The Dodge Power Wagon was a 4WD medium-duty truck produced in a variety of models from 1945-68. It was largely based on the company’s ¾ ton World War II military trucks and continued with few changes over time. The seller admits he won’t get around to restoring this 1966 “100” series edition which is mostly rust-free but doesn’t run. After spending time in New Mexico, the SUV is in Franktown, Colorado, and available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $10,312 without triggering the reserve. Dodge built 8,235 Power Wagons in 1966, including 820 copies of the W100 with a V8 like you see here.
With its military roots, the Power Wagon is said to be the first 4X4 medium-duty truck that was produced by a major manufacturer in a civilian format. It served as a predecessor to many of the modern 4WD drive trucks being built today. Collectors often refer to it as the T137, the engineering code used by Dodge for the truck’s first 15 years. The 100 was the entry-level Power Wagon in 1966, available with either an inline-6 or small-block V8 like the 318 cubic-inch “Poly” in the seller’s wagon.
This Dodge is still wearing its original paint, which looks to be either grey or light, light blue. Likely because it spent time in a dry Southwest climate, there is little rust beyond the surface variety. There are two small places on the floor that should be addressed, and the rest may be sanded away. The drivetrain is said to be original to the truck, including the 4-speed manual. Though it has new tires, the brakes will need to be redone as you sort out getting it to run again. Originality continues inside, including the seats and the dirt they wear.
The transmission can be taken out of gear, so it should roll onto a flatbed trailer, though you’ll need several of your friends to do the pushing (promise some beer and pizza). Once restored – and as the seller says – this could be the “ultimate adventure vehicle.” And if you shop around online, these vehicles in top condition can go for upwards of $50,000.
“Bid to win”!!! Oh, please. This must have been some kind of municipal or CD truck and the alleged 5 figure bids only proves how ridiculous this is.
Power Wagons are easy to sell when retored completely, Howard. And the welding is that much easier with this 20 gage steel body. Everyone that welds prefers the 20 gage stuff especially if it’s Arizona tin.
The bids still have a day to go and it’s now over $10k, but this is a Power Wagon and the price will likely double by tomorrow close to the last bidding hours.
I can see why the prices are high these days. Many body shops are bidding for the vehicle too. There is a BIG difference between the lone shopper for tin and the body shop restoration crews that do this for a living daily.
Bob
Hi Bob, duly noted, but I feel 5 figures for this bucket of bolts is unacceptable. What compels people to spend TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,( capitalized to indicate it’s still a significant number,, at least to me) on a vehicle like this? I’m sorry, I’m not ripping on the seller, except for their corny “Bid to win” malarkey ( don’t want to be a loser), and they stand to make $9,900 dollars, after all, it IS America. It’s stuff like this that causes my “who peed in my cornflakes” remarks.
That’s no 66, more likely a 59….
I was thinking the same thing too. But, upon research, they were still making them this way in 66. Quite outdated by that point.
SUVs were so niche that they kept it on the old platform for 6 years, and then left the segment entirely for 8 years. Truly a lost world.
Yup, that’s a stretch. Late 50’s styling until the mid 60’s. The military power wagon was sold to the public from 1945 until 1968, and exported until 1978.
Judging by the orange paint on the taillight housing,
I’d say it was a Department of Highways rig,or another state
agency.
Total badass truck. Love it.
The front bumper can be used to send the irritating, bumper-stickered Prius in front of you into low-earth orbit.
I’d sooner have this than anything out of the Dodge/Ram stable in the last ten years!
Agree with Butch. Not a ’66 unless it was a re-titled “recurrent” left over model. Just love these.
Chrysler used the same late ’50s Dodge pickup cab upon which these vehicles are based in their Dodge heavy duty conventional trucks into the early ’70s, when they abandoned that market segment entirely, so they already had doors and cowl and dash stampings “on the shelf’ anyway, and the 318 Poly engine was in its final year of service in Plymouth and Dodge cars and light trucks in 1966, so why not? It likely cost them very little to continue to produce this antiquated, low volume model into the late ’60s.
I owned a 58 Dodge D100 “regular” pick up truck for 43 years. I’m blown away by how absolutely little the body design changed, even by 1966. I knew they stayed the same for a few years, but 1966 blows me away.
too hi for alota stuff in the gradients.
A few swails, pretty flat trails’n such – seems doable.
Hope its heavy as the wind pushes some around a good bit. Fits a narrow need, ora r e a l big ego area (“They’ll think I’m a XxXx if I buy it.” 80% of all vehicle purchases). I thought it wuz a NAPCO (decade older) in the thumb nail pic and a housemate had 1 (not 4 WD) in the 70s (Oh, that wuz a chebby).o0OP~
Dear Barn Finds- Please translate. My Esperanto is pretty rusty. In lieu of translation services, please find out what our friend is lighting up prior to posting. Thanks!
My brother had one of these v8 4 speed 4×4 , one tough truck , thats until it got T boned by a drunk , the end !
Was the drunk driving an M1 Abrams tank?
Drunk was driving a Big old Buick at an high rate of speed , hit the dodge so hard the battery flew out and was found almost 50 feet away ! My brother and his wife went to the hospital and released , minor cuts bruses ! Cop said if they were in a regular car they would have been dead , drunk driver killed !
I had a 58 Dodge D100 pickup truck . . . .not even a Power Wagon, 4WD, but same body style, and I assume same weight (gauge) of sheet metal. Which, BTW, a previous poster said it was probably 20 gauge . . . that would be very THIN sheet metal. I imagine these trucks were about 12 gauge. Anyway, a woman in a new, full size station wagon attempted to pass me on the right, while I was turning right . . . .blinkers on, etc. The 4″ front pipe bumper I had installed caught her body work, right behind the front wheel arch. It perfectly tore off all the sheet metal of her car . . . to the very rear. Honestly, her car looked like an opened sardine can. The truck? It took about a 1/2″ circle of black paint off my bumper. No damage to bumper or car. Went home, hit with the ol’ black spray can, and I was good to go. Her car was totaled.
When I see a engine topped with old nut shells, AND the carb s gone, leaving open manifold tubes, this generally means rodents have nested inside the manifold. If this happens, you might as well look for a replacement engine, because rodent pee is one of the most corrosive natural liquids known to man!
Field mice can easily squeeze between an open valve and the valve opening in the head or block, and they love to nest inside cylinders. if it’s got aluminum pistons, you ain’t getting that one out!
I remember looking at a mouse house in the back cylinder of a Packard straight 8. The mouse had come in and out thru what remained of the exhaust system, and the mouse house material was made from the seat’s internal cotton padding.