County of vehicle: St. Charles County
Location of display: E. Pittman Ave. & S. Elm St., Wentzville
Phone: (636) 856-9300
This truck is a 1940's version of a refrigerated truck to haul ice to customers, and to deliver Ice Cream to the stores that sold this factories product.
The vehicle is a 1940, I think 1945, Dodge truck.
This truck is displayed on the grounds of the Friendship Brewing Company, a brew pub, that is actively involved in the community as well as producing some very good beers.
The grounds are used as an outdoors patio and beer garden, and display and memorial site.
"There wasn't much change in the design of these trucks during their production run, so the interchangeability of parts from year to year also makes the job of assembling one a little simpler.
Body Dodge rolled out a striking new design for 1939, featuring an all-steel cab with a two-piece windshield that could be opened for increased airflow at the turn of a crank. There was also a center cowl vent for increased ventilation, though vent windows in the doors wouldn't appear until 1946. The 1939 truck had a unique front-end/grille treatment that was changed in 1940. In 1940, Dodge trucks began using sealed-beam headlamps and were equipped with marker lights mounted on the headlamp housing. For the most part, after 1940, year-to-year appearance changes were very minimal. Used body parts for Dodge's "Job Rated" era trucks are not difficult to find. Rust-free fenders and doors are climbing in price, though they're still reasonable. During the course of researching this story, for instance, we quickly turned up a usable set of used front fenders and a lower grille panel for less than $200. Reproduction front cab floor pans for these trucks are available as are reproduction bed front panels, tailgates, running boards, bed wood kits and bed bolt kits.
"Chassis Dodge's 1939-'47 light trucks were offered in 1/2-, 3/4-, and one-ton varieties, but the nomenclature changed a little from year to year. The Job Rated trucks had stronger frames than previous trucks because they used steel with a higher tensile strength, the rails extended further forward past the engine than earlier trucks, and the trucks used beefy channel-type bumpers that helped to tie the frame rails together. A variety of wheelbases gave buyers greater options to suit their needs. The 1/2-ton rode on a 116-inch wheelbase, 3/4-tons on a 120-inch wheelbase, and one-tons were available with a 120- or 133-inch wheelbase. In 1940, Dodge 1/2-ton trucks adopted the safety-oriented system of using left- and right-hand thread lug nuts on opposite sides of the truck. Mechanically, the trucks are all very similar, with leaf springs at all four corners and solid axles front and rear. After WWII, there were some changes made to production truck chassis parts due to reliability issues that cropped up during military service. For instance, the 1946-'47 trucks were equipped with housing vents on live axles--a spring-loaded valve in the vent could automatically reduce pressure when it built up inside the axle. This helped reduce seal leakage and failure. Stronger differentials and larger axle shafts were also used in post-war trucks, and steering boxes were beefed up and made heavier. Though entire assemblies might interchange from year to year, you should be careful that you're getting the correct part for your year truck when buying individual components. Chassis parts and brake parts are widely available for these trucks, either from specialty parts vendors or even the corner auto parts store.
"Drivetrain There were three flathead sixes used in Dodge's light trucks throughout the Job Rated Era. A 201.3-cu.in. engine initially rated at 70hp (82.5hp in 1941) was standard issue in half-ton trucks. Three-quarter and one-ton trucks used a 217.76-cu.in. engine from 1939-1941, rated at 77hp, then at 82hp and at 85hp in 1941. From 1942-'47, 1/2- and 3/4-ton trucks were equipped with the 217.76-cu.in. engine, while one-ton trucks stepped up to the 230.2-cu.in., 102hp six-cylinder. A three-speed manual was standard issue, while a four-speed with a compound first gear was an option. Oil filters and oil-bath air cleaners were options on Dodge trucks, as were heavy-duty generators." ~ Hemmings