1934 kc Dodge Brothers pickup

[rozalind lund]

Were all 1934 kc dodge trucks manufactured with suicide doors? And my cab has the roof welded shut with metal. Was the cab opening canvas? It was last driven in 1962. Survivor. No rust, original engine tranny. The grill is chrome. Was that standard or option?

[30DodgePanel]

13 minutes ago, rozalind lund said:

Were all 1934 kc dodge trucks manufactured with suicide doors? And my cab has the roof welded shut with metal. Was the cab opening canvas? It was last driven in 1962. Survivor. No rust, original engine tranny. The grill is chrome. Was that standard or option?

Probably be best if you scroll down to the Dodge Brothers section and post this under cars or trucks in order to get your best response. I don't know post 32 trucks but there are a few good guys on those sections of these forums who know them very well. 

 

Welcome to the forum and good luck

[Scott Bonesteel]

All of the 34 KC express (pickup) were suicide doors.  That is also true of the 'first series' 35 trucks, with a change to standard doors happening in about April 35.  Yours has the 33-34 dash so it is clearly a 34, they went to the 3 round gauges in late 34.  Top should be the typical wood framed/chicken wire/padding/rubberized top material, but it is typical to find these tops filled with sheet metal by owners who didn't want to take the effort to replace the original type tops once they started to leak.  The way the tops were originally installed, the top material wrapped around the wooden frame and metal edging which overlapped the recess in the body top and then was tucked into the opening for the wood frame.  The entire assembly was then pulled down/sealed from the inside with screws through the wood frame.  This means that the headliner had to be removed to perform this operation, probably another reason they were 'fixed' with sheet metal.  There is no edge rubber around the top that can be removed to replace the topping.  I have a 34 Dodge DRXX coupe that suffered the same fate.  Take a look at the website for 'House of Tops' in the Portland, Oregon area, they make an original type insert for your truck. (Picture attached is a coupe insert taken from their website.)  Have fun, these are great trucks.

[Scott Bonesteel]

P.S. Chrome shell was an option.  

[rozalind lund]

Thank you very much. Answers all my questions. Curious why the open top? Was it a source of air. The heater box remains. I have the Mopar chart serial number guide. My serial number was manufactured from Jan 1934 to February 1935. I did the math and it looks like 25,625 were built. It's rare and I'm taking a guess not many survivors left. Ever did any research? Also, looking at pictures what do you think it's worth? 

Edited September 5, 2022 by rozalind lund
Added question (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

Someone will correct if I am wrong and I very well may be, but the top was not open originally. It was put together as described above. I think that the large area of sheet metal work required for tops in that period was suspect at best. Most of the cars had these fabric type tops.

 

Oh, and by the way, Great Looking Truck!

Edited September 6, 2022 by TAKerry (see edit history)

[rozalind lund]

Did a little more research and apparently the fabrication of steel at that time couldn't stretch without cracking. So it seems it was a filler. It had wood rims so I'm guessing the technology for making steel rims was the same. And a slow conversion from turning a coach into an automobile. Wood to metal. I'm learning and welcome any information. Thank you 

[1939_Buick]

3 hours ago, rozalind lund said:

Were all 1934 kc dodge trucks manufactured with suicide doors? And my cab has the roof welded shut with metal. Was the cab opening canvas? It was last driven in 1962. Survivor. No rust, original engine tranny. The grill is chrome. Was that standard or option?

Many to most cars of that era has fabric inserts. Not an opening canvas top. 

Depending on the brand full metal tops were not until mid 1930's. For GM was 1937

And many cars of this era  had metal replacing the fabric in later years

 

Very nice truck, but a lot of work to get back on the road.

 

Image from a web search

 

https://www.conceptcarz.com/z19181/dodge-series-kc.aspx

 

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[rozalind lund]

Thank you. Now I'm trying to figure out what is worth. It's solid no rust. But yes lots of work. So on the fence with that.

[F&J]

27 minutes ago, rozalind lund said:

Thank you. Now I'm trying to figure out what is worth. It's solid no rust. But yes lots of work. So on the fence with that.

 

1 hour ago, rozalind lund said:

. It's rare and I'm taking a guess not many survivors left. Ever did any research? Also, looking at pictures what do you think it's worth? 

Not super rare by any means, but 33/34 Dodge pickups had always been desirable to restorers and especially rodders.  Pricing is impossible right now, a major project type vehicle was always bought by person with not enough money for a much nicer one, or one that is finished. 

 

So, with the insane inflation on anything needed to just live, those people won't have any spare money for frivolous purchases, especially this time of year.  

[DFeeney]

The American auto industry in general went to metal roofs in 1937.

[1939_Buick]

1 hour ago, rozalind lund said:

Thank you. Now I'm trying to figure out what is worth. It's solid no rust. But yes lots of work. So on the fence with that.

Less than you think.  But more than the first offer.

Do you have the lights? Seats?  Are wheels original or from some other random car?

Location?

Title?

Edited September 6, 2022 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

2 hours ago, rozalind lund said:

It had wood rims so I'm guessing the technology for making steel rims was the same.

 

"Rims" were steel, almost always! "Wheels" had been wooden spokes from very early onward. Wooden spoke wheels were on their way out about 1930, however, continued to be an option on many cars and some small trucks into the mid 1930s. Wooden spoke wheels are not a bad thing! They were NEVER because the people or engineers did not know better. And the technology for both steel wire and steel disc wheels also goes back to the beginning of the automobile!

In the United States, the choice for wooden spoke wheels was a practical one. While much of the British Empire and Europe were using costly steel wire and steel disc wheels before 1910, the United States chose wooden spokes. This was largely due to Europe not having good supplies of appropriate wood for wheel spokes. Whereas the United States had millions of acres of old growth hickory forests! Hickory is one of the best woods in the world for wheel spokes! Oak is very hard, in fact so much so that it becomes brittle under the kind of stress an automobile puts on its wheels! Most other woods are too soft, or too weak. A few other hardwoods also have various issues that make them a poor choice for automobile wheels. Hickory has the right balance of resiliency, and strength, couple with the fact that it is good to work with.

Wooden spoke wheels continued to  be used in this country because they were good, and relatively cost effective. Eventually, manufacturing capabilities did make all steel wheels more economical, and the wooden spoke wheels began dropping to the wayside. Even when steel wire and stamped steel disc wheels became cheaper, many people preferred wooden spoke wheels, hence they continued to be offered as an option for those that wanted them.

 

Wooden spoke wheels were also used on racing cars! Under the grueling abusive conditions of dirt tracks and high speeds, wooden spoke wheels rarely broke!

 

Neat truck! But I cannot help with what it is worth.

[rozalind lund]

Thank you for the education. Very interesting. Learning a lot about earlier vehicles. Fascinating since we have a shop coming across wrecking yards in country finding cars. Like this truck

[rozalind lund]

Located in Montana. No title, wheels/rims not original so we could move it. Seats and floor board removed. Last guy has the lights in storage and missing rear fenders. Didn't catch the first offer 1939 Buick. Grandpa's farm truck to grandson, to his boyhood friend, to the other boyhood friend of the 3. Us. Last driven 1962.

Edited September 6, 2022 by rozalind lund
More information (see edit history)

[rozalind lund]

22 hours ago, 1939_Buick said:

Less than you think.  But more than the first offer.

Do you have the lights? Seats?  Are wheels original or from some other random car?

Location?

Title?

No title. Last person has 1 headlight. The bed is in good shape. No seats or floorboard. Missing rear fenders. Survivor. Tires from another car to move. Location Montana. Grandpa's truck to grandson, to another childhood friend, to another childhood friend. Us. Last driven 1962. Original engine/tranny. No rust.

[wayne sheldon]

Just a minor criticism, a matter of semantics.

You should not use the phrase "no rust", as a significant portion of the vehicle is covered with rust. A qualifier, such as no "major" rust, or no rust "through", even no "significant" rust.

You are correct that compared to how rust can be, it is in very good condition with solid metal.

This trucks condition should in no way be played down. It should be described accurately, as for the most part you have already done. It is nice enough that if someone can find the appropriate headlamp and fenders? It could be freshened up a bit, and mechanically sorted out and then preserved as a true survivor!

I am past the point of getting any additional projects (I already have four I need to finish!). But this is something that a few years ago, I could have easily fallen in love with!

 

I don't wish to criticize. However, we see a lot of real rust-buckets claimed as having "no rust", when clearly that is not the case. It sometimes gets so bad that I have seen cars so badly rusted that one could punch a hole in the body side with a bare fist that were claimed to "have no rust". When the actual condition is pointed out, sellers try to claim that "rust" only means "rusted clear through".  And even at that, in their photos areas can be seen that ARE rusted clear through. This truck is too nice to get lumped in with those real rust-buckets. 

[Angelfish]

Montana is relatively easy to replace a lost title, might be worth the effort.  First step is to go to the DMV website and print the lost title application, then a police officer has to come by and fill out a few things, then you can apply for the title.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

22 hours ago, rozalind lund said:

Thank you for the education. Very interesting. Learning a lot about earlier vehicles. Fascinating since we have a shop coming across wrecking yards in country finding cars. Like this truck

I guess its none of my business as more of a curiosity, I dont understand this statement. Are you saying you are a shop that goes around looking for barn find cars to re-sell?

[rozalind lund]

Nope. We are a small autobody shop that does basic repairs no insurance work. However, we do have 2 that we are restoring the body and put in an engine. Rest is done by customer. We just happened to come about this truck as payment. But we do come across barn finds.

[rozalind lund]

Great information saving tons of research 

[24Chry48]

The story on the roof insert is that none of the automakers had machines to stamp out large enough pieces of sheet metal to do car roofs until 1936. That is the first year you will find solid metal roofs. The grill shell and headlight buckets should be painted, not chromed. The value is all over the place, but with all the missing pieces and repair to be done to the grill shell and louvers, and then final finishing everything, the cost of restoration will outweigh the value of the truck. A very nice finished truck will bring upwards of 25-30 thousand, which is double what they brought a few years ago. There are very few original trucks left, as the street-rodders like the suicide doors and the general good lines of the body. This one has a lot of potential if you are patient and do it over enough time so the cost doesn't swallow you up all at once. Good luck.

Greg

[countrytravler]

On 9/11/2022 at 10:30 PM, 24Chry48 said:

The story on the roof insert is that none of the automakers had machines to stamp out large enough pieces of sheet metal to do car roofs until 1936. That is the first year you will find solid metal roofs. The grill shell and headlight buckets should be painted, not chromed. The value is all over the place, but with all the missing pieces and repair to be done to the grill shell and louvers, and then final finishing everything, the cost of restoration will outweigh the value of the truck. A very nice finished truck will bring upwards of 25-30 thousand, which is double what they brought a few years ago. There are very few original trucks left, as the street-rodders like the suicide doors and the general good lines of the body. This one has a lot of potential if you are patient and do it over enough time so the cost doesn't swallow you up all at once. Good luck.

Greg

Chrome was an option for the, grill shell, headlights, bumpers, and windshield were an option starting in 33.

 Solid roof started with the 2nd series 35 truck. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by countrytravler (see edit history)