1972 prototype dodge truck?

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It's definitely a 70's Cab at the very least, may not be early 70's, but its 70's for sure. So is the bed and doors.

Starting in 1981, they changed the roof design (square back instead of rounded), and added an additional body line on the fenders, doors and quarters. That's how you can tell all of the sheet metal is 72-80 Early style body parts instead of the later 81-93 style body parts.


Also, the frame/Front Crossmember doesn't have Body Mount Holes in it (there would be 2 holes, side by side in the middle of the crossmember if it was a newer frame), so that tells you its an early 70's frame (pre-75). Early 70's trucks had the Core Support Body Mounts on the Outboard Mounts on the frame. This caused problems with cracking in the core support due to flex, so sometime around 74 they moved the body mounts for the core support inboard to the Front Crossmember. But Dodge never removed those Outer Mount Brackets from the frame (even up to 1993) even though they were never used again beyond 1974-75.
 
Funny story.

When they were changing over the St. Louis assy plant to run the 97 Dodge ram, they found a cab for a 71 Dodge pick up truck in the bottom of the uniprime tank. Apparently it fell off the carrier when it was dunked in the uniprime and was sitting in the bottom of the tank for 26 years! It had about an inch of primer caked on it after being in there so long.

It's mind boggling to think that it was in the bottom of the primer tank for all of those years and didn't interfere with any other trucks being built. You would think that it would hit any of the trucks processed behind it....
 
RustyRatRod said:
Sorry Gary, you are incorrect. The steering boxes on the earlier trucks were on the inside of the frame. The later truck on the outside. I have an 83 D150 chassis that the steering box is in the same place. I forget when they changed it, but that chassis is not a 72. Neither is the sheet metal.
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Edit*** I correct myself. I just looked through my photos and the steering gear on my 1976 Warlock 2wd 360 auto is on the outside of the frame.
 
I thought Concept Cars and Prototypes did not have a vin to keep them from being sold to the public?
 
Old Tired Rebel said:
I thought Concept Cars and Prototypes did not have a vin to keep them from being sold to the public?
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I know the 55 Ranchero I have on the hill that you looked at has a VIN and it has four additional digits on the plate that are not supposed to be there. The last digit is a p. Ford confirmed that there was 6 prototype Rancheros made in the Dallas plant and that is where mine came from but I have never been able to confirm that it is one of the 6. It was a production vehicle overseas in 55.
 
It could have had a reassigned VIN too. In CT IIRC they assign all numbers, no letters. Cool looking eithe rway. I love that vinyl top.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
I know the 55 Ranchero I have on the hill that you looked at has a VIN and it has four additional digits on the plate that are not supposed to be there. The last digit is a p. Ford confirmed that there was 6 prototype Rancheros made in the Dallas plant and that is where mine came from but I have never been able to confirm that it is one of the 6. It was a production vehicle overseas in 55.
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You need to restore that car. It's a neat part of Ford History.
 
About the only thing a bunch of zeros in the VIN would mean is it was a pilot build or real early production for whatever year truck it started life as. It's obviously gone through a lot of changes since then.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Sorry Gary, you are incorrect. The steering boxes on the earlier trucks were on the inside of the frame. The later truck on the outside. I have an 83 D150 chassis that the steering box is in the same place. I forget when they changed it, but that chassis is not a 72. Neither is the sheet metal.
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Since that body style was introduced on the light trucks in'72, and '73 was identical, I stand by my comment. Out in my garage is a '73, long bed 1/2 ton that I bought new in May of '73, and it has the same sheet metal and steering box location as the one being discussed.
 
Then I stand corrected. My apologies. ...and you shouldn't be dangling such a beautiful truck in here. That aint fair. lol
 
I personally would go check it out, he probably doesn't mean all zeros but 100027 as the production number. That would be the 27th off the line on a completely redesigned 72 model year. Definitely a preproduction. Not some unique long bed "big" little red, but still a cool truck restored back the way it should be. If the rest of the Vin shows the 383 to be factory then you really have something, full production 72s should have a 400 as the only big block. Like I said, the Vin is worth a look before poo-pooing it.
 
And like I said, he might know a lot more about it when you contact him......then you can decide if it's hogwash.
 
74Dusted said:
It's definitely a 70's Cab at the very least, may not be early 70's, but its 70's for sure. So is the bed and doors.

Starting in 1981, they changed the roof design (square back instead of rounded), and added an additional body line on the fenders, doors and quarters. That's how you can tell all of the sheet metal is 72-80 Early style body parts instead of the later 81-93 style body parts.


Also, the frame/Front Crossmember doesn't have Body Mount Holes in it (there would be 2 holes, side by side in the middle of the crossmember if it was a newer frame), so that tells you its an early 70's frame (pre-75). Early 70's trucks had the Core Support Body Mounts on the Outboard Mounts on the frame. This caused problems with cracking in the core support due to flex, so sometime around 74 they moved the body mounts for the core support inboard to the Front Crossmember. But Dodge never removed those Outer Mount Brackets from the frame (even up to 1993) even though they were never used again beyond 1974-75.
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I apologize for being wrong on it being a late 70's truck, but can you please explain the anti-sway bar or tell me where I could get one. it seems like only late 80's trucks had that piece
 
PanGasket said:
I apologize for being wrong on it being a late 70's truck, but can you please explain the anti-sway bar or tell me where I could get one. it seems like only late 80's trucks had that piece
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Nope72's had sway bars mainly big block trucks but I have had two small block trucks-72that also had them
 
any thing is possible in the car world in detroit,,some things would boggle your mind,,,some vehicles are in the making 10 years in advance before they come to life,,,i have friends in detroit in the auto industry,,that have friends at chrysler,,,never say never,,,,

the big 3 in detroit regularly junk,hack,chop up new vehicles with as little as 3 miles on them,,if you know people in detroit the parts can be had from the junk yards,,,,google the 2015 mustang you wil lsee it driving around in a bag only the wind shield visable,,,
 
I still think.... fullashit fullashit fullashit fullashit

If that was a real prototype "big red truck" in 72 it would be in the same class pilot cars. It would be worth 6 figures. Some of yall will believe anything.
 
Even though it's not legit it could be a pretty neat
and different truck if the $$$$$$$$ were right and
everything is there.Rust in rockers what truck doesn't
 
RustyRatRod said:
I still think.... fullashit fullashit fullashit fullashit

If that was a real prototype "big red truck" in 72 it would be in the same class pilot cars. It would be worth 6 figures. Some of yall will believe anything.
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Yes I totally agree I mean come on a 67 383[in 72] and 'super bee'disk brakes=didnt happen,its a morph..not a factory prototype,probably some dude took a city truck[notice white paint on firewall] and morphed a 383 from a stationwagon,aint sure where he came up with the superbee concept,painted it red,either put the decals on the doors or took doors off a another truck,built some 'racks' for the bed...only thing rare is that it's never been seens before =cause they never existed from the factory,just imagine what the front clip is gonna look like prob has a 6pk scoop and a go wing and a factory tach mounted in the mirror....this is somebodys botched abortion nightmare..nothing more=junk,or parts..I do not believe any of it,I know MA MOPAR did some weird sh#t from time to time but not this,only 'prototype for this trk was for the gas co...the rest is someone else's imagination...
 
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