The WC53 Carryall thread .

[Desoto61]

No matter how many times I see their trucks the biggest problem I have with them is how they do the winch on the front. I fully understand swapping to an electric winch considering the type of conversions they do, but just sticking it on top of the bumper like that never looks as cool as the original method with the bumper extensions.

If I decided to go that route I'd probably just build a shelf between the bumper extensions and mount it down there. It would make some things easier on my build, but then I haven't gone for easier yet. Though if I can't find that input gear for the PTO I might not have much choice.

But hey, it's not my house payment, so as long as the owner likes it.

[DavidGB]

Legacy Carryall

Very shiny and some nice touches with the interior. Since I doubt this Carryall is destined to do much heavy work I don't see anything wrong with using gas vs diesel. Still there is a little of the wild animal tamed feel, and I for one am still drawn the most to one with a bit of a five o'clock shadow to it.
DavidGB

[Alxj64]

I'm right there with both of you guys posting above. I have much respect for the time, engineering, and fabrication skills involved in putting that truck together but I feel they went a touch too far with the cosmetics of it. And yea, the winch... stuff that thing down in a hole somewhere, or make a hole to stuff it in. I am pretty much ditching the idea of even running a winch on mine. I have a Mile Marker 10k hydro unit slated for the Carryall but I honestly don't want to cut up the front bumper for it, nor sacrifice radiator, intercooler, oil cooler, A/C condenser, Power Steering cooler and trans cooler space for it... (sheesh thats a lot of hoses)... and thats coming from a guy who cut the entire firewall and stock front suspension out of his truck.

Also the interior may be a bit too plush? I do like the way the seats are done and am pretty certain thats how I am going to do mine. Bent Metal tubular frames, but then modern-style covered cushions. A lot of good ideas in that truck and I am glad to see some things I had considered in my mind played out in real life...

But still, don't get me wrong. Amazing vehicle with a lot of time and creativity. I wonder if the Legacy guys check out this thread ever at all.. I'm certain they have to drop in as this is one of the first things that shows up when you Google search "Dodge WC53, Dodge Carryall, or anything of the sorts.

[Bruce in BC]

Winch tricks

a receiver hitch in the front bumper .
a receiver hitch in the rear bumper .
a short running board on the drivers side .
a receiver on the drivers side
and filling the gap left by the short running board ?
is the winch .
The best part is having the winch there would confuse about 85% of the folks who saw it there . The comments and entertainment would just be the icing on the cake .
Imagine that interior with old black and green used leather from couches .

Bruce

put in a full day on the skid plate , pictures later .

[Bruce in BC]

Torque box , skid plate , trannie mount , transfercase mount

The skid plate serves a couple of purpose besides acting as a cross member for the transmission . My original intent was to leave a hole in the skid plate under the transfer case . That way I could access parts and drain fluids with ease . A one inch lip or flange was going to get welded around the hole to stiffen up the skid plate . In retrospect I think that would have been the better option but when I started this yesterday I wanted the case to be protected .
Considering the case in my trash truck has survived 20 years of me wheeling and that it is unprotected and hangs down lower than the one in my Carryall I am pretty sure I should have gone with option one .
What I have looks a bit like the shell of a turtle gobbed on to some plate . There are four holes to drill , one more plate to cut and about twenty feet of welding to complete . A little dressing with the grinder and I will call it done .

The two offset holes in the tubing are for the transmission mount nuts . Recessed and out of the way . A lot of 1/4 inch plate and zip discs in this skid plate . The front is the part with the recessed holes .

To my eye it does not look as clean as I would like . My opinion may change once the welding and grinding are done . Either that or wait until it is under the truck and I forget that it is there ....

[Bruce in BC]

Amazing what a little sanding will reveal

The longer I own this vehicle the more rare details magically a peer . I have yet to find the Dodge skunk works label , or any Dist 51 data but the experimental badge has shown up again .

[Bruce in BC]

Hitting the road....not in the Carryall .

No posts from me for about 30 days . Hopefully someone out there can toss in a few updates .
I finished the transfer case support . Some welding to do on the rear axle and the frame is done ..then I get to bolt on some more stuff and pull the body out of the shop to finish the floor .

take care

Bruce


edit ; check out the license plate location on this carryall . Bet you there would be a dent in the body if the truck snagged a branch .
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dodge...#ht_720wt_1167

[Gordon Maney]

Have fun!

[Bruce in BC]

I am at Tulloch in Scotland

Driving on the left side of the road is interesting to say the least and man are the roads narrow . The concept of having a shoulder on the side of the road seems to be quite new or non existent here . Very beautiful and I love the round abouts , it is possible to drive for long distance and not hit a stop light - very brilliant design .
So does any one know where Gordon in Scotland lives ? Does he still visit this thread . For all I know I drove by him today .

take care
Bruce

edit - found it . i think i drove by him , will look at the maps later . Also found his email ...it just popped right up when I googled Gordon WC and Scotland or sumthing close to that ...

[TonyKeffaber]

Flat fender, flat floor

A little more progress, got the roof welded in, and the floor in. Many thanks to my neighbor Mark, no way I could have moved a 5x10 sheet of metal on my own, good thing it fit the first time, I don't think we could have gotten it out again if it had not
Everything was treated with a coat of phos acid, then I used POR 15 to treat the inside of the body, and then added a layer of Monstaliner after the paint cured. Probably a bit overkill but I wanted to make sure everything was well protected, and figured the bedliner would really seal up the body, especially where I welded.

Now I need to start working on the rear doors.....they were definitely the worst part of the truck, and figured I better save them for last and hopefully learn some things before I started on them.

[Alxj64]

^ Looks great! You've certainly been busy! Keep it up guys! Ya'll are my motivation to go work on mine!

[HRT5SLCFD]

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fYqITR6NKg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Here's a video of some of my work on my Carryalls. No need for boxes on a panel truck, but very, very cool panel truck. My mind starts turning (3/4 ton panel) I have to finish these first.

James

[dieseldude4bt]

roof insert

Tony can you give a little more details on your roof install? I need to do one soon, any thing you would do different? Also what gauge steel did you use for the floor?
Looks great !!

[Alxj64]

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fYqITR6NKg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Here's a video of some of my work on my Carryalls. No need for boxes on a panel truck, but very, very cool panel truck. My mind starts turning (3/4 ton panel) I have to finish these first.

James

I've watched that video like 3 times now, and I also had my wife watch it. I may not be one of your first customers afterall as I am starting to want to buy one of those benders for myself. I had eyed them in the past but a friend has a nice 48" tennsmith finger brake, however that mag bender is a way nicer machine! Darn you James! But at the same time Thank you!

[TonyKeffaber]

I'm not sure what I might have done differently, but there might be some better solutions to the problems I ran into.

I used 18 gauge for the roof, and butt welded it in. One issue I ran into is I could get as much crown as I wanted in the roof. I used 3/4 insulation board across the top bows for crown up the center. That worked well until I reached the back of the truck. The combination of crown at the center with the curve at the back of the truck created a warp in the top that I didn't like. Removing the insulation board from the last top bow removed the warp, but flattened the roof out as it moves front to back. When my neighbor looks at it he doesn't see what I'm talking about, so it might be just one of those things only the builder really see's. I searched for a decent roof out of a van, suburban, etc, but everything I found either had ridges, which I didn't think would look right on the truck, or had been beat up pretty bad.

The floor is 16 gauge. I built a steel frame underneath it, but 16 is the minimum I would consider if its flat. I used a strip of rubber between the metal frame and the sheetmetal, but I may remove that and plug weld the floor to the steel frame. When I'm walking around in there I get the occasional "clunk". It can't go anywhere, its welded to the fenderwheels, and 10 bolts connect the sheetmetal to the subframe to the truck frame, but I think I get some flexing in the center of the sheetmetal that a little more welding might solve.