Captain Canuck
Well-Known Member
I saw this one at Moparfest last weekend.
Dodge A 100 thread
- Thread starter Dart_Doctor
- Start date
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DaveBonds
Garage Trash
As I'm about 2 minutes out from leaving work at the resto shop on Friday, right before I leave to skate to the train station, my friend Jed finally got his '68 108 going and paid us a visit!
He was so excited to ride in the back, because he hasn't much yet, that I had the pleasure of firing up the left handed ignition and drove it for about an hour. What a pleasant experience. I would highly recommend one of these to anyone in the market for a classic that is road ready.
While I like all A100 series, I've got to side with Frankie on this one. After seeing it a few times this year and finally having driven it, the 108 van is the one you want.
My friend Jed, spent about a year locating a 108 and found one in Ft.Collins. He spent the end of spring and most of the summer, paying it off, while he was working at our shop.
He's started to disassemble the interior for a remodel. He wants to go very modern (1960's modern, not today!) and build a very comfortable, connected sectional seating, with a hide away kidney table to trim the seats in for easy seating.
Along with that, the 6k on the rebuilt 225 and non synchro 1st in the 3 on the tree are going to get upgraded with electronic ignition, Dutra dual exhaust with lakes pipes, a better induction system and an 833 OD with the better synchro 309 1st gear.
It's a riot to drive. Manual steering, with a near horizontal 19" wheel. You forget how different you move in your seat in a car, when you aren't sitting on top of the front wheel. It feels like a garbage truck. Super comfy to get in and out of, even for someone as tall as Jed and I (6'6" and 6'5")...
The entire drivetrain and brake system in his Sportsman is in great shape, but you have to be at a dead stop or a rolling stop 1.5mph to get it into first, making it tricky, going from a road into a parking lot and keeping it in 2nd. It's on it's way to torque abuse at that low of speed without being in 1st gear, that you can't get while rolling.
It's also about topped at 50-55mph, so the OD would help a bunch. I think it has 4.10 gears in the 8 3/4.
This one has an early pop top conversion that raises the roof about 18". It works and seals, but it's in need of some new, rubberized vinyl. It uses the original roof skin, with riveted extruded aluminum and weatherstrip to hold the pop top mechanism. Has a vent screen that the rubber unzips from and the swing under step is still intact and works for the rear passenger doors.
When he drove it down from Ft.Collins, he said he burned the **** out of his forearm, when he set it on the doghouse. The crummy fiberglass insulation had nearly fallen out completely. He tore it all out for some more modern, tar/ reflective sound/ temp insulation and it does get a little warm (warm enough to keep a coffee cup and breakfast burrito nice!) but it's nothing terrible, now.
We actually talked about making a non insulated, powdercoated cup holder for coffee and tray next to it, that had an insulated lid/flap to have the option of keeping food warm.
It had a fridge and propane stove, but he pulled them out, because he doesn't need them or the weight. He will be putting a cooler drawer under the seating on one spot to keep cold drinks, along with a new entertainment system that will be hidden when not in use and plans on using aluminum and carbon fiber for the seat base construction wherever he can to save weight.
He wants to paint it turquoise, but I'm trying to convince him to go with 1968 LL1 Surf Poly Turquoise.(<color example link) It's more like a metallic teal than it looks like a piece of actual turquoise, like the truck color that was nonmetallic. The truck turquoise is nice, too, but most of the A series that I have seen are that color.
Everyone who commented on it, in the duration that I drove it on Friday had a grin that matched ours. I'm convinced that these things just make people happy. It's not about going fast. Just having fun.
He was so excited to ride in the back, because he hasn't much yet, that I had the pleasure of firing up the left handed ignition and drove it for about an hour. What a pleasant experience. I would highly recommend one of these to anyone in the market for a classic that is road ready.
While I like all A100 series, I've got to side with Frankie on this one. After seeing it a few times this year and finally having driven it, the 108 van is the one you want.
My friend Jed, spent about a year locating a 108 and found one in Ft.Collins. He spent the end of spring and most of the summer, paying it off, while he was working at our shop.
He's started to disassemble the interior for a remodel. He wants to go very modern (1960's modern, not today!) and build a very comfortable, connected sectional seating, with a hide away kidney table to trim the seats in for easy seating.
Along with that, the 6k on the rebuilt 225 and non synchro 1st in the 3 on the tree are going to get upgraded with electronic ignition, Dutra dual exhaust with lakes pipes, a better induction system and an 833 OD with the better synchro 309 1st gear.
It's a riot to drive. Manual steering, with a near horizontal 19" wheel. You forget how different you move in your seat in a car, when you aren't sitting on top of the front wheel. It feels like a garbage truck. Super comfy to get in and out of, even for someone as tall as Jed and I (6'6" and 6'5")...
The entire drivetrain and brake system in his Sportsman is in great shape, but you have to be at a dead stop or a rolling stop 1.5mph to get it into first, making it tricky, going from a road into a parking lot and keeping it in 2nd. It's on it's way to torque abuse at that low of speed without being in 1st gear, that you can't get while rolling.
It's also about topped at 50-55mph, so the OD would help a bunch. I think it has 4.10 gears in the 8 3/4.
This one has an early pop top conversion that raises the roof about 18". It works and seals, but it's in need of some new, rubberized vinyl. It uses the original roof skin, with riveted extruded aluminum and weatherstrip to hold the pop top mechanism. Has a vent screen that the rubber unzips from and the swing under step is still intact and works for the rear passenger doors.
When he drove it down from Ft.Collins, he said he burned the **** out of his forearm, when he set it on the doghouse. The crummy fiberglass insulation had nearly fallen out completely. He tore it all out for some more modern, tar/ reflective sound/ temp insulation and it does get a little warm (warm enough to keep a coffee cup and breakfast burrito nice!) but it's nothing terrible, now.
We actually talked about making a non insulated, powdercoated cup holder for coffee and tray next to it, that had an insulated lid/flap to have the option of keeping food warm.
It had a fridge and propane stove, but he pulled them out, because he doesn't need them or the weight. He will be putting a cooler drawer under the seating on one spot to keep cold drinks, along with a new entertainment system that will be hidden when not in use and plans on using aluminum and carbon fiber for the seat base construction wherever he can to save weight.
He wants to paint it turquoise, but I'm trying to convince him to go with 1968 LL1 Surf Poly Turquoise.(<color example link) It's more like a metallic teal than it looks like a piece of actual turquoise, like the truck color that was nonmetallic. The truck turquoise is nice, too, but most of the A series that I have seen are that color.
Everyone who commented on it, in the duration that I drove it on Friday had a grin that matched ours. I'm convinced that these things just make people happy. It's not about going fast. Just having fun.
:d
cudavert
DARTAHOLIC
rayer:
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
:glasses7:
plumcrazy704406
Well-Known Member
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39UNmvB4yJk"]1969 dodge A100 for sale Toronto, Ontario - YouTube[/ame]
plumcrazy704406
Well-Known Member
for those that have never driven one,,,,
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw-ODKinhk"]1969 Dodge A100 pickup for sale, driving - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw-ODKinhk"]1969 Dodge A100 pickup for sale, driving - YouTube[/ame]
Here's one that was at the Mega Parts show earlier this summer. tmm
rayer:
rp23g7
Well-Known Member
How about a 68 A108, and me when it was new, My dad bought it brand new in 68, I must be about 3 or 4 here
A38Valiant
Collector Of Rust
I need to dust off the camera, and get some pics of my three "A"s. First one I bought at Carlisle in 2006, it's a 70 A108 panel. Thirteen months later came the 67 A108 window, lite blue and white, looks like a real life "Rusty Rusteze" from the cars movie. Then there was a 65 A100 panel that I resold, and this June I just picked up a 68 A100 pickup.
sweet !!! ....my cousin is trying to score one for us here but so far no luck. in our area is a 69 panel but the guy came in too high on the price .....so then we found a 68 108 but its a passenger one with the seats which I don't really like ...I was hoping for a cargo van ......there is one more that we need to look at and its a 65 panel, but that one is not as nice as the other two.
a few months ago I worked on a 67 108 for someone I know and I got to drive that one and spend time with it which is what gave me the bug to get one and my cousin jumped on board because he thinks they are coolest thing since sliced bread.
we also found a 76 cargo van for cheap but I am thinking the 76 is too new but I don't know ....the 76 has better suspension and disk brakes too.
I never realized that the A-100 had so many competitors in the 60s .....obviously the dodge is the best one but amazing to find out that in the 60s if a buyer wanted an odd vehicle .....they had choices.
DaveBonds
Garage Trash
There was a boneyard in Commerce City, up this way, called Sidewinder.
They had a Corvair van like that, that was a Pickup with a side load gate and sported a chalky, old U-Haul paint scheme.
I tried many times to buy it from the owner of the yard, but he wouldn't sell complete cars.
They had a Corvair van like that, that was a Pickup with a side load gate and sported a chalky, old U-Haul paint scheme.
I tried many times to buy it from the owner of the yard, but he wouldn't sell complete cars.
pics of your friend's 108, makes me want a van ....I used to think these were nasty looking and now I think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
commerce city has a lot of old cars around in general ...I went up there with my cousin around 2008 to bring back an early valiant and parts car and we saw a lot of old cars in backyards and around up there
DaveBonds
Garage Trash
They are a loaf of bread.
Wait until you get to drive one. I'm sure if you come up this way for one of the Golden Super Cruises, Jed would let you. They are so much fun.
Wait until you get to drive one. I'm sure if you come up this way for one of the Golden Super Cruises, Jed would let you. They are so much fun.
I actually have driven one that belonged to someone I was working for ...but I didn't go very far .........I put an electronic ignition conversion on it and it has slant six ....but I could not drive it very far because it didn't have any plates or insurance....this one is a 100 so its shorter.
I thought It was an ok ride, wasn't the most comfortable thing ever but even at my height I could still drive it. turns were interesting
DaveBonds
Garage Trash
I'm just fascinated at how different they are and the potential they have for a custom interior.
His 108 has a pop roof, too, so it's super roomy and will be a lot of fun when he gets the interior finished.
His 108 has a pop roof, too, so it's super roomy and will be a lot of fun when he gets the interior finished.
im actually looking for a panel ...I want to put tool boxes and make a portable workshop.
nothingbutdarts
Well-Known Member
Did they just have a straight axle in them? Was P/steering an option? I have never really been in one or worked on one.
DaveBonds
Garage Trash
I believe they used the same platform that the sweptline trucks used from '61-'71. Solid front axle, drum brakes, etc.
I think they run drag link steering, just the same. There may have been power steering drag link boxes. The ones that I've seen are manual.
The wheel is big. It would be best with a suicide knob/ spinner, but there is certainly enough leverage to get it around.
It's definitely not a cornering vehicle.
I think they run drag link steering, just the same. There may have been power steering drag link boxes. The ones that I've seen are manual.
The wheel is big. It would be best with a suicide knob/ spinner, but there is certainly enough leverage to get it around.
It's definitely not a cornering vehicle.
I do actually like the single piece windshield on the ford and chevy vans ....seems dodge and VW were into the two piece set-up
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