Projects 1964 dodge a100 truck project...

This is my other project: 1964 dodge a100 truck. Just like the Little Red Wagon, but slower. I've had this truck for many years and have enjoyed driving it around in it's beat up state. At some point a few years back I took it to my friend Evil Ed to do the body work on it. I think he undersold himself and asked too little for a huge job. So he got to a point and a couple years later and threw in the towel. The turn signals were crunched in and one side of the passengers wheel well was full of 5 inches of bondo. After I was done fixing all that, ed worked his magic and he took it far, but alas it was too much and he gave it back to me. No big deal, he did a lot but it needed more to get it to a presentable state. So I had promised my other friend Radio Bob that he could paint it. Being that the body was not done, he said he would do that too. So far so good, this thing was a salvage title and it had been hit on every corner and side, a massive ding on four wheels.



Antenna hole filled in, the radio sucks after all...

Front of the truck with the headlight bezels, emblems, and grille removed. There was a bit of surface rust and that had to be dealt with first.​

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As you can see, this truck has led a hard life.​

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The post on the tail gate was crunched in and after trying to straighten it out, it made a weak point that made the seam on the outside crack when we put body filler in it. We'll have to put some metal in here to strengthen the rear of the truck. ​

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Progress!!! That was just in one day. Radio Bob (pictured) is a maniac!​

Here's the tailgate, the rest of the truck should follow this color scheme.



The inside door panels and the dash. Sparkly goodness!



More flakiness.



You have to paint the doors standing upright or the flake will stand different than if you painted them on a flat surface. That's why they're hung up like they are.



Bob made metal posts and skirted the whole truck to the floor so the hose from the spray gun won't get hung up on the masking. Clever.

 

Those trucks are bitchin...what color you plan on painting her?

 

love those a100's...been on the lookout for one for myself

 

Cool project Rev!

Really? This one's my dad's...he's thought about sellin'. I keep telling him to keep it.

 

I love the A-100's too .. I have a D-100 and I sell shirts with it on it

 

Love that truck Big Dad! And the Plym!
Coincedentally, my uncle has a '68 SWB w/a 383. It scoots.....
The blue A-100 above has a 400....

 

I love all of the old dodge's, stepside and sweptline trucks, vans and the a-100's...i got a 67 d-100 off of a hamb'er and gonna used it for a shop truck. right now it has a slant six in it, but i have the daddy of all to go in it....440 with a six pack, and a 727 auto. Someone already put a 9 inch for rear in it....and it's a posi too! I'm also thinking about bagging it.[/IMG]

 

couple of nice rides there Big Dad...the d100 is excellent and it's always refreshing to see something different

 

Metal flake, honey gold with a white stripe. That's the plan...

 

Nice truck. Now for the hemi mounted just behind the cab.

 

I'd kill for a three window A-100 pickup.

 

my brother had a 70 Fargo with a big block, we did a tilt front on it, built her up nice and hunted Chevelles with it. Lot's of fun.

Big Dad, I love that truck! I have another pic I found of it on the net as my desktop.

Up here most of the 64-71's died from salt poisoning years ago, tough to find a decent starting point. When my brother started on his back in the late seventies you could watch the road go by underneath as you sat in the passenger seat.

 

very cool indeed

 

love the truck, i have a D100 too, not as nice as BigDads.. but im working on it

 

that is neat dude! bet if you striped it be would keep it! i have a econoline pickup but the mopar ones are cooler!

 

This pic was taken at NHRR 08 in Bowling green Ky.........I like it!

 

Day 3.
I had left Radio Bob alone for a couple of days, coming by on a Friday night to see what he had done next.



Here's the offending rear member all buttoned up. Most cars get rear ended on the left side but this one was munched on the left. The blow had done some serious damage, making the tail gate ill-fitting as well as creating flex in the body that made the seams that we had previously filled in crack. Now, Radio Bob is a perfectionist and I am ok with cutting corners to get things done. I knew once I handed him the keys there would be no half-ass work being done. In the end it will be more expensive but the result will be longer lasting and better quality. So for me I'm learning that there is a big difference between a shade-tree body guy like myself and an old school professional like Radio Bob. I have a long way to go.



This rear quarter was so beat up and you couldn't get a hammer in there due to the cars construction, Radio Bob just cut out the piece of metal so he could work on it on the bench.





A little more tweaking and it should be a perfect fit. These trucks are unibody and they are made from some serious metal, in addition most areas are layers thick so getting to some trouble spots can be hard to do. While he was under there, Radio Bob got the end of the bed straightened out a bit as it was sagging in the right corner about 1/2 inches below the left.


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The old pan was welded in by the previous owner. The original pan was toast. Radio Bob had another rear pan that had been sitting in his shop for the last decade or so. It had a recessed area for the license plate unlike mine that was just bolted right to the body of the truck. The new pad had to be cut and some of the curvature taken out so it would match the contours of the truck. ​

A quick mock up of the new pan. Bumper holes will be cut, I live in the SFV after all and I plan to drive this thing.

www.losvangeles.com​

 

Update:

The tailgate was hammered. Some of the edges were ground down and it was split in several places. After sand blasting, we were able to get down to welding up all the cracks and other problems.





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Pretty cool , good luck .

 

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[left][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/radioactivelogo.jpg[/IMG]This is my other project: 1964 dodge a100 truck. Just like the Little Red[/left]
Wagon, but slower. I've had this truck for many years and have enjoyed driving
it around in it's beat up state. At some point a few years back I took it to my
friend Evil Ed to do the body work on it. I think he undersold himself and asked
too little for a huge job. So he got to a point and a couple years later and
threw in the towel. The turn signals were crunched in and one side of the
passengers wheel well was full of 5 inches of bondo. After fixing all that, ed
worked his magic and he took it far, but alas it was too much and he gave it
back to me. No big deal, he did a lot but it needed more to get it to a
presentable state. So I had promised my other friend Radio Bob that he could
paint it. Being that the body was not done, he said he would do that too. So far
so good, this thing was a salvage title and it had been hit on every corner and
side, a massive ding on four wheels. I guess I might add while this truck
is being professionally done at much expense, my van (the other project on this
page) is being done by me to learn from and to see if the dollars to doughnuts
is worth it in the end. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck01.jpg[/IMG]
Antenna Hole filled.
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck02.jpg[/IMG]
Front of the truck with the headlight bezels, emblems, and[/center]
grille removed. There was a bit of surface rust and that had to be dealt with
first.
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck03.jpg[/IMG]
As you can see, this truck has led a hard life.
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck04.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]The post on the tail gate was crunched in and after trying to[/left]
straighten it out, it made a weak pint that made the seam on the outside crack
when we put body filler in it. We'll have to put some metal in here to
strengthen the rear of the truck. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck05.jpg[/IMG]
The body seam welded shut, we will fill this one for smother[/center]
lines.
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck06.jpg[/IMG]
Progress!!! That was just in one day. Radio Bob (pictured) is[/center]
a maniac!
[center]Day 3.
I had left Radio Bob alone for a couple of[/center]
days, coming by on a Friday night to see what he had done next.
[center][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/2789748784_56ca603e45.jpg?v=1219501877[/IMG][/center]
[left]Here's the offending rear member all buttoned up. Most cars get[/left]
rear ended on the left side but this one was munched on the rightt. The blow had
done some serious damage, making the tail gate ill-fitting as well as creating
flex in the body that made the seams that we had previously filled in crack.
Now, Radio Bob is a perfectionist and I am ok with cutting corners to get things
done. I knew once I handed him the keys there would be no half-ass work being
done. In the end it will be more expensive but the result will be longer lasting
and better quality. So for me I'm learning that there is a big difference
between a shade-tree body guy like myself and an old school professional like
Radio Bob. I have a long way to go.
[center][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2789746500_803961b73d.jpg?v=0[/IMG][/center]
[left]This rear quarter was so beat up and you couldn't get  a[/left]
hammer in there due to the cars construction, Radio Bob just cut out the piece
of metal so he could work on it on the bench. 
[center][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/2788893745_7bea199596.jpg?v=0[/IMG][/center]
[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2788896673_0789213fc8.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
[left]A little more tweaking and it should be a perfect fit. These[/left]
trucks are unibody and they are made from some serious metal, in addition most
areas are layers thick so getting to some trouble spots can be hard to do. While
he was under there, Radio Bob got the end of the bed straightened out a bit as
it was sagging in the right corner about 1/2 inches below the left.
[center][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2789745718_ff94f3957b.jpg?v=0[/IMG][/center]
[left]The old pan was welded in by the previous owner. The original[/left]
pan was toast. Radio Bob had another rear pan that had been sitting in his shop
for the last decade or so. It had a recessed area for the license plate unlike
mine that was just bolted right to the body of the truck. The new pan had to be
cut and some of the curvature taken out so it would match the contours of the
truck. 
[center][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2789748544_cc3beddbf2.jpg?v=1219501898[/IMG]
[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/2788897145_86d9e39a92.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
A quick mock up of the new pan. Bumper holes will be cut, I[/center]
live in the SFV after all and I plan to drive this thing.
[center]Day 6
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck07.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck09.jpg[/IMG]
Rear corner re-welded in place. It's the right way, If we[/center]
filled it with bondo a few months later with would crack. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck08.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]The tailgate was hammered. Some of the edges were ground down[/left]
and it was split in several places. After sand blasting, we were able to get
down to welding up all the cracks and other problems.
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck10.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck11.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck12.jpg[/IMG]
The ass end of the truck is just about buttoned up at this[/center]
point as you can see by the pics below:
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck14.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]Very little filler was used as an amount that is too thick will[/left]
eventually crack or break off. When Radio Bob got this truck the tailgate was
3/4 of an inch higher than the bed and the seams were all over the place. As you
can see now, he seams are a pretty snug fit. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck15.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck16.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]Look to earlier photos to see the rear valiance and how it was laid[/left]
on the back of the truck and how it looks now in comparison. Also not the bumper
holes have be cut out exactly like the OEM holes.
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck17.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck18.jpg[/IMG]
Keep in mind this truck was rear ended and was a salvage[/center]
title...it was munched pretty bad. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck19.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck20.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/radioactivelogo.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]These next batch of pictures show the rear end[/left]
in it's final stages. You should scroll back up to some of the earlier pics to
see how bad the rear end was before Radio Bob got his hands on it. Please note
the tail gate latches, they are no longer. Radio Bob looked at the tail gate
latches and said "I kept looking at it and looking at it and I just
couldn't get my head around this piece of skrag!, they had to go!" So the
stock gate latches were replaced by some Chevy Silverado cables and hidden on
the inside of the bed. You'll also notice that the holes for the latches are
gone as well. The seams on the rear quarter have been filled with weld and are
now smoothed over. Bob said I'm going to have a custom truck and I'll never live
it down...So it seems to be true.
[left][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck21.jpg[/IMG][/left]
We're trying out different kinds of tail light assemblies that
are being pieced together with different things that look like they may work.
This one is a velocity stack ring and a big rid LED light set from Harbor Freight.
The original tail lights are just a piece of hard plastic that looks more like a
coaster than a tail light. We also have some 50's Pontiac tail lights and some
59 caddy tail lights for some way out space look. At this point we're undecided.
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck23.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck22.jpg[/IMG]
[left] [/left]
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck24.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck25.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[left]Some detail of the replacement tailgate hardware.[/left]
The factory brackets had long chains smacking around the back of the truck, best
to avoid scratches with this new and improved hardware.
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck27.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck28.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck29.jpg[/IMG]
[center]Some detail of the sides and rear end so you can see how[/center]
straight this thing has become from the dinged up wavy piece of crap it once
was. To quote Radio Bob:
[left]"Although the 64 A100 is without a[/left]
doubt  classic "Heavy Metal" this puppy was a rear ended rust
bucket with one black eye and two chipped teeth. Only with the expert
application of hundreds of hours of professional metal work @50/60 dollars an
hour did the Atomic A100 stand a chance of having it's day in the sun!"
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/radioactivelogo.jpg[/IMG]
That's right, real body work costs, but in the end it's worth[/center]
it. 
[center][IMG]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/truck31.jpg[/IMG]
Moving on to other areas that need attention, more on that[/center]
later...
[left] 
 
 [/left]
[center] 
 
 
 [/center]
[left] [/left]
[center] [/center]
 

 

The back end of this thing was the worst part of the truck, the front end needed some love as well. Both the headlight buckets had been hit or pushed in and they were uneven and the bezels did not line up with the body. Using a hydraulic pushing tool and other various methods, Radio Bob got the front end straightened out. The turn signal housings had been patched from a donor van from yours truly and they needed a little more attention to get them into shape as well. As a consequence, the grille did not mesh too well with the hole for it and it took some time to get all the sheet metal clamped back together and the grille re-fitted into it's home. A couple more minor details are left before I'm giving back to truck to block sand the whole thing. In the interim I need to make some bumpers and get a few minor mechanical things sorted out as well as deal with the interior.










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radio bob is a character, but does great work.

gonna be one great looking truck/van/? when you are done.

i still love the 10 speed grill on your ford.

 

Thats a cool little hauler, it just looks right.

 

Are'nt we all characters? Yes, radio bob is very east coast in his manerisms but he's really fair and honest and his work is top notch.

 

man I love those a100's...yours is looking great...can't wait to see the finished product

 

I love A100's. Too bad they're so damn hard to find, especially pickups. Can't wait to see it painted.

 

got to block sand it first so it should be in paint in a few months.

 

Looking good! I love those trucks!

 

Should be getting it back for afew months soon, I'll post more pics of it all primered with new headlights and tail lights and I'm gonna ditch the bias ply tires in the front.

 

Great post! I'll be doing a lot of the same things with my Econoline pretty soon... but yours is in a lot better shape to start with