Heavily modified Hot Rods aren’t typical Curbside material, but I checked this van out for my buddy Rhino (who lives up in Denver). I’m actually a fan of these Dodge A100 pick ups, having spent my youth riding around Minnesota in Grandpa Godfrey’s A100 van, so I decided to create this post.
From a strictly structural standpoint, the truck seems quite solid and rust free. It’s missing a few interior trim parts, and there’s some electrical issues I’d want to correct, but overall it’s a safe bet.
Speaking for myself, I don’t care for the color of the grille and the painted headlight surrounds, I’d want some bumpers on it to protect the sheet metal, and I feel the deep-dish rims with baby moons give it a kiddy toy vibe. Still, that’s purely subjective, and could be fixed with a few trim parts and a new set of wheels. I don’t love the color, but it is era appropriate and could be the original shade (but certainly not the original paint).
However, I do have an issue with lies under the engine cover. Sometime in the past few years an engine swap occurred using this 5.7 liter Hemi (the modern era version). When it comes to engines, Rhino embraces the “More is better” philosophy, but putting this much engine in a Conestoga wagon gives me pause.
Rhino and I playing @ Bondurant- As usual, Rhino is trailing…
I’m not saying power is a bad thing- Rhino owns a Hellcat Challenger, and thanks to that we spent a couple of days turning laps at the Bondurant Racing school. Lots of fun… However, a monster motor in the Challenger LA platform is a far different thing than a monster motor in an A100.
Here’s a comparison of the wheelbase, track, and height of the Hellcat and A100. The Hellcat has an additional 26″ of wheelbase and a 19″ reduction in height along with 2-1/2″ more track. In contrast, let’s just call an A100 “tall and tippy.” The Hellcat also benefits from four wheel independent suspension, while the A100 uses leaf springs and solid axles front and rear, an ancient approach not known for handling prowess.
There it is, an I-beam axle, two king pins, and a recirculating ball steering box. I’d call it the most basic system out there, but if I’m being completely honest, Conestoga wagons simplified this design by placing a single king pin at the centered of the axle.
When I expressed my safety concerns to Rhino, he just asked, “Does it have front disc bakes?”
I guess he feels a disc brake conversion makes a vehicle perfectly safe for all driving conditions. I remain unconvinced.
Grandpa’s A100 had the 225 slant six (/6), and it provided adequate performance on the open country roads around Kiester, Minnesota. He even drove it to Alaska and back in the early seventies. But for this A100, someone decided it HAD to have the Hemi.
To compare the 225 six to the new motor, this chart shows the 225 ratings on the left, the 5.7 ratings on the right, and a center row that multiplies the slant six values by 2. As the chart shows, the engine swap more than doubles the 225’s torque rating and triples the horsepower. Some may argue this still isn’t enough, but I call it overkill.
Rhino at SEMA dreaming of a tent full of Mopars
Of course, it doesn’t much matter what I think- Rhino has room in his garage and a yen for Mopars. Since the truck is clean and straight, it may be headed off to Colorado in the near future. If so, I’ll bless his new purchase, and might even take a ride.
I’d want to get a better suspension under it and 4-wheel discs. But this is most likely one you never take out when rain’s in the forecast.
You know the Duesenberg SJ and a whole lot of other very fast cars managed to stay on the road at well over 100mph on their “Conestoga Wagon” leaf-sprung solid front axles. And drum brakes.
I humbly disagree, since there were few places one could take a car to 100 mph in the US during the 30’s… Heck, the first limited access highway in the US (PA Turnpike) wasn’t opened till 1940.
These Duesenburgs had to share roads with stock Model T’s that could do a maximum of 45 mph with mechanical brakes.
You’ve fallen for the trap of projecting today’s traffic to what it was in the ’30s or ’40s. Ever look at old pictures of two-lane highways a bit outside of cities? Quite empty, for the most part.
If you’ve ever read about the exploits of hot rodders in the pre-war era (and that included guys with powerful classic cars stripped down) you’d know that roaring down highways at triple digit speeds was all too common.
Take a look at the video below, of a local motorcycle club doing stunts on an open highway. It was shot during the daytime on Oregon Hwy99 just outside of Eugene, the main north-south highway on the West Coast that was later replaced by I5 in the mid 1960s. Would you have any problem doing 100 on it? Where’s all the Model Ts?
Here’s just one shot of a Pennsylvania highway in the ’30s. If you Google, you’ll find many more very sparsely used highways.
Back in its brief no speed limit days, when my grandfather used to race across from Irwin to Carlisle en route to Atlantic City for the family’s annual vacation.
If it’s got a Hemi it should have been installed a bit further back.
I see you’re in the “needs more power” camp…
I also fell into the “needs more power camp” 69 A-100 Sportsman w/ a ’73 340 and 727 auto! 🙂 (Hope to get it back on the road!)
It appears that Chrysler (sorry, FCA) has been getting active in the “crate engine” business in the last few years.
I am of a mixed mind on this. I tend to agree with you that this A100 just cries out for a slant six and a 3 speed column stick. But I am happy to see someone spend the money to “keep it in the family”. I hope this works out better than things did with the 700 hp Kevin Hart 1970 Cuda.
Yeah I’d want a disc conversion, but I wouldn’t be scared to drive it, if all the suspension components are in order. I certainly wouldn’t buy it as a commuter though and would only take it out on nice days.
As the picture shows quite clearly, it already does have disc brakes.
Yes I’m just saying that is all that I would want and that I’m fine with straight axles and buggy springs. Its not that I’m against drums either, just ones that weren’t up to the task when new.
Living in the New York area in the 1940’s and on, we had plenty of traffic on our three-lane roads. Speeding was a dangerous option that was pursued. We also had suicide roads there three lanes TOTAL: one lane in each direction and in the center was a designated passing lane available to one direction of traffic or the other and SOMETIMES the ultimate disaster, broken lines for both directions of traffic. Speeders loved these as did morticians.
A friend of mine’s dad had the van version of these as a delivery vehicle. The thing I remember most about it was that the threads for the wheels were reversed: left to tighten, right to loosen.
Somebody needs to put down their purse and put on some big boy pants. As a youngster I had a 1970 a100 van that had a dismal 318 in it stock. I found a 340 six pack in a wrecking yard cuda. After some minor modifications the van was clocked twice by Nevada highway patrol at 140mph. My biggest problem was getting the thing slowed down with the drum brakes. As a foolish youth I frequently drove it like that. I’d still do it today. Wish I had kept some pics of that van.
I recently picked up a 1966 that I’m currently restoring. I’ll keep this one.