1939 lowboy dodge chronicles

been a moparts stalker for many years, and a member for a few. thought i would start a build thread of my 39 dodge pickup. just a couple of weeks in, but since i bought the cab and frontend in the spring of this year, she has come along pretty good. i just chopped the cab and plan to do the doors this weekend. here is a link to my build blog. http://39lowboydodge.blogspot.com/ typically, i'm a bit of a slow worker and dont work on my stuff everyday. gotta work it in to real life when i can. criticisms? comments? questions? hit me up. the below picture, although a dorf pickup, is the inspiration for my build. i like the way it sits, the colors, the bed size, etc. thanks, mike in k.c.

Don't think your truck would pass a safety inspection, ever hear of a scrub line? Anything hanging below the bottom edge of the rim is unsafe in the case of a flat tire. Look like your cab is there. Might want to think about that.

welcome to the street rod forum
I checked out your blog link,
the chop on your truck looks good,how much did you chop it?
It looks to be around 4" out of the windshied area, that is how much I chopped my race truck project(check out the link below),
what are your plans for the chassis and what engine and trans are you planing for it? slant 6 maybe??????
keep us posted on your progress. Ron...


http://rides.webshots.com/album/559598861LBwiIz

I like the look you are going for, I dont know how big of a person but I would consider personal size before channeling as deep as the inspirational truck. I would think even a person 5' 6" would struggle to be comfortable in a cab with that much chop and 4 or so inches of channel.

The safety issue is also there, as mentioned it wouldnt be fun to have a blow and the body to drag ground. Air bags can be used to get the body drop to lay frame or cab if you desire it.

thanks guys. i am 6'3" and with the seat riser still in place and a sheet of plywood on that, there is approx. 3" of space between my head and the roof. i chopped it 5" and i cut the a-pillars like the jamb posts, parallel to the floor instead of 90 degrees across the pillars. i am at the point where i can still change frame plans if i want. originally, i was going to go no frontend, staight axle and a custom grille, ala 1936-38 dodge pickup, but my finances may take me a different route. i have listed for sale in the full size mopars section, a 69 dodge monaco 2dht. i am contemplating pulling the front subframe out from under it and donating it to the 39. my preliminary measurements are good. it has what looks to be a satisfactory amount of kickup from where the unit bolts to the floor and where the upper control arms reside. i wouldn't have to do a custom "Z"ing to the frame, it's already done. i still have to do some more measuring, but i think it can work. then i can use my 2"x4"x1/8" wall tubing from there back and do a more traditional ladder bar/coil over/panhard bar type suspension in the rear and tie it all together. i think the main advantage to the c-body donor clip is that everything is there in one convenient unit. the torsion bars, the torsion bar cross member, the tranny crossmember, the motor mounts, the control arms, the frame horns, steering, brakes etc. i can determine my wheelbase needs, move the clip fore or aft and go from there. i hate to use this monaco for that, but i have had this car for sale for a while now and no bites, plus, it's paid for. i am on a shoe-string budget anyhow. plus i have the rims, the rearend and a host of other parts i can cull from. as far as it possibly being too low, i can still channel up into the seat riser area at least as much as the 4" height of the frame tubing and not affect drivers head clearance. keep the comments coming, i am listening. powerplant will probably be a 413 i have laying around the garage. i am supposed to pick up a 71 dodge d100 with a 383 and a 4 speed, but my money situation will determine whether that happens. if the monaco sells before i pull the clip, then i will go with the 71 motor/tranny, straight axle route and go fenderless, if not, 413/727 and the frontend will go one. i know to get this truck that low, i will have to clearance the lower portions of the fenders, but either way, i am getting this thing low. it will not be a daily driver, limited highway use. mostly just cruisin' the local streets. thanks guys, gonna go cut the doors now. mike in k.c.

Mike I would think long and hard about using the 69 monaco front frame for your truck, they are wide,they are bulky and just wont look good on a fenderless car in my opinion, if you went with a mustang II style frontend with Tube type "A" armes you could make it look presentable but I think the monaco frotend will be hard to make look good. just think about it before you commit. Ron...

Nice chop job...

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Mike I would think long and hard about using the 69 monaco front frame for your truck, they are wide,they are bulky and just wont look good on a fenderless car in my opinion, if you went with a mustang II style frontend with Tube type "A" armes you could make it look presentable but I think the monaco frotend will be hard to make look good. just think about it before you commit. Ron...

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i wasn't planning on going fenderless if i use the monaco subframe for the very same reason you mentioned, it would look bulky and out of place. the fenderless route would only happen if i can come up with the money for the 71 d100. it has the straight axle, 383 4 speed and 16" rims with the 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern. as far as the mustang parts...no way! it's mopar 100%. i know they're reasonably cheap and plentiful, but it's got to be mopar all the way. i can get away with the monaco subframe by covering it up with the frontend if i land on that idea. i know i'll have to massage the heck out of a lot of things, but i may have to go that route if the monaco doesn't sell soon! either way, i'm fine. also, i want to make clear that this will not be a "rat rod", but rather like a hot rod that was built sometime in the past. i want to weather it out, make it look like it's seen better days but still be a decent driver/runner. thanks for the advice and comments. i truly welcome it all. you guys are the ones that have been there and done that literally. i'm a relative newb that reads, studies what others have done and apply it to my particular application. thanks a bunch fellas. i did manage to cut the doors today and work that stubborn windshield frame away from the hinges. i'm gonna do a tutorial on that procedure alone! mike in k.c.