Legacy Power Wagon

[PeterPalmieri]

Thought this may be something you would all enjoy seeing. Not very useful on the flat suburban sprawl of Long Island but cool none the less. With a price tag to match

[luis]

This is what I really really like
All the best

[Tommy]

Thanks for the link, Peter. I posted a while back that I considered the '48-'68 Dodge Power Wagon to be the "Bertram 31" of terra firma: a classic legend with no peer. Those guys have a sandbox similar to ours at www.dodgepowerwagon.com, and they help each other out just like our crowd does.

[Bob H.]

That is my favorite truck of all time..my wife's late uncle had one he used for a tree business..could go anywhere, dropped trees on it hauled chippers daily and never quit..would love to find one and do a make over..matching grey and black as used on Resolute..anyone have a lead on on? BH

[IRGuy]

Back in the 50s when I was a kid a local farmer had one.. he plowed, cut hay, pulled a baler, and did all the things a tractor was used for with it. Even at that age I was impressed with it. It might have been the predecessor of today's Unimog.

[Navatech]

It might have been the predecessor of today's Unimog.

Today's Unimog?!... IIRC the Unimog design is from the late 40's... And in production since the early 50's... Having said that, I personally do not doubt that the Unimog was, at least partly, based on the WWII US military 3/4 ton trucks by Dodge (which was also, I believe, the ancestor of the Power Wagon)...

Last but not least, personally I'd rather be driving a Power Wagon then a Unimog...

[Tommy]

You are correct, Navatech; the Dodge Civilian Power Wagon was introduced in '48 and was designed to use the huge inventory of Dodge parts from their WWII military production (engines, trans, transfer cases, axles, gears, PTO winches, etc). As several guys stated, they were mechanical beasts that could stand up to abuse (like our 31s)!

[scot]

Great! Now there is something worth buying. Sounds like they are using surplus K20 Chevy (Dana 60 & GM 12 bolt) military axles, which are plentiful. The bodies would seem to be much tougher to come by!
When I was a kid there was a Power Wagon on a duck lease nearby, someone had installed tractor tires on it and it basically went anywhere they pointed it. My first view of a home made monster truck in the mid 60s, 20 years ahead of Bigfoot.

[PeterPalmieri]

Here you go Bob

http://www.powerwagonadvertiser.com/for ... esc&page=3

[Rawleigh]

If only I were rich!!

[Bob H.]

Cool link thanks Pete..BH

[Tony Meola]

If only I were rich!!

Rawleigh

You are rich, you have all of us. LOL

[Yannis]

There's something I don't understand. Here in Europe a Unimog is a sturdy little truck that is certainly not for cruising; they use it in ski resorts where they attach a plow and open the roads from the snow, public utilities use it to reach remote places that no other vehicle can reach etc. The problem is that this truck is most certainly made by Mercedes Benz since WWII. Nothing to do with Dodge or anything american.Can someone explain why?

[Navatech]

Yannis, I'm not sure I understand your question... Yes, the Unimog is made by Mercedes Benz since the early 50's... It was originally envisioned as a farming vehicle... It's also undeniable that its design "borrowed" a lot from 4WD trucks (you might call it a pickup) that Dodge made during WWII... The Power Wagon is simply the post war civilian version...

The US is very different from Europe in that there are many areas that aren't "civilized" (i.e. no paved roads, heavy snowfall etc)... In such places the Power Wagon offers a sensible vehicle for pleasure as well as for work... Indeed, most Power Wagons were originally used in rural areas... Nowadays they're mostly a hobby... Like people owning a 4WD Jeep in the Netherlands... You don't really need it but it's fun to have...

[Rawleigh]

In that case Tony I will take a collection from each of you and go buy one!! LOL! The "new" American Way!

[Rickysa]

Back in the early '70's my Dad and I would cut firewood on the new survey lines and properties that were going to used for a quarry..one of the guys on the survey crew was a buddy of my Dad so we used the company truck....A white Power Wagon. Coolest thing in the world.

[IRGuy]

I was driving this AM and saw a neat looking pickup truck on the back of a flatbed wrecker. When I got closer I saw it was a Studebaker 4WD. It looked perfect.. I assume it was restored. I am not sure I have ever seen one before. Does anyone know when these were made? It sort of looked like a mini Dodge Power wagon.

[Dug]

Bob,

Here you go. All done!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Power-Wag ... ars_Trucks

[MarkS]

Frank, South Bend Indiana and some were assembled in Canada. There was a dealer across the street from our business in my home town.

[IRGuy]

Thanks Mark.. do you know when these were made? When I was a kid I was car crazy like all my friends, and all of us could tell you the make, year and model of almost everything on the road. Today I can hardly tell one from the other.. such is old age!

[MarkS]

Same here. We used to play name the car as we passed on the highway on the hour long journey to grandmas house. Like you said, most of the time now I have no idea. Pretty sure they stopped production in 66.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker

They dealers son had a model (I think it was an Avanti) with a 289 in it which I am pretty sure was stock. It was Studebakers shot at a muscle car. In the summer occasionally I see it on the street still today. It sounds great but is pretty ugly..........so it has two things going for it!