dodge VF401 truck

Military Trucks 1/2 ton thru 2 ton, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY), and Knowledge Base
User avatar
steveo916
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:49 pm
Location: northern california
Contact:

dodge VF401 truck

Post by steveo916 » Sun Nov 30, 2008 8:32 am

i picked this VF401 1940 dodge truck up yesterday. are there many out there?

Image
m16 halftrack


User avatar
gerrykan
G-General
G-General
Posts: 9303
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:37 am
Location: Ozark Mountains, USA

Post by gerrykan » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:48 pm

I think 68427vette (Jeff Chester) had two or three if he hasn't sold them.
Roy

User avatar
Gordon_M
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1840
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:32 am
Location: central and north east Scotland, depending on the day

There's about half a dozen on the survivors list.

Post by Gordon_M » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:30 am

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vc200401.htm

Military VF cab and chassis aren't uncommon, but tend to be very hard used, non-original engine, missing body, so if you have a T203 in that and it is the original body you have done well.

Usable winch fronts are less common, even less so the dump bed - although there are at least two around that have both dump and winch (not a configuration that came from the factory)

Let me have the chassis number, USA number, engine number, and date of delivery with an image and I'll add you to the survivors list.

Gordon@Dodge.org.uk
Gordon

1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer

User avatar
BillyClanton
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1800
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:36 am
Location: Memphis, Tn

Post by BillyClanton » Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:57 pm

Howdy
That bed looks an awful lot like the bed on my G506 Chevy :wink:
Billy
Sold everything due to depression and sickness. Plus a lack of help(they all dying)
MVPA member #31386 (former MVCC member)

User avatar
steveo916
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:49 pm
Location: northern california
Contact:

Post by steveo916 » Thu Dec 04, 2008 1:01 pm

thanks for the replys.
the engine looks original. i dont think the rear bed is original. it was stored in a barn for the past 20 years
Image
Image
Image
m16 halftrack

User avatar
steveo916
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:49 pm
Location: northern california
Contact:

Post by steveo916 » Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:44 pm

engine # is 121748 CAL
m16 halftrack

68427vette
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1961
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:34 am
Location: Ohio

vf

Post by 68427vette » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:08 am

i think i have 5-8 of these around here,, they keep turning up. i'd be interested if you sell, motor boss area does not look correct, its nice you found it,, got to love california, weather. bed is pretty close to a chevy wwii, bed,, do you have the spare tire carrier? jc,

User avatar
steveo916
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 982
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:49 pm
Location: northern california
Contact:

Post by steveo916 » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:04 pm

no spare tire carrier. do you have 5-8 that you own or in the near by area? do you have a pic of what the rear bed is suposed to look like?
m16 halftrack

patch
G-Corporal
G-Corporal
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2004 5:04 pm
Location: Buxton Maine

VF401

Post by patch » Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:27 pm

The rear bed sure does look a lot like the G506 chevys as mentioned above. One odd thing I notice though, is the front fenders. If original to the truck, they seem to have been altered, maybe for larger tractor type tires? Radiused, I think it's called....Either way, looks like the fender is ready to chow down on some rubber! Don't know, just looked a bit weird to me.... EDIT: Well I just checked out the link Gordon posted above, seems like the VF401's came that way right from the factory with the large fender opening.... :oops:
JK '69 M35a2 '52 M37x2

User avatar
Gordon_M
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1840
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:32 am
Location: central and north east Scotland, depending on the day

Same bed, just about

Post by Gordon_M » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:55 am

The cargo bed is supposed to be identical to the Chevrolet bed except for the location of the fuel filler - apart from that there are no differences at all. I've never actually looked at one in detail so can't tell what the difference is though.

The fender radiusing is interesting. The VC and VF fenders were cut back, but the suspension and axle setup is different to the civilian ones so the ride height at the back of a VC military 4 x 4 pickup is quite different to the 4 x 2 civilian same year, and rear fender lower edges were sometimes cut upwards to the chassis line which makes them look even more odd, have a look;

Image

They radiused the fenders on the VC ( I assume the VF is the same or similar) by cutting 3 or 4" forward and back but keeping the centre height around the same, so it is more of an elliptical cutout than a round one. I know a few VCs that had ordinary civilian fenders fitted - don't look right at all and easy to spot.

Here's an image of a trasnsition truck from VC to WC in the TIME / LIFE files;

Image
Gordon

1941 Highway Trailer K-38
1944 Iron Fireman T-36 Snow Tractor
1986 Nolan Road/Rail trailer

User avatar
Fleetmaster
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 97
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:10 am
Location: Waterloo,Belgium / Bordentown,NJ

Dodge VF404

Post by Fleetmaster » Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:41 pm

Hi Steveo,

Nice to see another VF around, not so many left in that condition. It took the besty part of 3years to get mine (almost) finished. I can guarantee you, if ever you want it restored, most parts are available, certainly when you live in teh USA.
Success!
Bart

Image

Image

This is how it looked in 1940

Image

And this one is for sale right now on Ebay
Image

68427vette
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1961
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:34 am
Location: Ohio

Post by 68427vette » Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:27 pm

bart welcome to the dark side, yes they are all here,, back at the shop,, yes the bed is the same if not very similiar, to the chevies,, NIce work, bart, didnt know you've been working on one??? if i could post pics i would,,
the one on evil bay,, he wants an arm and maybe part of a leg,, see the number on the hood, it looks like it was bought at a farm auction, number 21, , and most likely really cheap,,,,,,,,,,,,,,nice tins though
jc

User avatar
Bob at Warsaw
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 3113
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:57 pm
Location: Warsaw Texas
Contact:

Post by Bob at Warsaw » Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:49 pm

Nice looking trucks you have bart :D
Bob




Image
MVCC or MVPA # 9836

User avatar
Fleetmaster
G-Sergeant First Class
G-Sergeant First Class
Posts: 97
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:10 am
Location: Waterloo,Belgium / Bordentown,NJ

Dodge Vf origin

Post by Fleetmaster » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:07 am

Thanks fellows,

Have also this VF404 which I bought from Jaap Rietveld.
Still has it War number on the hood and on the door you can see what is left of the star as used early in 1940.

Image

As for the originin of my truck, it was purchased from Estes Park Colorado, a demolition firm. It was probably used to build the highest continuouss highway across the Continental Divide.................search TRAIL RIDGE ROAD in Rocky Mountain National Park and you will see the job the company was involved in.

Bart

68427vette
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1961
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:34 am
Location: Ohio

Post by 68427vette » Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:50 am

is that the second VF you have? or the before you restored pic? NICE rig,, if its a second one,, does it have the spare tire holder? jc


Post Reply

Return to “Trucks 1/2 ton thru 2 ton”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 52 guests