Unlike many of the elder trucks we see here at Barn Finds, this beautiful V8-equipped 1954 Dodge C-Series runs well, though its brakes need a rebuild (parts included!). It’s coming from a long-term owner in Evergreen, Colorado; find it here on craigslist for $2500. This is no lightweight; it’s a two-ton “H” chassis dually from the final year of the “Job Rated” design with a PTO-powered dump bed. The truck has a good title and plenty of other virtues. Thanks to Mike F. for finding this one for us!
The big news for the Job Rated series snuck up in 1953, when Chrysler finally introduced its hemi-head “Red Ram” V8. The V8 was used in its passenger cars, but the next year, Dodge brought out the 241 cc polyspherical “Power Dome” V8. Compression was around 7.5:1, and output came in at 145 hp. Torque was decent, but the little V8 also clocked pretty good fuel efficiency. This truck has a four-speed manual gearbox and the optional two-speed rear axle. The electrical system has been converted to 12V, the master cylinder is rebuilt, and the fuel pump is new.
The interior is all business, with an aftermarket instrument nestled into an improvised gauge set, a glove box, and a blanket-style seat cover. The floors are bare, the door panels are missing, ditto the rear glass, other windows are cracked, and while the headlights work, the tail lights do not. That plate on the dash across from the passenger shows how to operate the two-speed axle.
Dodge C-series trucks commanded only about 7% market share – a distant third behind Chevrolet and Ford – during their run from 1954 to 1961. Finding a “Job Rated” medium-duty truck in good condition is nearly impossible; even 1950s light-duty Dodge pickups are uncommon. Notwithstanding the lack of comparables, the seller’s price seems reasonable to me. What do you think about this beefy project truck?
Just when all hope was lost,,,Ms. Rand to the rescue. At Walmart today, usually grumpy, deli lady, “why are you all smiles”? Well, my favorite site featured a truck today. Yep, that’s all it takes,,,for some. I’m surprised at the seemingly low sales, if a rural setting didn’t have an IH, it had a Dodge. In fact, once IH was gone, Dodge became the farmers choice. Unfortunately, the sales weren’t in rural areas. Farmers usually bought one, and that was it. The gauges are classic farmer, possibly from a Valiant(?) and I don’t think you’ll be doing any “split shifting”, it appears the knob is missing off the 2 speed cable. It’s a ( broken) cable to vacuum 2 speed valve, and operation was iffy( think vacuum wipers) It’s a great find, once so prevalent, most forgotten in a field now, but a usable truck for around the yard. For the record, I believe it’s a C3 or 1 ton. Parts are surely available, and I wouldn’t drag your feet on this one. More trucks, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!
Waaaaaait a second, I don’t think this is a C series. I read the C series went up to 1.5 ton, and the 2 ton was a D series(?) although some sites say they made a G,H, J, and K models, so it was confusing. It’s heavy duty regardless.
Stay tuned, IH coming your way, Howard.
Love it!!! This truly looks like a Barn Find too. I’m with Howard about the two speed rear, once you get it functioning, I wouldn’t shift it unless its stationary or needed. It would be neat to see this one restored back to its former glory. I did not know until reading Michelles write up about the little Hemi V8s they had in these. I always thought they were all straight sixes. Once again Michelle, thank you for the great write up, you got two guys smiling today!!!
… at least three!
Love the Dodges –
Runs, drives and the bed works, that’s one cheap farm truck!
Great article and find! I’m with all the rest of the grown up 8 year olds here. This is a running, driving, working example of an all American work truck. $2500…What a steal! The next owner should almost feel guilty.
This would be a simple serious local work vehicle or a great piece of advertising for someone.
Michelle (or some other knowledgeable truck person) are those split rims? Also, 5 lugs seems unusual for a truck of this size…my little F250 has 8. Did this work out ok for these trucks or were there any wheel related issues? Just curious.
Michelle, What a find!!! Thanks for another truck.. An unusual V-8 equipped Dodge. Definitely a farm us truck, BUT also a great priced entry in the antique truck hobby. Big enough to be a truck, but still small enough to fit into a normal 25 ft garage or carport. With a little TLC this truck will make a nice work, play, or show vehicle. Mike F., those tires are the standard 20 inch snap ring tube type tires. As far a 5 studs they are much larger, like 3/4 to 1 inch diameter that was also the standard in that era. Left side may be left handed treads also??
Thanks Brocky!
Generally speaking, with Budds left side is lefthand thread. One day my wife comes out to the field with the cell phone and said “Talk to Adam he’s brokedown.” he said “I’ve got a flat and can’t get the lug nuts loose, they turned a little and stopped.” I asked “The GMC?” “Yes.” “Front?” “Yes.” “Drivers side?” “Yes.” I said “Flip the gun the other way like you’re trying to tighten them.” He handed the phone to his BIL, Jake, in the background I could hear the nuts spin loose, zing, zing, I told Jake, “send me tweenty bucks” and hung up.
Our Dad had a 56 Ford 1 ton back in the 70’s. He wanted my brother and myself to take the wheels off of it for some reason lost to history, anyway it had 5 or 6 lug nuts on it that were very big. Couldn’t get them loose, found us a cheater pipe and managed to break 2 or 3 off before we got caught. Didn’t know anything about left hand threads when I was 12 or 13 and Dennis is a couple years older. Looking back on it now it was pretty impressive display of tourqe for a couple of barely teenagers
“…a nice work, play, or show vehicle.”? I say all of the above. I do like driving and working these old trucks. After working it Saturday morning, hose it off and take it to the parking lot next to Whataburger where the other cool rides meet up for a little “kick the tires and swap lies”.
Awesome truck, and it runs!
Can’t best the price, brakes should be an easy fix.
What a great truck at a terrific price, Michelle, and a great find on your part! Running strong at 72 years old-and not slowing down anytime quick..
I’d paint it red and have a great Christmas in Evergreen.
-sorry.
Does not look like a hemi V8 to me. The one I’ve got I my 1955 dodge has spark plugs in center of valve covers and says red ram hemi on the valve covers
It’s not a hemi, it’s a poly as noted in the article. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
Lots of these out west. We had a couple of aggressive Dodge truck dealers (one of them was my uncle) who kept the population up. I can easily say that the truck market was fairly well split four ways: GM, Ford, IH, and Dodge. GM might have had a slight edge but you would have to combine Chevy and GMC. Dodge definitely led the way in the power department at that time, with that Poly V-8 or the Hemi for the larger trucks. I can easily say that the majority of them ran 5-speed mains with 2-speed Eatons in the rear.
I do remember a guy who ran a ’51 Dodge 3-ton. 230 flathead six, 5 and 2. He had a hand pump for raising the box. That old man knew hard work; the hydraulic pump for raising the box was a 2-man type that sat behind the cab, with a large pipe protruding out each side (for each man). Ol’ Cottie (that was his name) would tip up a load of wheat, non-stop, by himself.
And he was no spring chicken…
If those guys driving around in their shiny new behemoth 4 door pickups are really as macho as they want you to believe they are, they’d be driving something like this. This is a REAL truck.
If you get stuck as the monkey in the middle with three in the cab lord help you if it stops quick.
That’s a lot of floor mounted control levers aimed at you know what!
I remember in High School, in my ’47 Ford pickup, on several occasions I had 5 in the cab. Teenagers. I remember a girl sitting next to me; I politely let her shift the gears and she said very quietly: “Please, no panic stops…”
I was about 5 then… my dad was the manager at a place that had a red 1 ton 8 foot stake just like this one. I loved trucks and used to sit in it pretend… Kids see the world from 3 feet up… I remember the dashboard, the oval pedals, the door handles with those plastic bell trims…. the shift lever and the e brake handle. A few times I got to ride along with the driver on day trips that were about 200 miles total. One of the drivers was a very nice guy and he reached into that center glove box and pulled out a harmonica… played Yankee Doodle…. I even remember where that happened…
I also remember that it had an unusual exhaust note… kinda ZZZZNNNN sounding…