Posted by Photo Classifieds [68.116.181.98] on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 10:09:43 :
Contact: michael_gillespie@yahoo.com
Offered is a rare example of a Dodge Power Wagon Crew Cab that’s in great original shape. This truck started life as an Air Force support vehicle at Edwards Air Force Base, Nebraska. I have some inspection cards and an original vehicle slip from the Air Force that were in the glove box. After that it served in the US Forestry Service and from there went on to be a brush truck for the Beaver City Fire Department in Beaver City Iowa. I still have the original registration slip and holder that attaches it to the steering column from 1972. I also have the old Motorola Radio used when it was a fire truck. This is a rolling piece of American history. Since acquiring it I have made improvements to add to its safety and drive ability.
Brakes – I have replaced the original single circuit manual brakes with a brand new dual circuit master cylinder and power booster from MP Brakes.
Fuel Tank – These trucks originally had the gas tank in the interior behind the back seat. I located a new poly fuel tank under the bed between the frame rails. This is safer and freed up space for new seats inside.
Seats – I replaced the original bench seats with a seats and center console that flips up for a jump seat from a modern truck. The front seats have integrated shoulder belts, the console has a lap belt and all three seats across the back have shoulder belts for seating for 6. This is great for hauling the kids safely. I still have the original bench seats which are in good shape.
Wheels – The truck came with aftermarket wheels, but I found a set of original 17.5 inch Budd rims and put new Yokohama 703B medium duty radial truck tires on them.
Engine - The original tag on the truck calls out a V8 engine. The truck came to me with a slant six 225 cid engine with a New Process (NP) 420 Transmission. I found a 1967 LA 318 which came with a forged crank and a NP435 4 speed trans to replace the slant six and the NP420. I reworked the 318 to the point that it now runs great and is an absolute blast to drive. The modifications are listed below. I still have the slant 6 and NP420 if you want them.
· Replaced the old heads with casting #302 swirl port heads from a 1985 318.
· Valve job – performed by Don’s Performance Corner in Harrisburg, PA
· Valve springs checked and shimmed by Don’s
· I port matched the intake and exhaust openings
· Mopar Performance Cam and lifters
· Hi volume oil pump and hardened drive shaft
· Double roller timing chain
· Edelbrock Performer intake manifold
· Edelbrock 600cfm carb
· Mopar electronic ignition
· Hedman long tube headers
· 2 ¼ Dual exhaust with crossover pipe
· Dual 36” Thrush glasspack mufflers. They make a great throaty sound, but not raspy like you get with short glasspacks.
Drivetrain – I replaced the rear axle with a Dana 70 out of a ’94 Cummins Diesel Dodge truck. The front is a Dana 44 with the old swivel lever lockout hubs
Body – The body is remarkably solid for a 46 yr old truck. All the typical areas where these things rust out are very solid. The cowls are perfect, the rockers and step areas are completely solid. The bottoms of the doors are completely solid. All the wheel lips and rain gutters are solid. The hood was sat on when it was a brush truck and it looks like it had opened when it was driving at some point because there’s evidence of a crease across the middle. However, I have a perfect replacement hood which is included. The tailgate opens and closes but had something dropped on it at some point in the past. I also have another tailgate that also goes with it. The bed has two areas on the top rails that were cut to fit a water tank and they banged in the wheel wells to fit it in. However, I also have an extra bed with perfect rails and wheel wells to repair these areas.
Overall the truck is in great shape and is a lot of fun to drive. It’s greeted by thumbs up and waves every time I drive it, and I always make a new friend when I gas up as people love to talk about it. You could continue to restore it or enjoy it as it is for a long time. I just don’t have time to continue to work on it so I’m passing it on. It’s a great piece of history and a prime example of when trucks were trucks.
I can share a more complete set of pictures to those interested.
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