We were tipped off to this totally awesome ex-Navy big rig on eBay by a well meaning BangShift reader. The problem is that his tip has caused loss of sleep, uncontrolled sweating, dry mouth, and paranoia. This running and driving truck is so cool that it twists the needle right off the charts. For starters it is a Dodge tractor, it is Hemi powered (and the truck Hemi engines were called, ‘Power Giants’), it has no real rust, the original U.S. Navy script is on the door and according to the ad, the truck is a runner and a driver. For $5,000 it is a great deal….if you are into these sorts of things.
When reading the ad, blood nearly shot from our eyes when the seller suggested that someone make a rat rod out of the truck and/or pillage it of the Hemi and ditch the rest. Doing either of those two things would trigger a synapse deep in our brains that would cause us to hunt down and take a crotch bat to whatever idiot went that route.
We’ve never seen one of these trucks before so going on that, sheet metal and replacement panels like fenders and anything related to the front of the truck are probably unobtanium. We have no idea how many were built, how many had Hemi engines, or how many survived. That whole survival thing is amazing too. This truck must have escaped the mechanical guillotine several times over the last 53 years. More interesting is thinking about how many years it spent in working service!
If you’ve got 5G laying around and want a bitchin’ truck, buy this one! If you need someone to road trip it home to you, let us know!
eBay Link: 1959 Dodge D700 – Hemi powered rig
there was a few of those up here used as grain trucks on the prairies, saw one not more than a year ago.
to keep that alive, alot has to change. the fuel air is in the realms of “monojets for everybody” insanity…and the bizarre generation of trying to make a gas engine be a diesel. First thing I would do is take it out of that rig, slap a 3208 in it if to keep it..and put the hemi in a 59 car chassis. There is a reason 53 years rolls by…cuz that truck is barely rolling. No bat to my crotch, thanks.
The most manly thing I´ve seen in a while……besides myself that is……
Speaking of under appreciated platforms…
Think of it, some basic cosmetic preservation to the exterior, clean up the interior, and a full mechanical restoration with some mild speed parts under the hood and a couple stacks with an authoritative note. Cruise during the week and have an economical and bitchin’ car hauler on the weekends. But if you really wanted to go nuts, 1000 pounds or so could probably be shed for track use. And if you didn’t win, just run the other guy over at the big end!
Can you say frame stretch and free standing sleeper……RAMP TRUCK!
It is just so wrong to see a 2 barrel carb on any Hemi LOL