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Restoring a 1940 Dodge VK racing car transporter.
In 1955, Poore's racing career ended, and the vintage 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. |
Plan for resurrecting this racing car transporterIn 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. Relations with the restoration company had their highs and lows, and came to an end early in 2011 prior to the completion of the project, as the installment for Mar/April 2011 alludes to. 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. |
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Dodge InformationShortly 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 Researching the Dodge's history, 1995-to date Team sponsor logos & signwriting New photos unearthed showing the Dodge in 1994 Links to other older transporters NEW Footage of the truck running in 2000 (Youtube) |
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Alfa Romeo InformationMore 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 |
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| Restoration Diary 2007 - 2010. |
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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. |
| June | Read more | Hubs and wheels are re-fitted, then everything is moved to VHC's new workshop. |
| July | Read more | R & E Arnett Ltd work on the engine, crank re-grind, & re-metalling the bearings etc. |
| August | Read more | Work commences on fitting the new ash frame sections to the coachwork. |
| Sep/Oct | Read more | Throughout September and October, work on the rear re-panelling commences. |
| Nov/Dec | Read more | November & December see the roof being installed, along with various trim pieces. |
| Jan 2009 | Read more | January sees further engine re-assembly, and assessment of the doors. |
| Feb/Mar 2009 | Read more | Fuel tanks are restored, engine & box are re-united, and rear door work continues. |
| Apr/May 2009 | Read more | The engine, gearbox and some ancillaries are re-fitted, Dunlop tyres are sourced, and paint begins to be applied to the restored coachwork. |
| June 2009 | Read more | The dashboard and gauges are re-furbished, as are various other ancillaries and external lamps, prior to fitment. |
| July 2009 | Read more | The wheels are repainted and tyres fitted, fresh oil and batteries are sourced, and other parts restored as necessary. |
| Aug/Sept 2009 | Read more | Reclaimed Keruing timber is sourced and machined, prior to fitment in the back, and the window frames are installed. |
| Oct/Nov/Dec 2009 | Read more | Pace of progress slows for a few months, yet new fuel/brake lines are fitted, and the troublesome prop is re-furbished. |
| Jan/Feb 2010 | Read more | The rear body is lined in ply, and new inner frame surrounds for the windows are sourced. |
| Mar 2010 | Read more | Etch primer and undercoat are applied to the main bodywork. |
| Apr/May 2010 | Read more | Flatting of paintwork prior to the next application of undercoat. |
| June/July 2010 | Read more | Second coat of undercoat, first coat of topcoat, and under-bonnet re-assembly work. |
| Aug/Sept 2010 | Read more | More coats of paint inside & out, sourcing of seats and other work. |
| Oct/Nov/Dec 2010 | Read more | Final exterior topcoats are applied prior to the signwriter's planned arrival in January 2011. Lots of odds and ends also re-furbished. |
| Jan 2011 (Part 1) | Read more | Time for the signwriter to re-create all the original signwriting on this classic lorry. |
| Jan 2011 (Part 2) | Read more | Progress on finishing the paintwork and re-fitting parts to the lorry continues at pace. |
| Feb 2011 (Part 1) | Read more | All the front end panels and lights are re-fitted during early/mid February. |
| Feb 2011 (Part 2) | Read more | The (nearly) completed truck makes a show appearance at Race Retro 2011. |
| Mar/Apr 2011 | Read more | The deal with VHC Engineering ends and the truck returns home. |
| May/June/July '11 | Read more | Further progress and two local show appearances for the old truck. |
| Aug '11 - Jan '12 | Read more | Further testing to try and eliminate a few underbonnet gremlins. |
| Feb '12 - May '12 | Read more | More new parts made, and a return trip to Donington after 17 years. |
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| (This section replaces content originally found on these two other pages on oldclassiccar - 1 2.) Klassische Renntransporter |
