Hi everyone. I'm Phil, all the way from Québec, Canada.

I signed up because I considered to restore my grand-father's 1973 Dodge D300.
Even before touching a bolt on it, I wanted some advise on the availability of parts for such a thing. I know Dodge dealers don't have anything. I found a couple websites selling parts, but it seems difficult to find OEM parts as I would like to keep it stock.

If you gies would recommend anything from websites to part manufacturers, that would be great.

Here are the stats :
-1973 Dodge D300
-Engine : 318 CI V8 rated at 160 hp when new (if it makes 100 hp today, I'd be impressed )
-Transmission : 8 speed + 2 reverse (basically 4 speed in low and another 4 speed in high)
-Axle : All I know is that the rear differential is limited slip and that the front hub can be locked/unlocked manually. So it can be a 2WD or a 4WD.
-Cab : It's the most basic cab that can possibly exist. I believe it's only a 2 seater.

Here's the history of that big boy.
Originally, this was a snow plow/salt truck used by our city. It had the one way plow and a salt bucket on the back. I believe that originaly, it was painted yellow. It was later painted orange.
After the city got tired of it, it got sold to a neighbor of my grand-father. He then painted it the blue color you see today.
My grand-father bought the truck form the neighbor. When he bought it, the salt bucket was not on it. Whe have never known what happended to it. My grand-father used it to clear the half-mile oval track he has on his farm during winter. The oval was used for training horses, since my grand-father had a horse farm.
My grand-father only made sure that it kept running. He did not care at all for anything else on the truck (as the pictures show )

Today, it still runs, but it's pretty worn. Engine takes oil, rust everywere, only one wheel still has a working brake. Amazingly it still did the job. Here's a video of me pushing a 5 feet snow bank :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Y8nPckiQs

Anyways, thanks for the help!

Phil.

 

Welcome to DF! I will move this to the 1st gen Ram section. They may be able to help you out.

 

Man, that's gonna be a tough one as it looks like body panels are just falling off it.

Nearest thing I can think of would be to give it a through check to make sure the frame isn't compromised. Then you gotta start sourcing body panels. If I remember correctly, the 1980-83 trucks had some of the same body panels as the earlier trucks did, just different taillights and grille.

 

hard to say what to do. what shape is the roof in? looks good from the pictures but the doors are making me think you will need all new floor pans, cab supports and structure. you can buy new floor pans and cab supports but you will have to make your own structure. you also have to make sure the frame is solid.

 

If you don't mind spending a few hundred $ on body panels, go for it.

By the way, that truck is a w300, not a d300. W indicates 4x4.

Does it have a 2-speed rear end? Or by 8 speeds, do you mean the low range on the transfer case? The transfer case isn't really meant to be shifted on the fly between low and high, so most people would call that a 4-speed.

EDIT: If you don't want it, I'll take it off your hands!!!

 

Thanks! much appreciated!

 

The body panels are heavily rusted but they are still well fixed on the truck. The hood is ok but the doors and front fenders will need to be replaced.

The frame is rusted but it's not holed out. I believe a good sandblast, and a bit of local reinforcements and a nice paint will do. One thing tho, I think the frame in bent and will need to be corrected. What happened is the snow plow once bit in some unforzen earth and the truck went from 20 to 0 in no time. The plow supports broke and the truck endded up on top of the plow.

Good to know that 80-83 bodypanel could possibly fit on this year model. Thanks for the tip!

 

The roof is in great shape actually. No rust. I think the floor pans can be saved, aldo they will need a lot of work and patching. They are only pierced just under the doors. I will have to get a closer look.
Same goes for the cab. It's the least rusted part of the truck and I would like to keep it.
On thing is for sure, this truck need a frame off restoration to make sure everything is ok. I believe the frame is solid but it will need some close attention.

 

When I (sorry I don't intend on selling) will restore that truck, I will do it right. There's no doubt I will spend a couple thousand $ to get it back to it's original glory. Body panels will be part of the budget.

Thanks for the clarification. I tought the W was a diffrent bodystyle.

By 8 speed, I mean that it has a low and a high range. So I would guess it's called a 4 speed with a low range. When I drove it, I didn't change form low to high range when rolling. I stopped, put it into neutral and than changed form low to high. good to know I was doing it right!

 

if the roof is good then the rest should not be too bad. they make new cab supports and floor pans for your truck but if it needs any of the structure you will have to make it yourself but it should not be too bad. i think you will need at least 1 new fender and 2 doors just because the ones you have are almost too far gone to try saving.