First year for a V8 in a Dodge pickup was mid year 54. They still had the beam axle and strong arm steering. I clipped mine with an F, M & J clip, 360, 727 and a 9 1/4 w/ 276 gears. Later I swapped out the 9 1/4 for an 8 3/4 with 323s. Should have kept that truck. Gene
I've seen quite a few of the '48-'53 Dodge's with V8's in them (not from the factory of course), the LA blocks go in pretty easily. There's even a few other members here that have already or are currently doing this conversion. I clipped my '53 with a '66 Fury and went with a 440, but I had to modify the firewall to do it that way. Mine is far from finished, but it can be done.
My mid year 55 has the wraparound front and rear gl***, vent windows are straight up and down at the front leading edge, unlike the 54/ early 55 with a slanted vent....anyways, mine came factory with a 259 Poly 2 bbl Red Ram and a Powerflite 2 speed auto on the column ( with a neat POWERFLITE script on the p*** side dash as well....this was basically a 260 Plymouth HYFIRE car engine 55/56 I believe, it had the red ram scalloped decaled valve covers and the red Hyfire air cleaner. I had a 270 Super Red Ram hemi to swap, basic bolt in deal. I was going to use a cast iron Torque flite dash mounted push****on ( dash shifter "pod" from a 57 truck shifter trans, retro a go-go, but the whole overpriced engine parts thing to rebuild the hemi, cam, etc, just out of my budget. I bought a 72 New Yorker with 440 / 727 for 400 bucks, rebuilt the 440 and 727 ( did the trans myself ). I will swap a 66 New Yorker 8 3/4 diff in, keep the push****on setup utilizing a shifter cable conversion kit from Imperial services in MI, this way I get the aluminum Tflite weight advantage, but loose the park feature fo the trans , just need a good park brake...I think I will use a 63-64 B body Mopar emerg brake pedal, release, neat red light on dash that indicates brake is on. The frame and suspension, manual steering, other than some new shocks, spring pin bushings, tie rods , drag link and steering box seals is stock 55 Mopar. I will box the frame, add a power booster setup froma 69 C body Mopar , already have a disc setup on the front from rustyhope.com..... Have a 66 Buick tilt column, 65 Dodge truck wheel, free bench seat from a ??? so, in another 20 years, when the kids are grown up and we have some extra pennies, she may even get running and driving Not sure how happy the stock setup will be with a healthy 440, but it'll be fun trying, and oh yeah, i have seatbelts for it now. pic in progress....
I couldn't believe how expensive those old Dodge V8 pickups can be. A very early one in nice original condition was for sale at the Pe*** Jean MOTAA Swap Meet last year for over $5K.
Idaho isn't so far away...there is a local guy advertising a 1955 Dodge with a big block and 4-speed...says 95% rust free (ya gotta love the high desert). .
The Jalopy Journal
