Truck Bodies

My grandfather and great-grandfather owned a company which built truck bodies in Ontario, Canada for Dodge Bros., from 1925 to 1931. Does anyone know of any websites which have pictures of what the truck bodies for these trucks would look like. I am not exactly sure of what it means to build truck bodies. A friend of mine who in interested in antique cars told me that the old frames where made out of wood but I cannot visualize this.

I've seen photos of trucks from the twenties falling apart in a field or junk-yard because the wood inside the body had rotted. For the cabs they would build a wooden frame in tthe shape that they wanted for the cab, then cover it over with sheet metal held on with nails. Later on the sheet metal shapes got more sophisticated and the wood was only there as a reinforcement, and held in with screws. Take a look at something like the box on a moving truck and it's a lot easier to visualize: make a wooden frame in the shape of the box, then nail metal panels on it to close itt in. Hope this helps.

Hi, Dave, Found your question on the Internet, as concerns early truck bodies. I probably don't have any information on Dodge truck bodies, but since many bodies were built for all makes by various independent bodybuilders in the teens and 20's, I can offer you some help. I have a picture booklet of wood truck bodies made by a 'Ford Body Co.' in Greensboro, N.C. (probably no connection to Ford Motor Co.) although most of the bodies are pictured on Model T Ford commercial chassis. I can scan some and email them to you, if you wish. It may also be of interest to you that I own a rare 1930 Dodge 21' speedboat (watercar) with the double cockpit/double windshield configuration. It's pretty much restored, but not completely. I've only had it for about 30 years. Any time now. Straight 8 Lycoming powerplant was missing, so I installed a Chevy 283 w/Lehman conversion and Borg-Warner velvet-drive reverse gear. It won't sink. I have $$$ stuffed into all the seams. Ed Jacobowitz