Posted by Eric B. [99.100.188.129] on Saturday, October 05, 2013 at 16:56:05 :
In Reply to: Rarest 1957-1960 4x4 info for people to read. posted by Mark [166.137.209.28] on Saturday, October 05, 2013 at 11:36:59 :
All of the W200s I have seen were Dana 44 front and corporate full floating rear. I've heard of a Dana 70 showing up in the rear of a 1960 D300 (which also would have come with a full floating corporate) that looked original. I've never heard of that in a 1959 W200.
Are you sure the rear axle is a Dana 70? Is the pumpkin round or does it have a squared off shape? Have you checked any other Little Mos to make sure your truck wasn't just modified over the years when it broke?
As for the W205 I don't have any breakdowns on that. I have found D110s. D310s, W205s, etc over the years, but I have never figured out why the numbers were different on the tags. As of yet I haven't found anything particularly special on one of these trucks with the slightly different model number. If all the 1959 W205s had Dana 70 rear axles that would be the first thing I have seen more significant that an extra couple leafs in the rear spring packs. I attached what I think is a period shot of a Little Mo and the rear axle shaft looks like a corporate or a Dana 60. The Dana 70 hub tapers in from the axle stub towards the drum.
It is hard to say what is the most rare. 1959 W200s are not that rare in an of themselves. I have pictures of over 50 of them in my collection. I've got current shots of 5 or more 1959 Little Mos as well.
Rarity is an odd thing. One guy will go on and on about how he has a triple white 1970 Dodge Challenger with the factory CB radio and then he'll claim it is one of 5 made with those options. I'd lose interest because it was a plain 318 car and not that rare unless you focused on minor options.
To me rare starts with the basic package, W100, W200, W300, etc and then drops to engine choice. Once you've narrowed down from there options like a 9' bed from the factory are cool on a W300 or maybe your truck has stainless trim. I'm not going to try and break down a truck to the point where I say a 1959 W200 with stainless trim and a roof mounted radio is rarer than one with a hood ornament and chrome grill.
In my opinion the Little Mo was a somewhat common truck given how many survive. I have pictures of 8 1959 W500s and that includes both V8 and 6cyl. That is a rare truck in the current market. Not very valuable compared to some things, but rare.
The Little Mo package might be more significant that stainless trim, but it is an aftermarket conversion and if you want to talk about conversions I think the W300 Swamp Fox (which was done in house)would take the cake. I've never seen one outside of pictures taken during testing.
If you want the rarest truck out there go find a factory 1959 W300 with an original 9 foot Sweptline bed. I don't think Dodge made any, but if they did and there was factory proof of it or the truck still had the original paint so the originality could be verified I would put that at the top of the rare list.
Just my thoughts.
Eric
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