Hailing from Alvin, Texas, is this 1937 Dodge pickup, listed here on facebook Marketplace, priced at $4800 firm, to be paid in person only. It’s a project with an engine swap already completed, and there is no title. Dodge’s “Fore-Point” series was offered in half-, three-quarter, and one-ton versions; the new design unified the sheet metal among all its trucks no matter their size – a significant departure for the company. But more important changes took place underneath: the new models were situated on a true truck frame, and the front axle was moved forward, improving load capacity and balance. We’re probably looking at an MC half-ton here. Zappenduster sent in this tip – thanks!
This engine is reportedly a 1952 Plymouth six-cylinder flathead, likely the 218 cu. in. used in the Cranbrook and Belvedere. It was rebuilt some years ago but never started. The seller says it produces “nearly double” the horsepower of the original 218 originally installed in the truck, but if we’re right about the engines, he’s wrong about the power: in 1937, that engine put out 75 hp, while by 1952, it rang in at 97 – a considerable increase but not a double. The factory transmission would be a three-speed manual. The truck is being sold in anticipation that it will receive a makeover into a hot rod.
The seller hasn’t made much effort to clean up his truck or display the parts available, so gaining enough information to make a deal will require a phone call at the very least. A gauge is still present, and a glance in the truck bed reveals the seat springs. The floorboards and leaping ram hood ornament are missing, and the seller notes rust in the cab corners. Most of the sheet metal is straight, though, and the all-important grille is nearly complete – it’s missing the bottom of the cast center portion. The Fore-Point trucks were offered with several extra-cost options, including safety glass, chrome bumpers and wheel covers, dual wiper blades, dual sunvisors, tire lock, and other niceties.
Ray Dietrich, who was offered a job as Chrysler’s first designer after a chance meeting with Walter P. Chrysler at the New York Athletic Club in 1932, styled the Fore-Point trucks. Dietrich designed some of the most elegant automobiles of the era; the Art Deco influence is clearly evident in the teardrop fenders and rounded cab lines. Production estimates hover around 10,000 half-ton pickups, but good records are hard to find. What we do know is that this is a rare truck, usually found already reformed into a hot rod. This example sold recently for $29,400, and it might represent the only nearly-original MC you’ll see for years. What do you think about this pre-war Dodge pickup?
If I had a place to work on it, I’d love to buy this truck , just to keep it in the family I’d think about a 340 with a 4spd. The price is responsible by today’s standards.