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InTheGarageMedia.com
THREE HUNDRED BUCKS … AND A DOG
Charles Black’s 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
By ROB ForTIER images by Josh Mishler
T

he year 1954 was a big one—it saw the advent of poodle skirts, Wiffle balls, and most famous of all, the marshmallow Peep! But unless you’re a huge fan of ’50s kitsch, baseball, or nasty candy, those are of little to no relevance. In the automotive world, however, there was some rather exciting developments coming from the Chrysler camp.

While General Motors was about to transition from its Advance Design into the Task Force era, and Ford wrapping up its full-fendered F-100 run before entering the refrigerator market, Dodge did something that at the time was quite revolutionary: introduced the all-new C-Series (1954-60) pickup—a completely new design that offered more passenger car styling elements (especially with the debut of the Sweptline in 1957), available with everything from a 230ci flat inline-six to the Power Giant model 331 Hemi in 1957. Now that’s a hot rod truck from the factory, ain’t it?!

3/4 side view of black 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
Back in 1983, Savana, Georgia’s Charles Black acquired his 1954 Dodge C-1B Utiline for a whopping $300—a price that also included the seller’s dog! But it wasn’t until exactly 20 years later that Denton, Maryland’s Hot Rod Garage began to give the Dodge that oh-so-proper hot rod makeover.

And that aforementioned makeover, which was completed back in 2005 (yes, nearly 20 years ago!), didn’t take a whole lot: Fatman IFS and a set of Posies’ parallel leaves under a new 9-inch rearend to get the desired stance and ride, while a Mopar 360 V-8 crate engine with a 727 TorqueFlite trans do their part to accommodate the rodding around properly.

closeup of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series taillight
truck bed of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
3/4 rear view of black 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
engine part that reads mopar magnum
tire of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
front seats of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
side view of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
Externally speaking, Hot Rod Garage spent a good amount of time further perfecting the C-Series styling. Originally a five-widow 1/2-ton, Hot Rod Garage opted to increase Charles’ blind spots by filling the cab’s corner windows—a move with rather clean results—while at the same time replacing the stock driprails with hand-formed round rod. The once three-piece hood was made into a one-piecer that now opens in a traditional alligator fashion. Once the bed box was massaged smooth and fit with an oak bed floor. A 1956 F-100 rear bumper was added before the bodywork and PPG black paint were finished by Hot Rod Garage’s Jason Lester. A set of polished Billet Specialties Legacy wheels in 16- and 17-inch sit just right with that updated stance.
engine of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
front view of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
dashboard of 1954 Dodge Hot Rod C-Series
For the interior, Hot Rod Garage’s Dean Alexander handled the premium tan leather upholstery in-house, using a Glide Engineering bench, custom-made door panels, and complementing tan wool carpet in the process. To add that perfect hot rod finishing touch, a Flaming River column with a three-spoke Bell-style wheel and a trio of Classic Instruments Hot Rod Series gauges (of course!) in an engine-turned insert were added to the cab’s superclean, no-frills cab.
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