This rather unusual-looking open 1948 Dodge tank truck was reportedly a Shell Oil truck, and thus wore the bright yellow that’s showing beneath the current blue hue. It’s listed for sale here on craigslist and is located near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite only being available with a bill of sale, the asking price is $6,950. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ian C. for submitting this very unusual find!
Aside from the obvious question of why wasn’t the cab included in the build, this looks like a typical small tanker (heating oil? aircraft fuel?) body. It’s also remarkably solid, which is probably why the seller thinks it’s worth the price they do. I found other occurrences where the vehicle has been for sale dating back to early last year — perhaps the price is negotiable at this point?
No idea if any of the gear is functional, or what you’d do with it even if it were, but it’s worth noting that the red hose still looks pretty flexible; perhaps it has been in use until recently? Obviously, with a commercial vehicle like this, the more known history the better.
Back to the cab, or in this case the lack of one. It’s ironic that the truck is “missing” the one thing these Dodges were known most for when new — the “Pilot-House” cab. It’s so iconic that the national club for 1948-53 Dodge and Fargo (Canadian market) trucks is called the Dodge Pilothouse Era Truck Club of America. They have a great website (it’s where the above brochure page came from) although it hasn’t been updated in a long time.
This is the very exposed driving position. According to the technical information on the club website, the truck should have a three-speed manual. I guess the visibility on this truck even beats a Pilot-House version, although I wouldn’t want to take it down the road quickly. Perhaps it was an airport tanker?
I found this picture of what I believe to be the original flathead six in an earlier ad listing for the truck. There’s some speculation there that it was an aircraft service truck in the discussion there as well. What I want to know is what the heck would you do with it now? It’s not like an old ice cream truck where you could restore it and use it at car shows. It’s not glamorous like a fire truck for parade use. Let us know your best idea in the comments!
Great find Ian C. and fantastic write-up, Jamie! I’ve been watching this one for months in the Mpls area. Maybe a “Bailey’s” home delivery service… There has to be a use for this fun little truck. About half that price would make it almost irresistible.
Clean it up, fix it up. Find someone to remake the original Shell logos. Use it at one of the airports like the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing in St. Paul, the Yanks Air Museum in Chino or the National Museum Of the US Air Force in Dayton. This would be a BIG hit IMO at the EAA Oshkosh air show!!!
Repaint in Good Humor theme, convert rear to freezer, add canvas top (like a Jolly). There ya go.
It’s got to be an airport fuel truck, or it could be for large off road truck and equipment sites like an open pit mining operation. Without a windshield it would not be allowed on a commercial road for fuel oil deliveries.
It also has a fuel measuring device on the top of the tank, but it’s only a read-out, it won’t provide a printed receipt, and all commercial fuel oil delivery tankers are required to provide a printed receipt with each delivery [federal law].
With no seatbelt, doors, or roof, the first thing that comes to my mind is Hellcat drivetrain and hold on for dear life! It would be more fun than any rodeo bull. Well, until the fiery death part.
You’d think I would learn, but I spit out my coffee again!!
Cut the top off the tank.
Throw in some charcoal.
You’re ready for next year’s tailgate season…
Substitute ice and beer and head to the beach.
Veeder-Root Totalizer and a single compartment tank of about 400 gallons. This was meant to fuel small high wing aircraft in a private or government fleet, possibly state police or crop dusters. I would convert it to 12 volts and use it as diesel fuel storage and dispenser for my equipment. It likely has a PTO driven pump too.
Rebuild it into an aircraft themed ice cream truck. You could make a killing at air shows.
Bill and BR got it, it’s a small airport fueling truck, and probably never left the airport grounds. Here’s a picture of the truck in action( small pic) and another newer one. Not sure what, if anything you’d do with it, however.
http://www.californiacar.com/55fuel.htm
Good research, Howard.
Remember seeing one of these on the flight line at Stead AFB in the early ‘60’s, fueling up an F-80 Shooting Star..
Saw some of these at small airports before going into the Air Force. Traveled around the country with and AF evaluation team in the early ’70s which took us to small airports, most of which had these as the only thing you could get close enough to small aircraft. Anchorage Alaska comes to mind as the last small one I remember seeing. Twin engine transports, float planes, etc.
My college room mate had a part time job fueling planes at the university airport. He had to be quick, because the parking brake on the tanker didn’t work. He had to pull up to the plane, hop out and chock the wheels. It was stick shift with a pto powered pump. Therefore, the engine had to be running to pump.
I recognize that most folks that follow this page aren’t big fans of the somewhat bizarre world of rat rods, but if ever there was a donor vehicle for such a treatment, then here it is. Add a windshield inspired by a 1930s racing vehicle, and some through the fender exhausts and you’re done. And yes, that’s an airport mule of some sort and never even met that pilot house cab.
It’s missing a few things for an aircraft fueler like the grounding hook ups and generally all I have seen had the exhaust coming out the front! Maybe this stuff was changed?
As an airline
Industry buff
I can easily say this was a regional airport fuel tanker
The reason for the open cab is overhead clearance
attention: Jamie, Jamie, Jamie,
YOU actually did research on this vehicle…!
Found the Internet club, old sales flyers, AND found that it has been offered for sale in past months.
Who are you?
You are the Best Barn Finds writer lately.
Please keep this job. Your research is Great to read.
Thank you Jamie,
all of us…
Just a happy enthusiast who enjoys vehicles of all types :-) Thank you for the kind words! I would write more but I am having difficulty with carpal tunnel at the moment and typing hurts!
We all agree with T Mann-Get well, Jamie
Jamie,
As someone who worked with his hands most of my life, be it turning wrenches, or typing, I had serious Carpal tunnel issues that I tried to ignore for a long time.
This problem rarely gets better over time, and in fact it can cause permanent nerve damage if not treated. I have nerve damage on my left wrist because I didn’t want surgery.
I had surgery on both wrists [not at the same time!]. That was over 15 years ago, and my wrists to this day have full function without pain. [The nerve damage in the left hand is not pain, it just has a “fuzzy” feeling.]
Surgery typically involves a scar about 1 to 2 inches long, it’s handled as outpatient surgery & surgical time is only about an hour. Recovery times for me were only a few days before the bandages were removed!
Once you’ve gone ahead and had the surgery done, you’ll kick yourself for waiting as long as you did!
Thanks to both of you for the kind words and advice. Bill, I’ve been putting off my doctor for too long, it seems. I’ll talk to them about the surgery if things don’t get better quickly. Thank you sincerely for the insight!
Jamie [and everyone reading this],
Carpal tunnel rarely gets better, the splints will help, but only for a short time unless worn 24/7. My future mother-in-law is planning for her surgery this spring. She’s a published editor, author, and writer, so she really needs the surgery.
When it came time for my right wrist surgery, the only date available was 2 days before the opening day of Spring Carlisle, about 15 years ago. My doctor was so busy I would have had to wait over 6 months more, so I said yes, go ahead with the date.
So I loaded up my truck and trailer in advance, and then hired a few local Carlisle guys to help unload and setup my 3 stands in Building “T”, I spent the entire show with my hand wrapped in a big ball of white cotton. [It drove me crazy.] Then everyone came back and helped me load up again. On arrival home to the farm, I just let everything set for a couple of weeks, then back to work.
I unloaded everything, with no wrist pain, for the first time in years!
Swap in a late model hemi, add an old-timey racing wind screen, and you’ve got a sure canonball record breaker. No need for fuel stops, and no need for bathroom breaks… just swivel a little to the left.
I’ve driven many such cab-less trucks on the farms back in the day. WW2 GMCs often had an abbreviated open cab. One farmer ordered a fleet of cab-less 1956 Chevy trucks from GM for field work. I’d guess this cool tanker came just like you see it. Not safe? How about a hot V8 powered fiberglass bucket T? About the same. :-) Terry J
I noticed two things right off the bat that tell me it isn’t safe for fueling.
1) No muffler/exhaust under the front bumper. 2) Light fixtures are not class 1 explosion proof. 3) Engine ignition components MIGHT be class 1 protected, but not visible.
Anyone that’s worked on/around this type of vehicle knows what I’m talking about
I hear ya’, but this was right after the war, and seemed tame compared to what many had just gone through. In an open setting, like an airport, I don’t think the explosion factor was too high and just wasn’t an issue.
LOL Howard. Yup an electrical current from a taillight sure didn’t worry young men who were used to gassing up Mustangs while watching the sky for marauding FW 190s on a strafing mission, :-) Terry J
Looks military to me, but saying that, I was in Naval aviation in the 50s and early 60s and I never saw one that looked like that. Helicopter fuel buggy??