1948 Dodge B series ‘Pilot-house’
With two classic American pick-up trucks featured here, plus two more bought since, we’d say Kevin Marston has got the pick-up bug bad!
With a string of English classic cars owned since he was old enough to drive, 28-year-old Kevin Marston from Bewdley in Worcestershire is no stranger to vintage machinery. It’s a trait he attributes to his grandfather, who was always involved with classics, mainly regular British stuff of one sort or another. In 2015, however, and at the tender age of 23, Kevin decided he needed to up his game and get some American iron into his life. He’d seen American pick-ups at various shows he attended, and just to prove that advertising in Classic American works, he saw this 1948 Dodge for sale, courtesy of Kingdom Kustoms in Scotland (www.kingdomkustoms.co.uk or call 01592 873003).
Kevin liked it as it was a bit different, and he’d not seen the model before, so bought it before it even landed at the docks and had it delivered to his home once it finally arrived in the UK. Kev’s truck is a Dodge B series, more specifically a Dodge B1-B half-ton pick-up, although this model is often referred to as a ‘Pilot-house’, which was Dodge’s name for the new cab design introduced in 1948 which featured greater visibility, thanks to a higher roofline and a larger glass area.
This was Dodge’s first major redesign since 1939, and also featured better weight distribution and an improved turning circle. The cabs were now wide enough for three people, while also being rubber-mounted for an improved ride. The bed sides were also higher, allowing for a 40% increase in usable capacity. This design continued in production until 1953, with the predictable grille updates year on year. The standard engine was a 218cu in six-cylinder L-head, with a three-speed manual transmission; the floor shift being replaced by a column shift in 1950.
Buying a truck from a UK-based dealer often means that you don’t get to learn too much about the vehicle’s previous life, but Kevin does know that his Dodge was found on an airforce base in Georgia of all places, before being imported by Kingdom Kustoms. It’s not obvious to look at, but Kevin has made plenty of modifications since buying the truck in 2015 to make it practical to use in the UK, and use it he does, often on a daily basis.
The most significant update/modification is surely the power plant, which is now a distinctly un-American 3.9-litre Perkins turbo-diesel four cylinder, (though Perkins is now owned by Caterpillar, so I guess it counts these days!). The unit is rated at 80 horsepower and was in production from ’64 right through to 1989 and, incidentally, previously saw service in a Seventies Ford F100 truck. The motor remains stock, though Kev modified the inlet manifold in order to side-mount the turbo for clearance purposes. A five-speed Spicer manual gearbox came with the engine, keeping the floor-mounted shifter where Dodge intended for 1948. A Budweiser beer tap dresses up the shifter and was an antique store find in Florida.
We’re fully aware that the readership might have differing opinions on diesel conversions on classic American trucks, but if it means they get seen around and used more often on British roads, rather than just for Sunday shows, we’re all for that, and although rare in the UK, there is a following for the Dodge B series in the US, though obviously not as wide as for Ford and GM trucks. However, Kev was able to research some interesting and practical upgrades for the running gear to match his practical engine choice. The frame remains the original, but the low-geared Dodge rear axle has been swapped for the unit from a Nineties Jeep Cherokee which is the same width.
Apparently, among those in the know, it is a common upgrade for this model as it fits straight on to the stock parallel leaf springs and can also utilise the stock rear shocks. The same model Jeep can also be a donor to supply a power rack to convert the truck to power-assisted steering, even while retaining the standard I-beam front axle and brakes, as Kevin’s does. The stock steering column was retained, but modified to mate up with the Jeep rack – clever stuff!
Cosmetically, Kevin has left the bodywork factory-stock; the faded mustard colour being a stock Dodge colour from the factory and making a welcome change from the greens, browns and greys normally seen on trucks of this era. A new wood floor for the bed has been made up out of old scaffold boards, and while Kev had his carpentry set out, those nifty ‘greedy boards’ were made up and fitted to the bed sides. A Fulton universal-fit sun visor was imported from the US and adds character to the Dodge. Kevin’s certainly got a unique and eye-catching classic truck in the Dodge, and especially with the carefully chosen upgrades, a truck he can jump in and use whenever he wants, and have fun doing it too.