'48 Dodge Panel Truck

[Guest]

Trailered the ‘48 Dodge Panel home today. Thought I’d do a post with a picture and a few particulars. Someday when the temps a bit warmer I’ll fool around a bit more, sweep the truck out and take a few more pictures to post.

1948 Dodge Panel Truck
Mileage 19,999
Model B1B 108

Serial Number
82059093
Engine
217.76 Flathead Six
Year
1948
Make
Dodge
Model
B-1-B
Wheelbase
108
Rating
1/2 Ton
Engineering Code
T142
Plant
Detroit, Michigan
Build Number
15093

[Guest]

Hey Jed,
Keep us posted! She looks pretty good!!!
Richard D. Hord

[YellowRose]

'48 Dodge Panel Truck

Hi Jed,

She looks to be in pretty good shape. It will be interesting to see what you do with her over the next year or so. I wonder how hard it will be to find parts for her?

[simplyconnected]

Wow, Jed... 1948... Detroit, just a couple years after V-J Day (8-14-45). That was an election year, when the Chicago Tribune declared Dewey the winner (not Truman). It was also a very important time for Japan:

Detroit banker Joseph (Morrell) Dodge, 58, arrives at Tokyo February 1 to help occupation authorities deal with Japanese economic woes. Having headed the U.S. Joint Price Adjustment Board, served under Gen. Eisenhower as financial adviser to the military government at Berlin, and under Gen. Clay as finance director for U.S. forces in Germany, Dodge works with finance minister Hayato Ikeda, 49, to stop the nation's inflation and balance its budget, but more than 2 million people are laid off as radicals derail trains and sabotage the occupation's efforts. The Far Eastern Commission terminates Japanese reparation payments May 12 to spur Japan's lagging economic recovery (see 1950).

Looks like Mr. Dodge AND Japan, did pretty well.

BTW, your truck has "Dodge Main" written all over it, including engine and transmission.
Click Here for more history of Dodge Main.
Right after The War, Dodge couldn't build enough to satisfy the demand.

Nice find, J.Z.

One of the distant Dodge heirs lives across the street from me.

[Guest]

Dave, thanks for the history lesson and the tour of the Dodge Main Plant. That was quite an article. Also appreciate being reminded of the Dewey vs Truman escapade. You know I think the Dewey name is quite fitting to this 1948 truck. I do believe that Dewey name is gonna stick. I have not been one, in the past, to give my vehicles nicknames but in this case I think "Dewey" will do just fine.

On another note I need to ask the opinions of the group. I need to apply for a MN State Title/Registration for this '48, as it has no title now. On the application there is an odometer disclosure statement. The odometer now reads 19,999. There are then one of 3 boxes to check; 1) actual mileage; 2) in excess of odometer's mechanical limits, and ; 3) Not actual mileage - warning odometer discrepancy.

How should I know the answer to these questions? I feel like checking the #1 actual mileage box, but it could be anyone of the 3 boxes. Any and all opinions, thoughts and advice are welcome.

[Yellowbird]

Hi Jed,
What a really cool panel wagon. I'm picturing roof rack with a couple of surfboards! Or should I say snowboards? Either way, it will be great.

Leonard

[YellowRose]

'48 Dodge Panel Truck

Jed, I would think this is the best option. 2) in excess of odometer's mechanical limits. That is probably the true reading. It has probably gone around and does not have the extra wheel to show that. I dont think checking #3 would be a good idea, IMHO, for whatever that is worth.

[simplyconnected]

Dewey was a fine, upstanding Republican, narrowly defeated by incumbent, Truman. That in itself should say volumes after the nation was so grateful that Truman brought a swift end to the war.

Thomas Dewey worked closely with New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia as Prosecutor to bust organized crime, (Lucky Luciano was sentenced to 70-yrs). In 1936 Dewey helped indict and convict Richard Whitney, the former president of the New York Stock Exchange, for embezzlement. Then, he was elected Governor of New York. As of 2009, he was also the youngest Republican presidential nominee. Oh! Did I neglect to mention; he was born in MICHIGAN, and graduated from UofM Law School.

Dewey was renowned for having a great memory. If only your truck could speak... what memories would it tell you...

Re: Odometer
Choice #2 is the most accurate, since the odometer may have turned over a couple times. We don't know for sure, but a service truck like yours may have hauled every day for decades. Dodge truck parts were available everywhere. You may have an overhauled or replaced engine.

[DKheld]

Jed,

I really don't think it matters because there currently is no documentation to prove the odometers accuracy or if the speedo has been changed, etc so my vote is for option 1. Here's why -

Although their #1 definition was removed or edited Webster defines "actual" as: 1 obsolete? 2 a : existing in act and not merely potentially b : existing in fact or reality c : not false or apparent 3 : existing or occurring at the time

Option 1 on the title should read "actual mileage traveled - verified by documentation" (then it would be easier - may be what is inferred but not what it states). Since the "actual mileage traveled" cannot be verified the "facts" or what is "existing or occurring at the time and definitely not false" is the mileage shown on the odometer - at least at the time you transferred the title.

#2 - no way to know if it's turned over or not (probably - but then again - just once, 4 times, or maybe it's correct?)
#3 - no documentation to prove one way or the other and along the same reasoning as #2

I'm sure when/if you ever sell it and the title shows 19K miles the buyer is going to be smart enough to ask you for documentation to back up the mileage. You can just tell them that is what was showing on the odometer when you bought it. I know some folks would try to falsely say this is actual mileage traveled with no documentation to back it up but the buyer should be smart enough to know better. If you think that might ever happen I would go with option #3.

Man - did I over think this one or what?
Eric

PS - nice old truck....

[Guest]

Not to dismiss other's advice, but I must thank Eric for offering the definition of actual.

Yes I believe you to be correct. Therefore, I could truthfully and honestly mark the #1 box knowing that the odometer reading of 19,999 does exist in fact, is not false or apparent, and does exist and is occurring at the present time.

How much more honest could I be. Thank you for your advice in this matter.

PS: How in the heck can a person change fonts in the Quick Reply post editor. I typically write and edit my posts first in msword, then copy/paste them to the squarebirds Reply window. It would be nice to be able to adjust my font type and size while in this posting window, but guess I must type everything in msword first in Arial 14 font size. Just curious?

[Coral]

Hey Jed...there's no way to change the font size in quick reply, if you change the font size in msword then copy/paste it should take, but no guarantees...

Great find on the panel truck!

[YellowRose]

Changing Font Style & Sizes

I am going to put some information on the PC Help Desk regarding information on changing font styles and sizes instead of here...

[Guest]

Saw a post today on antique car title service and posted a reply, thereafter realizing it was an advertisement that had been posted. So copied my text, deleted my reply and saved it to post to the Anything Goes thread on my 48 Dodge Panel.

Let me share a story that I am currently going thru regarding titling the 48 Dodge Panel I bought several weeks ago for $600. The truck was abandoned and left to sit for 8 years in an auto transport and salvage yard. It was sold to me without a title by the yard owner.

I paid $200 to the St of MN to apply for a collector's title, registration and plate. The State wrote me one week later that the truck already had a MN Title and gave me the title owner's name, but would not give me the owner's address or fon# due to data privacy protection. I googled the owner's name and came up with 168 such names in the USA. Refining the search with the owner's middle name I narrowed the selection to 75. Most all had address and a few had fon#s. So my search began with the geographically closest address matching the title. The first name on the list was just 15 miles away from me and by golly, that was the correct person.

Wow did I luck out? No, this lady wanted $3500 from me or she wanted the truck back. She told me her deceased husband bought the truck 12 years ago and sold it on a payment plan to another individual, holding the title until full payment. This person then absconded with the truck never to finish paying for the title. This person then moved to Arizona, first delivering the truck to the Auto Transport company for shipment to AZ. The guy never contacted the Auto Transport, so there the truck has sat for 8 years. The lady has not seen the truck in 10 years, her husband died, she put the title in her name, got remarried and has been dreaming of finding her long lost truck all these years.

So I did some research and found that the MN statute of limitations for abandoned personal property is 6 years. I would have to go before a judge to clear the title with an affidavit from the auto transport yard owner. The cost of the court hearing was to be $320. Next I checked on what the allowable daily storage fees were for abandoned cars and came up with $20/day. I called the title owner back and told her I had several options;

1) pay her what she wanted $3500
2) giver her the truck back
3) ask her to reconsider signing over to me the truck and told her I'd pay her $100 for her trouble
4) paying $320 to get a judge to grant me title
5) tow the truck back to the transport company's impound lot, give them her name and address so they could bill her for 8 years of storage at $20/day in the amount of $57,000

She asked me for several days to consider the options and she did call me back yesterday to tell me that she would sign the title over to me for free. So that was my good news for yesterday. I will meet her Tuesday, have her sign the title and give her $100 anyway so she can take her new husband out to dinner.

[Coral]

YIKES - well, I can about guess it was number 5 that put her over on Your side of the fence
Good Job Jed!

The power of knowledge is a blessing...

Best of wishes for a successful transaction on Tuesday and for the glorious time you will have re-doing Your 'new' truck!

[Dan Leavens]

Jed that's quite the story and it's also a stroke of luck that she happened to be only 15 miles away. I am sure that your searching and now obtaining the title will be satisfying, when the restoration is compete.