1948 B-1-B Farm Truck

[Nirvana09]

Hey guys. I have a 1948 B1B I've had for years that I'm finally giving some proper attention to. A little back story - I love and restore Air-cooled german cars. My dad has always been the one with the Dodge obsession. He has had many over the years but his pride and joy is a blackout '45 1/2ton he will be finishing up any year now. He had a friend with a local wrecking yard and I can remember growing up many cars coming in and out of the garage - some just to pull parts before being sent back to the yard, some were restored and sold.

 

Two of the many that came through were a red '48 dodge truck from Arizona and blue '50 dodge five window. Both had been parked for a few years, the blue one seeing the worst of it as rust had consumed most of the bottom six inches of the pickup. My dad planned on pulling the parts he'd use as spares for his '45 and send the two packing back to the crushing yard. Seeing the condition of the red '48 this perplexed me. It was a 50k original mile farm truck from Arizona and from the story we had been told, made the trip from AZ to Washington a few times. It was mostly complete with a little bit of rust from sitting in Washington, but in reality not too bad. I pleaded with him not to have it crushed. His main interest was in the '47 and earlier trucks - he considered this late and undesirable. To most people, I guess, it's not the prettiest truck nor the most valuable as 50's fords and chevys take up most interest rolling across the auction block. I always thought it looked plucky. With the squared front end and goofy moustache grills it certainly looks out of place with most modern vehicles. I liked it. He sent the Blue '50 packing and the '48 went back into hibernation.

 

Skip forward a good few years I get a phone call from him. He his moving from the property and taking his vehicles with him. I needed to come pickup that '48 I made him keep so many years ago. I did, and unfortunately had to put it back into hibernation. Very recently I've been able to put some time back into the old '48 and this is what I've come up with. I've repaired a few small cracks on the frame. I've also cut out the remains of decayed bits in the bed and rebuilt it with parts from DCM. I also gave it it's first coat of boiled linseed oil to try to preserve what's left of this old beauty. I don't want to mess with the appearance of this truck at all, I want to get it functional and driving safely with the original engine.

 

I am looking for the missing piece of trim on the nose and the bottom seat for the bench seat! I think I have the side hood dodge script somewhere. I'm also missing the radiator. The motor isn't currently running - I have three snapped exhaust studs to replace before trying to fire it off. Once running brakes and tires will be ordered in. Not sure if I want to redo the rims or leave them ugly. The truck is a low number '48 with a low number engine, I'll get those numbers tomorrow, but here are a few pictures. Few are from a few years ago, you can still see "parts" written on the hood from the wrecking yard.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Nirvana09

[ggdad1951]

Nice!  You also nee one more pice on teh center by the hood, pretty easy to come buy as they didn't get damaged all that often.

 

Parking lights you can poke around on e-pay as they come up once in a awhile or post a want add in the "classifieds" section of the forum.  Someone also might PM you if they have any parts laying around (as we don't allow open asks/selling in the threads).  Altho, I am pretty sure DCM has the parking light parts you need, give Steve a call and check.

[Los_Control]

Good looking truck, hope you have good luck getting it running.

There are several radiator suppliers who have one that will fit these old dodges. ..... I bought a generic used  aluminum radiator for $50, modified the brackets to make it fit ... painted it black. Looks good enough to me and works well.

 

The seat bottom, I assume you mean the springs? ..... Their is a guy on FB Douglass Crozier who parts out these dodges. He told me $80 + shipping.

He only ships the bare metal springs & removes all padding & material. So figure in the cost to recover it.

I bought a set of bucket seats from a chebby silverado.

 

Good luck keep posting progress 

[Nirvana09]

4 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

Nice!  You also nee one more pice on teh center by the hood, pretty easy to come buy as they didn't get damaged all that often.

 

Parking lights you can poke around on e-pay as they come up once in a awhile or post a want add in the "classifieds" section of the forum.  Someone also might PM you if they have any parts laying around (as we don't allow open asks/selling in the threads).  Altho, I am pretty sure DCM has the parking light parts you need, give Steve a call and check.

I actually have many of the small fiddly parts that my dad removed so many years ago - the tail lights, side mirros, horn ect. He threw them in a box and I've been going throw those. The lights are in sorry shape, but since they're original I'll probably be fixing them. For example both of the rear light glass is broken. I'm thinking of making a mold setting the pieces in the mold and using red tinted epoxy to try to keep them together. I'd rather do that than throw them out.

 

1 hour ago, Los_Control said:

Good looking truck, hope you have good luck getting it running.

There are several radiator suppliers who have one that will fit these old dodges. ..... I bought a generic used  aluminum radiator for $50, modified the brackets to make it fit ... painted it black. Looks good enough to me and works well.

 

The seat bottom, I assume you mean the springs? ..... Their is a guy on FB Douglass Crozier who parts out these dodges. He told me $80 + shipping.

He only ships the bare metal springs & removes all padding & material. So figure in the cost to recover it.

I bought a set of bucket seats from a chebby silverado.

 

Good luck keep posting progress 

Yes, correct, I have the seat frame (no springs) and the upper rear seat back. I can take the seat in any condition, I'd like it if it was tattered and I could try to save some of the original material. I'm trying to find the gentleman.. Worst care I'll reach back out and see if you have a link.

 

 

[Los_Control]

Here is where you will find him. ....... I think what he does is just wrap it in the clear plastic for shipping.

So if there was any rodent infested .... pissed on .... smelly material on it ..... I doubt any of the drivers would want to pick it up & handle it.

May actually be a rule from UPS to avoid the issue. ..... He assured me he would have to remove all material from it before shipping.

 

Parts I have bought from him toe board, transmission cover ..... he just wraps them in plastic & sticks a shipping label on it .... fast & easy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilothouse

 

Place a wanted add there & you may find what you want?

 

If I get a chance I know someone over on the h.a.m.b. that lives in Eastern WA. His wife had a 49 B1B. I was moving from the Kennewick area & gave him my 49 B1C & a 1952 dodge pickup also a 52 plymouth suburban ...... And a 1959 home made Ford Ranchero      I was moving to Texas & not bringing all this crap with me & it needed to be gone.

I forget where he said he lived .... like 1/2 way to spokane in some rural area ...... It's possible he might have something he would sell?

 

I do not talk to him very often, when I see him post he has some pretty interesting projects he is working on 1928? Dodge with the old wooden wheels.

That was over 5 years ago, I do not know if he still has them. If he would even sell anything if he had them. ..... I know his real name, cant remember the handle he post under.

I only remember his avatar photo.

Sooo, next time I see them post, iicr, I will ask & figure out a way to get your info to him if he is interested.

[Nirvana09]

On 6/22/2023 at 10:52 AM, Los_Control said:

Here is where you will find him. ....... I think what he does is just wrap it in the clear plastic for shipping.

So if there was any rodent infested .... pissed on .... smelly material on it ..... I doubt any of the drivers would want to pick it up & handle it.

May actually be a rule from UPS to avoid the issue. ..... He assured me he would have to remove all material from it before shipping.

 

Parts I have bought from him toe board, transmission cover ..... he just wraps them in plastic & sticks a shipping label on it .... fast & easy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilothouse

 

Place a wanted add there & you may find what you want?

 

If I get a chance I know someone over on the h.a.m.b. that lives in Eastern WA. His wife had a 49 B1B. I was moving from the Kennewick area & gave him my 49 B1C & a 1952 dodge pickup also a 52 plymouth suburban ...... And a 1959 home made Ford Ranchero      I was moving to Texas & not bringing all this crap with me & it needed to be gone.

I forget where he said he lived .... like 1/2 way to spokane in some rural area ...... It's possible he might have something he would sell?

 

I do not talk to him very often, when I see him post he has some pretty interesting projects he is working on 1928? Dodge with the old wooden wheels.

That was over 5 years ago, I do not know if he still has them. If he would even sell anything if he had them. ..... I know his real name, cant remember the handle he post under.

I only remember his avatar photo.

Sooo, next time I see them post, iicr, I will ask & figure out a way to get your info to him if he is interested.

 

That list sounds much like my own..  I need to do more finishing of projects! Not adding to them, haha. That's what brought be back to the dodge. 

 

I found a seat bottom local, it's from a 49 truck. It's still attached to the frame, it looked bolted on. The seat frames looked similar but I find my frame doesn't have anywhere to bolt the bottom seat to, were there many differences between 48 and 49 when it comes to seats? 

[Los_Control]

I've never looked at a 48 seat. I had a 49 in the past, I currently own a confused 49 ..... It is a titled 1949 but it identifies as a 1950 model.

This is the seat frame that has the adjustable sliders bolted to a brace welded to the frame.

 

The seat base is brazed to the floor of the cab,  there is L shaped metal bolted to the base & the sliders bolt to the L metal.

I would only assume the 48 seat would be similar?

 

This post is probably a complete waste of time, it is what I believe is the original factory seat.

If yours is not matching, a lot of strange things have been done over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nirvana09]

2 hours ago, Los_Control said:

I've never looked at a 48 seat. I had a 49 in the past, I currently own a confused 49 ..... It is a titled 1949 but it identifies as a 1950 model.

This is the seat frame that has the adjustable sliders bolted to a brace welded to the frame.

 

The seat base is brazed to the floor of the cab,  there is L shaped metal bolted to the base & the sliders bolt to the L metal.

I would only assume the 48 seat would be similar?

 

This post is probably a complete waste of time, it is what I believe is the original factory seat.

If yours is not matching, a lot of strange things have been done over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So thats exactly what mine looks like! It's the one that has the bottom seat which confused me - it had the folded sheet steel covers like mine did but the bottom of the seat had to steel tabs that extended over the seat frame and were bolted into place. The material was exactly the same as mine.  I'll buy the seat regardless, he's asking 40 and even for a seat I have to modify - I'm down.

 

Does anybody have a source for cab repair sections? I see a lot of front pieces to the cab, but I don't see any in the rear. I have a few good inches of rust in the back of the cab and wanted to see what I could get pre made before I start fabbing up pieces myself. 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Nirvana09

[Los_Control]

They all do .... water gets in the cab & pools there .... they rust out.

I have no shame & show crappy work all the time. Here is some scrap 18 gauge that used to be a shelf.

Easy enough to fabricate just remember it has a compound bow in it .... top to bottom ... left to right .... it is not flat.

 

It is not easy for me as a inexperienced welder .....  still teaching myself. And it is only tacked in, needs grinding and finish welding .... pin holes everywhere.

The reason why I suggest it is a difficult area to weld .... I feel like I want to hammer/dolly the welds as I go ..... you cant reach it ... unless you have 6' arms.

Even then you can only get the top seam above the floor, there is no room below the floor. ..... A better welder could do a better job.

 

I have come to the conclusion it will never be a perfect patch & will need filler to fix the boo boo's ..... is covered from the bed nobody will ever see it anyways.

Dont be shy, dive in & patch it up.

 

 

 

[Nirvana09]

Quick question gentlemen!

 

How do I know for sure if the truck is still 6v positive? I have actually been turning the truck over with 6v batteries hooked up negative and only after going through the manual did it describe these as 6v positive. The last time this was registered was in 1983 so it had plenty of time for modification.  Since I've been using these batteries to turn the motor over to build oil pressure but haven't started or run this engine - the head cover is currently off. If the truck was still 6v positive would there be any issues with having the battery in backwards? Since I have the battery in the truck with no explosions I really don't feel like hooking it up backwards from what it currently is just to mess around and find out. Anybody have any identifiers for an unknown wired truck?

[jsd245]

It's positive ground. They all were. I can't imagine anyone rewired the car to negative ground.   I think the starter will still turn over in the right direction hooked up negative ground, but everything else- like the heater fan ( if you have one) will run backwards. I don't think  anything will "blow up " by reversing the polarity. 
 

turn the ignition key on , without the engine running and put an electrical load on it- like headlights. The ammeter needle should go left discharging- if the needle moves right into charging territory the polarity is reversed.