This 1963 Dodge will likely be the most unique vehicle at every car show that the buyer attends.
Dodge trucks from the 1960s are fairly rare at car shows because back then, most people bought trucks to use them for working purposes. Unlike performance cars from the 1960s, trucks and vans were purchased to do a job and in most cases, those jobs eventually ran the antique trucks and vans into the ground. Because of buyer habits, seeing a clean 1963 Dodge truck at a car show is unusual, but this blue-and-white Panel Van will likely be the most unique car vehicle at even the largest Mopar events.
If Papa Smurf Drove a ’63 Dodge
If the leaders of the Smurfs drove a 1963 Dodge Panel Van, there is a good chance that it would just like this machine posted on ClassicCars.com. The vehicle description explains that this antique hauler is a 4×4, six-cylinder model with a three-speed manual transmission with the shifter mounted on the steering column along with a “custom interior with nice sound system”.
On the outside, this 1963 Dodge Panel Van has been beautifully restored with an era-correct look. We don’t know if this light blue hue was offered back in 1963, but the two-tone blue-and-white layout looks like something that we would have seen on a vehicle like this when it was new. If this color package wasn’t offered back then – it should have been.
In addition to the two-tone paint scheme, this 1963 Dodge has some era-correct chrome wheels wrapped in modern Firestone rubber, but everything else looks like it could have come from the factory.
"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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.