Life at 35 MPH in 3rd Gear

1949 B1B-108 Half Ton "Pilot House" Pickup Truck; this 6-volt, 5-window deluxe cab, 3-speed daily driver is 100% stock (except for the McWelco custom toolbox, installed below the "high side" style bed rail to preserve the stock appearance). Sixty-six years later and this stock B-Series pickup is still running OEM strong; this is the true example of the Dodge Brothers' "Ram Tough" legend of Job Rated trucks.

This is life at 35 MPH (with a whopping 95 horsepower at 3600 RPM); the original 218 ci, 6 cylinder, L-head flat head engine still runs strong, and quiet, at 66k miles!  Replacing the 6.50-16 bias ply tires with LT215/85R16 radial truck tires (30.4" height, 8.5" section width), keeps the stock look, improves handling with about 3" more tread on the road and helps to comfort the ride . . . take a test drive here.

The pickup truck is nothing short of an American legend.  It all started with the Dodge Brothers, in a partnership with the Graham Brothers, who built the first pickup: a 1924 Dodge ¾-ton pickup.  It had an upright cab, a bed twice as long as it was wide, and chains that allowed a tailgate to rest open in a perpendicular position.

Wegge-Pelton Dodge, Pasadena, CA  ~  B-Series Dodge Pickup Parked Out Front 

Fast-forward nearly a century and vintage pickups are booming, with prices of restored and even hot-rodded models often doubling from what they sold for just five years ago!  For example, check out this restored 1949 Dodge B1-B pickup truck.  Everyone loves vintage pickups, except for the meatheads who run the local H.O.A.

Original 95HP Straight-Six Engine

The restored straight-six engine; original matching serial number to this truck.

The B1-B trucks were powered by a 218 ci, 6 cylinder, L-head flat head engine; output was 95 horsepower at 3600 rpm and 175 ft-lb of torque at 1600 rpm.  Most of these trucks were sold with either 3 or 4-speed manual trannies.  The truck weighed in at 4,850 lb.  Colors were limited but a two-tone paint scheme was available.

1949 B1B-108 Dodge Pickup Truck, "Farm Fresh".

Model: 1949 B1B-108 Pickup Truck, literally "Farm Fresh".
• The first new truck models since 1939 came in 1948 with the Pilot-House models. The name came from the industry first cab with increased glass for better visibility and a higher, more spacious cab.

• The truck cab could now seat 3 men (the average man weighed 135 pounds in those days) with 2.5 inches more height, 6 inches more width and 3 inches added in length.

• 1948-1953 was the B series: a B1-B = 1/2 ton (108 in. WB); B1-C = 3/4 ton (116 in. WB).

The Distinctive 5-Window Pilot House Cab

The "Pilot-House" name for this cab style came from the industry first cab with increased glass for better visibility and a higher, more spacious cab.

“Dodge’s first postwar light and medium-duty trucks featured an industry-leading ‘pilot house’ cab, a colorful term reflecting the cab’s increased height and larger glass area that provided improved driver visibility. Engines in these well-received new trucks were shifted forward and the front axle set back, resulting in a shorter wheelbase, wider front track and improved over-all weight distribution. Higher and wider cargo bed sides increased load-carrying capacity by 40 percent over previous models.”         (Ram Zone, 1-11-13).

The Farm - Family Home of this 1949 Dodge for Years!

This 1949 Dodge B1B-108 truly is "Farm Fresh" . . . here is the actual organic farm, home to this Dodge for the past many, many years.  In fact this 1949 Dodge had been there sooooo long that it had become as much a "member" of the family as Angelina, their Australian Shepherd dog.

1936-1937 DODGE RAM HOOD ORNAMENT

Detailed view of the underside of the hood ornament base, showing the two mounting tabs that are frequently missing (re: having been previously cut off by someone having done a past modification).  Since these two tabs secure the hood ornament to the vehicle's body atop the grill shroud sheet metal, if either tab or both tabs are missing, then properly attaching a "modified" hood ornament to the vehicle becomes next to impossible.  

Below: see close-up photo of how the OEM tabs should appear if intact.

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