The seller has this 1960 Dodge D-100 Sweptline listed as a 1959 truck but the VIN decodes to it being a 1960 model, in case you were wondering why the model year change from the seller’s description. If any of you can somehow decode it as a 1959 model, please let us know. It can be found here on eBay in Brookhaven, Mississippi and the current bid price is just $860 but the reserve isn’t met.
The more subdued Sweptline came right after Dodge’s experiment with the labor-intensive Sweptside pickups which literally had the rear fenders/fins from a Dodge wagon grafted onto the back of a narrower pickup box. That was a really cool design but they were expensive to make and not cheap to buy and they went away when Dodge introduced the Sweptline in mid-1959.
This is the shorter 108-inch wheelbase truck as opposed to the 116-inch trucks and you can see that the trim on both sides of the box is missing. Surprisingly, this truck looks really good given that the seller got this truck when buying a few Harley-Davidson motorcycles, so it sounds like they basically threw it in along with a bunch of motorcycles? Nice. There is not much rust at all, according to the seller.
The Keep on Truckin’ floor mats are cool, I remember those posters well. The interior looks good if not super original. The sculptured carpet is another throwback. They say that they were told that it was restored in 1980 so that would have been the perfect era for everything here. Hagerty is at $5,300 for a #4 fair condition 1960 D-100 Sweptline with the flathead-six. I don’t know if this truck is there yet but if the seller’s reserve is low enough this could be a good buy.
The 120-hp 230-cubic-inch flathead-six has 125-150 psi compression on all six cylinders, according to the seller, and it was running 3-5 years ago when it was parked. They haven’t started it because the carb is disassembled in a box so that’ll have to be sorted out, and it also needs a new clutch and brake master cylinder. This sure looks like a nice project truck and it could be a great deal. Have any of you owned a Dodge Sweptline?
Wow, this isn’t half bad. For the age it could actually be tuned up and driven. I would want to get to the bottom of the rust and get that fixed. Of course a respray would be mandatory. Not many of these around and they will stand out wherever you go. The six isn’t going to win any land speed records but it will get you wherever you want to go and bring you back. I’d keep it in there and drive it.
Kind of curious as to the tractor behind it. Looks like a John Deere, possibly a 7020 with grafted on fenders. Possibly a Michigan loader beside the truck…
Lass-ie! (Play theme song now) I remember Hugh Reily driving one on TV in 1960. I really like these because they stood apart from your average Ford or Chevy and looked like no other truck on the road. Sorry folks, but I’d have to put a V-8 in this one…say a 383 or 440 big block and some type of 4X4 conversion under it. These things were real beasts when so equipped. Haven’t seen one since ’73 or thereabouts. It was a Maroon 3/4 ton long box with a factory 4X4 conversion. It really looked sharp with a set of Jackman white spoke rims with off-road tires on it. If this truck were mine, it would be a clone of the truck I just mentioned. Great find!
perfect truck to pick up a 97 to 03 dodge dakota and take the frame and running gear and everything else and transplant this body ,box, and front end on it
We had a member of our club do that. The result was great but he said he wouldn’t do another one.
If this were 1700 miles closer I’d be bangin’ on their door for a real hard look-over! My wife even agreed it’d be a cool Sunday driver..
Reminds me of one my cousin had at one time except His had a V8 automatic. I like this truck if it weren’t for that little flat head 6. It would be a shame to take it out and put something else in, but there you go, no doubt that’s what will happen. Seems like most people think it must have a V8, and I’m one of them or at least a slant 6 those engine were tough. I really want to bid on this but I know it would be a mistake. Oh well I’ve been a Ford truck man since the 50’s.
God bless America
My friend’s dad had a ‘59 with a V8/auto. Good truck but it was never much of a power house. It still got the job done. He was the local scout leader and used the truck on a lot of camps. Coming home from a winter camp with probably five boys in the cab someone could smell something hot. Then the gauges started doing funny things. Then the engine cut in and out again. Then the cab filled with smoke. He stopped the truck and realized that there was a pretty good fire going under the dash. They got the fire out by shovelling snow up under the dash. I understand that he unplugged everything and hot-wired it directly off the battery. It got them home. He fixed the damage and kept on for another 4-5 years. You could always smell the burnt wires after that, and cotton-wrapped wire has a peculiar stench. I experienced a similar odor in many vehicles during my college days…😬
Did Chrysler subcontract to Lucas Electrics in the ‘50’s, geomechs!!??!!?? 😳😱😂
Lucas? Prince of Darkness? Heaven forbid! I think that most Mopar stuff was Auto Lite. But I do remember that they were among the last to go to plastic insulation. Of course I have to say that I repaired a lot of GM/Delco electrical systems over the years…
Be still my quivering heart. I had a ’58 for 43 years. GREAT truck. Was a real workhorse . . . the classic work truck. Then, I fixed it up, ‘cuz my kids both said they wanted it, but neither of them had room to keep it where they lived, so eventually, I let it go. Had the flathead 6, which was super dependable, although it did eat the occasional head gasket. I could remove the head in about 25 minutes. So easy to work on those ol’ pups. I always thought it kind of looked like a Poor Man’s Power Wagon. Towards the end of our ownership, we started getting a lot of ” . . . cool truck” and thumbs up. Definitely not your mundane Ford or Chevy.
Nice truck. Too bad seller is not interested on getting it running.
Could double his asking price
Mu handy dandy VIN Decoder, 1960 should have a Y in the 8th digit from the right, and 1959 should be an X. Unless 40 years have made me forget. And that is 8 digits from the end, or 9th from the left
sorry, 10th digit is year in a 17 digit VIN
Good grief I never realized dodge used this same engine for so long I have a 50 Power Wagon with this engine and they started the civilian Power Wagon in 46 with this same engine. I have owned a few of them in M37 military trucks and they have all done what was expected of them. I don’t like this pick up at all but good engine!!
Others will no doubt have more accurate info, but I believe the Dodge/Chrysler Corporation “Flathead 6” started around 1938ish, and was used until 1960, in these very trucks. However, the engine soldiered on for many years in TowMotors, fork lifts, and numerous industrial applications. To this day, it is very easy to get engine parts.
I’m sure others will have more specific information, but I believe the Chrysler Corporation “Flathead 6” was first used about 1938, and continued in use, in these very trucks, until 1960. They soldiered on in forklifts, TowMotors, oil field equipment, and many industrial applications. To this day, it is very easy to obtain parts for these engines.
I was told that basic engine design went back to 1933 or 34. I guess it’s the old saying: ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it.’
Ahhh, the inevitable Lucas jokes. I’ve been messing about with English cars for about 50+ years. My observation is that if every Tom, Dick & Harry didn’t think they were automotive electricians, there would be no Lucas jokes. I’ve seen so many Brit cars, that have just been bodged to death: duct tape connections, those crappy 3M connectors, bell cord, speaker wire, wire nuts, BARE wire. Then, these folks have the noogies to make Lucas jokes? They were simple systems, which led Sam the Shadetree Mechanic to thinking they could add 8 track players, Vibrasonic units!!, and all manner of sordid devices, and then wonder why it was smoking. Make those same alterations to any electrical system, and there will be smoke.
Agreed, MG Steve, that some shade tree mechanics knowledge of electrics has nothing to do with protons, neutrons or electrons, more of “if the smoke gets outta the cover ure done for!”
But part of the problem (as with all manufacturers) is the issue of trying to buy the cheapest possible product and expecting it to perform as the initial engineer designed it. Lucas built quality products, but to paraphrase Mark Twain, when you buy a bag of oats, you pay a fair price but you can pay a little less if you don’t mind that they’re used already..
Ive owned a few Triumphs (2&4wheel), MG’s &BSA’’s and wherever possible, when the faulty part was replaced with one of quality it made a world of difference.
You’re absolutely right, MG. I’ve worked on electrical systems from everywhere and they ALL give trouble, especially, as you said, when someone uses those damned scotch locks, friction tape, duct tape, household wiring, or doesn’t have a clue what goes where (I once heard the term: BUBBA’D). I find that electrical systems are easiest to work with when you just take the time to read over everything and STUDY the diagram. And USE proper replacement components. I’ve found Lucas systems a bit different but not something to be afraid of. The first thing I ran into that could get confusing was all the grounds (Earth). Every circuit had its own ground wire. Then I had to determine what a DARK wire was, and a LIGHT wire, or a MEDIUM wire. I paraphrase a statement from Kurt Kendricks in the book, Motorcycle Electrics Without Pain: ‘The Japanese are kind enough to label their diagrams in English, while the Germans arrogantly label theirs in German. And the English label theirs in Martian.’ Close Quote. And yes, when I’m working on a German system I know what ‘GELB’ is. But it took me a long time to understand what ‘DARK’ is on a British bike…
You guys can make all the excuses you want for Mr. Lucas, but his electrics didn’t work properly brand new about half the time.
These trucks also came with a 318 V8. It should drop in without major modifications.
For the record, that quote seems to be attributed to no one, and to many people! I always thought it was Voltaire, which apparently it is not. And, I can find no reference to it for Mark Twain, either.
Sir,
It Seem to remember that quote from his book “Roughing It” but it wouldn’t surprise me if I were wrong or if he’d quoted Voltaire; the point being that we get what we pay for when we try to cut corners and expect the same product..
sold-$3000