Follow the restoration of a 1940s Dodge lorry, originally built for WW2 and later used by Dennis Poore - at Old Classic Car

Follow the restoration of a 1940s Dodge lorry, originally built for WW2 and later used by Dennis Poore

Oldclassiccar - visit the classic cars homepage (C) R. Jones 2008

Restoring a 1940 Dodge VK racing car transporter in 2007

Vital Statistics

Dodge VK62B 3 ton 4x2

Chrysler Corp., Dodge Division, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Engine size: 331cu in (5.4l)

91bhp (100 gross) at 2800rpm

Compression 5.2:1

5 speed gearbox

Semi-elliptic leaf springs

Hydraulic brakes, servo

10 stud Budd wheels

Auto-Lite electrics, 6v

42mph maximum (governed)

Turning circle 68ft

This corner of oldclassiccar is going to document the rebuild of an old racing car transporter, a vehicle that began life at the Dodge plant in Detroit, USA, back in 1940. It was shipped over to Europe late in 1940, and spent its early years being used to carry bomber crews around a wartime base, 'somewhere in England', until being sold off to civvy street where it was purchased and began a new life hauling Dennis Poore's pre-war Alfa Romeo to sprints and hillclimbs.

In 1955, Poore's racing career ended, and the transporter, along with the car it once carried and the trailer it once towed, were stashed away, not to see light of day again for several decades. The car went on to be completely stripped and rebuilt, but the Dodge did not. The photograph above, showing the Dodge with the Alfa, is a re-coloured version of a black and white picture, dating to the early 1950s.

The Dodge & trailer, 50 years on

Plan for resurrecting this racing car transporter

In 2007 I decided to enlist the services of a restoration firm in Cheshire, the idea being to get the restoration moving along at a quicker pace than hitherto had been the case.

I don't really have the room at home to pull the old truck apart, and not much free time either, so the plan was hatched to get a local company on board, to do a sympathetic restoration of the old girl. It was moved on a low-loader to the workshop in April 2007, for work to begin.

As mentioned, the car went on to a new life in the USA, where it was stripped completely, refurbished, repainted, and put back on the track, to a specification similar to that it had when new in the mid 1930s. My plan with the Dodge is to re-use as much as is practicable of the original vehicle, to try and keep it as original as possible, and also (handily) keep the costs in check, without compromising the finished article in any way. If you have any information on these LHD US-built 3 ton Dodges (as opposed to the RHD Canadian D60 3 ton model), please get in touch, as I'm short of some spare parts.

This area of the website will tell the Dodge's earlier history, that of the team and the driver who owned it, the various racing cars it once carried, and follow the rebuild as it takes place, some 52+ years since it last drove on the road. If you can help with my search for items (pictures, parts etc) relating to this Dodge, the Alfa 8C-35, or Dennis Poore, please drop me a line.

	Dodge Information Shortly to be added, history on the VK range of lorries, and the story of how this particular truck made it into the 21st Century... History of this Dodge truck 1940-2007 Team sponsor logos & signwriting New photos unearthed showing the Dodge in 1994 Links to other older transporters
	Alfa Romeo Information More information on the cars that the Dodge once carried, primarily of course the Dennis Poore Alfa 8C-35, of which more below... The Dennis Poore Alfa Romeo 8C-35

Restoration Diary 2007/2008.

The plan is to serialise the rebuild of this old lorry, as it happens. New instalments will be added below as and when:
1) things progress 2) I have a spare hour or two to get the photos sorted out. Some tasks will take place in parallel with each other, so some overlap as the 'bus rebuild takes place may occur! Early on, things moved very quickly, with the old truck soon dismantled and in a position where components could be restored, a piece at a time. Initially we'd thought that perhaps 12 months would see the project completed, but it will probably take twice that at least.

April 2007	Read more	Transporting the Dodge to the workshops
May	Read more	Lifting the engine and gearbox from the lorry
	Read more	Dismantling the rear bodywork, and removing both axles
	Read more	Assessing the condition of the Dodge's bodywork after being removed
June	Read more	Stripping the Chrysler 6 cylinder engine to assess work required
	Read more	Repairing the cracked cast iron cylinder head using metal stitching
	Read more	Sanding down and de-greasing the Dodge chassis
July	Read more	Dismantling and cleaning the front and rear axles
	Read more	Stripping the paint from the truck's cab areas
August	Read more	Re-furbishing the rear coach body frame begins
	Read more	Fixing the cracks found in the iron engine block
September	Read more	Trial fitting the front end panels and other bodywork issues
	Read more	Mention of other work done this month
October/November	Read more	Further bodywork, first coat of primer to cab, and chassis painted black
December	Read more	Front and rear axles re-fitted to the chassis, plus further body prep and primer
Jan/Feb 2008	Read more	Newly made ash frame sections arrive, brakes are re-fitted, the clutch plate and transmission brake are re-lined.
March	Read more	HMG Paints Ltd help out with the analysis of the Dodge's original paint colour & type.

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Disclaimer

(This section replaces content originally found on these two other pages on oldclassiccar - 1 2.) Klassische Renntransporter

Restoring a 1940 Dodge VK racing car transporter in 2007

Plan for resurrecting this racing car transporter

Dodge Information

Alfa Romeo Information