here we go

[dodgefred]

Last year found and bought an old rusty 72Dodge truck utiline bed. Truck spendt most of her life in great britain ( us army based and abused) and then was sold here in FRANCE... many times. Rust take his toll on the body despite the 3 coats of paint. The bad: body is rusted and cab is worn out the bed is rusted as well.. The good: the only parts able to be saved were the rolling frame 8 3/4axle grille bumper and the bed .

 

[dodgefred]

i did not bother with the rusted body who was scrapped, beeing a DODGE LOVER i have some good descent parts to rebuildt the truck most of them are NOS one. Got a nice cab from a 76 w200 and new doors/fenders.

 

[dodgefred]

my plan is to lower the truck front and rear. first get rid of the front drum brakes, have the frame totally sandblasted and then doing a spring under an shackle flip.

 

[dodgefred]

In order to lower the front Dakota dropped spindle were ordered and disk brakes from a76 new yorker as well as dakota bearings ... dodge b300 lower control arm were sourced . The front end will be totally rebuildt using new parts. shipping cost to FRANCE hurt my wallet is still crying!!!
Just check the average of drop on the front spindle compared to the old one. should be low

 

[dodgefred]

winter is over and most of the parts are home so it's time for sandblasting most of the parts were dis assembled...to get a job well done....

 

[dodgefred]

frame was painted using epoxy paint but before made some try just to see how low the truck will be.

 

[dodgefred]

scrounging in my pile of parts found some things kept for years ...I want the truck all chrysler made. so save all the parts you can.

 

[dodgefred]

in the body shop just after the first coat of paint

 

[dodgefred]

Now ASSEMBLY TIME
Front end left and right, spring under new perches for the 8 3/4

 

[dodgefred]

Shackle flip new lowering shackles are on order. The spring pack look stiff and in case of harsh ride a spring leave could be removed. I would like more weight on the rear so a RAMCHARGER tank is on the plan. a lot of work has to be done and i am happy with the result.. then more to come: engine tranny plumbing brakes.....

 

[Polara_500]

You're an ambitious man and that's looking good.

 

[wedgeheaded]

Great progress and well done too.

 

[LocuMob]

And I'm trying tiny to get motivated to go change spark plug wires. Nice job, look forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[paul massaro]

great job , so what body now ? i've been sitting now this 72 w200 for along time old air force until . just picked up a 69 d200 an old statey . and it matches my other 64 d100 statey .

 

[dodgefred]

WOAW love the matching colours... nice combos

Body will be the same i want the truck to look like a classic truck from the 72era
despite the bed... a friend of mine got a nice 6 feet sweptline bed and a swap will be nice. utiline bed are as rare as hens teeth over here...

 

[paul massaro]

here as well , most of them came as sweptsides here , so utility sides are rare here as well . but a number of different ones were made . here mine 57 an old pacific bell phone co p/u with a 50's issues utility bed and a 60 413 n typewiter shifter, no inner fender flares like my 64 up . and my buds coe hes using a early type angle edge utility bed 7 1/2 ft . well i'm a hot rodder and pete's coe is a rod also .

 

[LocuMob]

Going with the sweptline? How where the fenders on the uteline?

 

[LocuMob]

most of them came as sweptsides here , so utility sides are rare here as well

So mine is one of the rare ones, 4x4 crew cab stepside?

What is he doing to fill in the gap? You may have mentioned it elsewhere but I do that recall.

 

[paul massaro]

my 64 d100 has a typewriter shifter in it , modified it for the park for the car 383 hp 727 , put a 9 1/4 354 loc'r from a 74 ramcharger under it . built it in one of my storage lots at work . it was fun set it up like that . seat of the pants enginnering . here some pics of that process .

 

[paul massaro]

on that coe , hes thinking some type of storage boxes , i want him to make it into an extrended cab or crew cab of sorts . he saw this at a show one time , after he bought it . kind a cool . and my w200 a/f dodge was a utility side p/u . but that bed was wrecked by a run away forklift , the p/u had 30k on it . and i bought a swept side bed for it . thoughts were a shell on it , give it a four door town wagon look . i've got the bucket seat center console buddy seat set up for it in the rear and ramcharger buckets for the front and a hm 413 ind loadflite setting there for it as well . and the bed thats sitting on it is a rare low side light duty angle top 54 bed .