Readying for the KW

[Mother Deuce]

Not a W300. Here's my Dodge Power wagon: I have wanted one of those since I was a kid. I am envious!


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1956 C4. First year for double frame 9500 LB option. Syncro trans. This one was & is free of rust outs, but had thousands of small dents. A Garwood 16Y winch in rear does double duty as dump power for the dump body I built. I couldn't get a windshield frame, It's been off the road a couple years. Vintage Power Wagons has reproduced the frame. They sell the whole assembly, powder coated black aluminum. Original windshield frames are scarce as chicken teeth.
The new one is still wrapped in bubble wrap. One winter day I promise to get it into the garage, fire up the furnace, and tend to a few nagging issues. It's been drooling transmission oil around the gasket on the PTO, It has lost its brake fluid mysteriously. All brake components were new 500 miles ago. I hope it isn't serious.

Truck has had all gearboxes gone through & resealed, several Speedy Sleeves on shafts. Engine was fresh 2000 miles ago. These had the 230 Flat head 6. They were a nightmare with failed head gaskets. The engine guy who rebuilt it kept telling me it was a timing issue. I assured him I had checked timing several times, both timing light & ohm meter. He finally came out to check it. Reached into the distributor, and demonstrated the rotor was able to move a few degrees rotation on distributor shaft. He brought a good one with him.
This may have had duals when new, it has 4.89 ratio they used on the 6.50-16 tires as duals. I passed a car with it once!

 

[old-iron-habit]

Well have a Pile of 'Stuff a GMC 7000 and the old Chevy 70 awaiting JY on the 20th. Chevy would not start again even after JUST used it, found gas leaking from one bowl so the Governed Holley is DONE, installed a Edelbrock AFB knockoff, all is good. Had to stretch the throttle linkage a bit and run a Acc side power to the Electric Choke where even on OLD gas works well, started Easy. a few minor adjustments to get it closer and then repaired a intermittent power to the Hydraulic Clutch Coil, bad Bullet connector, cleaned up a few items and it will now sit in the shop until a week from Sunday where will get moved back outdoors and await a chariot ride to Oklahoma. Air Cleaner Stud No Fitty New Carb so made a connector.

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You might want to add a tack weld to that air cleaner connector coupler on on one end. When I was a kid, dads near new 1964 C-60 Chevrolet tag axle pulp truck had a connector like that holding the air cleaner. Somehow it rattled off and went thru the carb and on into a valve breaking that and the valve head then going thru a piston.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

First the aluminum bodies are Anodized, somewhat for a Corrosion inhibitor but also a Sealant as thin cast aluminum is Porous, will as the anodizing erodes away definitely corrode but also fail to seal gas in and vacuum under the plates. Cannot fix that except a replacement New unit. Throttle Shafts erode in their bushings, bushings get thin, bushings walk in the throttle plate base and again vacuum leaks become uncontrollable.

They do make marine grade Edelbrock carburetors, I've installed a few that still purr 5 years later on saltwater bodies.
https://www.edelbrock.com/shop/carburetors/marine-series.html?product_list_limit=30

 

[Mother Deuce]

Not a W300. Here's my Dodge Power wagon:


View attachment 229280


1956 C4. First year for double frame 9500 LB option. Syncro trans. This one was & is free of rust outs, but had thousands of small dents. A Garwood 16Y winch in rear does double duty as dump power for the dump body I built. I couldn't get a windshield frame, It's been off the road a couple years. Vintage Power Wagons has reproduced the frame. They sell the whole assembly, powder coated black aluminum. Original windshield frames are scarce as chicken teeth.
The new one is still wrapped in bubble wrap. One winter day I promise to get it into the garage, fire up the furnace, and tend to a few nagging issues. It's been drooling transmission oil around the gasket on the PTO, It has lost its brake fluid mysteriously. All brake components were new 500 miles ago. I hope it isn't serious.

Truck has had all gearboxes gone through & resealed, several Speedy Sleeves on shafts. Engine was fresh 2000 miles ago. These had the 230 Flat head 6. They were a nightmare with failed head gaskets. The engine guy who rebuilt it kept telling me it was a timing issue. I assured him I had checked timing several times, both timing light & ohm meter. He finally came out to check it. Reached into the distributor, and demonstrated the rotor was able to move a few degrees rotation on distributor shaft. He brought a good one with him.
This may have had duals when new, it has 4.89 ratio they used on the 6.50-16 tires as duals. I passed a car with it once!

What I was trying to say when I woke up in the middle of the night and tried to read this and type a reply after seeing the picture, is how envious I am of your truck. I have wanted one since I was a kid. They are now scarce and really expensive and as such will fall off the bucket list. I am envious though.

 

[Willie B]

What I was trying to say when I woke up in the middle of the night and tried to read this and type a reply after seeing the picture, is how envious I am of your truck. I have wanted one since I was a kid. They are now scarce and really expensive and as such will fall off the bucket list. I am envious though.

Not really. I see them on the market now & again in the $5000 range. They then need some work. I compare them to a newer pickup, they are still a bargain.

Down side is I can't bring myself to take it out in the salt. VT Trans. puts brine on the roads EVERY day from December 1 to April 1

 

[DMiller]

Has gotten seriously difficult to gain components for these aging monsters. Were a good machine of the day yet are fast closing in on that obsolescence day they cannot be repaired. The gent that owns those I noted here, spent three weeks awaiting brake shoes to be relined, then additional time for the seals on the Front axles to be located. He has since stopped driving his runner very often.

This is his place off Google Earth View, his other two parts machines are up the hill from here near a old shed.

 

[DMiller]

There are TWO W300s past that Jeep Pickup and another by the camper with the 2N, will NOT sell any of them.

 

[crane operator]

If you really want one, there's one not far from you Dmiller. $3,500

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/409793223493592/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined

"The truck is actually a 1942 military truck (dodge power wagon). The cab is a 1946 dodge. Clear MO title as a 1946 dodge. Has a running engine set down in it. Comes with 2 other engine's. (The original core engine from the chassis & a restored engine)"

 

[DMiller]

NO Thanks, have had enough orphans for awhile!!

 

[Willie B]

If you really want one, there's one not far from you Dmiller. $3,500

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/409793223493592/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined

"The truck is actually a 1942 military truck (dodge power wagon). The cab is a 1946 dodge. Clear MO title as a 1946 dodge. Has a running engine set down in it. Comes with 2 other engine's. (The original core engine from the chassis & a restored engine)"

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You asked for it:
The Dodge Power Wagon was introduced in 1945, In the military style, they were built until 1971. The military did buy a few, but the Power Wagon was sold to the civilian market.




The Power Wagon was a different truck than anything the military ever had. It is most often confused with the early WWII vintage half ton.




Virtually no parts are interchangeable. The Power Wagon is a bigger truck, wider, bigger engine, two speed transfer case.
Most noticeable difference is Flat grill & less slope in the hood on the Power Wagon.

 

[Willie B]

Power Wagon's closest earlier ancestor was 6 X 6. Still, the only part interchangeable is the transfer case.



Also there was a 3/4 ton 4x4


Overlapping production was the M37

 

[crane operator]

You asked for it:

I was just quoting the sale ad- its not mine. I doubt the seller has any idea what they have. But thanks for the history lesson.

 

[Mother Deuce]

Not really. I see them on the market now & again in the $5000 range. They then need some work. I compare them to a newer pickup, they are still a bargain.

Down side is I can't bring myself to take it out in the salt. VT Trans. puts brine on the roads EVERY day from December 1 to April 1

I feel your pain... I am on the other side of the river. They don't seem to brine much over here but they do sling a load of salt around!

 

[Willie B]

1 flake of snow, they dump a truckload of salt on the road. As a precaution against there being a flake of snow, they dump brine every night there is even a remote chance.

 

[DMiller]

Misseri has gone to Beet Juice, do not know if any better.

 

[Truck Shop]

Driver at work has one of these, it's a 52 military.

 

[Willie B]

Driver at work has one of these, it's a 52 military.

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Looks to be nice!
Post World War 2, I'd guess the purchase of new vehicles was limited. I see a few pickup versions with open cab, mostly ambulance bodied Power Wagons. I would guess the longer frame of the Power Wagon leant itself better to the ambulance duty than the shorter, lighter M37 chassis.

 

[Willie B]

Misseri has gone to Beet Juice, do not know if any better.

Best I can learn, brine serves to prevent snow from sticking to the road.
In the right snow conditions snow accumulates on the road & it does NOT adhere to the road. A vehicle will slide like the puck in an air hockey game. Me & the Mrs. witnessed it one night in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Driving less than 10 mph, we were alright, but witnessed several wrecks when people tried to move just a bit faster.

In VT, they mix salt brine with other agents to make it more slippery & beet juice to make it stick long enough to be slippery. The intent is they plow away the entire snowfall leaving the pavement wet only.

Climate change, or other explanation, most storms are near 32 degrees F.

 

[DMiller]

Crazy story my Dad and Uncle spoke of, Ex Navy boys. On the way home from Pacific Theater were on 'Jeep' Carriers, used to shuttle more replacement planes during the war to the large carriers, they were being used for materials transport Back as unused munitions, trucks, tanks, tractors, cranes even aircraft. Every truck was loaded to the hilt moved to flight deck started and then one guy would put in gear start it down the deck and step out, POOF, off the deck would go and sink immediately, other machines were just pushed off, bombs and shells were dumped. Carriers came into West Coast ports EMPTY. FDRs big concern was all the returning equipment would shut down the auto and aviation industry if allowed to be sold at discounts to the public.

 

[DMiller]

When lived in UT would play up in the Uintah's saw a great deal of old military trucks used as ranch trucks, many of which ran until something failed and left where died. Half Tracks, deuces and old 6x munitions trucks were all over small burgs in UT WY and Western CO. Spent a few days a week selling used military surplus trucks for a less than reputable ass in Provo when not doing a thousand other things to generate More income. We sold a fiberglass hood and cab roof kit as well went thru fixing up old deuces and 5 tons for locals sold a few to the power Company where I actually sold UP&L two Hercules Air cooled pancake gasoline engine powered M88s for pipeline service in the mountains to compressor stations. Some speak of buying crate trucks that reportedly never existed, we actually received a set of rail cars with two dozen of those, palletized deuces and 5/4 trucks, rubber rotting off tires, door seals, plastic knobs and steering wheels crumbling, seats and canvass trashed, a few windshields had already fallen out, came out of some military Quartermaster storage center Korean Conflict stuff. Took WEEKS to get them running and then sold, new owners got BIG surprises as seals failed within days, angered a few of them as paid top dollar for Brand New 'Collectables'. Came to work one Monday after gone a few weeks, store front EMPTY, lot was barren save a few odds and ends. Fed cars parked all around and guys working at getting inside, asked me what I needed said Nothin was looking for parts, appears closed. Guy glared at me said was being chased down for tax evasion and they just missed him, evidently from others I knew that worked there had shipped EVERYTHING out country in less than a week and vanished to Belize. I never received a W2 for my paid taxes, tried to find out what I owed figuring against check stubs, IRS stated "NOT ON FILE" as to income did have to interview but they let it drop. He and his brother were with holding state and fed taxes, even SSI but never paid them in, more unscrupulous crap.