First ride in a Power Wagon


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Posted by Moby on May 15, 1999 at 23:30:21:

Well, I just had my first ride in a P/W! I have always liked these vehicles and as some of you have been following my '46 WDX restoration. Unfortunatly this project is still a project that I have been basicly building from the frame up bit by bit. I have never ridden in a P/W until now. I happened to stumble across a '52 B3PW that was in a field buried up to it's axles. I approached th guy who lived in the house on the grounds and asked him if It might be for sale. He said "that old thing don't run and has been sitting there collecting rust for 20 years, If you can get it out of there you can have it!" This truck has a original bed, winch,running boards, and is basiclly complete except for a tailgate. I called a wrecker (on the guy's phone no less!) and had him meet me at the house. We started winching it out and it came right up on it's NDT's still full of air! I got it back to my house and stuck it back in the pasture vowing to forget about it untill I got my '46 done. I kept going back and looking at it and saying "Hey this truck is'nt so bad I'll bet I can make it run at least." So out came the plugs and in went a good burst of Zep 45. New plugs, tune up kit, new coil, new battery, oil and filter change and I was ready for the first crank. Turn of the key, mash on the starter, and the motor started turning! No firing though. Check the fuel filters. Glass ones on the carb and the fuel pump, bone dry. Damm! Back to the fuel tank and the drain. 2 1/2 gallons of rusty water. Yuck!! Clean the fuel filter bowls and run the fuel pump through the parts washer. I ran a line from a small gas can to the fuel pump and disconnected the line to the carb to see if the pump was working. It was'nt. Next solution: outboard motor line from gas can to carb. I pumped the bulb until the carb was primed added a little coaxer of starting fluid in the carb and... third times a charm right? It started!! I was so shocked I forgot to keep pumping the bulb to get fuel in the carb, so it died right away. "Honey, can you come here and help me a little bit?" The Mrs. got in the passenger seat and manned the "Fuel Pump". A little more starter fluid and a little less choke and It started up right away. I let it run and listened to the sweet sound of that old flathead for a while and started to drift off into daydreams of the mountians, the dogs, a fly rod, and my running Power Wagon... A funny noise brought me out of my euphoria, I do'nt know if it was the exaust leak or "Honey, my hand is starting hurt! How mutch longer do I have to do this? Honey? Hey honey!" Oh. Uh, another revelation to get rid of the funny noise. "Borrow" the fuel pump off the '46. Allright, fuel pump is on, lines are hooked up, choke off, key on, flaps, rudder, trim.. oops wrong checklist! Fired it up again, time for big things now. Push in the clutch, and shift into first, on the gas, and out on the clutch. Holy cow I'm moving!! 2nd gear, out of the field and on to the driveway headed for the road. NO BRAKES!! Oh well, I'm only going 10mph anyway. Right turn out of the driveway shift into 4th (you can almost hear the gears grinding huh?) and the rest of the story is history. Lessons learned: 1) have a understanding mate or another P/W nut close at hand. 2) Dont get in a rush. 3)Check the brakes before you let out the clutch! Hope you all enjoyed the story of me losing my P/W virginity. I'll let you know what else happens with the '52. Moby.


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