Projects 1940 Dodge Truck Build (Finally!)

I started with a beat up cab and went from there. I found a parts truck to help me with the build. I've spent the last month cutting all the ugly from it and finally got down to a good base.

Someone chopped the cab with an axe, and I've spent the last six months looking for new doors and a roof. I've finally found all of the parts I've been looking for, and I'll just fabricate the rest once I blow the dust off my welder.

I've got pictures from what it first looked like as I saw it on Craigslist, the parts truck as it first looked on Craigslist, the cab in storage, the cab with all the replacement parts, the parts truck with all the ugly gone, and a picture of what I'm going for in this build. Enjoy.

 

I like it. Have you got more build photos to share?

 

I will in time. I've got to narrow and shorten the frame, stitch the cab together, and fab up engine and transfer case mounts. A lot more pictures are coming. I'm going to post some of the "What Not To Do" photos before I post the pictures of how I fixed those problems. And I've got some Duesy's!

I'm aiming for a year end completion, so when the build photos come they will be coming hot and heavy.

 

I finished some work over the weekend, and now I have some more pictures. This is the perfect example of how not to modify an axle for a frame:

 

Here's what a haircut will do for shitty workmanship:

 

I love trucks and yours is coming along fine...but it's not a hotrod or a custom...4wd?

 

At least the guy welded the shit work on top of the original spring perches. I'm going to shave the top of the perches down just enough to weld my new perches over. I'm going to have to modify my perch for the passenger side to fit over the old one. I'm converting the spring perches on the front and rear axles to 2.5" springs as to give myself a better selection of parts from which to choose. I looked everywhere for the original style 1.75" springs that came on the front, but I couldn't find anything reasonable. I figure that I already have 2.5" springs on the frame as it is so why not modify the frame to axles? Next stop, narrowing the frame.

 

You are correct. I figure that since most of the parts are from WW2 that I'm using, including my axles and transfer case, it's nice to see something different every now and then. Oh, did I mention that I don't know shit about 4x4's and everything I'm learning is as new to me as to some of you? I make it look easy huh?

 

The only thing I know is 2 metal thingies stick out of the lump doohickey and turn the rubber and metal dealies at the same time

 

uugh oh...I always thought that they were 'dualies'..

I am a bit worried about the longevity of this thread give some of the recent closures. Traditional. Hotrod. That sort of stuff.

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is that a military cab? im on the lookout for one, if you know where one is. an easy way to tell is the panel under the doors, military ones are taller.

 

your pictures of the front axle make my head hurt....

 

It would be sad if they did close it. I thought about hot rod-street rod on this build, but I thought I'd be different. It's got a flathead, just not the cookie-cutter Ford Flathead. That one's going in the T-Bucket. !

No its not. It's just an old 1940 Dodge cab I picked up off of Craigslist for pocket change. I've spent the last eight months tracking down the correct WW2 parts for this truck, but the total build is going to be a tribute to the war design rather than a military vehicle restoration.

Right! And the guy DROVE the truck with the axle like that!

 

I like it!!!

 

Thank you. I like your Mercury.

 

Many things have happened since my last post, but I found this thing to help me with the build. Got it for cheap too.

 

Sweet! I dig it! I love the look of the old beast, have always wanted one.

 

Had to change horses midstream. I found out that my WW2 front axle was warped. It was so bad that it went from having a turning radius to not once the repairs were made. I had to scrap that idea and go with something new. I decided to still keep the 4x4 idea, but build it as a regular civilian truck instead. Here's what I have so far:

 

I shit-canned my old frame in favor of a K5 Blazer frame. I had to build new body mounts, but I don't have any pictures of those at the moment.

 

i have a 1941 front axle in the scrap pile....also some beatup front fenders and a frame, and rear axle.

 

Awesome man! I am building a 41 glad to see another wc being built.

 

I looked at yours, and I liked what I saw. Looks amazing!

 

I've been perusing the web this morning looking for other 1940 Dodge truck restorations when I stumbled upon this post from France: http://fleetmaster.smugmug.com/Mili...5_8DZqg7/447294065_CmVp6#!i=447296314&k=chvK8

Let me tell you that this is some truly cool shit. This guy appears to be apart of one of those societies like the Civil War Reenactment societies we have here in the States with the major exception of the fact that he is actually there where the 101st Airborne stamped their way into WW2 history at places like Normandy, Foy (Belgium), and Bastogne (Belgium). I've included some of my favorite pictures, but you should definitely check out his posts.