Trucks, trucks and more trucks! John Haynie loved Mopar_® vehicles, but not just those of the passenger car variety. He also rounded up some very interesting light trucks and vans. We’ve seen some of the vans in prior installments of this series, but here let’s take a look at some of the light- and medium-duty Dodge trucks that’ll find new homes on October 13, 2021, during the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event. And don’t forget, on Thursday, October 14, a second auction – also online only and no reserve – will handle the sale of thousands of items, including tools, parts, engines, new old stock goodies, toys, model cars, automobilia, and dealer training and sales materials.

So dive in, feast your eyes and dream up the many fun things you could do with any one of the machines showcased this week. You could be its new owner once the dust settles after the October 13^th all-online, all-no-reserve auction concludes.

1960 Dodge D100 Pickup: Lot #76

This Dodge D100 pickup has been treated to a fairly recent restoration and packs the poly-head 318 V8, a $120.75 upcharge over the base 230-cubic-inch flathead six, and column-shifted three-speed manual transmission. In its time, the 318 was the largest V8 offered, with Ford’s 292 and GM’s 283 being notable smaller.

V8 engines were growing in popularity with pickup truck buyers since 1954 when the 241-cubic-inch Red Ram HEMI^® engine was first offered in one. By 1960, of the 17,634 long wheelbase (116 inches) D100s built, 6,922 had the 318 V8. Incidentally, another 15,820 D100 pickups were built in 1960 with the shorter 108-inch wheelbase. These smaller pickups were also offered with the optional 318 V8, but only 2,837 buyers needed its 200 horsepower. The other 12,983 stuck with the sleepy 120-horsepower flathead six.

1974 Dodge D200 Club Cab Pickup: Lot #79

In its second year, the Club Cab seen on this 1974 Dodge D200 pickup truck added 18 inches of length to the cab for extra storage or, when the optional jump seats were ordered, room for five adults. Also in its second year on the option sheet was the storage compartment mounted into the passenger side of the Sweptline cargo box. A hinged cover allowed access to an metal-lined horizontal bin capable of stowing tools and sundries below the floor of the regular cargo bed.

As a D200 series, this pickup rides on a heavier ¾-ton chassis than its D100 cousins. This means it packs a big Dana 60 rear axle, heavy-duty front suspension and eight lug wheels, which help to increase the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) from the D100’s 5,000-5,500 pounds to 6,200-9,000 pounds. Moving the load is the optional 360 small block that’s been fortified with aftermarket exhaust headers and an Edelbrock 1406 (600 cfm) four-barrel carburetor backed by a 727 TorqueFlite^® automatic transmission.

Still wearing much of its factory-applied two-tone paint, the body is very solid with the usual minor dents and scrapes seen on most work trucks. Outfitted with chromed side mirrors and with tell-tale anchor loops, this burly Dodge probably carried a slide-in camper at some point. A set of 1994-up Dodge Ram 3500 chrome rims add some flash to this relatively unmolested time machine.

1948 Dodge B-2 Stake Bed Truck: Lot #80

So big yet so small, this 1948 Dodge B-2 one-ton stake bed truck is from the first year of Dodge’s total redesign. According to Dodge advertising, among the 248 major changes made, the body was of the new “envelope style” with flush faced front fenders replacing the bolt-on pontoon fenders of the previous series. Headlamps were integrated into the fenders instead of sitting in teardrop pods atop the fenders and most importantly, the front axles were moved rearward several inches to improve maneuverability in tight quarters. A full circle could be made within just 38 feet.

Under the two piece clam shell hood, however, the same flathead six saw duty, an optional V8 wouldn’t arrive until 1954. A manual transmission resides within the all-new “Pilot House” cab, this one being of the custom variety with additional glass corner windows giving what Dodge described as “360 degree vision”. The wood-floored stake bed is ready for work or play. We can see this one hauling parts to the next Mopar Nationals swap meet.

1954 Dodge G-Series Dualie: Lot #56

One of two full-size Dodge trucks in the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event, this 1954 Dodge G-Series dualie is so original, it seems to have been pulled from a time machine. Though grimy and dusty, rust and corrosion are minimal and resemble a golden sun tan more than surface rust.

The 1954 model year was an important one for Dodge trucks. That’s when the mighty 241-cubic-inch Red Ram HEMI engine joined the option sheet. Though first offered in 1953 aboard Dodge passenger cars, truck variants of the double rocker shaft-equipped HEMI engine were built for durability and economy rather than freeway cruising and stoplight getaways. A large high-flow water pump with dual drive pulleys, a special two-barrel carburetor – equipped with a speed governor – feeds the fuel, and protecting the piston rings is a tall oil bath air cleaner unit. The fascinating layer of oil impregnated Texas silt caked to the air cleaner housing speaks to many hours of faithful labor.

Though some would say this truck’s ultimate fate would be to donate its Red Ram “baby HEMI” engine to a street rod project, we say that would be a shame. Then again, the cab, with its new-for-’54 one-piece windshield and extra cost corner windows will fit a ½-ton pickup truck chassis. So will the two-piece hood and headlamp and grill panel. The same is not true for the truck-specific front fenders. With their huge wheel openings, they’re too large for use on a light-duty pickup truck. For a look at the other five-ton Dodge truck offered in this auction, look for Lot Number 96 (a 1959 Dodge D400 stake bed) in the ninth installment of this preview series.

1970 Dodge D200 Pickup: Lot #252

This 1970 Dodge D200 short bed pickup truck marks the end of an era when Dodge trucks rode like, well, trucks. That’s because they had solid, beam-type front axles suspended on parallel leaf springs. By contrast, the all-new A-series pickups of 1972 and beyond adopted car-like coil spring front suspension (on two wheel drive models). Year by year, Dodge trucks – like their competitors – became less utilitarian and more complex.

The beauty of this particular pickup is the fact it’s a short wheelbase unit with two-wheel drive and the sleek Sweptline bed. The tidy 114-inch wheelbase is one inch shorter than a 1971 Dodge Charger and gives the truck a pert, sporty nature, as does the two-wheel-drive chassis, which shares the same five-lug, 5-on-5-1/2 inch hubs and wheel bolt circle as many Dodge passenger cars. This means cool wheels like the 15×7 Rally or Magnum 500 will bolt right on. Hot rodders love these short bed pickups because they’re a lot like cars.

Though born with a Slant Six and 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission (with a fairly rare Slant Six-specific transmission case that’s popular with Slant Six hot rodders seeking more strength than the smaller 904 TorqueFlite offers), the massive, yawning engine bay will accept anything from a 340 small block to a 426 HEMI engine. And the standard equipment 8-3/4 rear axle is legendary for its HEMI-capable strength.

An odd feature is the 16-inch “fleet” rims with riveted hub cap retainer tabs. They hint that this truck might have military or government motor pool origins. The bolt-on bed top tool box is another detail pointing toward a hard-working past. That can change. This fun little shorty is ready for a V8 swap and so much more. Can you see it in sleek black paint with a nasty Hellcrate under hood? We can!

1970 Dodge D100 383 Pickup: Lot # 259

Big block V8 engines were available in Dodge pickup trucks years before Ford or GM offered them. As early as 1962, Dodge offered the Custom Sports Special (CSS) package, which included sporty bucket seats, a tachometer, hood and cab racing stripes – and while the 318 polyspherical V8 was standard, the mighty 413 big block wedge was offered. No, it wasn’t the wicked, solid lifter, cross ram inducted Ramcharger 413 Max Wedge, but still with 340 horsepower, the single four-barrel 413 was potent enough to require traction bars to tame axle hop. What’s more, for 1964 and 1965, the CSS offered the 426 Street Wedge.

Meanwhile over at Ford, the F100 pickup didn’t get the 352 big block option until 1965 and Chevy waited all the way until 1969 to add the 396 big block to the C10 option sheet (Chevy’s heavier duty cousins at GMC got the 396 “rat motor” a year earlier, in 1968). All of which brings us to this 1970 Dodge D100 pickup truck (Lot Number 259) which was born with the optional 383, a significant step up from the 318 small block and 225 Slant Six.

Things were a little less exotic for 1970, the 413s and 426s were no longer offered in half-ton pickups, and while Dodge’s Super Bees and Chargers were running amok with four-barrel carbureted 383 Magnums, the truck-spec 383 was only offered with a single two-barrel carburetor, single exhaust and torque-oriented camshaft, all of which resulted in 258 horsepower and 375 foot-pounds of torque.

Beyond the 383 big block, features include the 727 TorqueFlite automatic, 8-foot bed on the 128-inch wheelbase and 8-3/4 rear axle with 3.23:1 gearing (according to the metal trim tag), manual drum brakes, manual steering and remnants of the factory air conditioner. Though the 383 and 727 transmissions aren’t under the hood, originality abounds in the form of the factory-applied yellow paint, which is still present after 41 years. A Krugman aluminum bed cap is a classic “day two” addition that reminds us how popular similar caps were in the day. Minor dents – including a bash in the passenger side front fender and cowl – and some roof rust speak to a lifetime of use. But as a Texas machine, there’s still plenty of life left in its rust-free bones. How ‘bout making it into a never-was D100 Street HEMI engine-powered vehicle?

1969 Dodge D200 Crew Cab: Lot #224

In 1969, Dodge enjoyed its second best sales volume with 174,554 trucks sold, of which 71,266 were Slant Six powered and the other 103,288 packing V8s. This 1969 D200 Crew Cab is one of the V8 trucks, built with the optional 383 big block. It was a good choice because with its four-door Crew Cab, 146-inch wheelbase and 6.5-foot Sweptline cargo box, the 4,135-pound curb weight would have meant sluggish going with anything else under the hood.

First offered mid-way through the 1962 model year, Dodge’s Crew Cabs were never built in massive quantities. For 1969, just 5,541 of these convenient six-passenger pickups were built, 1,136 as ¾-ton W200 four-wheel-drive models, 1,841 as 1-ton D300s with two-wheel drive and 2,564 as ¾-ton D200s with two-wheel drive, like this example. Incidentally, of those 2,564 two-wheel-drive D200 Crew Cabs, 857 were Slant Sixes, with the remaining 1,707 packing either the 318 or 383 V8.

In addition to the optional 383, this one has the 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission, power steering and power drum brakes. As a 200 series, it’s built on a heavier ¾-ton frame than the 100 series pickups (which were not offered with the four-door Crew Cab in 1969). The heavy-duty equipment extends to the massive 12-inch drum brakes and eight lug hubs and wheels. Under the rear, the usual 8-3/4 rear axle gives way to the indestructible Dana 60 (similar to those used in four-speed 440 Magnum and 426 Street HEMI engine-powered passenger cars) which – according to the metal data tag – houses 3.54:1 gears. It is not known whether a Dana Power Lock limited slip differential is present – or not.

Despite some floor pan and lower body rust-through, this Texas-sized pickup is ripe for salvation – not salvage. There’s a growing appreciation for these 1963-1971 Sweptline pickups and with so few built, Crew Cabs are rarely found in such complete and unmolested condition.

1969 Dodge D100 Pickup: Lot #270

Forgive us for not being more precise on the exact model year of this nice Dodge D100 pickup truck, but we couldn’t decipher exact vintage using the serial number on site. Clues indicate it’s most likely a 1970 and the metal trim tag tells us it was originally built with a 318 small block, TorqueFlite automatic transmission, manual drum brakes, manual steering and a 3.55:1 gear set inside the 8-3/4 rear axle.

With its 8-foot Sweptline bed and 128-inch wheelbase, it may lack the “cute” car-like nature of a D100 short bed (which had a 6.5-foot bed and 114-inch wheelbase), but it makes up for it with a solid, rust-free presentation. The original 318 may have been replaced by a later Chrysler small block because the crankshaft harmonic damper displays the external eccentric weight added to most Chrysler V8s in the early 1970s with the substitution of forged steel crankshafts (and internal balancing) with less expensive, lighter cast iron crankshafts (requiring the aforementioned add-on weights).

Manual steering and manual drum brakes simplify operation – and restoration – while the optional 727 Loadflite (as the TorqueFlite was called in truck applications) eases daily driving. And like most of the vehicles in the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event, the factory-applied Arctic Blue paint is mostly present with the right amount of original patina to justify leaving as-is after a mechanical restoration. The dusty Cragar S/S wheel up front offers a glimpse of this truck’s former life as a sharp-looking cruising and working machine.

1959 D300 Box Truck: Lot #225

Before the popular Sweptline Dodge light truck styling cycle of 1961-1971, the nose of this Dodge D300 box truck shows us what Dodge pickups looked like. As for the body, it was manufactured by Murphy Body Works of Wilson, North Carolina, and added to what Dodge sold as a “cab and chassis” unit.

Again, the exact model year of this unit wasn’t determined during our visit, but clues say it’s probably a 1959. Power comes from a 230-cubic-inch flathead six backed by a four-speed manual transmission with an add-on air conditioner unit present. The Murphy body is made up of wood and steel and was once likely refrigerated for dairy use. A homemade camper conversion was performed years ago, including a Serv-Well refrigerator unit and a gas-powered cooking stove.

Commercial vehicles like this are gaining popularity and make great hosts for modernized running gear and underpinnings. Perhaps a Cummins turbo diesel and four-speed automatic overdrive transmission would revive this seldom-seen dairy delivery truck.

This brings an end to the light truck coverage of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event. We’ll continue from here on with weekly previews of the many passenger cars that complete this amazing 250-plus vehicle collection that will be sold online during the October 13, 2021, no-reserve auction. See you with more next week!

Check out these other great Mopar vehicles up for grabs:

Tag: Acutions

The Great Texas Mopar® Auction: Part XI

Tag:
Acutions

The Great Texas Mopar_® Auction: Part XI