I love this car! This is a 1950 Dodge D-33 Wayfarer and it’s in St. Cloud, Minnesota, only 45 minutes from where I live; painfully close. It can be found on craigslist for $3,000! Thanks to Greg F. for sending in this tip!
There are only four photos with this listing, but man do those four photos look good. I mean, not photogenically, but condition-wise they show what looks like a rock-solid car. The Dodge Wayfarer was only made from 1949 through 1952 and the 1950 models got an update with a sleek, horizontal grille, new bumpers, and tail lights mounted directly in new rear fenders.
This car looks fantastic to me, I don’t see any rust at all, even though the tires on the passenger side are either flat or they have sunken into the ground, so it must have been sitting outside for a while. That’s just a guess, but I don’t see any drag marks where the car has been moved and that rear snow tire looks like it’s been in the ground for a while. Unfortunately there are no interior photos, but the interior should look like this, or it would have when new and it could again. This car has the “Fluid-Drive” three-speed automatic.
The tires on the driver’s side look normal; weird. It must have just slowly sunk into the ground on the other side. There looks like an uneven gap between the driver’s door and the LF fender, I’m guessing that the heavy door is out of alignment a bit, but I don’t see any dents or creases in the door/fender area, or really any flaws in the body at all. There are no engine photos, but the only engine available in the Wayfarer was the 3.8L, 230 L-head, inline-six with a one-barrel carb and 103 hp and it would have looked like this. 103 hp is not a horrible amount of power, I’ve had cars with much less than that. Although, at 3,200 pounds, another 50 hp would be welcome. The seller says that the engine runs, so that’s good.
This car is pretty dang desirable for me. I would not do one thing to it other than to get the mechanicals and interior up to snuff and drive it as it looks now. No wide white walls, no sun visor, no fru-fru accessories, no nothin’; just new black wall tires, brakes, fluids, filters, hoses, belts, etc. What would you do with this sweet Dodge?
Wow! I would love to have this. The front bumper looks closer to the fender on the passenger side. I would just get it mechanically sound and cruise the roads with it on pretty days while wearing my Ray Ban Wayfarers of course.
Damn ya beat me to it haha.
Seeing this hurts a little – I used to own the identical twin to this Dodge, even sporting the same color. One of the few car I’ve regretted selling. The epitome of early post-war America. Driving a car like this is like time travel. Asked to buy it back a couple of times but the guy knows what he has . . .
well then, buy this one!
I had a 1950 Meadowbrook (the longer-wheelbase four-door version of this car) for a couple of years back in 1978, or so. It was kinda soft and slow (but no slower than my Beetle), but it rode really nice. I think that this one refurbished to near-stock condition would be fine for blue-highway trips and surface-street commutes, even with the flathead six and Fluid Drive.
Sweet, postwar fat fenders for 3k? Heck yeah.
The early fifties Dodges and Plymouths are some of the homeliest looking cars ever made.
Homely but the two door version has an interesting roofline that’s not unattractive…..to mr at least
I owned a 52 garage find back in the late 80s. I bought it not running. It had been wrecked and “new” sheetmetal put in. New Naugahyde black pleated upholstery.The brothers that owned it figured that while it was being repaired, they would put a 273 out of a Barracuda Formula S in it. Big Carter carb on a 273. Well, they never got it all connected and I bought it for $500 as someone else’s project. It had been sitting a while.
I did get everything hooked up and the motor was turning. I tried to start it and it wouldn’t do anything. I messed a bit with it and gave up. Turns out the starter (thought to be good) was bad. When I coudn’t get it to run, I more or less gave up. I was a young man and didn’t have time, funds, or place, so it eventually got traded. It went to a local car dealer/enthusaists yard and I have no idea where it went, but I sure miss it and wish I had it now.
Very few differences in this one and the one I had. Grille is all I see. Mine was complete except one headlight ring and windshield glass. It was an interesting body style – the slanted B pillars were pretty cool. the back seat area was huge. My buddy that helped me said it was the biggest back seat he had seen – like a sofa. Oh well, it’s gone now. I do still have the hood ornament from it – the ram’s head. If I were closer, I would seriously consider it.
“I would not do one thing to it other than to get the mechanicals and interior up to snuff and drive it as it looks now. No wide white walls, no sun visor, no fru-fru accessories, no nothin’; just new black wall tires, brakes, fluids, filters, hoses, belts, etc.”
Yep. Anything else is overkill. It’s a three grand car. A really nice, basic 3G car, but nonetheless.
Can’t believe it’s still available.
We had this exact model growing up. It held a family of 7 with ease. The youngest always had the “privilege” of riding on the rear window deck. It had a frame hitch and we were rear-ended by a ’58 Ford and the Ford was towed away. It took out the entire front clip and radiator. The Dodge showed no discernible damage other than a slightly bent down rear bumper. It was an absolute tank.
Wow. Back in like ’79 my long haired, freaky, eldest brother rolled up in the business coupe twin to this. The “50” or “Dodge” was around as a Daily and Hobie Cat hauler for years. It’s six and fluid drive eventually making way for a 318 Torqueflite combo. Before being traded for a Commodore 64, it served as yard art at no fewer than three addresses. Interesting ride for sure.
These really do offer such an honest window into early post war American “technology and design” without the bubblegum at truly fair prices.
Maybe I’m showing my age but I still relate to cubic inches instead of liters.
hop in and fire that mother up!
If one is looking for a great, ‘sunny’ day driver – this car is it.
I was the second owner of a ’50 2 dr. sedan in black with burgundy and grey interior. The motors in these are all that you need to move down the road but don’t ever be in a hurry with the fluid drive system. I always thought it looked a bit like a small ’49 Merc and that’s what attracted me to it and had visions of mounting 15 KH wires on black walls, but nothing more; it’s cool just as it sits – just add trim rings if staying with the original wheels. Buy this car and keep it original – you will not regret it.