Mater's Test drive with his new face and paint job

I took Mater out for another run around the block. My son helped me get things ready and then stopped to take the video. As you can see the truck has the front sheet metal minus doors and flat black out of a rattle can. It looked better than primer gray. When he took the video he obviously wanted to make sure I made it all the way to the end of the street.

Brakes 101--Modern Safety Upgrades

Master Cylinder Upgrade

The original brakes had a small single chamber master cylinder. If it loses pressure you’re hosed. Newer systems use a larger dual chamber system. If one fails you only lose ½ of your brakes. The trucks original pedal pivots on a shaft integrated into the clutch bell housing. You push the pedal through the floor and it pushes a rod forward into the engine compartment and into the master cylinder. Unfortunately the old location of the cylinder is very small making a modern dual chamber MC very difficult. After searching the net an reviewing some mechanical issues I decided to keep the original pedal with a modification.

I fabricated an extension arm of 3/8” steel which created an arm that sits below the original pivot point and when the pedal is activated reverses the direction of force. I bought a dual MC for a ’67 Ford Falcon and created a large bracket that bolts to the frame and sits under the cab behind the pedal system. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the bracket I made. It’s pretty straight forward. It is an “L” shaped bracket with a brace, drilled to accept the new, larger, safer dual chamber MC. It took a bit of fiddling, grinding, measuring and thinking to finally get the thing to sit right but it works and seems to work well.

The picture shows the old pedal with some labels hopefully giving you an idea of what I created. For you PH owners you will remember there is a spacer between the brake pedal and clutch pedal. This plate I created is basically the same width so you drop out the spacer and slide this on without changing your pedal spacing.






E-Brake

The truck had an E-brake that was like a reverse brake drum. Out of the tranny shaft was a metal cylinder. When you pulled the handle it tightened what looked like a set of brake pads around the cylinder to create a braking effect. Since I pulled the tranny and put in the T-5 tranny I lost that system. However when I fabricated a new floor board for the relocated shifter I cut a notch and fabricated a mounting bracket for the original handle shown in the picture. I have not done it yet but I should be able to route the E-brake cables off of my transplanted Jeep axle to this handle and create a usable E-brake that looks like the original style.

Disc Brakes

Another drawback to the old trucks were the 4 wheel drum brakes. Anyone who has ever driven these old things realize they can fade, pull, and just plain not stop well. With my original plans I wanted and old truck but one that is usable everyday and on any street. I bought a kit from Charlie Akers which allowed me to keep the original spindles after stripping off the drums. It used GM parts from the mid 80’s to add 11” front disc brakes. The pics show my son helping me bolt on the “C” shaped bracket which will allow the caliper to bolt on. It also shows him with a Dremel tool carving out a little notch we needed to let the caliper fit better. It needed to be relieved by about 1/8” in one section, otherwise the kit was great. The only other problem I had was that with the truck this kit needs to have the left/right sides swapped to clear the front shock mounts. The other pic shows the 5/8” tap needed after the lower spindle holes were enlarged. I did that without taking them off the truck. I think my arms are still sore from drilling those out!

He finally has a face!

Things continue to move along with Mater. He finally got a face. This last 2 weeks I have spent most of my time re-attaching the front fenders, hood, grill, and headlights and front turn signals. He's actually starting to look like a truck. That is if you ignore the fact that there are no doors, bed, or tailgate. But those are merely minor problems soon to be tackled. The pictures below are some of the first major body work I have had to do. The PO (previous owner) tried to fill in the passenger lower door panel with bondo to cover some rust. The picture shows the huge chunk of the stuff that I cut out of the rotted section. I had to cut out the lower curved section and part of the flat side panel. I used some 18g steel after creating a cardboard template and made a two piece patch. The lower section created the curve then I welded in the flat face section and used the grinder to pretty things up. The welds along the lip of the door skin were tricky due to old, thin, rusting metal. If you weld too hot you just blow a hole through the metal and create a new place that needs patched. It's not a perfect job but it will probably outlast the rest of the truck. I hope to have the doors mounted in a few weeks. I need to check the window mechanisms and door latches then hang them back on.

Dodge Pickup History Lesson

1948 to 1953 B-Series PickupsAuthor: Don Bunn
The B-Series trucks were by far the finest and most advanced pickups of their day. This may seem like a bold statement in light of the fact that Chevrolet and Ford both announced important new truck series at the same time: Chevrolet in June 1947, Dodge in December 1947 and Ford in January 1948. The three auto divisions announced their first post War automobiles as 1949 models.
This Dodge B-1-B-116 half-ton 116-inch wheelbase pickup with less than 25,000 miles is an original truck including its tires and muffler. It is painted dark green with a black 6 1/2-foot cargo box. This was the standard paint design during the B-Series years. This 1949 model is typical of years 1948 to 1950. You can see the truck at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)
This 1950 Dodge B-2-C-116 3/4-ton pickup was owned by the author. It had the 218 cubic inch L-six, a four speed transmission and overload springs. It was a great truck! (Photo: Don Bunn)
Lets take a look at the B-Series truck features which put Dodge ahead of the competition. First of all was its advanced, handsome cab styling. Dodge designers referred to it as the Pilothouse safety cab. This was in reference to the improvements in visibility over the previous cab. It was achieved from Chrysler's famous "chair height" seat and from improved driver visibility through the higher and wider windshield, door glass and rear window. New optional cab rear quarter windows eliminated those former dangerous blind areas.
Secondly, Dodge engineers set the front axles and wheels of all models eight inches further back than the former trucks and moved the engine slightly forward (similar in concept to 1936-1938's Fore-Point load distribution).
As before this resulted in shifting more of the payload to the front axle and allowed greater payload ratings without adding more weight to the rear axle and springs.
A significant improvement in driveability was achieved by changing over to a cross-steering arrangement. Cross-steering, in combination with the new wide tread front axle, provided a 37-degree turn angle either right or left because the drag link ran almost parallel with the front axle and did not interfere with the left front tire on left turns. The B-Series featured long flexible springs and shock absorbers to provide a comfortable, controlled ride. If you want to treat yourself to a real pleasure, find a restored B-Series pickup and take it for a test drive. You will prove to yourself how maneuverable and easy to steer and drive these remarkable trucks are. You will be amazed that a 50 year old truck could deliver this level of driveability.
This 1948 Dodge one-ton B-1-D-126 pickup carried a 9-foot box. It was powered by a 230 cubic inch L-six.
The author owns this 1952 Dodge half-ton B-3-B-108 high-side pickup. He purchased it in 1973 and completed its restoration in 1980. Since then it has clocked 5,088 miles. This grille is typical of 1951-1953 trucks.
The B-Series advanced design highlights included modern, cab-wide front fenders. Notice for yourself how the front fenders of the Other Two retained the old fashioned 1930s style. Dodge designers brought the lines of the front fenders back and smoothly integrated them into the cab doors.
You know the B-Series pickups are hard working, heavy haulers by their new extra deep cargo boxes. The cubic capacity of cargo space was greatly increased from the former pickup series. Dodge B-Series pickups were famous for moving loads, consequently most B-Series pickups were sold with 4-speed transmissions and overload springs.
When this retired fire truck was found by the author in 1988 it had only 7,000 miles on it. It is a 1953 Dodge 3/4-ton pickup model B-4-C-116. Its fenders were new for 1953. It was powered by the 218 cubic inch L-six coupled to a 4-speed transmission.
Drivetrains for the B-Series were unchanged from the 1947 -- they consisted of the 95 horsepower 218 six for half- and 3/4-ton trucks and the 102 horsepower 230 six for the one-tons. A 3-speed transmission was standard for all models and the 4-speed was optional.
The half-ton pickup's wheelbase was 108-inches and its cargo box was 6 1/2-feet long. The 3/4-ton's specs were 116-inch wheelbase and 7 1/2-foot cargo box. The one-ton included a 116-inch wheelbase and a 126-inch wheelbase with a 7 1/2- and 9-foot cargo box respectively.
Dodge built two one-ton B-Series pickups. A 1953 one-ton B-4-D-126 is shown. It has a 126-inch wheelbase and a 9-foot cargo box. Its drivetrain consists of a 230 cubic inch L-six and a 4-speed transmission.

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February Update

December and January were productive months for Mater. He got a new nervous system (dash gauages and wiring harness) compliments of a very wonderful Mrs. Claus...i.e. my wife! The dash panel was fabricated from 16g steel and made to be easily removable for any work that needs done.

I also found some comparison pictures for the engine compartment. Amazong what a little (alot) of elbow grease, grinders, and spray paint will do.

It's amazing to see the truck come back together. It is a lot of fun. This is what Mater looked like a few months after getting him home. It's fun to be in the buildup stage finally.

Right now I am working on some broken metal areas aroung the hood hinges. 60 years have left them weak and broken. That should be put back together tonight then I hope to get the hood and grill mounted by the weekend.

January 2009 Update

Work on the old beast continues. Santa Claus....aka my wife was great to me this year and purchased a new set of guages and complete wiring harness for the old truck.I spent most of December installing them. Currently the dash is functional, the harness is mostly installed. I need to re-attach the fenders and grill so I can finalize the wiring on the turn signal and headlights. The same is true of the rear. However with the new harness I was able to start the beast under it's own power.

To Do List:

1) fix water pump leak

2)Finalize dashboard wiring of the gauges.

3) Finish wrapping wiring harness with black plastic tubing for protection.

4) Couple of new rims and tires.......safety, safety.....

5) Floorboard work is needed....too many holes

6) Start re-attaching the sheet metal so it will look like a tuck again.....

That's enough for the next 6 weeks or so.

I hope to be able to have this thing licensed by April. Keep your fingers crossed.

This video was shot the same day as the first one. It it the first time I backed it out of the driveway.

This picture shows some of the detail of the motor. This is a 1953 Dodge flathead 6 cylinder, 237 cubic inches rebuilt sometime in the past bored out 0.40 over bringing it to about 241 ci. The block is the longer version of the era. It has the unusual "Spitfire" head. Pictures to follow later. It is actually one of the reasons I chose not to rip it out and replace it with a V8. Most of the engine work I have done is cosmetic. I left the majority of the internal alone. It's mostly wire brush and paint. I did rebuild the carb, replace the fuel pump, and redo the ignition system. It has now been converted to 12 volts with the addition of an alternator.

Many other changes from original have also been made including the following:

1. transmission-- 1989 BorgWarner T-5, 5 speed

2. Axle -- 3.5 ratio from a 97 Cherokee

3. Front Disc Brakes -- late model GM

How it began....

For years I had wanted to take apart and old truck and restore it. Last November I purchased a 1950 Dodge 1/2 ton pickup. These trucks are nicknamed "PilotHouse Trucks" since they had the first corner windows which enhanced visibility. The truck was not in running condition. It had no gauges and some of the engine components were in a bucket in the front seat. It was obvious it had been modified from original and I found it had a 1953 Fargo (Canadian Dodge truck engine) transplanted into it.

This photo above is from CraigsList and was how I found it in someone's back pasture.

When I brought it home with a towtruck this is how it looked before starting a major restoration.

One of the coolest things I liked about the truck is the hood ornament, and the way the hood opens. This is my hood ornamament and the other picture is another truck of the same style showing the way the hood opens.