Whats the Hive say? - Farm Truck

Aghhhhh! Sometimes I think this bunch is like the Borg. There is one collective mind with many bodies running around independently. SO, What should we do on this one? That means, think, If this was us! Not me, Pass or Play? Remember this is Atlanta; There is always more candidates/projects that magically appear in the next few minutes.

I was looking for a cheap Plymouth/Chrysler/Dodge Dart/Valiant/Savoy/Belvedere something to 440 swap, turbo charge and bring to $2013. (The sooner I get started the better it will turn out). A buddy said I should consider a truck, and knew where one was a Dodge for sale. That brings us to:

I was then texted pictures of a Dodge Farm Truck sitting 100 yards from where I work. I could go see it later today.

This is all the pictures I have of it. I know crummy, but 1961? 62? 63? Dodge Sweptline, Parked under a shed for 20 years, 1 owner, 6 cyl, 3 on the column, no accidents/rust(not sure? it has been under a shed for 20 years), long bed. $500'ish?

I goggled the early 60's Dodge truck and I am surprised there is really not much out there. That is what kinda intrigues me and has me thinking about going to look at it. I like em odd. Can't be too rare or is it? Maybe it’s too ugly? Sure has a flat nose. Straight axle up under the front or independent? What would be the wheel bolt pattern? 5X5? 5X4.5? or ?

IF, It came home, Because of the $500 price, I am thinking it could be a candidate to gut/cut for $2013? Cut frame and the bed to short bed length. I don't think I could find a short bed anywhere soon, so I would have to make this one do. From what I see , it sorta looks like you could chop the bed shorter and still retain the sweptline down the side in the proper location.....

Drop it low, Aero wheels, I know of a running Mopar low deck 400 and a raised 440 and 727 are for sale in the $500 range. Dodge 4speed A833's are more expensive than Muncies and Toploaders? Correct? A friend said that he would pick the 400 over the 440!? Not sure why? Any opinion? Find a smallblock 340 or 360? I have never done a Mopar. That is what I am thinking......

I have a habit of, when I see in person, I buy. So I am trying to decide before it is too late. So:

Maybe we think, Damn that is ugly! Pass! How nice is, Too nice to chop up? Restore it! Turn around and sell it? Pass! and find the Dart I was searching for?

I wish someone could photochop a early '60 Sweptline truck into NASCAR racer truck type thing?

Here is all I have.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/stacey-david-and-the-cherry-bomb-64-dodge-d100_730754.htm

In 1957 they bolted DeSoto fins to the back, love it.

It looks cool. If the frame is in half way decent shape (ie mounting points for suspension and drivetrain components aren't hang in mid air), it would make a cool truck to bomb around in. I wonder what wheel skirts would look like on the back?

My dad and I built up a 'B' block 400 and backed it with a 727. The 400 has a shorter stroke than a 440 and almost the same bore. That should make it rev a little better all things bein equal. I can't remember what the redline on ours was...maybe 6k? Ours was worked over quite a bit and we were shooting for 425 hp, but never did any dyno testing... It was just a mud truck.

If I were you'd probably look at it, but I doubt the "no rust" part, given the amount of vegetation around the truck. That said, I'd still go look at it if I were you.

914Driver wrote: http://www.streetfire.net/video/stacey-david-and-the-cherry-bomb-64-dodge-d100_730754.htm

That is pretty cool. I will mark that as one, "Y".

Fix it, use it, rod it if you like.

Ideas:

In other words, "Do it!"

Oh, and please give the old six a good home.

Do it! And forget a manual trans, you'll never find a good A833 on a Challenge budget. Just build a 727TF with a manual valvebody.

You probably can't do a 413 max wedge for Challenge money, but this could be an inspiration.

I was thinking of doing the same thing as it seems 70's C10's can be found occasionally for reasonable prices.

Thing is, a modern Ranger/S10 would do all the same stuff and be lighter. Just doesn't look as cool.

L33 pull out and leave the rest alone. All the goodness of a fast turd.

I would fix up the mechanicals and just leave it as-is.

Don't shorten the bed, shorten the wheelbase. Altered wheelbase cars are neat.

I'd leave it alone also unless it is missing a bunch of parts. I'd keep it original and just putter around in it, would make a cool parts hauler. Who was it that said a car is only original once?

benzbaronDaryn wrote: I'd leave it alone also unless it is missing a bunch of parts. I'd keep it original and just putter around in it, would make a cool parts hauler. Who was it that said a car is only original once?

Who was it that said "Any fool car restore a rare vehicle, it takes a Man to cut one up"

PHeller wrote: I was thinking of doing the same thing as it seems 70's C10's ....

I don't know if it was because the dash was farther away or it was just frikkin' bigger! You won't find more romp room in the front of a truck than in one of these.

slantvaliant wrote:

"OH MY YES!" -Farnsworth, 2999

Let us not forget the "Lil. Red Express" or something like that.

I prefer the later sweptlines. I had a 69 shortbed that I was stupid and got rid of.

Who was it that said "Any fool car restore a rare vehicle, it takes a Man to cut one up"

I understand that that is tongue in cheek but it's still completely ass backwards imo.

NOHOME wrote:

benzbaronDaryn wrote: I'd leave it alone also unless it is missing a bunch of parts. I'd keep it original and just putter around in it, would make a cool parts hauler. Who was it that said a car is only original once?

Who was it that said "Any fool car restore a rare vehicle, it takes a Man to cut one up"

Actually that was me. We used to take all the old cars and reduce them to whatever was useable for racing. We cut up boss 302 mustangs gt fairlanes cobra jet mercury spoilers and big block rancheros. 67-69 camaros were cut up with alarming frequency as well as 510 massey combines(they had steel crank 327s with the best performance heads). Fewer dodges were cut up because they didnt have frames and were harder to make into stock cars. There are some that dont approve of this and thats fine, but remember we are in the racing game here and this has been going on for a long time. If we hadnt culled the herd the remaining cars wouldnt be worth as much. Sorry Vigo if you cant stand to see them cut up there are resto sites you can go to.(Just kidding).

moparman76_69 wrote: I prefer the later sweptlines. I had a 69 shortbed that I was stupid and got rid of.

That is so sharp. Wish this was a '69.

iceracer wrote: Let us not forget the "Lil. Red Express" or something like that.

I really like that idea. Won't have the stepside, but I like it.

So Mr. Dodge guy has given me the run around. I still might go look at it, but today.....

Jimmy has been sold and will be street racing in south Atlanta. Never really had my heart in it. Anyway.....

As I said this as Atlanta and this is what I just brought home for $100.00 today. This one is really nice. Comes with a new windshield that cost her $107.00. '57 International Harvester wearing the original tires. No rust anywhere. Has to have been stored inside for a while? I can't belive how solid it is. I'm going to make a movie on the nice thup of shutting the doors. Thunk. Lots of Corvette parts and rear mount turbo LS for motivation. More to follow, this will be the $2013 Harvester. Did I just say that? Smack starts early. Get going on yours.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/3244518982.html

Easy enough to make those old beasts fast on slicks!

My friend has a 71 Chevy 1/2 ton, iron headed 383, longtubes, dual 2 1/2" exhaust, Flowmasters, double pumper, RPM Air Gap intake, TH350 with a stall and a shift kit, gears, and a nice limited slip. Bolts on a set of slicks and runs 13.4s all day and all night at right around 100 MPH. Pretty good for a farm truck that looks very close to stock.

Phase next is aluminum heads and a real cam, should be knocking on 12s.