1933 Dodge panel rear doors? (humpback)

[RSayak]

Hi all,

I am considering the purchase of a 1933 Dodge panel truck. I am certain it is a 1933 model based on the instrument cluster and the wire wheels (as opposed to '34-'35 models). The issue is it was "converted" to a farm truck at some point in the past (as have a lot of vintage cars in this area). The conversion entailed cutting out the back doors and folding in the roof edges where the cloth insert goes. So now it looks like a grain truck with no tail gate. Other than that, it is mostly all there, but has been sitting for a long time with typical dented and torn front fenders, and the rear fenders are half missing.

My questions are: do later doors interchange? Where would one get rear body parts (rear panel and door frame) to make this correct? I believe the roof can be massaged back into shape. Also, are the rear fenders the same as other body styles, or is this another terribly hard to find item?

Also, what's a ballpark range of value for something like this? I think the owner is asking a little much, but I haven't been able to find anything similar for reference to know what "fair" market value for something like this is.

Thanks!

[keiser31]

Hard to put a price on it without photos.

[RSayak]

I'll see if I can post some photos this evening.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

Any of these Dodge vans are worth restoring as they are very rare and very desirable.

[RSayak]

Thanks! That is what I am thinking. I would like to purchase it to save it rather than it being cut up for parts or otherwise. The lack of rear doors is the big concern for me.

[RSayak]

Here's a few shots of it (apologies for the low-resolution phone pictures):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]147224[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]147225[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]147226[/ATTACH]

As you can see, the top looks squashed/cut off, but that's because it's cut and folded in. I don't have better shots of the damage though.

Edited July 25, 2012 by RSayak (see edit history)

[keiser31]

I would beg, borrow or steal to get that truck! What a GREAT vehicle. Hard to tell without better photos, but I would say I would pay about $6,000.00 plus or minus depending on how much of the original stuff is there. I am a little on the crazy side about a truck like that, so you may not be able to use my appraisal as a reality. How far off am I from the guy's idea of what he thinks it's worth?

[RSayak]

The asking price is 2/3 of you're estimate, which I though was a bit high considering the missing rear body parts. The dash is complete minus a couple of knobs, it's missing all the glass, there are no seats, there is no cargo floor left, there are no rear wheels, the powertrain appears to be all there, the cab roof looks like someone welded a steel insert where cloth might have been, and as described above, the rear body is cut and bent and the rear doors and hinge posts are missing, along with the roof section that would be above the doors.

[keiser31]

Sounds like the guy is asking about what it may be worth to quite a few then.

[RSayak]

I'll have to look at it again and see. I wish I had a dodge truck parts book spanning multiple years to see what rear doors are the same.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

I would buy it as you'll have the only one at the show. Just the fact it has the right headlights and the lenses are correct is a bonus. It does indeed appear to be a 1933 from the front bumper shape. That's an original 1933 front bumper. The rear loading floor was wood and will be no problem in the long run. The dash is the same as the 1933 Dodge DP car. So anything you need there can be found on car sites. The wheels are wire in 1933 and are off Dodge or Plymouth cars so no problem there. If it's a 'standard' wheelbase of 112" then the running boards and splash aprons are also common to the Dodge car. The hubcaps are also the same as the 1933 Dodge car wire wheels. The engine/drivetrain is the 189.3 ci flathead 6 setup from the 1933 Dodge DP and the 1933 Plymouth PC and PD. So no problem there. The front fenders appear very repirable but are off the car also so no problem there either. You can see why Dodge called them 'Commercial Cars'. The rear fenders are unique to the trucks. It would appear the biggest headache will be the cut in the rear and finding rear doors. It is quite worth the making of new rear doors. I made new ones for mine BUT mine were 'composite' that is wood covered in steel sheeting. I believe the humpback rear doors are steel stampings. I have been restoring my 1935 KCL van for more years than I care to remember but I won't quit because WHERE do you find ANOTHER! When I finish it it will be 'the only one on the block' and I expect it will take trophy after trophy. I know that's not why I took on the restoration in the 1st place but it has occurred to me over the years that these vans and pickups are very rare and do take all the silverware home. I have a 1933 Plymouth car that just took another best of show last month because it is the only one that shows up. They are very rare and very desirable. You can't go wrong and it's a good investment in any case. Buy it.

Edited July 25, 2012 by DodgeKCL (see edit history)

[RSayak]

Thanks guys, I guess the "cost" of getting into one of these '33-'34 models is getting up there! but like you said, this is a good opportunity on a decent starting point, and I have been wishing to find a 1933 pickup, but this is a bit neater yet. I appreciate your opinions on this thing. We'll see how things go.

Do any of you have photos of what the back end/doors and inside top of the cargo area is supposed to look like? I am up for a challenge, and making new parts is doable, as long as patterns are around to copy.

[Guest DodgeKCL]

Go on Google and put in '1933 Dodge panel van' or any variation of that and then hit 'enter'. You will get several pages of hits for your truck. But up in the upper left corner of Google you'll see 'Images'. If you left click on that you will get every photo relating to what you have in the Google search line in the world. If you don't like what you got, vary the wording in the Google search line. Your truck is a Model HC (H for '33 and C for Commercial) so put that in and a give it a try. Each photo will tell you where the photo came from. If you want a bigger photo or suspect there are more photos of interest to you go to the site where the photo came from.

[mikewest]

HOW MUCH IS THE ASKING PRICE??

[RSayak]

$4K is asking.

After spending all evening looking at photos, 1933-'35 have one kind of rear doors (square corners, 3 hinges), 1936-'38 have another style, which looks similar (if not same) to 1939-'47 (rounded corners, 2 hinges).

[mikewest]

RSayak Can you send me your ph # on a my email >? mwest729@aol.com Thank you Mike

[countrytravler]

Did you buy the truck? If you did, I might beable to help on info and parts. Thanks Dave

[Scott Bonesteel]

Thought I would jump in here because I have a 34 KCL humpback. As you see, the 33-early 35 rear doors do not interchange with the later models. The doors are all steel, without any wood framing. Note also that they are all on the long wheelbase frame, 119", so they do not interchange with even the pickups, unless it is one of the fairly rare long wheelbase pickups. Accordingly, the running boards don't interchange with the coupes or sedans. Welcome to the fun.

[countrytravler]

The 1st 3 pictures is a 1934 KCL Dodge Humpback. The last 3 is a 1934 3/4 ton Dodge Humpback. How is your project doing?

[wimp]

i have a 1933 dodge humpback rear section from the cab back fenders and good working rear doors with glass and all door latches the body is mounted on the frame it was cutoff just behind the cab can send pictures if your ? leon glavin ( wimp@ca.rr.com )