Back when I was a radio disc jockey on a progressive rock format station, I was required to play everything from folk to fusion jazz and everything between, including heavy metal, glitter and electronic music. Perhaps as a carryover from my DJ days, I try to write about all variations of light-duty trucks, from primitives to work horses to muscle pickups.

While I have featured in this column the 1940s Dodge Power Wagon that was discontinued in 1968, I was asleep at the wheel regarding the Dodge W150 Power Wagon that brought back the hallowed “Power Wagon” name. Fortunately for readers, I woke up and found a rare example of the latter owned by Power Wagon lover Alex Fanelli, who located and landed a 1978 version near her home.

Alex and her husband, Frank, regularly scan KSL.com, a Utah website similar to CraigsList.com, so they don’t miss out on a worthy project vehicle. It was on this website that Alex found this rare 1978 Power Wagon W-150 with both the Macho and True Spirit packages.

Frank, who’s known for his work at Kindig-it Design and as a TV personality on “Bitchin’ Rides,” mentioned that Alex loves Power Wagons, and is particularly obsessed with shortbed versions of Dodge’s rugged four-wheel-drive truck.

“Alex knew it was a rare truck just by the appearance and package,” Frank said. “The photos also proved it was really clean and rust free. She spoke to the seller and found out it was a big-block four-wheel drive and told me about it. We went to look at it and fell in love with it.”

Dodge’s bold and beautiful trucks

For 1972, Dodge’s pickup received a styling overhaul with an extensive appearance change. The new look was inspired by MoPar’s fuselage styling that came and went on all of the Chrysler Corp.’s brands — Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler and Imperial — starting as early as 1969 and ending as late as 1974, depending on the model. With the fuselage style, the vehicle’s body sides were curved, as on a plane. The side glass curved in at the top of the greenhouse, while the lower body sides bowed inward at the rocker panels. The fuselage car’s beltline was very high so that the side windows were diminutive. Fortunately, this gun-sight vision did not occur on the Dodge pickup. In fact, windshield and back window areas significantly increased with the 1972 redesign. Like the cars, the Dodge pickup had a starched, slab-sided look with the A and B pillars smoothly melded with the lower body. This envelope, rectangular style stayed around for 20 years until the “big rig”-designed Dodge Ram came along in 1994.

From 1977 to 1980, Dodge rewrote the truck rule book for the in-crowd by building far-out trucks with bright and bold graphic packages and mag wheels that were holdovers from its Super Bee- and Challenger R/T-building muscle car days. Dodge’s “adult toy” trucks of the late 1970s began with the Street Van that was often further tricked out by “van hippies;” the Warlock stepside pickup with wood bed trim and gold spike wheels and accent striping; and Macho versions of the Ramcharger sport-utility and Power Wagon. In 1978, the Dodge Li’l Red Express pickup with bed-side exhaust stacks, gold graphics and wood trim was introduced. By 1981, all were history.

A Macho with True Spirit

Alex and Frank’s Power Wagon comes from the peak of Dodge’s graphic-happy truck period. These colorful and striped trucks are getting hotter by the day, but the couple thinks their truck remained available upon their discovery because it needed work.

“The truck likely appeared to be a headache to other buyers, as the seller was halfway between finishing the axle swap he started, and the brake and fuel system were not present,” Frank said. “We saw a diamond in the rough. Alex and I restore classic muscle cars and trucks at Fanelli Restorations in Murray, Utah, so we were ready for the challenge. I once worked on custom cars at Kindig-it Design and formerly did metal fabrication bodywork on the show ‘Bitchin’ Rides.’ I left both venues to go on an active Army tour. Alex has a background in upholstery and general mechanics.”

The Fanellis are saving this rare Power Wagon from going to the great interstate in the sky. So far, they have rebuilt the Dana 60 rear axle and are completing a rebuild of the front Dana 44 axle. The driveshaft has been refurbished and the chassis has been painted. When Alex and Frank purchased the pickup, it came with a burly 335-hp 383-cid V-8 engine transplanted from a 1970 Dodge Challenger. A MoPar A-727 automatic currently transfers those horses to the pavement. However, the seller gave Frank and Alex the truck’s original 440-cid V-8 engine block as well as a four-speed transmission.

After buying the pickup, Alex and Frank fitted it with new wheels and meaty tires. When we last checked in with them, they were preparing to plumb the fuel system and rebuild the brake system.

“The exterior is the original Sunburst Orange paint while the interior is black and tan,” Frank said. The instrument cluster and steering wheel are black, while the door panels are tan. At some point, the original bench seat was replaced with a seat from an ’80s Dodge truck. Alex installed an orange, black and white cover over it.”

“We refreshed the interior, gathered parts to complete the dash and gauges to proper factory appearance,” Alex said. The interior typifies the simplicity of an earlier time; this is typified by the painted metal panel on the inside of the cab roof. As a plus, there’s no fabric headliner that might sag.”

“The truck presents a bit of a conundrum, as it has a white stripe kit on the sides of the exterior similar to the California dealer-only True Spirit package, yet bears front bumper bars, side steps and stainless rollbar in the bed like a Macho Power Wagon, another rare dealer option of the era,” Frank said. “This truck came from Arizona, and we believe the dealer or original owner chose to dress it up as so. It’s a hybrid of the True Spirit and Macho packages, so I have joked it is the ‘True Macho’ Power Wagon.”

“The truck has an interesting history,” Frank added. “It came from Burge Motor Company in Kingman, Arizona. The original dealer sticker is still on the driver side of the tailgate showing this. It was owned by a woman who got into trouble with her life choices and had to relinquish the truck as collateral for the debts to her drug dealer. Then the dealer sold the truck to the man we purchased the truck from. Amazingly, the truck only bears a dent along the driver’s rocker panel for being owned by such a tumultuous original owner.”

The Fanellis recently welcomed their first child, so the Power Wagon project has been slightly delayed. We’re sure they’ll have it back on the road soon enough to drive their child to preschool in true macho style. 

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“I’ve owned it for 48 years. It was wrecked and my roommate died. It is now lovingly restored and driven and shown to all. The truck is fully functional and ready to go at all times. It has been a big part of my life for all those 48 years.”

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Old Cars is turning 50. In honor of 50 years of the privilege of bringing the old cars hobby to our valued and faithful readers, Old Cars will revisit 50 of our past featured cars in 50 days, to commemorate the half-century of Old Cars. Here’s to fifty more years of Old Cars!

 DAY TWENTY- SIX: 1956 Dodge Power Wagon

Most of its life, Jerry Mattison’s burly 1956 Dodge Power Wagon was used by cloistered monks as a beast of burden on a Vermont mountain. In its semi-retirement years, it is helping Mattison in his duties as a Bennington County (Vt.) forest fire warden. Regardless of where he takes it, Mattison can rest assured that the Dodge hasn’t looked this good since the day it was bought new back in 1956 by a member of the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration, a Carthusian Monastery on Equinox Mountain in southern Vermont.

“I think the only blacktop it ever saw was from the dealership to the monastery,” says Mattison. “The same brother had it since ’56 when it was new. They used it to bring in about 100 cord of wood a year and it pretty much just lived out in the woods. The truck was kind of an icon on the mountain.”

After four years and a lot of networking with other owners, planning and bloody knuckles, Mattison undoubtedly has one of the nicest ’56 Power Wagons you’ll find anywhere. The end result certainly belies the fact that he had never restored a vehicle before. The Dodge was an impressive first effort. 

“I tore it all down, put it all back together, and it ran!” Mattison laughed. “My wife was impressed with that!”

To learn more about Mattison’s Power Wagon <CLICK HERE>

CHECK OUT DAY TWENTY-FIVE OF 50 CARS IN 50 DAYS, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF OLD CARS HERE

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Schwab unveiled this year’s one-of-a-kind Champion’s Prize for the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament and the iconic event’s 75^th anniversary – a 1946 Schwab Power Wagon. The prize was unveiled shortly after the firm announced a four-year extension of its title PGA TOUR sponsorship at Colonial Country Club though 2026, underscoring Schwab’s commitment to this storied event and the Dallas-Fort Worth community.

The winner of this year’s Charles Schwab Challenge will drive off with a 1946 Schwab Power Wagon after Sunday’s Championship Round in addition to Colonial’s iconic Leonard Trophy and Scottish royal tartan plaid jacket.

The 1946 “resto-mod” classic truck, an homage to the year professional golf was first played at the historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, was fully restored and customized by Legacy Classic Trucks and Winslow Bent. Under the hood is a 6.2-liter engine with over 430hp, and a 4-speed automatic transmission and custom transfer case. It rides on a set of 40-inch custom, trail-ready tires.

The original truck has been modernized with air-conditioning, disc brakes, a long travel suspension, a 12,000 lb., winch and custom tailgate. It also features the signature Schwab Blue paint. A fully renovated and customized 1973 Dodge® Challenger was awarded to the tournament’s 2019 champion, Kevin Na.

The unique interior treatment highlights Colonial’s traditional Tartan pattern fabric. A custom winner’s name plate on the dashboard acknowledges legend Ben Hogan’s win in 1946. A film on the restoration process can be viewed here.

The prize will be displayed at this year’s Charles Schwab Challenge, May 27-30, at Colonial. It was revealed at a special event at the course with the company’s chairman, Charles Schwab, Bent, and TV personality and nationally-syndicated iHeartRadio host, Bobby Bones.

“We knew we wanted to do something special for the tournament’s milestone 75^th anniversary, and the ’46 Schwab Power Wagon and Travis’ new song were a perfect way to honor this event’s proud legacy, all things Texas, and our commitment to this community,” said Mason Reed, senior vice president of Retail Acquisition and Corporate Marketing at Schwab. “We are excited to continue our latest tradition of awarding a show-stopping, one-of-a-kind Champion’s prize here at Colonial and are honored to extend our partnership with this tournament for another four years.”

Remembering Fallen Heroes

Given the tournament’s return to the Memorial Day weekend after a three-week postponement in 2020, this year’s event will also pay tribute to the members of the U.S. military who gave their lives in service to their country. During play on Sunday, May 30, at 2:00 p.m. CDT, a moment of silence will be observed on the course, accompanied by a flyover of military aircraft to further mark the solemn occasion.

The Charles Schwab Challenge, the longest running professional golf tournament on the PGA TOUR at the same venue, has been a mainstay in the North Texas community since 1946. Over the decades, the tournament has seen champions representing the biggest names in golf, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, and of course, Ben Hogan.

For more information on the tournament, its 75^th anniversary and this year’s initiatives, visit www.schwabgolf.com and www.charlesschwabchallenge.com. The tournament will be broadcast nationally to a televised audience on the Golf Channel and on CBS Sports.

About Charles Schwab & Co.

The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) is a leading provider of financial services, with 31.9 million active brokerage accounts, 2.1 million corporate retirement plan participants, 1.6 million banking accounts, and approximately $7.07 trillion in client assets. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company provides a full range of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services to individual investors and independent investment advisors. Its broker-dealer subsidiaries, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., TD Ameritrade, Inc., and TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc., (members SIPC, www.sipc.org/), and their affiliates offer a complete range of investment services and products including an extensive selection of mutual funds; financial planning and investment advice; retirement plan and equity compensation plan services; referrals to independent, fee-based investment advisors; and custodial, operational and trading support for independent, fee-based investment advisors through Schwab Advisor Services. Its primary banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank, SSB (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides banking and lending services and products. More information is available at www.aboutschwab.com.

TD Ameritrade, Inc. and TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. are separate but affiliated companies and subsidiaries of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation. TD Ameritrade is a trademark jointly owned by TD Ameritrade IP Company, Inc. and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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Jerry Mattison is likely to show up wearing a forest fire warden uniform whenever he takes his fabulous 1956 Dodge Power Wagon out for a spin.

If Mattison chose to arrive in an ankle-length robe and toting a big book of scripture, that would be appropriate, too.

Mattison’s burly Dodge has seen duty serving both groups. Most of its life the Power Wagon was used by cloistered monks as a beast of burden on a Vermont mountain. In its semi-retirement years, it is helping Mattison in his duties as a Vermont State Forest Fire warden for the town of Glastenbury. Regardless of where he takes it, Mattison can rest assured that the Dodge hasn’t looked this good since almost the day it was bought new back in 1956 by a member of the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration, a Carthusian Monestary on Equinox Mountain in southern Vermont.

“I think the only blacktop it ever saw was from the dealership to the monastery,” says Mattison. “The same brother had it since ’56 when it was new. They used it to bring in about 100 cord of wood a year and it pretty much just lived out in the woods. The truck was kind of an icon on the mountain.”

A few years back, the brother decided that it was time to move on to a more modern iron horse, and “he looked at me and said ‘It would be nice if someone could give it a new home,’” chuckled Mattison. “So I said, ‘Well, OK.’ And I bought it. It was all original and all garage kept, but it wound up sitting at my house for a couple of years before I actually had time to work on it. Finally we had a winter 4-5 years ago where we didn’t have much snow and I decided, ‘Well, if I don’t bring it in and tear it down and start working on it now, I might never do it. I’m not getting any younger.’”

Four years, and a lot of networking with other owners, planning and bloody knuckles, later, Mattison undoubtedly has one of the nicest ’56 Power Wagons you’ll find anywhere. The end result certainly belies the fact that he had never restored a vehicle before. The Dodge was an impressive first effort. “I tore it all down, put it all back together, and it ran!” Mattison laughed. “My wife was impressed with that!”

DODGE’S POWER TRIP

Dodge may not have been looking ahead to its civilian lineup during World War II when it was busy churning out military trucks from 1942-45, but it was those military efforts that ultimately spawned the granddaddy of 4×4 workhorses — the 1946 Power Wagon. They were spinoffs of the ¾-ton WC military trucks and originally called the WDX General Purpose Truck.

First-gen Power Wagons are often referred to as “Flat Fender” trucks. They carried a 1-ton rating (1/4-ton more than the military version) and lumbered along on a 126-inch wheelbase chassis with power coming from a 230-cid inline six linked to a four-speed manual transmission and a two-speed transfer case that provided part-time four-wheel drive. This effectively gave the trucks eight forward speeds and two reverse gears. Power could be sent forward or backward for use on a power take off or a winch on the front bumper. The Power Wagons were originally available as a pickup with an 8-foot bed, cab and chassis, and cowl and chassis.

The first generation of Power Wagons ran from 1945-50. The Second Series lasted from 1951 to early 1956. A host of technical improvements and came along in 1951, including a new bed in back, better engine mounts and stiffer springs. In 1955, 12-volt electrics and a synchronized transmission arrived. The Third Series offerings debuted in mid-1956 and included optional power steering, a new 10,000-lb. winch and key ignition.

The Carthusian brother who purchased Mattison’s trucks originally from a dealership in Greenfield, Mass., probably paid in the neighborhood of $2,500 before taxes (or divine discounts). He ambled through the hilly terrain in a 5,100-lb. steel mule that would go on to serve on a mission that would last more than six decades.

LABORING IN SOLITUDE

Deep in the woods on Mt. Equinox, the tallest mountain in southern Vermont, a group of about 15 men have joined in a life of extreme isolation and religious devotion. The members of the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration have taken vows of almost total silence and separation from the outside world, and made it their mission to spend their days praying for the rest of the outside world.

They live in separate cells, mostly meditating and praying alone. They eat once a day, alone in their room — save for a once-a-week group meal. They each have a wood-burning stove that they use for heat in their individual quarters, and some tools to cut and split their own wood.

That’s where the Power Wagon comes in. Several members of the group work as “brothers” who help keep the monastery running, doing chores such as cooking, cleaning and gathering fire wood. It shouldn’t be surprising then that when a group living such a hard, Spartan existence needed a truck, they chose the most basic, strong-willed machine available. The Power Wagon is as tough and rugged as it looks. And although the monks only put 27,000 miles on the Dodge in all those years, the Power Wagon took it lumps serving as a lumber wagon and ATV.

“As a kid my step dad worked at Bromley Ski Resort and the owner of the ski resort was big fan of them and I’d see them around — maybe six or seven of them,” Mattison recalled. “The more I was around them, the more I liked them. They are really simple and really rugged — almost bomb-proof. They’ve got great ground clearance, and you put it in 4-low you can get right out of the truck and it will just crawl along next to you. You won’t set any speed records, but they will climb a tree. It’s impressive what they can do.”

Mattison figured that the hardest part of restoring the Dodge would be simply getting it all disassembled — for the first time in its life — and straightening out the dents in the bed and box, courtesy of thousands of logs. He was right on both counts.

“Other than some body parts that were dented up, because it had been in the woods its whole life and taken some abuse … mechanically it was perfect. The biggest hurdle was getting it all apart. Being bolted together so many years, as you can imagine, it was all SAWZALLS and hammers. I thought I could get it apart in a year, but guys told me it would be at least two. They told me the whole thing would be a four-year process, and it was — almost four years to the day! There were 2 to 3 inches of grease in all the suspension and stuff just caked on … Getting it all apart was tough. Putting it all back together, that wasn’t as hard because I could go slow and methodically. I didn’t want to do any [rust repair], and I think the only thing I did have done was where the cab mounts on the driver’s side front . That was obviously the worst spot, so I had a local guy cut out and replace that and the guy did a phenomenal job. You can’t even tell it was cut out.”

Mattison’s first big fork-in-the-road decision came when he started working on the dents. He was determined to keep the truck as original and unmolested as he could, but even his impressive resolve had its limits. “I saw all the dents and thought I could pound them all out [laughs]. I started pounding and all I did was give myself a headache. Steel was a little different then than it is now. I just decided to replace all that.” He got new wood decking for the cargo box from Dodge of Central Michigan. “I got a lot of other stuff from them, too,” he added. “I think I got the new taillight through them.”

Tisdale Coachworks of Indiana, one the premier supplier of Power Wagon bed sides, boxes, door panels and other key restoration items for Dodge rescue projects, supplied new sheet metal for the box sides and running boards. Mattison also took the bench seat apart, reupholstered it and put all new guts in it. “That was interesting,” he said. “That’s the first time I ever did anything like that.”

“The engine, I tore it all down and put it back together with new seals. Electrically, it’s pretty simple, once you’ve got your grounds good. I had the wires reversed on the amp meter so it was reading the opposite of how it should, so I had to reverse that…. Halfway through ‘56 they changed them. They got new 12-volt electrical and a new synchromesh transmission, and a new armrest on the driver’s side door. Other than that they were pretty much the same truck they came out with originally in ’48. This still has the generator. I tried to keep everything as original as I could. I’m still running the generator and voltage regulator just like it was originally. No power steering or power brakes, of course. Oh, and I still have the original cardboard glove box. They make steel ones, but this was in pretty good shape after I cleaned all the mice droppings out of it, so I figured I’d go with the original glove box. It’s even got the original speedometer cable! It wasn’t broke, so I figured I might as well use it. It bounces a little, but it does read accurate.”

The biggest nod to non-originality Mattison made came when it was time to paint the truck. The Power Wagon wore Bermuda Coral in its previous lifetime with the Monks. Mattison decided to go a different direction.

 “I started looking at all the old colors charts … and looking online at all the trucks that’s that are out there. There’s black and red, yellow and black. It seemed like red and black was the most popular, but being the outdoor type I decided to go [Pochartrain Green] and black. You don’t see as many of those. Then I had to decide between single-stage urethane or go base coat-clear coat. I went single-stage because everybody told me it was easier to keep up, and if I ever get a chip it’s easier to fix. Luckily, I haven’t had any of those.”

The crowning touch were the wheels. Mattison had plenty of choices, but again opted for authenticity with non-directional, military-style Firestone 9x16s. 

“They make better tires now, obviously, but I wanted to stay original. They aren’t very good in snow and ice. Tire technology has changed a lot! But off-road in the mud they’d probably be fine.”

Mattison was quick to point out that the other hobbyists and connections he made around the country — most of whom he had never met before — played a large part in bringing the Power Wagon back to its present spectacular condition. Anytime he needed something or had a question, Mattison was able to get on his phone or his computer and get some help. 

“It really was a learning process. I couldn’t have done it without the help of a bunch of people,” he noted. “Vintage Power Wagons in Iowa, those guys are a wealth of knowledge. Tisdale Coachworks does some incredible reproduction body part … Then probably the most influential group I had was the Facebook group Dodge Power Wagon Owners ’46-’80. Those guys are a wealth of knowledge and they are more than willing to help you. That was probably the biggest help of anything right there.”

Mattison joked that one of the reasons he wanted to bring the Power Wagon home and get it running was so that his daughter Jordan could discover what it’s like to mash some gears and stomp a clutch pedal. “She was kind of blown away at the thought of somebody actually driving something like this!” he says.

The acid test of all Mattison’s efforts finally came last spring when it was time to see if the Power Wagon was ready for a maiden voyage after four years.

 “I was all excited once the snow left and got it out and put some gas in the and said, ‘Here goes nothing,’ and it wouldn’t start,” Mattison groaned. “I primed it and got gas in the lines and then it would start and quit. Then I added a little gas in the carburetor and it would quit. And it did it again and again. It was kind of a timing thing — I couldn’t get out of the truck fast enough and get around to the other of the truck in time to keep it running. Finally, I got it running and it’s been running ever since.”

His chances to show the truck off at car shows were almost all canceled due to the pandemic last year, but Mattison is hoping to make of up for lost time in 2021. He says his main passenger so far has been his dog. “We go out on Sundays and go fly fishing.”

Mattison also had some Smokey Bear and Forest Service graphics done for the Dodge that help him connect with kids when he is out doing fire prevention events. 

“Nowadays kids don’t all seem to remember Smokey Bear,” he admits. “It’s kind of strange. ‘Smokey Bear, who’s that?’ So I’d kind of like to keep that going if I could.”

Wherever he takes the Power Wagon, Mattison says he definitely won’t be in a hurry. He’s going to get there at a leisurely pace, and it’s going to be a little bouncy. That’s what makes it fun.

“I’m just glad I was able to keep it all original,” he says. “I like the look of it this way. It drives like an old Farmall tractor, when all you had was a cab and windshield. That’s how they were designed. I looked at the resto-mods and a lot of guys are taking these trucks and putting full-blow diesels in them — the Cummins diesels. And a lot of them are like $250,000 trucks when they are done. My thought was if I could keep it as original as I could, you could always resto-mod it down the road, but I can’t go the other way.”

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“Purchased from original owner that bought the truck new in 1956 from a Dodge dealer in Greenfield MA. Have original bill of sale and key with original Dodge key chain. Over the course of the last 4 years I did a ground up restoration. All numbers match right down to the wheels that have been tired up with non directional 9×16 rubber that would have came new on truck in 1956. In an effort to keep everything original or period correct, it has been painted 1956 Dodge Ponchartrain Green with Mason single stage urethane. Everything on this truck has been taken apart and refurbished. The bed is white oak with 3 coats clear urethane, stainless steel bed strips and hardware. This truck is a late 1956 Dodge mid-year changed to a 12-volt electrical system, a NP synchronized 4-speed transmission and came with the only factory option at the time a drivers side arm rest. You will not set any land speed records with this truck but you can crawl over and climb just about anything.”

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Four-wheel-drive pickups are in high demand today, but in 1961, a four-wheel-drive truck was a rare sight. These trucks were not used as commuter vehicles or for family transportation. Dodge brochures from that time show new Power Wagons at muddy construction sites with men in boots and hard hats moving heavy objects about. The subject of this article is one such rare survivor of a hard working life.

1961 was a big year for new Dodge truck styling and mechanical innovation. Its new “Sweptline” design would continue for a decade with a few changes. Also new for 1961 was the “Slant Six” engine, a valve-in-head, four-main-bearing block that leaned to the right at a 30-degree angle to allow a long-stroke engine design while also fitting beneath a car’s low hood. The amazing durability of the Slant Six, aka “The Leaning Tower of Power,” became legendary. That said, a Slant Six-powered truck is not going to win a quarter-mile race, and it certainly isn’t going to blitz down the highway. That’s especially true of our featured 1961 Dodge truck, which is one heavy, short-wheelbase half-ton 4×4.

Dodge made these new Sweptline Power Wagons concurrently with the old-style WM 300 “round nose” Power Wagons built for extreme duty. The round nose WM 300 trucks were initially built for the war effort during the 1940s, and Dodge continued to manufacture them in limited numbers up to 1978. The final batch of WM 300 Power Wagons was sold in South America since they were no longer legal for U.S. roads. The new-for-’61 Sweptline Power Wagons were made for road use as well as off-road.

Tale of a rare survivor

What little history is known about the feature truck is rather interesting. A former owner bought the tired truck and intended to restore it. He removed the cab and had a welder replace the rusted-out floor. The rest of the sheet metal was quite good, so when the cab came back from the welder, he reassembled the truck and painted it in the original Toreador Red. Then the former owner hired someone to install a new clutch and pressure plate and resurface the flywheel. A month or so later, the truck developed a serious engine noise, and the discouraged owner parked the truck in the woods behind his home where it sat for several years.

The present owner noticed a classified ad for the old Dodge. He visited the site where the truck was left to the elements, bought it, trailered it home and got it running. It tuns out the engine noise was caused by a loose flywheel. Whoever replaced the clutch apparently forgot to tighten the flywheel! As a result, transmission removal and replacement was in order. The four-wheel-drive transfer case on this Dodge is separate from the transmission and is connected via a short driveshaft. Thus, transmission removal and reinstallation is no more complicated than the same job on a two-wheel-drive pickup.

The truck is now semi-retired. It stays in the garage of the owner’s summer cottage where it is used to haul a vintage 20-foot inboard powerboat to the boat ramp and back. It’s a short trip and one perfectly suited to this antique Power Wagon. Its other duties include transporting kayaks to launching sites as well as occasional trips to the lumberyard. With jobs such as those, the truck will last indefinitely.

More mechanical innovations

Besides the revolutionary Slant Six engine, Dodge in 1961 was the first truck to be equipped with an alternator. Within a couple of years, the alternator would become standard across the industry. Besides an alternator, this truck came from the factory with a two-barrel carburetor, which boosted performance of the new 225-cid Slant Six engine. Indeed, the new “225-2,” as Dodge called it, had a higher horsepower rating than the 251-cid, L-head engine that it replaced.

The axles on this truck are full-floating, which were the same as the axles used on 3/4-ton trucks. A full-floating axle places the weight of the vehicle on an axle tube, rather than the axle shaft itself. The rear axles on this truck can be removed without even jacking up the vehicle. It is a rare case of a manufactured product being better made than it needs to be. By 1965, W-100 Dodges had the less expensive semi-floating axles. There is a semi-elliptic leaf spring on every corner, and none of them have more than five leaves. There are no overload springs.

The Sweptline Power Wagon’s optional Synchro-Shift transmission by New Process was another component that was shared with much heavier trucks. In fact, this is a dump truck-duty transmission. The transfer case was also by New Process, and even though the unit is also heavy-duty, there is a weak point. There is an internal component that has come to be called “The Clunk Gear.” Wear to that part causes excessive driveline backlash as these vehicles age. International pickups of the era had the same problem. At this writing, reproduction repair parts are available.

Brakes are the internal-expanding drum type with hydraulic function and a single-chamber master cylinder. The hydraulic clutch uses an identical master cylinder, and both master cylinders are bolted side by side to the firewall. The slave cylinder for the clutch is mounted on the outside of the bell housing and is simple to remove and repair. The handbrake is a drum on the driveshaft with an external band and is cable-actuated by a lever under the dash at the driver’s left.

Body features

The new-for-1961 body seems tinny by current standards. There is no sound-deadening material anywhere, and the doors close with a loud “Bang!” The pull-type outside door handles were a short-lived design feature, replaced by push-button handles by 1965. The hood opens all the way until it hits the roof overhang over the windshield. Thus, the engine could be removed without removing the hood. The checkerboard aluminum grille was a one-year feature and was replaced in 1962 with a steel unit with a horizontal motif. The tailgate is held shut by hooks connected to chains, and it is a five-step process to open the tailgate and reconnect the hooks and chains to hold it in the flat-open position. The floor of the 6-1/2-ft. bed is wood, secured by metal strips and carriage bolts. Rear fenders and running boards are bolted to the bed sides.

Inside the cab is a functional and pleasing dashboard with full instrumentation. Access to the ignition key switch is impeded somewhat by the bare steel gearshift lever when in first gear. Moving the hole for the ignition switch would have been an easy matter at the time of manufacture, but that detail escaped those making design decisions. There is no radio, and there does not appear to be a place for one. The ashtray is mounted at the top center of the dash and opens with a squeak. The glove compartment is at the standard right-hand position and is opened by squeezing two opposing tabs together and pulling, an action followed by another squeak from our feature truck. Both of the glove box and ashtray remain in the open position by friction devices, so it is easy to imagine they also squeaked when new.

The cab is roomy. Brochures on Dodge trucks compared the headroom, legroom and hip room in the Dodge cabs to those of Chevrolet, Ford and International trucks (the brochures noted Dodge was, of course, numerically superior to the competition). One curious design feature of the Sweptline Dodges is the extra-wide windowsills provided when the side windows are open. This provides an excellent resting place for one’s arm.

Driving a ’61 Dodge W-100

I pull on the long door handle and its tip swings out slightly, opening the door without resistance. It’s quickly apparent that there is no spring-and-roller action to hold the door open at different positions. The concealed running board that appears when the door is opened is fairly useless.

Once in the driver’s seat, the driver’s position seems oddly low for a four-wheel-drive truck. Even though the seat height seems correct for the view out the large windshield, it seems unusual for my legs to be almost straight forward, as in a car. There is one sun visor and no inside armrest, so once on the seat, the inside door handle is used to pull the door closed. That loud “Bang!” follows. There are no soft surfaces to absorb sound. There is no headliner, and in fact the only things in the cab that are not painted steel are the steering wheel, seat, knobs and pedal pads.

To get moving, I push the clutch pedal down, pump the gas pedal a few times and pull out the choke via a knob just to the left of the steering column marked with a “C.” I slide the long, double-90-degree-bend gearshift into neutral and twist the ignition to “ON” and then “START.” The engine starts immediately. The speed of the engine must be kept up so it won’t stall. After a few seconds, I slide the choke knob in a little bit. The truck is ready to go.

I grasp the black Bakelite gearshift knob and slide the shift handle to the right, pushing through a strong spring that keeps the operator from accidentally hitting reverse, then shove the lever back. Reverse engages with a click. The gearshift knob almost hits the seat. I then raise the clutch about halfway up, give it a little gas (it still might stall) and back the truck out of the garage. Reverse gear is very low. It is immediately apparent that there are many turns of the steering wheel lock to lock, and so I have to complete my turning while in motion.

I shift into second gear. First in this truck is a creeper gear, or “grandma low.” Starting off without a load is done in second. Clutch up some more, a little more gas and the clutch engages smoothly. There is no chatter. Gain speed, shift into third and the truck springs ahead. This truck wants to go. Once up to about 25 mph, I shift into fourth and the truck suddenly seems rather quiet. The gearshift has such a solid feel; it’s almost like swinging the door to a safe. It clicks into every gear.

Now that I am moving, I roll down the driver’s window, swing open the vent pane and put my arm on that wide door sill to enjoy the summer breeze blowing in. This truck is well ventilated, and there are also foot vents that can be opened by knobs on the dashboard.

Even though the hood sides are emblazoned with block letters that spell out “POWER WAGON,” there is no feeling of excess power while on the road. The engine is really too small for the truck, at least by modern standards, but it doesn’t complain, as long as there is no hurry. It picks up speed at a leisurely rate. However, every bump in the road is immediately obvious and this truck certainly would be a kidney cruncher on a rough road. Comfort was not part of design considerations.

The seat is just OK, but the controls seem to be in exactly the right place. I get used to the low driving position and I have to think it is rather comfortable, especially when compared to the ’50s trucks that it replaced. I watch the speedometer as the needle rises. I am on a wide open road now, and I try to find the optimum high speed. I am not interested in maximum speed, as that would probably feel suicidal, but I find 50 mph seems like the most reasonable cruising speed.

I turn around and head back. This truck is called a Power Wagon, and I want know why. I get back to home base and back up to the 20-ft. fiberglass boat that’s waiting on a tandem axle trailer. I connect the coupler, safety chains and electrical connections. I get back in the truck and this time, I slide the gearshift lever into granny low. Clutch up, a little gas and the truck creeps forward. It’s a heavy load — about 5000 lbs — but the low gear makes the job easy. I pull out on the road, push down the gas pedal and the “Hillside Hemi” (another nickname for the Slant Six) accelerates quickly: to about 5 mph. (That’s the end of acceleration for that gear.) With the clutch down, I try to slide the shifter into second gear and it declines with a grind. It appears the Synchro-Shift transmission isn’t quite synchronized in second. I think, “maybe the synchronizer ring is worn.” I double clutch it into second gear.

I can feel the load, but the truck doesn’t mind. This thing can pull. Shifting into third and fourth is easy with no clashing. On the way to the boat ramp, there is a valley and then a slight incline where I have to shift back down to third. Once I get to the boat ramp, I stop, shift into reverse and crawl backwards as the boat behind me goes down the ramp. The very low reverse is perfect for slow backing. There is no power steering, but steering effort is not extreme at this low speed. I do notice that the back window is a little small when I turn my head to back the trailer. A big back window was an option that would have helpful at this point. I get the boat to the water and it slides off the trailer, then I use granny gear and mosey up the boat ramp to the parking lot.

After the boat ride, I back down the ramp again, winch the boat onto the trailer and get back in the truck. It’s granny gear time, and the truck on the steep incline with the heavy boat lurches ahead with little effort. The rear wheels barely spin on the slippery surface of the boat ramp. If they did spin, pushing forward the four-wheel-drive lever that’s just to the right of the gearshift would take care of that. I wonder how slow the truck would be in low four-wheel with the granny gear, but I don’t try that extreme gear reduction. This kind of task is exactly what this truck was made for.

Summarizing the W-100 experience

This is a formidable piece of equipment, if you have a job for it. A long tour in this truck would be work. It’s not going to get you anywhere fast, but every car that passes you in the opposite direction will honk and slow down for a look. This is a piece of history that has all but disappeared from the scene. Four-wheel-drive trucks such as this were few when new and were normally worked to death, so their survival rate is very low. Today, a ride down the highway would be a tedious affair, but a ride to the ice cream stand or a blueberry patch would be more like it. And if you need to pull a house down, a ’61 Dodge W-100 would be the perfect tool for the job. With a semi-retirement job such as this, our featured truck must be the happiest truck in the world.

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The post Car of the Week: 1961 Dodge W-100 appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

MOBRIDGE, S.D./PRNewswire/ — It’s the type of auction that keeps classic car enthusiasts up at night. More than 300 collector vehicles will be sold on the auction ending June 24th with models that range from 1920’s through the 1990’s. The auction will feature classic names such as Camaro, Belair, Thunderbird, Power Wagon and Galaxy – which are already generating excitement from collectors itching to restore them to their natural beauty.

Kerry Droog, owner of K&K Auto, has been working on this collection for over 40 years and has finally made the difficult decision to sell. As the son of an Auctioneer and owner of a salvage yard, Kerry has been buying from auctions his entire life and picking treasures from local farms to add to his unique collection.

“I’m not going to lie; it’s going to be difficult to see some of these vehicles go down the road,” Kerry said. “I finally got to a point where I realized that I could not fix them all. It’s time to pass the torch and let someone else pick up the dream of fixing them up.” Kerry is particularly fond of the 1968 Chevy Pickups, of which several will be sold on the auction. He made sure to mention that he held back a few of his favorites for future projects. 

North Central Services of Sauk Centre, MN is the contracted auction company for this event. The auction is currently live on www.K-BID.com and open for online bidding until the closing date of June 24th. Bidders will have the opportunity to personally inspect vehicles in prior to the online auction closing. Many buyers from throughout the United States are expected to participate in this once in a lifetime auction. 

Link to Auction and Online Bidding: www.k-bid.com/auction/19559

About K-BID.com

K-BID.com is an online auction venue headquartered in Maple Plain, MN. They present thousands of auctions each year from business liquidations to entire estate clean outs. Each auction on our venue is contracted and managed by independent auction companies.

The post Classics abound in South Dakota auction appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.