Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1968 Dodge A-100 Pick-up One Owner 43 Years on 2040-cars

Year:1968 Mileage:84960
Location:

San Bernardino, California, United States

San Bernardino, California, United States

One owner for 43 years!

 

1968 Dodge A-100

Original California black plate truck.

 

This truck belongs to my wife’s Uncle Russ.  In December 1971 Russ purchased this truck from Van Nuys Chrysler-Plymouth in Van Nuys, Ca. for personal transportation and as a run-about for his manufacturing business.  The A-100 was just what he needed with adequate hauling capability and excellent visibility with windows all around.  The only thing Russ didn’t like was driving a stick shift around Los Angeles that didn’t have synchro in 1st gear.  The solution was to install a 318CI V8 and automatic transmission.  Much better!  The A-100 actually did come with a V8 and automatic so the transplant took advantage of stock parts without modification.  The differential was also changed to match the V8 automatic. This A-100 is original with the exception of the drive train, which was installed more than 40 years ago, and is correct for the period.

 

Russ is 86 years of age now, and his definition of retirement is that he only goes to work 3 days a week, and he doesn’t drive the Dodge anymore.

 

The A-100 was used as a shop truck for a number of years, and then in the 80’s the shop-truck work was turned over to a Toyota T-100 and the A-100 just sat.  In the early 2000’s Russ decided to refresh the A-100.  The red and white paint showed its age and use, plus the truck was not reliable mechanically, and there were some other cosmetic issues.

Early in 2001 the engine and transmission were removed and taken to Mazzolini Racing in Riverside, Ca. Mazzolini’s were not expected to make the A-100 into a racing machine like the “li’l Red Truck” but to make it run well.  Following is a list of work done on the engine in addition to the normal rebuild job

Align bore

Deck Block

Balance

Turn and polish crank .030”

New valves

New valve springs

Hardened seats

New valve guides

New Pushrods, Rocker shaft and Rocker arms

2 sleeves

The 727 transmission was rebuilt at the same time. 

Following is a list of NEW items that were installed as the truck was being made ready for the road.

Master cylinder

Head liner

Wheel Bearings- Rear

Exhaust System – Complete

U-joints

Speedometer cable

Tires

Paint

Wheels  15X7 Magnum 500 x 4

King Pins

Oil Pump

Break Lines

Weather stripping

Edlebrock intake manifold

Torque converter

Flexplate

Carburetor

Electronic ignition kit

Starter

Battery

Brake shoes

Shocks

Brake Hose

Wheel Cylinders

Lug nuts

Motor Mounts

Radiator core

Heater core

Thermostat

Rear Springs

 

In August of 2001 the A-100 was entrusted to Julio’s Auto Body and Paint in San Bernardino for the bodywork and paint.  Rust was NOT an issue as this A-100 spent all it’s time in Southern California and had no rust. The truck was repainted with the original Red and White.  The windows were reinstalled with new rubber. New weather stripping was installed on the doors.  The Dodge looked pretty, sounded healthy and just needed some sorting-out to be ready for Route 66!  But things at the shop changed (the business got real busy!) and the final sorting-out did not happen and the truck was put in a shed.

 

In April 2013 Russ decided to sell the A-100.  Obviously he was not driving the truck and no one was enjoying it.  I helped Russ pull the truck out of the shed (it was covered with dirt) and we got it started, but it would not draw fuel from the tank.  A new tank was fabricated and installed the fuel pump was replaced and the carb was rebuilt. 

When the transmission was rebuilt a shift kit was installed, but Russ didn’t like the way it shifted, so that was adjusted so it shifts firmly but not violently. Now the goal of having a vehicle to enjoy has been achieved.

There are 2 things that Russ decided to let the new owner decide.  The chains that fasten the tailgate have not been installed, and a door in the heater has not been installed.

All The gauges work, but the fuel gauge seems to be backwards (When the new tank was installed), the lenses and reflectors are all in good condition, but I’m not sure of the operation of the back-up lights.

The original AM radio is in place, but you must be prepared to Sing, Rap or upgrade.  It does not work. I drive a vehicle with power disc brakes, the A-100 has no power drums, so it's harder to brake.

If you would like to talk to Russ about the truck call 909 815-9771 Pacific time. 

 

 

 

 

Auto Services in California

Zenith Wire Wheel Co ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Wheels, Tire Dealers
Address: 818 Cristich Ln, Brookdale
Phone: (831) 425-7770

Yucca Auto Body ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Truck Body Repair & Painting
Address: 56132 29 Palms Hwy, Pioneertown
Phone: (760) 365-9410

World Famous 4x4 ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Restoration-Antique & Classic
Address: 75 E Palm Ave, Alhambra
Phone: (818) 816-0121

Woody`s & Auto Body ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Truck Body Repair & Painting
Address: 22920 Lockness Ave, East-Rancho-Dominguez
Phone: (310) 784-3820

Williams Auto Care Center ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 18380 Highway 12, Sonoma
Phone: (707) 996-1056

Wheels N Motion ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Tire Dealers
Address: 961 E Holt Ave, Chino
Phone: (909) 622-1232

Auto blog

Old vs. New: 2014 SRT Viper takes on upgraded 16-year-old Dodge Viper

Fri, 08 Feb 2013

It's easy to play the "Would you rather have a New X or an Old Y with a bunch of upgrades?" game more often than we care to admit, but the crew at Car and Driver have taken bench racing to the next level with their latest video. In it, the magazine pits a brand-new 2014 SRT Viper against a highly modified 1997 Dodge Viper GTS. There are 16 years between the time this particular GTS rolled off the production line and when the new car bowed, but that doesn't mean the old snake's owners have been sitting on their hands.
Thanks to a spate of modifications, the GTS offers up a better power to weight ratio than the new machine, but is that enough to overcome the technological leap forward represented by the 2014 Viper? We won't spoil it for you. You'll just have to check out the full clip below for yourself.

Jay Leno gets his denim mitts on Dodge's new Challenger Hellcat

Mon, 04 Aug 2014

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is definitely the performance car of the moment. The fact that in the near future, people will be able to buy a 707-horsepower muscle machine straight from a major automaker for $59,995 and with a factory warranty almost seems absurd. We drove it recently and found the Hellcat to be just as much of a beast as its numbers would suggest. Now, it's a certain comedian's turn behind the wheel in the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage.
This week's guest is Dodge President and CEO Tim Kuniskis, and he's there to drop all sorts of interesting factoids about the Hellcat. For example, its Pirelli P Zero tires retail at around $300 each, he says. That makes its smoky burnouts a rather expensive proposition. Kuniskis, who recently hinted at a mystery Woodward Dream Cruise debut, also talks about the genesis of the 2015 SRT project with a goal to get over some of the standard Challenger's weight and size disadvantages. The fix is a supercharged V8, massive brakes and other goodies to smooth over the platform's more glaring shortcomings.
Leno appears to get a big kick out of the Hellcat. However, he can't seem to stop bringing up his desire to drive one with a six-speed manual. They obviously exist, but Kuniskis has an eight-speed automatic for the retired Tonight Show host to try out. Of course, as with any Hellcat video, there has to be at least one burnout. Despite the expensive tires, it seems like enthusiast's law at this point - and dear ol' Jay wouldn't want to break any rules, would he?

Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

Sun, 15 Sep 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.