- Seller: THOMAS S (Contact)
- Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Mileage: 48,022 Shown
- Chassis #: 4743973
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 230 cui Inline-6
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual w/ Fluid Drive
Here’s a chance to own a truly unique piece of Dodge history. This 1949 Dodge Route Van, available now exclusively on Barn Finds, comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico, showing just 48,022 miles on the odometer. With a clean title, a solid frame, and an incredibly rare one-year-only design, this Route Van is an excellent candidate for restoration or a creative restomod build.
What makes this van so special is its 1949-only bi-fold side doors, a feature that sets it apart from nearly every other delivery-style vehicle of the era. Powered by Dodge’s sturdy 230 cubic-inch inline-six paired with a 4-speed manual and fluid drive, the drivetrain is complete, and while the engine isn’t currently running, it does turn by hand. That gives the next owner a great foundation for revival.
The van wears the patina of decades of service, but importantly, the frame remains solid. The body shows rust in several areas, though most panels are flat and relatively easy to repair. The seller notes the front fenders and hood sustained some collision damage, but with their rarity, they’re certainly worth repairing. The originality and integrity of the van remain intact, giving a new caretaker plenty to work with.
This Route Van also features some unusual engineering touches. The engine is offset to the passenger side, and the rear suspension combines independent elements with leaf springs, making it an advanced design for its time. The story of this van’s later life adds even more intrigue, it was reportedly last used in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a drying and storage van before being seized by the DEA and later sold at auction. That colorful history only adds to its character.
For builders, the possibilities are wide open. Keep it stock and restore it as a vintage Dodge delivery vehicle, or transform it into a custom shop truck, camper, or show-stopping restomod. Either way, the bones are here, and the rare body style ensures it will always stand out.
Would you bring this Route Van back to its working-class roots or turn it into a one-of-a-kind custom build?
Bid On This Auction
Squatrods bid $200.00 2025-09-21 09:42:37
No matter which way it goes, it’s gonna make somebody a real fun project! Good luck to the buyer and seller!
Is the seller Walter White?
Would make one hell of a cool camper conversion worthy of a YouTube series. Just need the $$$, time and the vision to create the right vintage look.
This is calling out for a full-blown late model HEMI and running gear!
Or not.
These have a very interesting rear suspension/axle. I’m not clear on what it is but you can see how low the deck is in the back. Anyone know about it?
The rear suspension looks like it kind of resembles Fords Twin-I-Beam front suspension design. Wonder if that’s where they got the idea from?
Having the diff fixed to the frame and using the I beam swing arms allowed for that low bed height. Great idea.
Check out my instagram feed “dodgeroutevan” for a complete post of images. I did a body off restoration of the engine and drivetrain.
I would love to see it. But I don’t do Instagram. (Im an old,old fart.
Wow! I have never seen one of these. Looks wise I thought maybe an original Divco. But in a very advanced (for the time) vehicle. Very well thought out van. (Having sold commercial vehicles, many of which were vans. ) I find this very, very interesting. Because of the “different” rear suspension. I can’t see anything but a very cool restomod. The best choice for a “new” chassis would be from an older Eldorado or Toronado. That engine is also offset to the right and rear suspension would blend very well with the rear frame on this vehicle. I’m betting that the uniqueness of the rear suspension/differential would be very cool on a rat rod. (Sure would like to see good/better pictures of it.) If circumstances were different, I would be all over this unit. What a cool van!
Wayne Divco was my first thought also! They sure sold a pile of those!
Ya but they’re hard to find also and if you do find one they’re proud of it.
I would probably move the gas tank to a not so close to the engine location! Which would leave plenty of room for the 500ci Caddy engine/drive train. Was the designer French?(lol) I just can’t get over how cool this is. And the incredible (for the time,) Design work that went into this van. The ultra low floor loading height, the placement of the engine/fuel tank/rear suspension design to achieve that goal of low floor/low step up entry. And manual transmission AND fluid drive??? (Set the parking brake, get out for the delivery, get back in release the brake and drive away no clutch needed until shifting time?) I would love just a few hours to put this thing on a lift and go over all the mechanicals. I am so intrigued by this.
I remember an episode of Iron Resurrection where they had an old Metro (?) delivery van, same kind of body style, built a new square tube frame & had LS power. It was really sharp!
Ya it was for Cato
I want this thing so bad I can’t stand it!
Nothing is stopping you, go for it.
A restomod AND a camper van. Make you AND the wife happy! Perfect for pulling the trailer to the racetrack.
It’s a good thing that I’m not rich and have a staff to restore and maintain my vehicles. If I did I’d have a collection of things that might not be of interest to most people, but it would all be things like this Dodge van that trigger memories from my younger life in Savannah, Georgia. Dodge made this same style van for a few years and I remember seeing them around although I don’t specifically remember the folding doors. We had milk delivered in a van like this. I hope whoever gets it will restore it to original, but whatever they decide to do at least it will have a second life probably easier than it’s first life. So GLWTS..
Can you post photos of the rear suspension/axle?
Last time I saw one like this was in 1963. The owner was into repairing grandfather clocks and I would try to keep as original as possable except for relocating the gas tank, modern glass, possably dual master cylinder and safety features. I imagine parts are available for the engine and tranny . Sure, you can restomod it but there aint many of these around! Brings back memories!
Reminds me of the van used to deliver our milk when I was a kid. I knew the driver (my friend’s dad). When he bought a new car, he bought Dodge because it was so reliable and durable.
I Googled this description and came up with a YouTube video of guys installing an airbag suspension. The one in the video and all of the other pictures that I come up with are short wheelbase. Where this one is a long wheelbase version.
The rear suspension from what I can see is a version of a deDion rear semi independent rear suspension with a solid rear axle keeping the wheels upright and located. But the solid rear axle beam pivots to allow the rear wheels to travel in their own space. The system is rather heavy for a street or race (which is where I saw this setup first at the Monterey Historic races) car. But for a big box van, the unsprung weight is most likely the same or possibly even less. If I were doing the restomod on this I would use the Eldorado chassis as I mentioned before. So the rear axle would just be a tag-a-long solid tube axle. With the rear of the leaf spring anchored in an air bag set-up. ( used on high end 5th wheels and some medium duty trucks. It makes for being able to keep the vehicle level despite the load AND makes for an ultra smooth ride.
I would really like to own and modify this van!
Not like Ford’s Twin I-Beam. That had lots of camber change with changes in ride height and over bumps, actually swing axles with long pivots. This is a deDion axle dating from the 1890s.
The diff (heavy) is on the frame and the wheels are on a dead axle. Low floor height and both rear wheels always parallel to each other. Good handling (low unsprung weight) and low deck height… but more expensive. Would make great axle for fat-tire race cars as wheels are always perpendicular to road surface without a lot of complicated linkage.
Fluid Drive doesn’t involve “feathering” the clutch; depress clutch, select gear, let clutch out, release brakes, step on “foot feed,” … and wait if you’ve selected 3rd gear! No torque multiplication so it’s bog slow.
I was fourteen when the Dodge Route Van came out and remember all the hubbub about the low floor and deDion axle (see Wikipedia’s explanation)
OK, I looked at the pictures closer and I see what you’re talking about. De Dion setup indeed.
I wish the seller had grouped the pictures a little better. I didn’t realize the I beam in the back was supporting the differential and mistook it for a swing arm because I only saw one end of it.
Learn something everyday. Thanks for that.
This van looks like it was built as a 3/4 ton or 1 ton vehicle. Those rear hubs look like they might take dual tires?? The DeDion rear set up is very interesting. Dodge drivetrain parts are still available so the truck should be refurbrushed to some where near original, with some safety mods, and shown as a unique survivor!!! FORGET all your big engines and air bags!!!!!!!
We discussed the positive offset Dodge wheels before on the red flat bed a few days ago. Actually better for wheel bearing wear.
This was probably originally a Milk Delivery truck, we had some like this that were Ice Trucks, before refrigeration came about.
Possibly, although Divco pretty much had that market sewed up. From the factory, ice boxes installed and later, refrigeration. One of the reasons you see so few Divcos. I’m sure Divco production was way greater than these Route Vans. But the Divcos always seemed to have moisture drain problems which is very BAD for a vehicle that hauls wet cold things. I like Divcos also. But never saw one in this long of wheelbase. Discos were very robust vehicles. When in high-school I worked at a NAPA store that supplied repair parts for the local dairy/distributor/dealer. For as many stop and go miles those trucks saw, I was amazed at the amount of parts not used up. We always new when the milk truck was about a mile away. As the dogs went running to the end of the driveway. (Over 1/10th mile long) to greet the Dixie Milk Man who always had a milk bone for each one.
I’ve had 4 of these vans and drove one on the Sonoma Race track in Norcal.
I have tons of info on them and even have a spare set of rear axles. Front hood and grill parts. I did a body off resto on the chassis and drive train. There are lots of pics of my project on my instagram feed. Dogeroutevan
Here is a pic of the shorty rear axle area on my first RouteVan
This is a different design than the one in the video. (I think) i don’t remember control arms (A arms) in the video. Still very interesting. (And cool for the day and for a “cargo” vehicle. )
Here is an inspiration rendering for the buyer. LOL
My first Route Van, 2015
Super cute little machine RKL.
Is the running gear pretty much stock in yours?
I’ll have to find a kid to show me your instagram..
Running gear was stock except a few leaf springs removed for a lower stance. The stock frame had a natural “C” notch which made it easy to lower the ride height. I did add small air bags for added smooth ride. The half shafts from the third member to the rear hubs were telescoping. They operated best with a slight angle to them. If they were horizontal the rear axle had a rumble. Hence the universal joints don’t like to be aligned. Rear axle gearing in these little deliver vans were high, street and city speeds only. Mine had a 4.89 and so top speed on a good day was 50mph, maybe 55 if I pushed the flat head up to its top rpm range. Richard is my name.
Very, very cool! Did you watch the video where they “bagged” it? There was a solid axle (like one you would see as a front solid/straight axle) that tied the two wheels together. A true deDion style setup. Not a fully independent system like yours. Probably for a heavier load capacity.
This is a different design than the one in the video. (I think) i don’t remember control arms (A arms) in the video. Still very interesting. (And cool for the day and for a “cargo” vehicle. )
https://youtu.be/zObOXicLma0
This is a 1950’s Dodge info movie on youtube explaining how the rear axle suspension works.
Fun to watch and humorous as well.
Mr. Tech is a pretty cool guy! (lol) Mechanical info was for the differential not the suspension which was/is my fascination. And now we have seen these with 2 different setups. Still a very cool vehicle.