Car of the Week: 1951 Dodge 1-ton mail truck

[dodgechargerfan]

Regardless of how much time, hard work and misery it took, John Butner was determined to start showing up at car shows driving something he knew nobody else would have.

It’s pretty safe to declare his quest over — mission accomplished. And a big, 1-ton, gnarly, green, basket case mission it was.

“I really didn’t want to see it go to the crusher, and that’s where it was going,” says the affable Butner, leaning on the front fender of his hulking 1951 Dodge mail truck. “I worked on it about a year and a half. I had times when I put it in a corner and walked away had to go think about it. I’d leave it sit for a week and then say, ‘Well, I gotta do something with it’ and I’d get back to it. I couldn’t just let it sit there.

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[TheIronSausage]

Kudos to him for loving this thing so much as to fully restore a blue collar truck, that wasn't anywhere near as good looking as the truck that preceded it.. I get it. I spend way more time, money, and effort keeping my rusty junk on the road than anybody should.. Conversely, I'm pretty sure I'm unable to accept 45 mph as the top speed of anything I'm occupying

 

[71ChargerRT]

That's a pretty cool truck. I'd like to see one on a later model chassis, 4 wheel drive with a Cummins as an offroad tow/support vehicle.

 

[69.5CUDA]

like he said ..they were all being crushed.....its sad but chunks of history like this are gone....LONG GONE

i think the only thing id do to it would be to put in an overdrive so it doesnt need to be trailered since he likes driving it

then there is the show factor..he has my same mentality i want to see something DIFFERENT at shows

i do wish they had posted some before pic's..or mentioned the fact that the glovebox door still has a service lable and its original paint on it