Vehicle Description
1938 Dodge RE31 Truck and Tanker
In 1928 the Dodge Brothers acquired a truck line from the Graham
Brothers who had been using Dodge engines in their commercial
vehicles since 1921. By 1930 a mere two years later, they had
America's 4th largest selling truck, and found their corner of the
market.
This tractor with tanker trailer, is a very nicely restored example
of an early commercial vehicle, that was 5 years in the making
being completed in 1993. It has some rare options that were just
becoming available in 1938 with technology and engineering
advances. Primitive by today's standards, in the day this was the
latest and greatest.
Exterior
Sprayed in mostly white, we can see strategically placed blue
panels on the top of the hood, and rear dual wheel fenders on the
tractor, and side panels on the tanker. All paint is very nicely
done and covers very straight panels. With its white rounded front
fenders with forward and rear facing turn signals, and bullet style
headlights nestled into the fender near the front clip, it has the
old school styling which was about to get more art deco in the 1939
models. Also noted are the telescoping small round mirrors which
have a lot to be desired when trying to navigate this truck in
reverse! Bringing up the rear is a 1932 Kingham Quaker City 4
tanker trailer that has also been meticulously restored and can
hold approximately 1,250 gallons in its 4 separate tank bays. These
are topped with red painted 2 handled screw caps, and a hose and
pump setup is in the rear of the trailer. The truck is sporting red
steel wheels, and the trailer has silver outside with red inside
dual steel wheels.
Interior
Extreme utilitarian would best describe the interior, with just the
basics. From simple snap on vinyl with white stitching door panels,
to the smooth plain gray bench seat, rubber floors, 2 shift levers,
a simple painted dash with a mere 2 large circular gauges imbedded.
The beautifully restored original steering wheel with turn signals
and air brake gauges labeled Bendix are mounted on the column and
front the dash. Looking upward, a new headliner is tight and clean,
and some venting can be seen at the top of the windshield. Noted no
heater, so it would be a cold delivery route in the winter!
Drivetrain
Equipped with a rare 4-speed primary, and a 2-speed auxiliary
duplex-type transmission, this truck is powered by a 241ci L head
6-cylinder gas engine which produces 85hp. Also noted are air
brakes which was also rare for 1938, and these bring you to a halt
quickly. This all runs on a 6-volt electrical system.
Undercarriage
A glance underneath without the advantage of the lift, one can see
just as much attention was paid here as the upside for this
restoration. No rust, fully working air braking system, a
heavy-duty driveshaft and large geared rear, transfers power to the
dual rear tractor wheels. Air brakes have been installed on the
trailer as well.
For a collector who wants something completely different, and
certainly not seen every day, a vintage, beautifully restored
example of early Dodge commercial trucking, in its simplest form.
With styling cues from its cars, and from the front it looks very
much like the Dodge sedans of the day, you just cannot go wrong
with this investment.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 300 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
