Interesting Truck

A friend of mine had a simalar vintage Viking as a small boxed grain truck. Used it up until the mid-2000s when he was having issues with the brakes, had some sort of uncommen brake syatem- hydra-brake? Half air brake, half fluid system? 

IMO, the best engine for it was the 472 V6, and while they didn't ever COME with anything like it, a 6pd Allison overdrive transmission would be awesome... as would be about 5psi of boost, an intercooler, and any axle ratio higher than 6:10...  4.56 would be about perfect with a 0.8 overdrive and modern high-speed tires...

Those things with the big inch V6 engines were more of a truck than the later 366 Big block V8 engines were. And as mentioned the V12s would pass everything but a gas pump. I know as I've driven a few of the V12s mated to a 5&3.
   If you were thinking of a repower you most likely want something with an overdrive as most work trucks back then were geared slow.
   If you would be looking for a complete running truck, I have a 49 Dodge 2 ton for sale, that I would sell for $2000 as a C&C. This truck has had motor, brake and electrical work, to make it safe to drive. it needs paint and interior work.  I have a sale for the body that is currently o the truck, however if someone wanted the truck with the grain body, we could work something out. 

Edited by PaulB - 10 Apr 2019 at 4:21pm

It's worth whatever the seller can get for it, and buyer is willing to pay. that said, if you are really interested, your best bet is to look around some, you may find a much better deal, either equivalent truck for less, or, a lot more truck (more complete, better condition) for same money.


your likelihood of successfully completing such a project is proportional to the fourth power of the condition and completeness of what you started with. To me, that truck is a nonstarter for anybody less than a professional and/or deep pockets

a Viking just sold on an on line auction, i'll try to find it and see what it brought.

Michael V (NM) wrote: $2000 is way to much,, watch some auctions, prolly could get a good runner with a hoist and grain box for less than that...from what I see,really less than $500...

$2000 is way to much,, watch some auctions, prolly could get a good runner with a hoist and grain box for less than that...from what I see,really less than $500...

neighbor bought a Viking new, had a 16 ft grain box on it, they used it for a pickup when it wasn't hauling grain. had it til the mid 70's.

Does it have Independent front suspension with torsion bars ? Think they when back to straight front axles in '63. I had a '66 GMC  6500 with a 366 with a 5 & 2. worked good.

Ranse wrote: thendrix wrote: There was something about the Viking that was special but I don't remember what. Maybe a bigger engine or something? Pretty sure it was more than a trim package I first thought this was just a 2 ton truck. The guy told me it's a rare Viking. I googled Viking trucks. I think they were dump trucks. If you look closely at my last pic, you can see a box between the frame rails. This box had a short PTO shaft hanging from it. I'm just guessing, I really didn't find out much. Maybe someone else knows more. The wife is on board with me getting this truck. My biggest worry is I would be in over my head. $2000 I think is a lot for this truck if it was drivable. If I had to bail on it, I'm 100% certain I would lose money on it. This truck is at a salvage yard, were people take scrap metal. I bet someone brought it in and sold it for scrap, now he's trying to get two grand.

I agree 2k is to much and I agree you probably couldn't get your money back. But when you look at it like we do our tractors it really no different. If you go buy a basket case tractor and put it back together your more than likely not going to make anything but you do it because you want to. Go wave 1400 in cash in his face and see what his stance on the truck is then.

thendrix wrote: There was something about the Viking that was special but I don't remember what. Maybe a bigger engine or something? Pretty sure it was more than a trim package

I first thought this was just a 2 ton truck. The guy told me it's a rare Viking. I googled Viking trucks. I think they were dump trucks. If you look closely at my last pic, you can see a box between the frame rails. This box had a short PTO shaft hanging from it. I'm just guessing, I really didn't find out much. Maybe someone else knows more.

The wife is on board with me getting this truck. My biggest worry is I would be in over my head. $2000 I think is a lot for this truck if it was drivable. If I had to bail on it, I'm 100% certain I would lose money on it.

This truck is at a salvage yard, were people take scrap metal. I bet someone brought it in and sold it for scrap, now he's trying to get two grand.

There was something about the Viking that was special but I don't remember what. Maybe a bigger engine or something? Pretty sure it was more than a trim package

Edited by thendrix - 08 Apr 2019 at 6:53pm

Ranse,

Best would be a 350 with a 700r4. update the brakes and add power steering. a sm465 would bot in and the shifter would come up thru the same hole but you wouldn't have an overdrive or the tranny mounted E brake. so you'd need to fill the brake hole in the tunnel anyway. the originals were non syncro in 1st Rev and 2nd. if you go with a 87 to 95 you would get a TBI instead of a carb they run much better and are easy to setup.