I've got this 38 Dodge 1 1/2 ton truck sitting behind my house. The top of the cab has been cut off and the doors are gone. The frame is excellent and the front end and rear end are complete, as is the engine. I've also got a 440 six pack engine, 727 tranny, 8 3/4 sure grip with 3.91 gears. I'm thinking if I could find a cab and doors, this thing could be a flatbed Hot Rod. Am I crazy??? What do you guys and gals think?
THAT would be pretty cool. As far as making it a hotrod, sure, it could be done, but all you have to start with is a front clip. You'll need a cab, doors, and probably a box with fenders to make a whole body.
I'd wager that if you're on this board, you're crazy.... but that has nothing to do with that rod. Maybe find a donor cab from somewhere to morph into the back of it?
Sell the frame and running gear to a restorer, build a tube chassis and doors/rear cab panel, and make a roadster pickup.
I personally think it would make a really cool parts hauler. Does that rear box open up? Or you could make it into a bar on wheels! Cut a rectangle in the side of the box and have that fold out to be the bar surface. THAT would make it a hit at the car shows.
Sweet! With a little TLC it could be the next Blast-O-Line Special. (http://www.blastolene.com/jay_leno/index.htm) Full-size hot rods rock! Go for it. And please post your progress. This will be awesome! .
The rear box is a water tank. A bar would be cool, drinking and driving, not so cool. I was thinking parts hauler or tilt bed car hauler. Keep the ideas coming!!! My wifes grandmother wants to junk the truck, but I think there could be something there.
My personal thought is....you can make anything into a rod....however this would appear to be a lot of money spent for not very much return.
I'd save that cool drive train you have for something else. Gut the extra junk off the truck (tank, water pump, etc) and then see what you have. The wheel base looks a little short to haul a car. And water is HEAVY--which means the springs in it are going to ride like a brick. However, if you could drop a small block Mopar in it, find a donor cab, and then put a stake bed on it, it'd be an awesome parts hauler--and a lot more affordable than trying to make it a car hauler. -Brad
catman is my friend but hes got no sense of humor bury that thing and put that motor tranny in a 40 ford truck and stop at the ice cream stand and look kool peace out tim
find a cab, make it run topless add some fenders. cut some small freezer doors into that tank and turn it into soe kind of nightmarish "Jolly Times" ice cream hauler.
Hey, In the event ya strike out finding a Dodge/Fargo cab look at IHC,GM, or perhaps the Blue Oval. You may have to slice and dice at the a posts etc. but it's all possible. A 1/2 ton frame would probably be more streetable. Swankey devils c.C.
Dude do not dare to do something different and nothing says ya have to keep the box doo-hickey thing on the back... Hell cut the top off and make it a truck bed or hey how bout the first hottub rat truck... hell i don't know just make it cheap and ugly and enjoy it
Ask your wifes grandma for the grille shell, it's ok...and junk the rest. Maybe you can use the shell and grandma will be happy with the scrap prices these days, especially with that big, ugly chassis. A rod cost's money, which means sacrifices to any decent living, this just is not worth it....she will prolly hook you up good at Christmas this year anyway with the money she got from the scrap!
section about a foot out of the body, cut that hood up a little, put this motor in it lose the box on back, fab up some swoopy body work for the back. and yer' done.
There is a junk yard in Toledo, Ohio that has UPS trucks and stuff in it. You can upgrade the suspension, make your own steel windshield posts, slant it back in a V, build some doors for the cab, some doors for the box, and haul Christmas presents to the kids in the poor neighborhoods. Oh yeah, and don't put any exhaust or paint on it. I'd figure out a way to build it, it is extremely cool with those louvered doors and that grill. Don't let grandma junk it! Let grandma DRIVE it.
If you have an idea you like run with it , I've seen some rods that don't belong but this has great possiblity if you have the interest in doing it so I say go for it
make it a woodie roadster truck with a duvall windshield. take an old camping trailer and mount it on the rear frame. that would be the hit of the show.
Hell, do it man. Section the hell outta it, pickyp any old cab that you can cut to fit and that would be a unique and cool car.
Dont let it get scraped !! Its to big for a rod... fenders are way bigger thanits 1/2 ton brother. Get a flat bed on it and mke it run, then if ya like it, find a cab & use it as a parts getter...........
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