Dart pictures for 68RModel

[Geoff Weeks]

@67RModel asked for some picture, these are lousy but the best I can manage.

Only rust out is near the hinge on the LF door.

Rear cab window slide down so you can work winch controls behind the cab.

Window glass except windshield is all wrap in metal frame. 

I got new windshield and side glass soon after I pulled it to protect for the short time it was outside.  

Lots of hacking and welding on the frame, make it a good candidate for a frame swap.

[mrsmackpaul]

The high rise inlet manifold is different, guessing it is a custom jobby to fit under the bonnet

Sounds like it was a big old truck in it's day 

I know New Zealand had a couple in the south Island coal mines I think

Don't know of any in Australia, Swishy would know better than me though

 

Paul 

 

[Geoff Weeks]

That was and add on, it sits outside the hood/bonnet. Shop made. The triple air cleaner was a GM mfg part but where it sits isn't. Unfortunately it got hit when the truck was moved, and the cast aluminum cracked, but is repairable. It was set up to mount to the blower directly.

The hood was modified from original, there is evidence of a vertical exhaust exiting through the hood on the right hand side.

There is some evidence, like the air cleaner and exh that this was a re-power, although sales lit show the 6-71 as one of the engine options. The engine number is hand stamped in the block and one is "upside down", it has a rear mounted (gear driven) generator that the cab floor was "boxed in" around, that doesn't look like how the factory would have done it.

[Vladislav]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

What is the production year? And which other engine options could be applied to her at the factory?

[mrsmackpaul]

I wouldn't be surprised if the 6 71 was a re power

The 6-71 is small on power but big on width and length and they aren't really well suited to fit into trucks, they are just about two wide to fit in between a road going truck chassis, they do fit but are very tight

Paul

 

[Geoff Weeks]

Somewhere, I have the sales lit. When I 1st pulled it from the scrap yard, I dove deep into research on it. That was many years ago, and I can't lay my hands on the info sheets, but remember the general spec's

The GM diesel was one option, as was a large Wauk and Herc, both on Butane.

Transmission were 5 speed and 3 speed aux with power-tower.

As I said, the winch and rear axles were gone, as was the aux and power-tower. I purchased a 4 speed aux for it.

Best I can tell, mine was built around '53.

Dart made "off road" trucks the "100" and "150 oilfield" (mine) were the smallest trucks they made (at that timeframe) and the only of "legal" dimensions.  The GVW rating of the truck alone was either 60K or 66K (I don't remember all these years later), more than most road tractors today.

The GM 6-71 was smaller than the big Wauk of the day

There is no way to tell if mine was a "re-power" or spec'd with the 6-71, what is likely, is it is a replacement block. Only question is what the original block mfg was?

The yard I pulled it out of was padlocked, left un changed, from around 1962, that much is known. I bought it from the son of the yard owner, when the town forced him to clean it up in the early 2000's

 There were lots of old trucks, but none newer then the 50's. H model Mack, a Diamond T (that today, I wished I had bought instead) most missing their rear axles.

That means my Dart likely had a working life of less then 10years. That is why the body remained in such good condition, however the frame had been beat to hell. The front axle was moved back, the steering column and box relocated, so it entered the cab in a more vertical position, the clutch pedal/lever extended so the operator could turn around and run the winch from the drivers seat. Winch brake control is mounted on the back wall between the seats.

The person that found this yard, and worked to find the trucks a new home, sent me a super-8 movie converted to disk of either my truck or its sister, working the Oklahoma oil patch in the 50's. The abuse the trucks suffered make a 10 years in the wildcatting oil field  seam more like 50 years of more normal use. At one point mine (or its sister) were loading the draw-works, and the front axle was up off the ground at a 45 deg angle, and they didn't slow down the winch, next second, it came crashing down as the C/G past the rear axles!

 The Mack H model was beyond hope, but the Diamond T looked like it could be driven out if it had a rear axle. It was a lighter model, but I don't remember the number, Had a IHC medium six, (could have been a 269 or may be a 308) and the leather protectors on the hood corners will in good shape, the gauges (always a strong point on Diamond T's) looked perfect. 

 I chose the Dart because of it's rarity and because I thought (and hoped) it would be easier to find a home for the Diamond T. There were 50's livestock and car carrier trailers, as well. 

[Geoff Weeks]

One can Date the GM Diesel by the two large bypass oil filters, that places it in the 50's sometime, later full low filter were added at the oil cooler.

I has a Berg air supply button to pull trailers. IIRC the front axle has 18" brakes.

[Geoff Weeks]

Also it had the Tru-Stop disk E brake on the driveshaft after the Aux trans, It was a twin caliper brake, the disk and calipers were gone but the operating linkage was all there, so pre-dates spring brakes, no air parking brake control on the dash, so one wasn't added.

[mrsmackpaul]

My Federal also had the true stop E brake when new but all missing by the time it arrived in my life 

Any chance of sharing the super 8 movie ?

 

Paul 

[Geoff Weeks]

I don't know if I can find it, but if I do, I'll see if it can be posted, not sure how I would do that.

[Geoff Weeks]

I found the DVD but the file is too big to attach. It is about 25 min of oil field operations. It says 1952 on that CD. 1.1GB in one file and 300 MB in the other.

Film wasn't in great shape when it was digitized.

[mrsmackpaul]

Maybe load it to youtube or someother host site and share the link might work

Not to worry, it sounds like a interesting film

Some rig truck operators are so gentle when the load is winched past the balance point and the front wheels gently touch the ground and others are, rip tear and bust 

 

Paul

 

[mechohaulic]

7 minutes ago, mrsmackpaul said:

Maybe load it to youtube or someother host site and share the link might work

Not to worry, it sounds like a interesting film

Some rig truck operators are so gentle when the load is winched past the balance point and the front wheels gently touch the ground and others are, rip tear and bust 

 

Paul

 

based on experience ; know all about the "load is winched past the balance point.  ole Diamond T wrecker was hooked to a DM600SX roll off. let out the clutch of the 5 speed /2 speed rear = next thing myself and driver sitting in passenger seat of the wrecker were staring at the blue sky's. fortunately the Dm's front wheels touched down . not an easy let down == winch was either in or out =no feathering.