Ran when parked! At least 30 years ago this Pine River, Minnesota work truck retired after a useful life as a… utility wrecker? This monster appears to have been built by the Four Wheel Drive company, as evidenced by their “FWD” logo on the front. Offered here on eBay, it can be yours for the “Buy It Now” price of $15,000.
Suffice to say you probably don’t want to be T-boned by this beast! It hails from an era before “bumper” became a funny word to describe the easily-damaged painted plastic parts at the front and rear of vehicles. FWD built this truck to bump and be bumped, repeatedly, without damage. Stopping short with this truck in your rear view mirror is highly discouraged.
Form follows function on the FWD dashboard. The new owner might consider adding an hour-glass for measuring zero-to-sixty runs. If the rest of the parking brake system is as sturdy as the engagement lever, it will probably hold on Pittsburgh’s Canton Avenue – the steepest street in America. The engine cover provides easy access to cans of beans or Dinty Moore Beef Stew placed on the exhaust manifold — without stopping. For recipes, see Manifold Destiny – The One! The Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!
Whether human or rat, this truck has room for the whole family! Slap a couple of DVD screens on the back of the front seats and this FWD becomes a practical alternative SUV with plenty of room in back for cots, 2-x-4s, hay bales, luggage, yarn, or dismembered body parts. Whatever your hobby, this truck has you covered. What will you do with this beauty when it’s delivered to your driveway?
HA! Great write-up,Todd! A rare public lol issued. I love the steepest street mention. There’s one in my hometown that has to be close to being that steep. https://flic.kr/p/35MXXQ
Thanks Scotty! I’d love to see what someone could do with this beastly rig. That street is a parking brake tester for sure.
Wow!!! could any of you pro car guys tell me and everyone else what I would do with this really?
I did like that late 40s ford in the background though…
and it just came to me, is this the same guy that was selling that 46 ford a little while back?
Yes
I don’t see a FWD on the front,( oh, there it is, on the bumper) and I had my doubts this was a FWD (looks a lot like a Diamond T cab and dash, and could very well be, (McLaughlin made cabs for several makes), but research shows, it is indeed an ultra rare late 40’s FWD model HRU cabover, according to this site, only half a handful remain.
http://jingletruck.com/fwd-auto-co-3-43388
They claim they were made for the Dept. of the Interior, whatever that means. Waukesha engine, top speed, 42 mph. So it’s rare. FWD has an amazing history. Started in Clintonville, Wisconsin in 1909 (as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company)and lays claim to one of the 1st 4 wheel drive trucks made. Still, not sure what to do with it, and $15g’s??? Wow. Regardless, thanks for the trucks!!!
Supet cool! This would be the wildest Paris to Dakar, Kamaz class vehicle with a modern chassis/drive train. Unimog on steroids. The original purpose was likely stringing high tension power lines.
A Leno, Coker, Weather Tech partnership could make it happen.
Unfortunately the last Paris to Dakar rally was 2008. What took its place is now run in South America.
Some hipsters will probably buy it, make it into a motor home then start a tiny spaces YouTube channel.
Steve R
Make a car hauler out of it
I love the old Diamond T and FWD trucks from that era. I was in an armoured regiment in the 50s and, in addition to the tank haulers, there were a couple of Diamond T wreckers. Big, reliable, slow, beasts. Then the brand suddenly disappeared.
My understanding is, that they were bought out by REO, and eventually purchased by White. It is too bad that these great brand names had to go the way of the dodo.
I have never seen this Cab-over version of the truck, and although I am a little surprised by the asking price, I hope whoever buys it will restore it.
After the war, a lot of truck makers bit the dust. FWD stayed the longest, acquiring Seagrave in 1963, and went out of business in 2003. Reo and Diamond T became part of White, and in 1967, became Diamond Reo until 1975.
Guaranteed to be the only one at your local car show. I like it. I wonder how hard it would be to swap in a modern diesel and if you could run highway speeds that would be killer. I just bought a 59 Apache project or I would consider this. Now I am thinking.
This would be the truck drivers’ version of ‘Killdozer.’ Don’t know what one would do with it but there’s little doubt that if you see one of these converging you’d get out of the way. For me, it’s a little bit too much of a truck. Fuel economy would suck but i don’t think you’d be cited for going too fast, even during the 55 mph nation wide speed limit. But it could be a lot of fun….
If you like unusual and rare old work trucks I found this today:
1955 Tatra (Czech) military 4×4 converted into a work truck
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-heavy-trucks/mississauga-peel-region/all-original-1955-tatra-805-cold-war-era-military-truck-coe/1327223901?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Very cool, Shaun. If you guys ever get to the Czech Republic, I’d recommend you visit the Tatra Museum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tatra_Museum_in_Zakopane
I’ve been there and it’s very much worth a look. When I lived in CZ (2004/05), I also got a tour of the factory and a ride around the company’s test track in a 6×6.
This FWD would be quite an addition to anyone’s collection in more ways than one!
Very cool, Shaun. If you guys ever get to the Czech Republic, I’d recommend you visit the Tatra Museum: https://www.tatramuseum.cz/index.php?r=5&idj=2
I’ve been there a few times and it’s very much worth a look. When I lived in CZ (2004/05), I also got a tour of the factory and a ride around the company’s test track in a 6×6.
This FWD would be quite an addition to anyone’s collection in more ways than one! I like it…
That Tatra T-805 truck has the same basic 2.5 liter air-cooled V8 engine as in my 1962 Tatra T2-603 automobile. Tatra was always the engineering and mechanical marvel of the Soviet Bloc, with cutting edge equipment.
Restore it and get a vanity plate that says ‘LOOK OUT’
Check out all this cat has for sale on eBay. Seriously unique tonnage
Reminds me of the Herkimer Battle Jitney from the movie Mystery Men… https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2007/07/18/herkimer-battle-jitney-what-and-where-is-it/
That was my first thought too. You beat me to it.
Looks like the seller has some other stuff for sale, and it all looks over priced.( To me anyway).
I worked for the highway dept in the 70’s.We had a couple of FWDs’.The cabs on them were made by IH.When we needed body parts we robbed them of of a couple of R-190 and 200s’ we had. Most everything but the front fenders and hood interchanged…..
Only Minnesota and Wisconsin has killer cool trucks like this. love it
Same guy as yesterday, has hundreds of items on eBay, weird dude, great stuff.
Wow, that guy has some cool stuff, way over priced, but cool. I’m going to be close to Pine River this weekend, it might be worth a drive to take a look.
I just saw the photos on ebay and, let me write it, this thing is beautiful.
So ugly it’s adorable. Perfect RV for a “doomsday prepper”.
Ugh..$15,000? Maybe $1500.
What ate the seats, and does it still live in the Truck ?
This being Mardi Gras weekend coming up here in New Orleans, it comes to mind that I would remove the top half of the rear body and create a rolling stage for a small band. Other than going to the parade start and back, it’d never have to do more then a strolling speed. Set the speakers on the sides.
Happy Mardi Gras everybody
Yup wee would have lots of fun in new Orleans looking at this ugly truck I would take to the bayou and use for target practice as it took on a slow moving track in the bayou no one gonna bother as u open on it how we say? Ce bon Mon Ami!
Perfect for a new, and best of all time Road Warrior movie. I can just see the heathen covered with chains riding on the front !
Boy this is a very cool piece of history FWD was a very famous truck maker specialized in extreme duty work lots of utility work like snow plowing, military fire engines and they were the first purchase OshKosh made on their road to dominance! I like big trucks a few years ago I bought an M920 20 ton semi tractor only the 1070 HET is bigger. I wish they said something about the engine, it could be something as neat as a 844 ci LeRoi V8, I had a MACK 123 with that engine in it. This truck is cool if you have the facilities to work on it, everything is HEAVY AND BIG! One front hub on my 920 is 220 pounds! If I had this truck I would return it to it’s original beauty possibly upgrade the engine to a diesel completely redo to interior back to original I would spend thousands of dollars making it perfect and when all done I would end up selling it for 1/3 of what I have into it, AS USUAL!!!
Here’s a different use for one…