Projects The rebirth of a 1952 pilot house dodge pickup

My buddy just pointed that same thing out haha. I didn't think about the tubes = radio lol oops. I dont have the cover but the radio is still hooked up to it. It worked before I pulled the cab off. So to my knowledge everything is there other than the cover. Its all still mounted under the dash. I haven't touched it!

 

Alright. Long time no update! Still chipping away at the Dodge.


Cleaning the surface rust off the bedsides




My fiancée helping me mock up the bed




Not quite lined up yet lol




Ok so can anyone link me to a diagram or have any advice how to reinstall these. They still need rust busted and cleaned up but they're definitely reusable. I'm just not sure how they go in (obviously need to be welded in) Just not completely sure where they go??? They connect the bed together. Not sure what the spacing and measurments are!

 

Alright I'm no expert on these beds, in fact I've never seen a low side pilothouse bed in person. I couldnt find any diagrams for you so I'm just going to piece this together for you the best I can since my dad has a low side bed with wood crossmembers and my truck has the steel ones like yours. They actually don't get welded in if you are going for the stock approach with the wood floor, I suppose you could weld them in if you wanted to, but I don't think that would make it any easier.

I figured I'd just draw on your picture rather than rambling on. This is in order from the back or tailgate to the front...



I believe some of those are extra, I labeled the ones that looked the best and the unneeded ones are marked with an X. The X ones can be swapped with the 4 or 5 tho if they are in better condition.

More to come this is just taking me a very long time to write up...

 

This is a shot of the tailgate on my dad's truck his has wood instead of steel but you can get the idea. I don't know for sure but if I'm thinking right this is exactally the same as yours only yours wont mount on the frame just at the end of the boards and bed strips.



Now all those bars... Believe it or not there actually is a specific order to these. The short one goes right at the end of the frame rails and it is secured to the frame by 2 1/2 by 4" bolts if I remember correctly. The next longer piece is only resting on 2 rubber washers. I have no idea why but my truck was like that so I can only assume that is how it was supposed to be.



Note that all of these face the rearend.

These front ones are both the same, held on with the 1/2 by 4" bolts and they are pretty straight forward but I figured I'd post them up anyway.



After all the work and frustration tho its definitely worth it to take your time on the bed...



My bed doesn't have the 6 big bolts drilled into the wood yet, they look dumb but that's where they mount. right in the middle of the 2 outside boards...

Before all this tho you may want to replace the angle pieces on your bedsides that sits on the wood because that needs to be right in order to put the bed together. You can just get some flat and angle steel and do the bed. It doesn't look too bad especially because Roberts wants so much for these pieces in their catalog.

I hope I didnt make your head spin with all this haha. I hope it helps and if you need anything else I'll be happy to help.

 

Thanks so much Mike!! This helps a ton! I got lucky on the angle pieces they have already been remade and replaced! Got lucky on that one!

 

Love the ride. I have a 1950 with the original six.
I working mine over a little slower, when I cant keep my butt out of the seat and the wheels off the road it goes a lot slower.
Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks brother! Its going on 2 years but i'm taking my time to do it right!
Trying to collect some final parts and really hope it will be on the road by july/August!

 

Anyone have any leads on another headlight bucket? I can't find any at all. I haven't seen any old winnabagos that have the same ones!

 

I'm goin to the U-pull it tomorrow, I'll keep an eye out for one!

 

Awesome brother! I actually just thought about a place here that I go to for classic parts. All the guys that work there are Old hotrod guys. The owner even keeps a Model A banger engine Inside and its set up to start and run! There is a goldmine of awsome old plymouths and dodges from the 40s old 50s caddys.. they sold me the intake I have on my flat 6 . They even let me pull my own parts and If its small enough they dont charge me. I've got my eye on a car there with a spitfire head on a flatty 6! I'm going tovtry them for those buckets this weekend!

 

Long time no update... cleaned up the drums and mocked up tue new shoes. Advanced Auto gave me the wrong wheel cylinders so those arent in yet. Dropped the steering to replace some stuff! I'll be updating a ton!

 

nice ,going to watch this one ,manilove the old dodge trucks

 

gittin' there


Later

 

Decided to go a head and coat the drums

 

Thanks to a mouse pissing in 2 of my cylinders my engine is stuck
Again. Wasn't stuck 2 months ago. So the head and pan are off again and the cylinders soaking.

 

Wow...that really sucks. How'd the little bastard get in there?

I thought you had the engine running again.

 

Unfortunately I haven't gotten the engine going yet. I was sick for a while with pneumonia and had to put in on the back burner for a while. Hopefully I'll get it unstuck again..
:

 

Good news. Got the engine broke free again. Soaked the cylinders all day yesterday and all night. Got it to do full rotation. Just one valve stuck in the up position.. gonna keep soaking it and lightly tap it until it moves again
.

 

Hillbilly Dodge flathead stuck valve tool haha!

 

no progress last two weeks. trying to save up for some finishing parts that I need... one of these days soon i"ll get the engine wired....

 

About to order all the stuff I need to get the engine running!

 

Anyone have any wiring tips to get the engine ready and running? I'm staying 6 volt since I have to perfectly running Generators.

 

Great thread. Just spent an hour going through it. Just a suggestion, for what it is worth, I don't know how much difference there is between the '52 and '55, but I bought a '67 Dodge Coronet double reservoir master cylinder from Advance Auto for $17 for my '55. Life time warranty also. Bolted right up with no problems. If you go this route be sure to get the one for drum/drum set-up. I've been following Dan Babb's thread and also am installing a '96 Cherokee axle (3.55) under mine next week. The 4.10 gearing, tapered axles and outdated (and strange, hard to set up correctly) rear brakes need to go. Good luck with your build, keep the pics coming.
Steve-

 

DUDE! THANK YOU!!!! THAT JUST MIGHT SOLVE MY MASTER CYL ISSUE! I NEVER EVEN THOUGH ABOUT THAT!! ps. just checked out your thread truck lools great man! friend request accepted!

 

haha! never found it but the engine is unstuck. thank goodness! been turning it over by hand a full rotation every two weeks with the head off . i soak the cylenders down with oil every month too.. so hopefully we will be good! almost have enough money saved up to get it running. i've been working 6 days a week so i havent had much time to tackle the old truck latley. just been collecting advice and parts!

 

Nice thread, I picked up a 53 pilothouse in late August. All original (hell I'm only the second owner. I don't have much in the way of extra parts but I do have original pics if you need any. You had a question along time ago about the switch on top of your dash above the dodge trim plate. It's the wiper controls. Not sure if that ever got brought up again but I am totally surprised that I had any knowledge to give to anyone

 

thanks brother! i actually knew about the wiper switch. it still works i think i may have been talking about on e of the other switches. =)

 

did you just keep it drum all the way around. iv been trying to figure out how to do a disk kit on my 50 dodge and no one has a full kit for it. im scared to buy a $200 bracket and it turn out to be the wrong one or end up having $700 more into the disks and stuff

 

Nik any news on this thing? It's been awhile