UPDATE – This Power Wagon went off our radar back in 2019, but it’s recently resurfaced. Given the unique patina, we are highly confident that this is the same truck, but it made the journey from Colorado to Exeter, New Hampshire! The seller has done more research to verify that all the numbers are correct, plus a lot of service work to keep it going. It’s still going strong though and looks as ready as ever to get back to work. If you’d love to be this Dodge’s next owner, you can find it here on eBay with a current bid of $19,200. And be sure to take a look at our previous review of it below!
From 9/27/2019 – If I had a time machine, I’d be tempted to go back and buy up all the old Dodge Power Wagons I could find! It appears the values are sky-rocketing lately and this one is from 1947 is no exception. It can be found here on eBay with a current bid over $9,000 and the reserve hasn’t been met yet! Located in Estes Park, Colorado, it appears this truck is (what we call in the Rocky Mountains) a “wood hog”…the kind of truck that loves being in the great outdoors. It isn’t afraid to get dirty and put in a hard day’s work getting firewood, hunting, or fishing. Check out this truck and let us know if you think it is worth the bidding frenzy.
The outside has a great weathered patina, but the truck doesn’t look abused. There isn’t much information in the ad, but the seller does say the driver’s window needs replaced and there are some rust issues with the floor. There are also “minor” rust holes in the doors.
The engine measures 230 cubic inches and is backed by a 4-speed transmission. The seller says the truck runs, drives, and stops but will need some “tinkering.” Also, the engine does smoke a little, so an eventual rebuild is probably on the menu for the new owner.
Even though the truck appears to be a pretty good workhorse, the bed doesn’t appear to beat up. The two big sheets of diamond plate are covering up what is left of the wood bed, but the wheel wells and bedsides don’t look bad at all! Even the underside of the truck doesn’t appear to be too rusty or abused.
Like I said before, these old Power Wagons continue to go up in value with seemingly no ceiling in sight. This truck would have never reached five figures a few years ago, but it looks like it might now. What do you think is driving the price on these old trucks and would you be a bidder at $9,000+?
Love the old original power wagons-hate the new original power wagon prices.
These are a hardy, wonderfully tough truck that are a chore to drive-which adds to the love most owners have for them..
Used to be inundated with them around here, as every military base and depot had these around in numerous configurations-ambulances, fuel trucks, rescue rigs and the like.
Just a really great part of the American landscape, sometimes literally a short time later.
Nevada1/2rack
Agreed, these are no fun to drive. Great around the farm or in the woods, but no fun to drive to the farm or woods. When I was young, these were 2 or 300 dollar trucks. People rarely sold them, though, as they had specific duties for them. All who owned one had other more practical trucks for real life. These really need a dual rear axle so highway drives are more enjoyable. Too bad these are so expensive now. I could use one on my land for practical things, but some rich dude is going to spend gobs of money on this and trailer it to shows like it is some over restored Cuda. The soul of the was for the working man to work, not for some person who has never seen the work end of a shovel use it to show off.
Well said 36 packard
36, rich dudes have hurt so much in our world.
Badass hunks of steel machinery, before trucks started to become feminized. I have one of these, and I’ll die with it! The driver’s side door glass needs to be replaced. It need replacing. Replace it. Put a different one in that isn’t broken. Change it for a good one.
I funny that this one popped up here today I saw the ambulance version of this on a trailer in traffic yesterday, here in Calgary. It looked like it had just been pulled out of some where after a long sleep. I think these are the coolest trucks to come out of ww2. I think that this would be fun to drive if your kidneys could take it. For that would be kidney. Great find.
These things will wear you out driving to a cruise in, much less hauling wood out of the hills.
This looks like a nicely preserved truck, and I like the fact that it still has the winch. I certainly think it is worth acquiring at the present bid price of $9,000, but don’t know enough about the current values to know if it is worth much more than that. It looks like it wouldn’t require much, if any maintenance, to put it to work again. Replacing the wood in the box is an easy job.
I was exposed to the Power Wagons while they were still being used in the Canadian army up into the early 60s. They were a really tough truck and perfect for rough terrain. They would not be fast enough for modern highway driving, and it is too bad that there aren’t enough of them to make it practical to produce an overdrive. If one was available, I would buy one of these in a heartbeat. They are a great looking truck, we used to feel so superior to the guys driving the jeeps.
I would love to own one, but missed my opportunity when I had a chance to buy one for $3,000 back in the 80s. The irony is, that I thought it was overpriced.
Bob
gear vendor would fit w/a DS shorten
Looks like a nice clean Colorado truck. Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
Pull up in front of a crowd and you’d certainly have their attention…
They are cool trucks I like the looks. There is a nice one for sale not far from me.
https://meadville.craigslist.org/cto/6972428871.html
These Civilian Power Wagons are the epitome of what a truck is or at least what a truck was. I’ve had Military versions but never Civilian.
Rebuilding the engine can be avoided by locating NOS Military version engines (Government Surplus) of basically the same flat head six – many are still in crates and converting whole thing, truck and engine to 12 Volt is a breeze.
Couldn’t beat it in the day for going in the woods!! These things were tough!! It’s not easy just finding one where all the parts are there!!!
Ok I’ll say it. Take the body off this frame and mount it on the frame of a early 90’s dodge 3/4 ton 4×4 cumins turbo diesel. The early 90’s trucks still have a straight axle up front and are every bit as tough as these. If you want to keep the authentic look transfer the wheels over to the dodge chassis as well. Best of both world power and highway speed with old power wagon look. After all there from the same manufacturer anyways. Then sell the old chassis off for parts.
Oh please don’t desicrate such a beautiful old truck! The Power Wagon was the first 4 wd truck from Dodge after WWII they were introduced in 46 and did utilize some of the technology that was learned in the military trucks but there are a lot of differences and very little interchangeable parts. There was a time that virtually every service station had a Power Wagon for so many purposes from pulling cars out of the ditch to being rigged as tow trucks they were not fast in any way but with a 489 gear ration they could do just about anything! They are without a doubt one of the most recognize able trucks ever built and I understand that anybody can do with their truck whatever they want these beautiful trucks IMO should be restored to perfection and enjoyed by not only the owner but everyone who sees it and thinks back about their very fond memories of their experience years ago with the same truck!
These were intended to be WORK trucks. Many were modified by the owners for specific jobs, like well drilling or tow truck duty, or volunteer fire dept. duty. I drove one that was for sale by a farmer, nearly rust free. He was asking $2500. That was 1994. After my test drive, I politely turned him down. It seemed too impractical for daily use, and the ride at 50 mph was very busy to say the least. They are a good investment though. There is always some rich guy who will pay just about any price to HAVE one. Not that he will ever use it for what it was designed for.
One rugged truck.
Every time I see a civilian Power Wagon posted I raise the same question.
“Why do civilian PW’s command such a premium over the military M37 and it’s variants ?” The M37 is a cabriolet.
When the top goes down the price should go up ???
I cannot argue with the “WHY” question I have owned multiple M37 pickups and they have all been great vehicles. The craze on the Power Wagon is interesting and I hope it continues. I have a 50 PW and did a frame off and rebuilt every component of the truck and virtually everything that could be powder coated is all new diffs front and back transfer case rebuilt, trans rebuilt engine, winch you name it. The truck will go up for sale this spring and I have already been offered 100k for it but believe it or not it’s worth a fair bit more than that. WHY I don’t have an answer but people are standing in line to pay obscene amounts for them. I have 2 years of time plus a whole lot of hard costs it might be the first time I ever broke even a restoring a truck!
Gary, Tim and 36 Packard it’s the “rich dudes” who risk everything, lose time with family, build factories, start businesses and hire hundreds of non-risk -taking, non-sacrificing folks as employees with the result that they become “rich dudes” and their employees can sit around after work and critisize their bosses for spending money on things the employees would like to have but don’t have the drive and ambition to do what it takes to become a “rich dude.”
I dare say that most “rich dudes” had certain advantages over others, be it family money, higher intelligence (of a kind that garners income), luck, and yes, perhaps ambition.
Most folks who did and do physical labor with these trucks don’t have time to sit back and complain about their bosses. They are too busy holding down second jobs, usually for themselves. They may lack the sophistication to parlay their abilities into a back loan in order to expand. And yes, it may be a lack of courage. The fear of risking what assets one has can be powerful.
The point here is that the so-called “rich dudes” are driving up the prices and pieces of machinery that someone with less means could use to earn a living, not by restoring it and flipping it, but by using it.
I’m not condemning either “class”. There’s room for all of us.
Pretty well said. Many an average worker could be “successful” if they had daddies money to lean on or his connections. Dare I mention the most obvious recent example? No, maybe not. Agreed, people like that, may actually work hard, but do they really work harder than the average person? Certainly the rewards for hard work are not equal, yet why are so many average people fooled into believing that the 1% are somehow more special then they are and deserve all they have and accept the hardships from the such, that needent be?
Nice shape and a real truck- what a breath of fresh air. I had 2 of these and u could have made one out of em—but they didnt bring squat and I just barely broke even, This one is up to 19 large, kinda surprising and hasnt hit reserve,go figure. Anyhoo its only worth what someone will pay for it. I had one that has the original winch and the buyer bought it for the winch. Good luck and happy motoring.
Cheers
GPC
My grandparents owned a coal and oil business. I used to deliver coal in one just like this. Tough old gal. Sure wish I had it now.
Too bad we can’t look at the previous ebay ad, as this one has a crappy presentation. I’m endlessly fascinated and curious if people actually buy cars with presentations like this, sight unseen. Granted, they do mention videos are available. This is why so many buy from BAT, where at least the presentation is typically well done and there’s more transparency and protection. Unfortunately, it’s been overrun with said rich dudes, skewing the price of everything with four wheels.
MINI…POWER WAGON…MINI….POWER WAGON..MINi…
(2 on the ‘front page’ here)
You know I am at this website because of the interesting vehicles an you guys the members who have an insite and knowledge of the history of these vehicles that I don’t have. With that said I must say all this talk and placing this perceived blame on these mystery “rich guys” is ridiculous! We have no clue how or even if these buyers have these perceived millions of excess dollars on fire in their pockets. To me it sounds like nothing but sour grapes because we in our perception aren’t willing to spend what the market dictates the worth of an item. Prices change and reasons for buying change with the times. To throw the blame on something we know nothing about is a water of time and griping! We are better than that!
Yes, but you are assuming the the game is not rigged, that the markets are fair.
I drove the military version in the 1960 s in the Canadian army. We even used them to pull the 5 ton howitizers on short low speed runs. Very dependable and a true work horse.
Jim