1949 Dodge Original Farm Truck

Description

• High Cargo Bed Sides with detachable Greedy Bars 
• Less than 41,000 miles 
• Very solid body
• Factory fitted 4 speed gearbox
• 2 sets of original keys
• £8,000 spent recently 
• Expected to achieve £16,000 to £18,000
• Additional 21 stud flathead V8 engine available by separate negotiation

This 1949 Dodge B-series pickup is a rare find. The B-series trucks were produced from 1948-1953. They featured a cab that was rubber-mounted and could easily seat three people with good headroom. Series B pickups came standard with a flathead straight-six engine that produced 95bhp. The engine was shifted forward and the front axle moved back on the frame for better weight distribution and a shorter wheelbase.

This particular truck was purchased from a collector based in Hertfordshire, he originally imported it from the USA and within the document pack the Washington State registration certificate shows that he imported it in January 2013, the vendors purchase receipt is present along with the V5, an original drivers manual and various receipts including an invoice for £8,000 to recommission various items that we have listed within the main advert below.

Exterior

This B-series truck has stood the test of time impressively.  The British Racing Green paintwork has a wonderful patina that suits this truck perfectly.

In recent times we have seen more and more of these trucks given the “vintage” treatment so it is refreshing to find an honest original truck that in this condition.  There is an argument that we should try and keep the originality of these rare old beasts and in this case we agree.

That said It would be too much to ask for it to have its original paintwork untouched, let’s be straight here, it is 73 years old so it’s understandable to see that the truck has received a lick of paint at some point in its lifetime, saying that, the paint job has aged wonderfully so adds to its character extremely well, it doesn’t look over restored yet also doesn’t look rough.  When something looks right it just looks right, we think this truck fits bang into that category.  The cab, or should it be a “radio cab” due to the factory fitted radio being present, is in great shape, it is solid in all the areas it shouldn’t be, unbelievably the usual rotten lower sections behind the doors are solid as is the rest of the cab.  Under scrutiny, there is some very minor bubbling at the bottom of the doors but they are extremely solid otherwise.  Other than some scratches to the drivers door drop glass the windows are all present and correct and in decent condition.  Upon lifting the floor mat in the passenger footwell you will find some evidence of surface rust that has been treated with primer but the vendor was advised that the truck has never seen a welder, the drivers footwell is also solid, impressive considering the battery is placed under it.

The cool butterfly bonnets are both very solid with no signs of the usual rusting that is often found along the edges, the passenger side bonnet badge is currently not fitted but is present and will be supplied with the truck.  Aficionados will notice the front bumper bar is fitted slightly flusher to the front panel, the vendor chose to remove a couple of inches from the chassis to improve the aesthetics, apparently you could fit your head between the front panel and bumper originally, a good decision in our opinion.

The high side pick-up box is fitted with greedy bars and again is very solid in what looks like its original paint, on release it would have cost $5 to have it supplied in the body colour, suffice to say there was not a great deal of take up on that upgrade.  The wooden flatbed is in good overall condition and is very solid and usable, there are a couple of small dents to the rear arches and sides from but nothing that detracts from the overall appearance and usability of this lovely old truck. The running boards are in excellent condition with the passenger side showing evidence of a slight impact that do not detract from the charm of this lovely truck.

Engine

The B1-B were half ton trucks standard with a 95 hp (71 kW) flathead-straight-six engine and this is no different, when lifting the butterfly bonnets the first thing to strike you is how clean the area is, the original flat six engine was fully serviced as part of a £8,000 recommissioning project just prior to the pandemic, the work was carried out by the highly respected Bespoke Engineering in Ware, Hertfordshire.

As you expect it has travelled very few miles in the last two years.  Turning one of the two keys that come with the truck, a couple of pumps on the accelerator and the press of the foot starter it fired straight up, mightily impressive considering it has not been started for six months.  Along with the service, the engine was also converted to 12 volt – the dynamo was rebuilt at a cost of £400 to retain the originality. In addition, the cooling system was serviced including re-coring the radiator and replacing any brittle hoses. All the attention has led to a very reliable, some would say bulletproof engine that is ready to be used immediately.  Although there is no way of knowing for sure, the vendor believes the 41,000 mileage to be original and looking at the usual areas such as pedals and steering wheel there is no reason to disbelieve that claim, especially when adding the solid body and running gear to the equation.  Working in tandem with the engine is a factory fitted four speed gearbox that aficionados will appreciate immensely, most B1B’s left the factory with only the 3 speed gearbox.

The vendor has advised that he purchased a 21 stud flathead V8 engine with gearbox and the ancillaries such as the carburettors and distributor, he had originally intended to fit this to the truck but as life does, it took over and put the brakes on that little venture.  This vendor has stated that he would be open to negotiate should the winning bidder be interested in adding that to the purchase, if the winner decides against it then it will be listed separately at a later date.

Interior

The door panels are both in original condition and are correct for the 1949 model, as expected they show some wear and tear but are compete and full of character suiting the overall look of the truck.  The same can be said about the headlining although it is showing its age slightly with a short tear at the middle join but again, it doesn’t deter from the cabs character.  An original seat in a 73-year-old pickup is a rare thing and you could be mistaken for thinking this to be original such is the condition, with no rips and the hard/soft setting still operating as it should, it looks fantastic with its replacement covering. At some point seat belts were installed and these work as they should.  The floor mat looks original and has no rips or tears, folding the mat back gives access to the new battery or the brake master cylinder.

The instrument panel is symmetrical, with a radio speaker grille on the right centre resembling the speedometer on the left centre. The fuel, temperature, oil pressure and ammeter are in a row between the speedometer and speaker grille. A vertical rectangle to the left of the steering wheel is where the original radio is situated, unfortunately it has not been tested. The vender advises everything else works including the vacuum wipers, lights and the heater blowers which were recently recommissioned.

Wheels Tyres Suspension and other

The vender shared that during the £8,000 recommissioning he had the original wheels banded by two inches giving the truck a more aggressive stance, he decided not to band the spare so the width stayed in line with the passenger door, purely an aesthetic choice but we think it was the correct one.  the wider tyres still present like new and will not need replacing for many miles to come.

For a truck of this era the brakes were always at the top of their class, this truck stops exactly how it should after undergoing a full service, at the same time the suspension struts were also replaced leading to a ride that would mirror what it was like when it was first driven off the production line.

Our view

This truck has lot of distinction for a very affordable price. After all, the vintage truck market is well and truly heating up with the mainstream Chevys and Fords, but when was the last time you saw a 1949 Dodge B-series pickup with a cool patina look?  We would hazard a guess that it was some time ago as these are coming to market less and less, especially in this condition.  You would be forgiven for thinking that this trucks fantastic condition would lend to it being perfectly placed to be shown in a museum, we would argue it is too good for that, why spend £8k on recommissioning and not get out and drive it.

The current owner really has treated this one with love and care, lavishing £8,000 to keep it running reliably can only be a massive plus for anyone considering buy this.  Just look at the market, with classic Chevy and Ford trucks reaching stratospheric money we think this will guide between £16,000 and £18,000.  A fantastic truck for not a great deal of money if you ask us.

 

Vehicle Location: Hertfordshire  – It’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor

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