1941 Plymouth Moving Van

you may have better luck if you list this in the

"for sale" forum.

Not bad looking.  

Plymouth was definitely building pickups during this period...late 1930's to 1941,

but my several books on vintage trucks show Plymouth only offering 1/2 ton

chasses.  However, Dodge, and Plymouths were just rebadged Dodges, and undistinguishable in a model, did offer one ton and one ton heavy duty chasses with that front in.  Larger trucks were different.   That truck body definitely looks like ones in the Crestline book, "The Dodge Story", and old moving vans as I remember them.

"front end".  I was trying to say that the cab, hood, and front fenders and grilles are

undistiguishable from Dodge, and were the same for both brands from 1939-41 for

the lighter trucks, which was new styling from the 1938's, but carried into the late

'40's by Dodge after the war.  If I got one of these, mine would be a "Dodge", and

as noted, you could used it as a post war truck.

As a fan of the Airflow & Power Wagon look both, I have to say, that is a very nice truck.

To be more specific, Dodge used that 1939 styling through 1947, restyling the 1948

model.  Plymouth had the styling for 1939-41, and had the earlier Dodge styling on

the 1937-38 Plymouth trucks. No Plymouth pickups were offered prior to 1937,  in 1942, or after the war.

Some questions and comments, not meant as criticisms.  I've thought a lot about this since first viewing it.  

First, the resin casting for the van body:  Did you have a prototype of specific truck, or a picture in mind, when you designed it, or just freehand its dimensions?  Is it hollow inside?  How much does it weigh?  I would consider putting it on a 'Streets truck I would build: I can easily built a van body out of styrene but I really like the ribs and rivets and the cast-in liftgate at the back.  However solid resin might weigh to much and I like it best when there is room inside/below for motors, etc. 

Second, the proportions of the truck shown look a little bit off, as if the van body is a bit too big, or, more likely the case here: the Plymouth pickup cab is a bit small for what is now a 1:43 scale medium truck.  This is not to criticize the execution here.  The trick of varying the radius of the wheel wells and using different size wheels is a natural step and well done in your truck.  In my book on Modifying and Bashing O-Gauge 'Streets vehicles, I have a photo sequence (p. 20) where, by varying the ride height and wheel size/wheel-well radius of a pickup cab, it is shown how to make look like anything from a normal pickup to a heavy semi-tractor.  However, while re-sizing the wheel-wells and using larger tires on a pickup achieves the look of a bigger truck, it also changes the scale, so that the pickup, when set up as a heavy truck, is actually closest to 1:48 or 1:50, and a 1:43 van body is just a tad too larger to look right to my eye.  

If hollow, I'd like to get one or two of these van bodies to mount on ERTL 1:43 truck cab/chassis.  ERTL make several very nice medium and heavy truck cabs in 1:43, including particularly International, Diamond Reo, and Chevies that would do better than the Plymouth.  I think your van body would particularly good atop ERTL's '48 Diamond cab actually, but I have the '41 Ford medium truck chassis shown below, which I have been intending to use for something like a two-or three-axle moving van.  I also had a diecast '41 Plymouth on the layout that I imagine is similar to what you started with, so I put that nose to nose with it to show the difference.  Forgetting the difference in ride height of the models, the Ford cab itself is only subtly larger than Plymouth's: just a scale 4 inches taller from running boards to top of cab, and similarly only a bit longer from front bumper to rear of the cab, but differences like that are what the eye picks up even if we can't put our finger on it.  

I am hoping that since you use the word "assembled" in your final sentence, the van body is hollow and available now?  

Thanks all for your responses. Let me try and answer some questions. The resin van body is hollow and is very light. I have no way of actually weighing it though. The style is developed from many photos and a few modifications were made to make it easier to cast. It is not, however, an exact model of any specific van body, but does closely follow photos of a truck I took here in Atlanta. Very close! It was designed to fit the early 1950's series of Chevy pickups, but almost any 1/43 cab cane used. Pickup wheel size does not matter as I include new, larger wheels and the stock frame of the pickup is cut and extended with a styrene frame addition. Any wheel base pickup will work.

The Plymouth was chosen for my version because the fenders are cast in plastic and therefor the wheel well is easily modified to accept the new, larger wheels. The assembled bodies are just that, fully assembled and primed. They also include the new, larger wheels which are not painted. The assembled truck with Plymouth cab is fully assembled and painted. It can also be purchased in completed sub-assemblies in primer - ready for you to add whatever color you desire and then finish assembly. Coat is the same. 

As for the Plymouth cab - many of these trucks were either re-cabbed or re-van bodied over the years and this model is not intended to show any product manufactured by either Plymouth or Dodge. Many older cabs were re-van bodied over time depending upon which wore out first. 

Please send check to; Tom Yorke, 210 Pitch Lake Ct, Roswell, GA 30076 - $50 for van body or $95 for complete truck with cab. Postpaid in the U.S.

A check for two van bodies, Spanish entryway and six baggage room doors is in the mail.

Thanks,

Lee

John,

The wheel base is about 3/8" longer than the truck you have. It is very easy to stretch the wheel base. Cut the frame and add a section of styrene as shown. This strip fits over the frame that is left of the original and goes all the way to the end of the van body. After painting, glue van in place. If you wish, I can do this for you for $85. You must send me the truck also. You will get back a completed truck with new van body attached if that works for you.