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1940 Dodge VC 3
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December 2003, still needs tuning.
"May the Seventh" as of May 2000, still needed a lot of work.
On the other hand she had made a few steps forward since she was delivered six months earlier in 1999.
This is a 1940 VC 3 half ton hard cab pickup, one of a total of 816 made. More precisely one of the 637 made in the first production batch. Chassis number 8641993, date of delivery 7th May 1940 (hence the name) or only eight months after the TD 20 pickup was made at the same plant.
I always wanted a VC truck, and since I couldn't get a VC 6 Carryall (not yet anyway) I settled for a hard cab pickup which is quite rare enough. I got a package deal from Jaap Rietveld in Ghent, who had bought it in turn from Steve Greenberg in Oregon. So if anyone lives next door to Rick's Auto Salvage in Portland, drop in and tell them where their yard wrecker ended up.
The package included an orignal VC 3 chassis cab, correct body, spare cab, and a VC 1 Command Car chassis for spares. No known history, but the rear axle has a rebuild plate dated June 22nd 1943 from the Mt Rainier Ordnance Depot, and the chassis has been upgraded by fitting rear spring limiter eyes, butt welding round all the spring shackle mounts, and fitting 1/2" thick plates to the front chassis leg tops where the brushguard bars mount, so it is quite possibly a depot level rebuild after a hard life on the Alcan or Canol projects.
Mt Rainier is also presumed to be the source of the rebuilt VC's supplied as war aid to Australia during this period of WW 2 so maybe I was lucky this one didn't join them.
It looks to have been a yard wrecker in later life, as it had a front winch mount and PTO. When bought the PTO output was loose, and had turned 90o hard up against the chassis, giving the initial impression that the engine was locked - wrongly, as it turned out. If you haven't struggled with a VC Dodge you haven't lived, from the scarcity of spares (thanks to Steve Greenberg again for some bits from his collection) to the stupid transmission that wont let you select first or reverse unless you are in four wheel drive - had to figure that one out the hard way before I got the manual.
No census number known, but it should be in the range W-22134 to W-24111. Even managed to get an original manual fron e-bay for more dollars than I'd care to confess. (November 2000, I picked W-23234 out of the 'right' batch to mark this truck up in)
September 2000
I wasn't able to make much more progress with the truck whilst stored at a friends farm. However in late August I sold Dusty DUKW to clear some floorspace for the VC 3 and TD 20, and we dragged it over to the garage in bits looking quite sad.
I had to rework three of the wings (fenders) and I didn't want to take the cab and doors off either, but apart from that most of the detachable bits just got blasted, primed and painted. I did a lot of re-finishing on the cab and fenders which probably doesn't show, but I think it now looks more like a truck that had been in service for a couple of years than a pile of (interesting) junk.
I made up a temporary hood frame with 3/4 ton Weapons Carrier corners (till I get the proper steam bent bows) and sent the seats out to get them re-covered. John Worthing is making up a set of hood canvas for me. I used the fact that the TD 20 is still in the US as a location to buy a lot of bits from dealers, individuals, and e-bay, which I am getting delivered to Reno to come across with the TD. These bits included new headlights and taillights, a new tailgate (never get the exisiting one respectable) original radiator top shell mascot and a salvageable VC fuel tank (got two already but both junk)
I'm still going to have to do a bit of re-aligning of the parts. Although all the sheetmetal fits I think I'll have to tweak the front LH chassis corner up 3/4" or so as the bumper has a run down on that side, and the LH bed side panel has been bent and straightened too which is making it look slightly off square, but it's getting there.
The cab has been stripped and the interior re-fitted again, with new window channels, all new door internals and locks, refitted firewall insulator with all the excess heater holes welded up - that sort of thing.
The cab is functionally complete and awaiting only a temperature guage and the lighting switches.
Even replacing the passengers door lock was a two day job, as I had to gut another door to get the lock retaining cylinder and then chop into the side of the door on the truck to fit it, then re-finish the door again cause the welding had ruined the paint (sigh)
November 2000 update
Work goes on.
