’s best. Rick D.

[Larr991]

I just looked at your project thread, absolutely fantastic. That truck will be awesome when done! It looks like you have a few projects in the making, they will keep you busy for a while! Not too many Dodges left here, I think the road salt did them in. I too am always looking but know I'm done buying. Great project you're working on, will be following! Jim

Edited January 11, 2023 by Larr991

[9 foot box]

    I haven’t updated lately, but I put a 4.1 rear differential in the Dekalb. It I had 2 1/2” lift blocks, I eliminated them, and bought new u-bolts. Now I can hook up the shocks that are wired up out of the way. I had to put new bushings in the rear of the springs and disassemble and wire brush them clean with the new spring bolts. Yesterday I made a couple new pedals. I had bought these pads, but they don’t work for a W-series. Must have been a lot of mud on the man’s boots. I somewhat straightened the edge of the clutch pedal for the picture. I could have bought them from Roberts, but I had the pads. Rick D.

[9 foot box]

   My Dekalb had a BXVD-3 carburetor on it. It would run for a minute or two and start leaking gas. It’s the wrong carburetor for a truck engine with a four speed. I put a D6G1 that I recently bought from an East Canadian seller for $50. I bought it because it has a fast idle cam and link to the choke. It cleaned up and works at idle. When my taillights get here and I get my VIN plate, I can have it inspected after showing the Deputy the frame number. 

[9 foot box]

   I had to rotate some vehicles around to service my wife’s Town and Country. I got my VIN tag, and it’s back on the lift for taillights and turn signals. I really wanted to to take it down the road, but I’ll wait for it to be legal with license plates and proof of insurance. 1957 parking light lenses are at a premium, but late 76-86 CJ Jeep lights or lenses will work. You can’t use the original bezel. The chrome is in the plastic lens on the Jeep version. Rick D.

[9 foot box]

   I should get my new turn signal switch tomorrow. Last week I made a battery rack. The powder coated grill allows dirt to fall through and hold down bolts to attach to the grid. It’s under your left foot, sitting in the seat, like a lot of Dodge trucks. Rick D. 

[John-T-53]

On 5/2/2023 at 7:39 PM, 9 foot box said:

   I should get my new turn signal switch tomorrow. Last week I made a battery rack. The powder coated grill allows dirt to fall through and hold down bolts to attach to the grid. It’s under your left foot, sitting in the seat, like a lot of Dodge trucks. Rick D. 

 

 

 

That's a good idea!

[Cuttyman9]

Man! That thing is cool! I like that front end with the hooded headlights.

 

What did the lift blocks look like? I’m trying to raise up the rear of my truck a good bit so I can fit some wide tires.

[typefour]

I have  57 pickup, just bones but love the old dodge iron.