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.