Posted by Charlie on January 09, 1999 at 01:13:28:
In Reply to: You've got to be kidding posted by Mark on January 06, 1999 at 07:26:51:
Yes, much of what you said was true. The dies were disposed of during the Chrysler bankruptcy (70s?). Thanks, Lee. If they still existed, some small time sheet metal fabricator who is a PW nut could have gotten them and made some parts. Of course, the parts are simple enough that with CAD/CAM, it could be done now if the demand were there.
Regarding our propensity to buy stuff: I spent some of the evening checking the sites "TLC" ("Toyota Land Cruiser") and "Cool Cruisers of Texas". These two outfits buy 62-89 Toyota Landcruiser 40, 55 and 60 series and restore them on an assembly line basis. Their most elaborate restoration has been described by Toyota/USA as "better than new". As we know, Landcruisers have become popular with poseurs (=$$$$$$$), but many of us (I own a Canadian origin factory 4cyl diesel BJ40) started with and still own Landcruisers. Certainly of the same genre as Power Wagons/M37s, without getting into nationalistic/etc. arguments please. The fact is there are at least two companies rebuilding Landcruisers and manufacturing body parts, both large sheetmetal and little doodads. This hasn't been necessary with M37 due to the huge overhang of surplus NOS parts (there's still NOS stuff for WW2 WCs!) but the time is approaching where it may become profitable for someone to start making Power Wagon parts again. That person/company will also be in the re-building business, I predict.
As far as "NEVER EVER MODIFY"? Any absolute statement invites disagreement. Is power steering bad? It was a factory option. If you have it, does it have to be the factory type only? Are front disk brakes bad? Is it bad to want to be able to stop safely? Is a more efficient powerplant that has somewhat better performance than the flathead and weighs the same, is it bad?
I think most of us would not enjoy looking at a Power Wagon on 26" tires, lowered 6", with the transfer case removed, with a gas V8 and a 2 speed Powerglide automatic. Would we all puke seeing a PW with a Cummins or Hercules 4 cyl turbodiesel, cleanly installed, 5spd, 37-38" Michelin military radials with lockers, disk brakes and power steering/ Probably not. It would make us happy to see it tooling down the road, advertising our cult.
Charlie