1965 A100 pick up roll down back window and headboard hatch gate.

We're new here, and hope to enjoy some sharing of info on these cool old trucks. We just bought a 1965 A100 4x4 5 window pick up, with roll down back window and hatch gate in the headboard!! The Dodge and A100 guys we have talked to so far say this option was never sold by Dodge! If it was fabricated , that was a craftsman at work!! There seems to be no evidence of cutting or body work around this "hatch or gate" The truck was near a building that burned and the heat exposed all of the other body work on the truck. As for the 4x4, it has early Ramcherger drive line incl. 318, auto, ps pdb and dual range t case. If someone can offer some info on this odd package, please let us know. until then , enjoy.

That is too cool! Sure would make tuneups easier.

Hello Keiser31, that's what we thought too, maybe even swapping the motor with hoist in the bed?? We're hoping someone can tell us something about it. We have notes out to a few A100 clubs or pages and my son sent a note to the Chrysler corp historical request folks. Now we wait while we get it ready to roll again, it hasn't been on the road much since 2003 when the Cedar wildfire came through the San Diego area and boiled all the paint off the right side of the truck while taking the house, garage and many other collectables around it.

I have had and dealt with A100s for quite a few years and I have never seen that setup. I have seen a similar setup, but the guy who owned it converted it himself.....and not as good a job as yours seems to be. The only things that look funky on yours are the hinges on the "tailgate" and the door knob thingy. Can you provide some other photos such as the tailgate trough looking down from above it with the window down, a closer view of the hinges and a closer view of the doorknob? I'm thinking the doorknob is just to be able to lower the tailgate with the window up.....

If that setup is a factory setup, I would have to say that you have maybe one of one.

Here are a few closer shots of the extra gate. We think the "knob" was to replace a handle that was more like the window crank maybe. The pic of the lower "jam area" shows a very interesting "key" sticking out of bottom of gate into the lower jam when closed. Maybe a safety deal to keep the wall from folding if something was to slide in the bed ?? The window travels in nice felt tracks and there is a felt sweep in place as well. The crank turns about 3 times for full travel. There is also a piece of rubber seal for the opening around the hole on the first "lip", this lip can be seen in the first pic of this series (pic #499) The latch pins slide on small striker plates and then catch behind the wall as it were...they are exposed inside when the hatch is closed.

Great shots, thanks. Yep....that looks factory and I have to research this more.