help with identifcation 1944 dodge please

[Brian Gallaghan]

Can anyone help with any infomation on my 1944 dodge. I know it spent some time in the pacific islands in 1944 and was latter shipped to New Zealand. Engine number is t110L6 48230. Petty sure engine is original to this truck. The only body tag I can find is on the Left hand door pillar, chassis no 8924969. Thanks for any help,

[Mike K]

Not a Dodge scholar myself but it appears to be a 116" wheelbase but hard to tell. If it is a 116" wheelbase, the wheels are a somewhat odd 6 stud type Iv'e net seen before on that model. The cab looks to be of Nth American heritage, with the single piece door glass.

It could be a Frankenstein truck , somebody has thrown together from bits. T110L usually refers to a larger model Dodge, 30 cwt or 3 Tonner

[Tony Smith]

The T110L-6 ought to be a 136"wb with CMP-type split rims and an Eaton 2-speed rear differential. This truck appears to never had military blackout lights on the front guards, and is missing the radiator guard.

[Mike K]

If it has the 3 speed syncro gearbox, it is likely a T112 116" . Looking at Tony's chart, it might be the next size wheelbase ( 120" ? ) but I think that model were fitted with 17" rims. Whatever it is it is unusual.

I had a T112 116" ute for years as a everyday car , these are reliable vehicles, never had a problem with it. I picked up the command car body with the Dodge and trailer , up near West Wyalong NSW. Pic ,the day we found the CC body DEC 79.

[Mike K]

This might help or hinder

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=255

It's probably either a 120" 0r 133" model, looking at it again, it appears too short for a 116"

[gordon]

It looks a little odd - I'm thinking locally assembled.

The rear body looks odd, not commenting further than that.

Cab is standard 41-47 with 4 x 2 fuel tank location. Looks to me like it is right hand drive with single wiper - does the screen hinge out? most ANZAC trucks had the screen built in and fixed.

Axles and wheels are 41-47 one ton, WD series, normally found on pickups and panels. The short running boards would be right for a pickup configuration, and the tow hooks would be right for militarised civilian.

I'd guess it was a 41-47 WD one ton chassis, cab, and axles supplied for local assembly. Engine is longer Canadian light duty 3 ton T110 and while contemporary, is not original.

Check the cab plate chassis number against the actual stamping on left front chassis leg side, near front left spring front hanger. Is the wheelbase 116" or 120"? it is too short for the 133" wheelbase.

[Brian Gallaghan]

Thanks so much for all your input. No wonder i have struggled to identify my Dodge. Things are not always as they first appear.
I did some digging with the NZ transport agency and i have been given some registration details going back to 1967. No names or personal details due to privacy issues, but did give me a different engine number. T11635890
Chassis number is same as whats on the cab, but maybe the cab was changed early on in its life. It,s also listed as a flat deck truck.
I measured the wheelbase = 120 It has 11 leaf springs in the back.
It has 16'' split rim wheels and a full floating hypoid rear axle.
I have tried to find the number on the chassis rail but no luck, an i looking in the right place?

[Lang]

Yes, you have the chassis area.

I have found them close to the top of the rail in the first section back from the spring hanger. They are usually quite light - not boldly stamped and quite large, at least 1/2 inch.

Hope you didn't clean the paint off with a flapper disc or sanding disc as there is a chance you took the numbers with you - that is how lightly stamped some are. I suppose it depended on whether the "Hulk" or "Rosie the Riveter" was doing the stamping that day!

Lang

[Lang]

A bit of a mix it seems.

The T116 engine comes out of WD-20 and WD-21 built in 3 batches in 1940, 1941 and late 1945. It is a 1-ton vehicle. They were not built to a government order and it looks like they are civilian production. This is out of the USA book.

The chassis number is not a part of the USA production list but was allocated to Canadian production. A whole lot of these were built 8,922,942 through to 8,925,000. They are named model DD-2.

Lots of possibilities, a couple are:

1. The T116 engine is also not original and a replacement (still looking to see what DD-2 Canadian production engine numbers were).
2. The T116 engine was sent to Canada for fitting into the DD-2 models.

Looking for DD-2 production dates also.

Have a read of this. A few errors that I can see but it gives us a much better picture. Looks like the original engine was a Canadian long block not the short US block ie T116.
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hm...s/3710541.html

Lang

[Lang]

Here are Dodge Numbers. As you can see they can be found anywhere, any size, any depth.

The first one is a typical weapon carrier and this is good, most are hit much more lightly. The others are off 1940-47 Dodge light trucks.

[gordon]

Normally 1" below the top edge of the chassis rail, just behind front left spring, front hanger.

The T116 engine may well have been the original. The 120" wheelbase marks it as a one ton WD20 / DD2, and if original the short running boards would be for either a pickup or a flatbed. Normally a pickup body would have conventional rear springs and single wheels, while a flatbed would have heavier springs and maybe overload springs, and dual rears.

Those rear hubs will take dual wheels, but the rear dual wheels had a special small offset rim.

I didn't see an answer to whether it was RHD and was the screen fixed in place. If it is RHD, are the holes in the LEFT chassis rail for the left hand drive steering box setup drilled through? Normally they would be blank in one thickness of the rail. If they are all drilled through it may have started as a LHD truck.