1964 Dodge Shorty 'Linda'

Goosetavi · 02-04-2018, 02:00 AM

I've been working on bringing back to life my 1964 Dodge shorty. The bus had sat since 1986, never being registered, and slowly losing parts until I found her on ebay last year.

She has that Airstream-esque Wayne body from the 60s. Chrylser 318 Poly V8 mated to a NP435 4 speed. She was used in the Rio Linda Union School Dist from 1964-1986.

I dragged her back up 5 hours from Oregon to Seattle and pieced back together a braking system, clutch system, replaced almost every wire in the harness and every light bulb. I've owned '66 and '68 Dodge trucks so this is a little familiar just much bigger.

I have replaced the following: carburetor, coil, distributor (was missing when purchased) plugs, wires, fuel pump, fuel filters, fuel line, gas tank, starter, battery and cables, voltage regulator, ballast resistor, radiator cap, alternator, brake master cylinder, brake wheel cylinders x 6, brake line, brake booster, clutch master cylinder, clutch line, slave cylinder, wheel bearings, wheel seals

I flushed out the rear differential and manual transmission along with running 3 flushes of oil through the engine to remove moisture buildup from years of water dripping into block from missing distributor hole access. I scored two more wheels so that I could run 4 wheels in the rear vs the two outers that were mounted when I purchased.

This summer I was able to fire her up and get the engine dialed in. I just picked Linda up from the tire shop today and she's sporting new 7.50-20 tube tires.

Next step is to tackle interior wiring and continue to grind off rivets and remove all the interior sheet metal. I've mostly been hanging out on the 61-71 Dodge truck forum, but as she is now a runner, attention is shifting towards the interior build as most major mechanical aspects are sorted- for now, at least.

plfking · 02-04-2018, 02:18 AM

We need a 'like' button on this site. In lieu of that, how about a

Learned to drive on my uncle's '64 dodge with 3 on the tree.....this bus looks just like it.

Nicely started, sir. Looking forward to the rest of your build.

Don

Rusty · 02-04-2018, 03:00 AM

Linda is....linda !

It means "beautiful" in Spanish, and she is!!!

We sure won't confuse your build with the masses !

Jdawgsfanasty · 02-04-2018, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goosetavi

I've been working on bringing back to life my 1964 Dodge shorty. The bus had sat since 1986, never being registered, and slowly losing parts until I found her on ebay last year.

She has that Airstream-esque Wayne body from the 60s. Chrylser 318 Poly V8 mated to a NP435 4 speed. She was used in the Rio Linda Union School Dist from 1964-1986.

I dragged her back up 5 hours from Oregon to Seattle and pieced back together a braking system, clutch system, replaced almost every wire in the harness and every light bulb. I've owned '66 and '68 Dodge trucks so this is a little familiar just much bigger.

I have replaced the following: carburetor, coil, distributor (was missing when purchased) plugs, wires, fuel pump, fuel filters, fuel line, gas tank, starter, battery and cables, voltage regulator, ballast resistor, radiator cap, alternator, brake master cylinder, brake wheel cylinders x 6, brake line, brake booster, clutch master cylinder, clutch line, slave cylinder, wheel bearings, wheel seals

I flushed out the rear differential and manual transmission along with running 3 flushes of oil through the engine to remove moisture buildup from years of water dripping into block from missing distributor hole access. I scored two more wheels so that I could run 4 wheels in the rear vs the two outers that were mounted when I purchased.

This summer I was able to fire her up and get the engine dialed in. I just picked Linda up from the tire shop today and she's sporting new 7.50-20 tube tires.

Next step is to tackle interior wiring and continue to grind off rivets and remove all the interior sheet metal. I've mostly been hanging out on the 61-71 Dodge truck forum, but as she is now a runner, attention is shifting towards the interior build as most major mechanical aspects are sorted- for now, at least.

Awesome critter right there!!!

Sent from my VS500PP using Tapatalk

EastCoastCB · 02-04-2018, 05:27 AM

I think I remember that one on Ebay.
Cool little bus!

Goosetavi · 02-04-2018, 09:06 AM

Thanks for the kind words! @Twigg I'm not sure what happened to my original post, but I read your response before it disappeared!

I'm excited to be amongst the skoolie crew and actively participate in this awesome community. Cheers!

**Johnny Mullet** · 02-04-2018, 09:46 AM

That's the coolest old Dodge I ever seen!

Tango · 02-04-2018, 10:22 AM

Just outstanding!!! --- For some reason I have a special place in my heart for vintage Wayne Skoolies. And having once owned a '66 D100 Town Wagon for 17 years, I really can appreciate that beast. Best of luck with the build and please do keep the pix coming.

djmel85 · 02-04-2018, 10:33 AM

That thing is AWESOME! Love the look of the older busses. Wish you had a YouTube channel. I would love to watch this build.

Jolly Roger bus 223 · 02-04-2018, 02:32 PM

Heading in the right direction.
Mechanics before looks is the most important.
The old dodges will always be better than what they or any others put on the roads these days.
Not saying I ain't an old Chevy or ford man but my first truck was an old dodge that I complained about to dad as a kid and he said if you blow that motor out we will replace it?
In the end? I had built a motor to go in the truck but the 6 cyl. In it just wouldn't give up.
Just before I joined the marines that truck still ran strong but if it sat for more than two days you had to pour oil on top of the Pistons to start it and after it started and used daily it was always strong and as a kid on a farm I swear if I anchored it to the ground it would pull the world around.

WanderingLass · 02-04-2018, 04:01 PM

Oh my goodness, she's like a miniature Wanda!! (1969 Bluebird 60-passenger) I love her and I can't wait to see more!! Definitely mechanics first - ask WanderingJuggler...uff da!!

1olfart · 02-06-2018, 12:39 AM

I'm jealous...... I missed getting a '63 short Dodge by a day or two, and was really bummed. My 2 yr. old granddaughter, from Mo. was visiting us, and I couldn't NOT see her. Such is my SNAFU world. Now you have to keep me up to date with yours.

Congrats

Goosetavi · 02-06-2018, 01:21 AM

I'm quite partial to these old Dodges. If anyone here has seen 'Duel' Steven Spielberg's first movie, this is the bus from that movie! Although that one is a bit longer. There's a scene where a mid 60s Dodge School Bus loaded with kids gets stuck in a sandy patch and the antagonist of the film, a 50's Peterbilt 351 pushes it free- in a momentary break from the menacing chase between truck and a seemingly random motorist in a Dodge Valiant.

I'll be grinding rivets away soon and pulling all the interior panels to assess any hidden rust or leaks and to insulate, luckily she's a shorty and won't be as painful as a full size bus. I've had good luck grinding heads off and punching rivets out.

Here are some more photos of the progress thus far.

We spent 3 hours trying to unload Linda into the driveway. She was not operational and had no brakes. This is the last know image of her before she got a black eye. She lost a headlight bezel in a fight with a Chevy 3500 brush guard rolling her into position up the driveway.

The Dodge fairy has an old bus chassis that he wouldn't let me touch

but I scored a bunch of Dodge specific parts and wheels from the ol feller

Goosetavi · 02-06-2018, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1olfart

I'm jealous...... I missed getting a '63 short Dodge by a day or two, and was really bummed. My 2 yr. old granddaughter, from Mo. was visiting us, and I couldn't NOT see her. Such is my SNAFU world. Now you have to keep me up to date with yours.

Congrats

Was it the one with the Partridge family color scheme? Or another yellow one out of the east coast?

I also recently found this monster of a power wagon last weekend. I was drooling. Coolest one I've seen yet.

Tango · 02-06-2018, 10:21 AM

Maybe it's just me, but that little beauty looks like a perfect candidate for a Cummins 6BT and Allison combo. Would be a monster that gets 20+ mpg with the right rear gears. And it would be an easy fit compared to the narrow framed pre-war rigs like mine.

Goosetavi · 02-06-2018, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango

Maybe it's just me, but that little beauty looks like a perfect candidate for a Cummins 6BT and Allison combo. Would be a monster that gets 20+ mpg with the right rear gears. And it would be an easy fit compared to the narrow framed pre-war rigs like mine.

I've looked into it! I definitely want a 6BT although I could never put an auto tranny in her. Rowing gears is half the fun! I'm curious why you went with the 4BT on your build.

I would like to find a 1 ton dodge pickup to rob the rear end, engine, and 5 speed manual from eventually. For now, I plan to keep running the stock V8 and focus on the interior build before a heart transplant. You can't kill these old Poly "wideblock" dodge engines.

1olfart · 02-06-2018, 10:44 PM

Goose, it was the colorful one in N/E Texas. It was just 2k+ and I had made up my mind that I was going to drive up, get it on my trailer, hide it (somewhere) from my wife. Did that once with a '71 Chevy pickup. When she found the title for it, I just said it was for our sons 1st truck. HE was thrilled(-:

Still looking 4 something, just out of the ordinary.

Tango · 02-06-2018, 10:56 PM

Your post war frame and front end will easily accommodate a 6BT. My '46...not. The frame narrows dramatically along with that Art Deco nose so a 4 banger was all I could squeeze in. Even then I had to cut out the firewall all the way back to the old dash. It has been an interesting journey to say the least. But given the weight, the four will be plenty coupled with 6 close ratio gears and 2 OD's.

If you have not seen it yet, check out 4BTswaps.com. Great bunch of very savvy diesel folks with the focus on 4 & 6 BT transplants. Some very basic, some outrageous (Hint...you can get 800 horses out a of a six). Me...I'm fine with the stock 130. That is 50% more than this bus came with, plus nearly three times the torque. I might dial mine up to about 175-200. All it takes is a screwdriver. These things are so easy to turn up it is ridiculous.

Whatever you do...please...keep the pix coming and have fun.

Goosetavi · 02-13-2018, 12:54 AM

Spent some time today removing the interior ceiling sheet metal panels. These things were massive! An angle grinder did quick work of the rivets. There's some moisture here on underside of roof metal, but no rust holes. I think water is seeping in through the roof seams.

cowlitzcoach · 02-13-2018, 01:45 AM

If both of your windshield wipers operate at the same time with one switch, IIRC the replacement wiper motor is from a 1959 Imperial.

We had a 1965 IHC Loadstar with a 9-row Wayne body. It too had the wipers hung from above the windshield like your bus does. That was a pretty good old bus--easy to drive, not too bad on fuel usage, and it could sit for weeks at a time during the winter and it would start right up and be ready to go. By the late '70's it had become a spare bus. And then one day some junk and plunder that wasn't supposed to be in that overhead compartment moved around and got all buggered up into the wiper mechanisms. Before the driver realized he had a problem the wiper motor burned out.

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