Dodge didn’t make a 1955 extended cab pickup, so the previous owner took it upon himself to create one himself.
Extended cab pickups werent a thing until Dodge created the first long-body, two-door truck in 1973. However, someone crafted their own 1955 extended cab Dodge truck using parts from a few different vehicles, adding a built V8 as the cherry on top of a very interesting automotive sundae.
We came across this unique machine on ClassicCars.com while flipping through the listings. The listing calls it a 1955 Dodge Pickup, but anyone who is familiar with the history of American trucks will quickly recognize that something isn’t quite right about this truck.
That is because Dodge didn’t make a 1955 extended cab pickup, so the previous owner took it upon himself to create one, creating a one-of-a-kind truck that is likely the most unique we have seen from this era.
From the front, this looks like a proper 1955 Dodge C1B truck right down to the brown paint, but as you walk around to the side, you are greeted by a much larger cabin than was offered on any truck in the 1950s. The cab of the original truck had the back cut off and a rear portion of a 1989 Caravan added, creating an extended cab 1955 truck.
Of course, lengthening the truck by a significant margin meant that the stock frame was too short, so the owner who completed the project used the frame from a 1977 half-ton truck. The owner then added a custom wood-lined flatbed and a modern interior with leather seats.
So the hood, fenders and cab front of a 1955 Dodge C1B, an extended portion of the cab crafted from a 1989 minivan, the underpinnings of a 1977 D150 and some variety of late-model interior came together to create a very cool antique pickup.
Modern Moving Parts
In swapping to the 1977 D150 chassis, this project gained power steering, power brakes and a far tougher suspension setup than the original ’55 would have offered, but that newer frame was designed to hold a V8 – so the previous owner put together a worked 360-cubic inch mill to tuck under the hood.
Power from that modern V8 is sent through an A727 TorqueFite automatic transmission to the rear wheels and while we don’t know what they used for a rear gear ratio, this unusual pickup is probably pretty quick – as vehicles that look like 1955 Dodge C1B’s go.
Dodge didn’t build a V8-powered, extended cab pickup back in 1955, but someone else did and the result is a little funky and very cool.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
