I have been stopping and bugging this old farmer for over 5 years to buy one or both of his trucks. I had asked at least once a year for the past 5 years. About two months I drove my 1963 Ford F-600 pictured below over to the farm and went to the front door and asked if I could speak with Farmer John, thats really his name. His wife asked what for I told her I wanted to talk to him about his truck. She said he wasnt gonna sell it but shed get him anyway. Funny thing is my wife said I was crazy too and hed never trade. I asked him to come out side. I told him I had an offer for him, to trade my Ford for his two Dodge Trucks. Little did anyone know Farmer John and his sons are Ford men. It took about a month of thinkin about it a couple of test drives of the Ford, but they finally agreed. Then it took another 3 weeks to clean out all the good stuff they had in the trucks before I could pick up and trailer the trucks home. The truck with the homemade camper shell was Johns High School Graduation Present. He graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1947. In October 1946, Johns father took the 1937 Ford to the Dodge dealer and traded the 37 Ford along with $800 for the new Dodge Pickup and a new 1947 Dodge Sedan. Johns whole family used the truck until 1979, the wooden camper shell was for hunting trips. John would sell some of his farm produce in Craig Colorado, about 170 miles from Grand Junction. He meet up with the local coal mine owner who said if you bring me a truck load of produce every summer Ill let you have as much coal as you can use all winter in exchange, Farmer John agreed this went on for several years. In the fall of 1979 John was driving up 9 Mile Hill (about 7,000 feet) between Meeker and Craig when apparently the recently serviced Dodges rear end plug vibrated out, all the oil splattered out and the rear end seized up. They trailered the Dodge back and it has been parked since. Later someone else sold them the other Dodge truck (a 1946) for parts and a rear end, (Im guessin $25.00 from their comments) It didnt run but the rear end was still good. The 46 Dodge was the Highline Park Grocery Store delivery truck. The plans are to build one fendered and lowered pickup with updated running gear and one fenderless pickup with updated running gear that will squeal the tires. Not much difference in the two trucks except the headlights and fender placement. Morale of the story if its important, dont give up.
Very cool. Parts can be hard to come by...very little in the way of reproduction parts made for them. There's a bunch of old Dodge fans here. Another good place is the Pilothouse forum. http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8 You keeping the dodge flathead 6 in either of them?
There is one of those 4 houses down from me. It has sat out front my whole life and the owner has zero plans to sell it,but never drives it.
I remember a 42 dodge truck like that in the neighborhood back around 81. It was Painted flat black, some chrome wheels on it. Inside was painted red, the stickshift was painted like a candy cane or deal outside a barber's window. never forget it. It also had stacks like the lil red dodge trucks on the step sides. I thought that thing was so neat. I know where one is that's a wheat truck
No I'm Old Thats me in the Avatar Picture in 1975. The Title says 1946, So it's possible the truck sat at the manufacturer until after the war, or they used the old 41 tooling in 1946, the more likely scenerio. Or somebody screwed up at the DMV, but how could that happen. touchdowntodd and Edsel - You don't have to look Besides driving fenderless trucks since 1975:
Not planning on keeping the flatheads in either one, been there done that with another Ford flathead Ford was a nice truck, used on the farms for 30 years and it had less dents than my newer Dodge 2500. Kinda hard to drive though.
x3 totally different truck. those Dodges look like ass from the front without the fenders. The grill does not lend itself to it.
He made out like a bandit!! Just kidding, looks like everyone is happy. Keep us posted on your progress!
The "Chevy" is actully a 47 Pontiac, it's mine and is a future project. I thought of making the Ford 2 ton into a car hauler, anything past 56 mph in that truck was scarey. It seems we live a long where from anywhere and that just didn't seem like the right path. Thanks for all the kind words!
No. That's a great look. A fenderless truck from the mid-30's and up look like ass if not done right and sometimes when done right.
The Jalopy Journal
