Remember ,,,, all these old dodges were made by young scientists and engineers that were totally out of their minds and did a great job. And that old truck was made to go to war . Thanks man .
Really cool to see someone your age interested in old iron ! My 1941 WC22 has the same engine and straight cut 4 speed which shifts super nice, in fact it just drops into every gear with the right touch. I think getting the carb / engine tune right, and the throttle linkage free of play and smooth makes all the difference in the frustration level when shifting gears in these. Keep it up !!
The power wagon! Get the body squared, get it painted and have a epic retro sign on the door that says (Attwood recovery systems) on the side😂😂…..epic.
Pressure wash the frame rust really well, then brush on a coat of "Coroseal" rust converter... Awesome stuff that last for many years right outdoors. It's not at all like the old acid based converter, this stuff is one coat, turns it black, looks great... Perfect for the Patina restoration peeps that don't have the time, money or patients for a full restore.
Those old trucks were oxes they would pull what ever you hooked to it. Not fast but they got there and those engines are bullet proof and run for 3 to 4 lifetimes. I remember as a kid farms loaded with these and they drove them into the woods and parked them when they up graded and there they sat. Like the grain truck i got the 2x4s off the poly 318.
Love the old Powerwagon! These things are about the most rugged pieces of machinery ever built, except maybe Caterpillars. The old flathead 6 is a great engine, they put these in all sorts of farm and industrial equipment back in their day. I have a 56 Dodge pickup, so I can relate to the "less than ideal" driving characteristics of these old trucks. The 56 rides rough, brakes are sketchy and it steers hard, but I love the thing. It does have a small block 318 in it and it runs great, so that helps a lot. And it has a synchronized 4 speed from a mid-60s Dodge truck, so at least it shifts pretty good.
A V8 and synchronized gears?! Pure luxury! Haha. I don’t mind the lack of power at all. It’s the gearing and my ineptitude at shifting that are a bit of a problem.
@Dead Dodge Garage ROFL! So I'm into this @ 2:18 and what may have once been a transmission?, literally looks like an old Lump of Coal! I almost spit out my breakfast onto my laptop. How many Gallons of oil, and how many Hundreds of Years does it take to do that? Keep 'em coming brother!
@@DeadDodgeGarage hahaha! If you could even FIND the bolts, you could un-bolt it and toss it in a coal burning stove and keep your shop warm for Several Winters! lol
many years ago i was in an accident. Power Wagon vs chevy suburban. The suburban had damage to the right fender, bumper and decentagrated the right headlight assembly. The Power Wagon had a 6" scratch on the back bumper. It's a tank.
Lots of people have told me it’s a dream truck for them. I didn’t know I needed to dream about them until I saw this one… then it became a problem. Haha.
I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago. Enjoy your content and sense of humor. That truck is so cool to look at ,the engine sounds great. Keep up the good work, best regards.
What an absolutely brilliant turd!! Love old trucks as terrible as they are. Definitely looks like quite the interactive driving experience. Who needs all the moderns gadgets when your muscling that beast down the road!! Love it!
I have always liked those WW2-style Dodge Trucks. But the reality of owning one scared me off. Can see where a NP435, NP445, or A518 swap could be really useful. Also see why the Cummins 4bt/12V swaps are popular. Or swapping in modern gas V8's or inlines. But that messes with the overall Lo-Tech sensibilty of the truck. It was not made for the modern 80+mph freeway, nor fit into modern Le Car sized parking spots, limited stopping power that only Fred Flintstone envies, and no need high octaine fuel at all. Still a very cool truck as is.
That’s it. While I get the appeal of being able to drive one everywhere, all the time… I couldn’t see ruining a time capsule like this. If it was less complete or the engine was garbage, ok. But I couldn’t do it. I even had the 4BT…
Beautiful old truck! I have a '56 with a dump bed and many of the same quirks: brake issues, rotten wood in the bed, noisy, etc. It was a Fish and Wildlife Service truck in its early days hauling gravel for the spawning beds. PTO shaft drives a little hydraulic pump with 2 lift cylinders. When you drive it awhile and get the feel of the tranny, your gear grinding will stop and it will shift sooo sweet. Keep fresh oil in it too. I always double clutch and treat her GENTLE. Try to only turn the armstrong steering wheel when the wheels are rolling. Lots of guys want to put in a bigger ,newer motor. No way! The old flathead six is matched perfectly to the truck. It is not built for speed, it was built to win the war. Easy to work on and fix stuff. Like the old paint job too.
I couldn’t agree more! I have stopped double clutching and am now floating gears (no clutch) exclusively. Both Byron and I almost never touched the clutch pedal in this video other than takeoff. It is *much* easier to do. I could never, ever successfully downshift using double clutch rev matching. I don’t know why, but by simply rev matching and not using the clutch, I am able to downshift almost every time without issue. My upshifts tend to be smoother too. It’s hard to judge engine speed with no tach and road speed with no working speedometer! So my technique is far from perfect. But most importantly, it’s very fun.
I've have a pw from 1978. It's a 1946. in order to make it ride a little smoother put a ton of sand in the bed or sore engines and such. On ice mine has been unstoppable. In 2009 i installed a 4BT cummins and a 5 speed. earlier gears were changed to 4.89. Now it cruzes at 60-5 20+mpg. next trick is making a set of 17" wheels 37" dia.
My 230 flathead was .040 and worn out. My child convinced me to do a 4bt. Before the 4bt I change gears to 4.89 from 5.83.. The flathead cruised at 50 easy. Topped out at 60. Got 17mpg rather than 9mpg
How fun. Love old trucks. My brother's 51 pilot house half ton fluid drive was much like your p/w. Gotta say I had more fun I that old truck than any other. Nothing like fluid drive to walk out of a mud hole. Not enough power to spin the tires...lol!
It runs, it drives, it's powered by Armstrong.Lights in the front, lights in the back, alright. Great looking Dodge for being 75 years old. Good job Jamie And Remember the air conditioning only works when you turn the crank to open the window. Yay!
Really dig your ole heavy hauler. Seeing you having to double clutch it and try rev matching to downshift reminded me of the old grain trucks we used to have. Learned to drive our 50 Chevy ton and a half when I was 9 and by 11 years old it became my job to shuffle the loaded trucks from the house to the field since everyone else was either on a piece of equipment or gone on the road in a semi. Thinking about your lack of turn signals clicked another thought about the old grain trucks of grandpa’s and semi trucks from my dad and his brothers. All of those old trucks used an almost identical turn signal switch that clamped around the steering column made by the “Grote” company in case you were looking for a solution. Unfortunately since the turn signal switch was an add on for those old trucks and for the semis until the very late 80’s they don’t self cancel as the columns weren’t built with the internal trigger wheel, learning to click the switch back after completing your turn is still tough to remember after 40 years of it off and on. The bowed front bulkhead of the bed could maybe be straightened with a deflated wheelbarrow or motorcycle inner tube. I’ve used the inner tube trick on later model trucks and it worked fine but the later stuff is definitely made of thinner steel, worked great on straightening door skins on several occasions as well. Good luck with getting the truck up to snuff, it may take you a while but it looks to be something you can tackle a little bit at a time.
I’ve never seen them from Grote, I’ve seen the Signal Stat. I’ve got a couple of them around. The existence of that switch is why I ran two wires. Haha. But I do also have hands for signaling, and it’s not like I’ll be driving the dang thing much. If I actually add a trailer like I’m considering, that will become more important.
Sounds like a good plan. Got used to hand signals a long time ago when I put my first panhead on the road. Also the same bike I got run over on in 03. Unfortunately not everyone pays attention to their surroundings nowadays. Glad to see you’re keeping it simple. Now that I think about it, the Grote turn signal assemblies were all in trucks that were older except for the one in grandads 60s model King Midget minicar. I do remember that they had they all had chrome levers but the bodies were made with both chrome or bare pot metal. I guess they’ve possibly become obsolete.
Absolutely love this old guy! I'd gladly give a ton to run across one I could redo the way I would like to do one. I know that towards the end of this body style MA Mopar equipped some of them with a poly 318 which would make me the happiest truck owner ever!
Actually, as far as I know, these were flathead and then slant six only - and I think the slant may have just been for export? These trucks remained in production for the US through 1968, but were available elsewhere into the 70s. The W series (the more modern pickup based Power Wagons) could have a poly, an LA later, and even apparently big blocks? Either way, I also just love this thing. It’s just about my favorite thing to drive now - despite being pretty horrible by today’s standards. Haha.
Great video just in case you haven’t sorted it out yet the seat has a rod at the front in the middle,which enables you to slide it back and forward. Hope this helps from sunny England
It is ammmmazzzzzing how much trucks have changed over the years.... I LOVE that you are using relays to handle the headlights.... If you never have, you should read MAD ELECTRICS online book on wiring. Still loving your channel!!
Check the bolts and holes in the transfer case mount brackets. The bolts stretch and the holes egg.Especially with a divorced transfer case. There's also a frame diamention graphic in the original service manual for home frame alignment.
Also I'd work on being proficient with the factory drive trane and enjoy 1948. If you want a modern transmission, get a modern truck . It sounds like it needs a little timing or slightly leaner at idle. Looking forward to more on this project
For an air compressor, mount an A/C compressor from a 70's Ford or Mopar on the engine and if you converted it to a 12V system, the stock A/C clutch will allow you to turn on the air compressor when needed. Strangely the old York style A/C compressors supply a lot of air and they do it pretty fast.
I’ve responded to other comments about this. That has always been my plan. I have two Chrysler RV-2 compressors for exactly this purpose. The problem is space under the hood… it’s very, very limited - and so is the space where I would have to add an additional v belt drive pulley. I didn’t talk about those plans in detail in this video, so I do understand people making the suggestion. I have considered running it off of my extra PTO drive, but I’m not sure the RPM range would be suitable. I have a lot to learn about how that stuff works.
@@DeadDodgeGarage the RV2 compressor is larger than the York compressor which is why I suggested that one instead of the RV2. Some Mopars did use the York compressor so it could still be considered to be all Mopar. The drive belt system is not an unachievable goal either. The most difficult part of the entire installation is allowing yourself to think outside of the box on how to do it.
The later W series Power Wagons based on the late 50s-60s trucks, absolutely. My 1964 W200 Power Wagon has one. Any V8 in an original, “military style” Power Wagon like this was swapped there.
For floating gears put a little pressure on the shifter toward neutral when it falls into neutral it should fall into the next gear it should do big rig things
My favorite dodge truck ever the 41-58 i think power wagon!!! Newer second gen dodge 3500 and 2500 4x4 suspension with a Cummins diesel and the 5spd manual shift hydraulic transmission!
Civilian Power Wagon was 46-68 (even later in other countries…) of course the WW2 military truck was very similar. It’s a tempting thought - but I feel obliged to preserve this one in factory form (mechanically) as it is. A transmission that is actually usable would be nice though. Haha.
I was including both of the civilian and military power wagons since it was still basically starting out with the same truck.... both were awesome in my opinion and yeah I meant 68 autocorrect you know lol grrr..
Absolutely love those old power wagons, I think that i would probably put a big block with a stroker kit and a low rpm high torque cam for some serious off road power, okay i like to dream about things that will probably never happen, but those trucks are just cool looking
Without going into way too much blather on my part, your videos induce massive personal life reflection within me, and sometimes cause an existential crisis within my psyche. I think it's the broken windshield on the 48? I really should be paying you for the weekly mental health wellness. OK, enuf of that and back to work I go.
Have you ever checked out the swivel frame powerwagons...the frame had a joint that was behind the cab allowing the rear half of the frame to flex almost 45 degrees
Speed,comfort,and safety are over rated.....You lose the adventure...the sense of accomplishment just to have arrived...Not to mention the kinetic,audio, and olfactory sensations you experience... The ghost of DDG Christmas' past still inspires...
These were used extensively by the Indian Army and civil authorities who needed a 4wd truck for heavy going. This was a world truck. I believe it was also used in the Middle East. They are affectionately remembered by old timers. Long replaced by something from Japan, I think petrol consumption had something to do with it! Good to see them on here.
I actually was double clutching in this video. I am now shifting it without the clutch and it works much, much better. I never managed to double clutch downshift correctly at all, but I can do it pretty easily rev matching without the clutch. It’s ridiculously good fun.
I actually found some original literature for it in other Dodge trucks in ‘48. It was an air bladder of some kind under the seat that used what looked exactly like a barbecue vent to control air flow in and out. I’m guessing it didn’t work very well, as mine is gone - and they sure didn’t stick around in Dodge trucks. I haven’t ever seen an example of one.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Wow, Never heard of that. I worked for Mack Trucks for 30 years and they used the same term for the air ride seats. My Bad. Thanks for the Great Videos
Very cool truck! Next time you're at the local junkyard, look for the oldest truck. Rob the SignalStat out of it. They're not self cancelling, but look period correct, sort of :-)
Hi, I have a 1947 PW but do not have the badge info about the seat. However under my original seat at midpoint is a lever to adjust how much air escapes, it’s a vent like device. Helps with the seat firmness. Like poor man’s air seat, but does not work as well. Hope this info helps. GB
Yep, that’s exactly what it is. I found a brochure describing this not long after making the video. The mechanism strongly resembles a vent on top of a barbecue. Not working well sounds about right. Haha.
One rust hole Major components covered in grease. I sense a likely correlation between the leakage that must have caused the impressive dirt and lube coatings and the relative lack of perforation on such an aged vehicle
@@DeadDodgeGarage My Dad's family had a Power Wagon farm truck when he was a teenager. He had a lot of things to say about it (mostly very positive). They saved the used motor oil (as expected, learned during the depression then also for the war effort); they used to spray the undercarriage of the truck and their older car with the used oil during fall/winter seasons to protect them, and burned the rest for heat in the barn.
Hey if you take a paint pen doesn't matter what color it is and go over the numbers again that they put on there with fresh paint you can wipe it all right off do it all the time at the shop when I'm writing numbers on parts or what not and then I go to use them on the trucks when I want to take the numbers off or put new mileage number on there or new date on there you just go over it with paint pen and then once the paint sweat you can wipe it right off
Yeah a np435 would make it so much better and gives you a chance to clean up the mass of grease everywhere. I wouldnt change that flat head out for anything.
I have no way of knowing and no one to ask unfortunately. As hard as it was beaten in the woods, I strongly suspect that it has been boogered together from various other trucks over the decades. But don’t really know. All of the correct mechanical parts are there - except the missing air cleaner.
I platonically love you Jamie. As you read this, you will find that this is more of a request than a comment. Honestly, I am very selfish when it comes to my women and my ice cream. My hope is that you can edit all of your future videos to have clear blue skies and sunshine. Sure, I ask this for myself, but also for all of your fans who may enjoy a beautiful background too. I'm not saying that I am only concentrating on the sky, instead of the fascinating content in your videos. However, I digress.
You’re going to like next weekend’s video… that is, if I get this insane trip finished and edited by next weekend, which frankly would be a miracle. Well, and as long as you don’t mind a horrible layer of wildfire smoke between you and your blue sky. Personally, I find it a cool sight at times - but it would be nice to breath through my nose again. Anyway, I’ll see what I can do.
I am well familiar with this. I have two, and this was my plan. I am very, very limited on space in the engine compartment, and for adding an extra pulley.
Just observations and you know it's kind of want to ask the question of you guys actually finish anything I always hear it future Jamie's problem I really feel sorry for future Jamie that guy seems to have a extremely large workload in the future did you guys ever tell Jamie in the future he's going to have a lot of work to do are you guys keeping it as a surprise lol love old power wagons hope to own one someday
THERE WAS A OLD TV ADD FOR THIS TRUCK ON YOU TUBE SHOWING THE FARMER WIFE TAKING THE TWO KIDS AND HER GIRL FRIEND ALL PILLING IN THE CAB DRIVING TO TOWN TO GO FOOD SHOPPING / O ! !THE COMFORT
About that plate on the dash. I ve never seen one working but it’s supposed to open and close an air valve under the seat to make it a soft or hard ride. Sorry, but it’s as soft as it’s going to get!
Not the original seats I believe, it should have like a ancient OTR type seat and the adjustment valves are for the seat bladder and the air was adjusted by the valves. Not a great set up for it would leak and they would get tossed.
I think it’s a factory seat missing an in between setup that had the air and movement controls. It’s definitely a factory shaped seat with factory material. I was able to find brochure info for it today. It didn’t use actual air pressure, it apparently used a little air door in the bladder that looks just like a vent on top of a grill. Interesting stuff there.
Well said, my great uncle said lots of his paratrooper buddies were only 16 or 17 cuz they lied so they could serve. Jumped into Holland and hid out in the grateful farmers’ barns to ambush the enemy forces. 🇺🇸
Damn! now i want a power wagon. REEEEALLY wanna do some wild alaskan backwoods type build with huge balloon airplane tires. Whats the price range of these in okayish project condition? (like yours is) would appreciate some insight so i can calculate end price with import fees and taxes. Have a nice day!
Well, I see complete trucks listed for a lot. This one is/was actually listed for sale for months (after finishing the cab mounts and lights I decided I should just keep it. Haha. But I haven’t deleted the ad yet.) Before I finished the video, apparently it was worth around $10,000, as that’s what people tended to offer me. I thought it would be worth $12-14k. It’s relatively rust free and a factory winch model - but the wrong bed that isn’t complete yet is a big strike on value.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Oh wow thats more than i expected haha! Not a ridiculos price though i can definitely see why they are at that range. Very desireable, not many left etc..
So I'm back in the days I had those balls that you would text and saying we'll help turn it because you don't have power steering at this on those old trucks people usually happen to the present a sum these perfect so there's a similar ball with that
Well… yeah. I’m pretty familiar with how things work. I’ve also done seat time in the lighter, 3/4 ton rated M37 military variant of this truck, which rides a whole lot better. Since the frame and drivetrain are damn near identical, I have thus concluded that I can lighten the spring packs, improve things a whole lot and find a happy medium - where the truck can still carry some weight, but it can no longer carry a house, and my spine may well survive the experience. It’s worth a shot.
There's not been a truck produced in the past 50 years that will ever be as cool as the old Power Wagons
I couldn’t agree more!
Remember ,,,, all these old dodges were made by young scientists and engineers that were totally out of their minds and did a great job. And that old truck was made to go to war . Thanks man .
Really cool to see someone your age interested in old iron ! My 1941 WC22 has the same engine and straight cut 4 speed which shifts super nice, in fact it just drops into every gear with the right touch. I think getting the carb / engine tune right, and the throttle linkage free of play and smooth makes all the difference in the frustration level when shifting gears in these. Keep it up !!
1😂😂
The power wagon! Get the body squared, get it painted and have a epic retro sign on the door that says (Attwood recovery systems) on the side😂😂…..epic.
Props for driving that around, very brave, much skill. I feel like I know exactly how that smells inside.
Pressure wash the frame rust really well, then brush on a coat of "Coroseal" rust converter... Awesome stuff that last for many years right outdoors. It's not at all like the old acid based converter, this stuff is one coat, turns it black, looks great... Perfect for the Patina restoration peeps that don't have the time, money or patients for a full restore.
It’ll be soooo cool when it’s done though!!
Those old trucks were oxes they would pull what ever you hooked to it. Not fast but they got there and those engines are bullet proof and run for 3 to 4 lifetimes. I remember as a kid farms loaded with these and they drove them into the woods and parked them when they up graded and there they sat. Like the grain truck i got the 2x4s off the poly 318.
Love the old Powerwagon! These things are about the most rugged pieces of machinery ever built, except maybe Caterpillars. The old flathead 6 is a great engine, they put these in all sorts of farm and industrial equipment back in their day. I have a 56 Dodge pickup, so I can relate to the "less than ideal" driving characteristics of these old trucks. The 56 rides rough, brakes are sketchy and it steers hard, but I love the thing. It does have a small block 318 in it and it runs great, so that helps a lot. And it has a synchronized 4 speed from a mid-60s Dodge truck, so at least it shifts pretty good.
A V8 and synchronized gears?! Pure luxury! Haha. I don’t mind the lack of power at all. It’s the gearing and my ineptitude at shifting that are a bit of a problem.
@Dead Dodge Garage ROFL! So I'm into this @ 2:18 and what may have once been a transmission?, literally looks like an old Lump of Coal! I almost spit out my breakfast onto my laptop. How many Gallons of oil, and how many Hundreds of Years does it take to do that? Keep 'em coming brother!
Dude I know… I’m almost afraid to clean it. It’s such an amazing thing
@@DeadDodgeGarage hahaha! If you could even FIND the bolts, you could un-bolt it and toss it in a coal burning stove and keep your shop warm for Several Winters! lol
These are the best looking trucks ever made. Bravo
I’ve been looking for one of those for ever 🤷♂️
There’s one at my house 😅
That power wagon seems so fun to drive! That's what I call a driving experience
Oh it’s definitely an experience… it involves all of the limbs and way too much thinking.
I thought only Sarah said "carefulling." Neat!
many years ago i was in an accident. Power Wagon vs chevy suburban. The suburban had damage to the right fender, bumper and decentagrated the right headlight assembly. The Power Wagon had a 6" scratch on the back bumper. It's a tank.
Love the double clutching! First time i drove one I was 15. Swore Id own one, At 63 still dont have one!
Lots of people have told me it’s a dream truck for them. I didn’t know I needed to dream about them until I saw this one… then it became a problem. Haha.
I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago. Enjoy your content and sense of humor. That truck is so cool to look at ,the engine sounds great. Keep up the good work, best regards.
Reminds me so much of driving Grampa's grain trucks on the farm. Same kind of ride and experience.
Cheerz!!
What an absolutely brilliant turd!! Love old trucks as terrible as they are. Definitely looks like quite the interactive driving experience. Who needs all the moderns gadgets when your muscling that beast down the road!! Love it!
Exactly! It’s all part of the experience…
I have always liked those WW2-style Dodge Trucks.
But the reality of owning one scared me off.
Can see where a NP435, NP445, or A518 swap could be really useful.
Also see why the Cummins 4bt/12V swaps are popular.
Or swapping in modern gas V8's or inlines.
But that messes with the overall Lo-Tech sensibilty of the truck.
It was not made for the modern 80+mph freeway, nor fit into modern Le Car sized parking spots, limited stopping power that only Fred Flintstone envies, and no need high octaine fuel at all.
Still a very cool truck as is.
That’s it. While I get the appeal of being able to drive one everywhere, all the time… I couldn’t see ruining a time capsule like this. If it was less complete or the engine was garbage, ok. But I couldn’t do it. I even had the 4BT…
Awesome! Nice double clutching! 😊
Sometimes… 😅
This is the only channel where when you go for a test drive i feel you're endangering the public and that's the way it should be. Good Job!
Haaaahaha. I’ve been hearing a lot more of that lately. All I will say is, if I wasn’t confident in the equipment, I wouldn’t do it.
Would love to see more of that truck 👍
You will!
Beautiful old truck! I have a '56 with a dump bed and many of the same quirks: brake issues, rotten wood in the bed, noisy, etc. It was a Fish and Wildlife Service truck in its early days hauling gravel for the spawning beds. PTO shaft drives a little hydraulic pump with 2 lift cylinders. When you drive it awhile and get the feel of the tranny, your gear grinding will stop and it will shift sooo sweet. Keep fresh oil in it too. I always double clutch and treat her GENTLE. Try to only turn the armstrong steering wheel when the wheels are rolling. Lots of guys want to put in a bigger ,newer motor. No way! The old flathead six is matched perfectly to the truck. It is not built for speed, it was built to win the war. Easy to work on and fix stuff. Like the old paint job too.
I couldn’t agree more! I have stopped double clutching and am now floating gears (no clutch) exclusively. Both Byron and I almost never touched the clutch pedal in this video other than takeoff. It is *much* easier to do. I could never, ever successfully downshift using double clutch rev matching. I don’t know why, but by simply rev matching and not using the clutch, I am able to downshift almost every time without issue. My upshifts tend to be smoother too. It’s hard to judge engine speed with no tach and road speed with no working speedometer! So my technique is far from perfect. But most importantly, it’s very fun.
I was really enjoying that and then it ended.😔 Will be looking forward to the next exciting installment. Keep up the good work, Jamie !
You're right, that thing really is super cool
Those are the sickest trucks ever built!💯🇺🇸
I've have a pw from 1978. It's a 1946. in order to make it ride a little smoother put a ton of sand in the bed or sore engines and such. On ice mine has been unstoppable. In 2009 i installed a 4BT cummins and a 5 speed. earlier gears were changed to 4.89. Now it cruzes at 60-5 20+mpg. next trick is making a set of 17" wheels 37" dia.
Awesome! Great setup. I am tempted by the 4BT… but the flathead is so good.
My 230 flathead was .040 and worn out. My child convinced me to do a 4bt. Before the 4bt I change gears to 4.89 from 5.83.. The flathead cruised at 50 easy. Topped out at 60. Got 17mpg rather than 9mpg
That Power Wagon is fantastic Jamie!
Man I'm impressed with the double clutching 😅
I can do it… as long as I remember what I’m driving. Lol.
I miss my Power Wagon
How fun. Love old trucks. My brother's 51 pilot house half ton fluid drive was much like your p/w. Gotta say I had more fun I that old truck than any other. Nothing like fluid drive to walk out of a mud hole. Not enough power to spin the tires...lol!
It runs, it drives, it's powered by Armstrong.Lights in the front, lights in the back, alright. Great looking Dodge for being 75 years old. Good job Jamie And Remember the air conditioning only works when you turn the crank to open the window. Yay!
Really dig your ole heavy hauler. Seeing you having to double clutch it and try rev matching to downshift reminded me of the old grain trucks we used to have. Learned to drive our 50 Chevy ton and a half when I was 9 and by 11 years old it became my job to shuffle the loaded trucks from the house to the field since everyone else was either on a piece of equipment or gone on the road in a semi.
Thinking about your lack of turn signals clicked another thought about the old grain trucks of grandpa’s and semi trucks from my dad and his brothers. All of those old trucks used an almost identical turn signal switch that clamped around the steering column made by the “Grote” company in case you were looking for a solution. Unfortunately since the turn signal switch was an add on for those old trucks and for the semis until the very late 80’s they don’t self cancel as the columns weren’t built with the internal trigger wheel, learning to click the switch back after completing your turn is still tough to remember after 40 years of it off and on.
The bowed front bulkhead of the bed could maybe be straightened with a deflated wheelbarrow or motorcycle inner tube. I’ve used the inner tube trick on later model trucks and it worked fine but the later stuff is definitely made of thinner steel, worked great on straightening door skins on several occasions as well. Good luck with getting the truck up to snuff, it may take you a while but it looks to be something you can tackle a little bit at a time.
I’ve never seen them from Grote, I’ve seen the Signal Stat. I’ve got a couple of them around. The existence of that switch is why I ran two wires. Haha. But I do also have hands for signaling, and it’s not like I’ll be driving the dang thing much. If I actually add a trailer like I’m considering, that will become more important.
Sounds like a good plan. Got used to hand signals a long time ago when I put my first panhead on the road. Also the same bike I got run over on in 03. Unfortunately not everyone pays attention to their surroundings nowadays. Glad to see you’re keeping it simple.
Now that I think about it, the Grote turn signal assemblies were all in trucks that were older except for the one in grandads 60s model King Midget minicar. I do remember that they had they all had chrome levers but the bodies were made with both chrome or bare pot metal. I guess they’ve possibly become obsolete.
Nice! That thing looks like a handful to drive, but fun!
Thanks Jamie
Looks like the most complicated truck to drive, ever. But in an awesome way.
Well, in a “I’m driving a cool truck” way.
Damn good looking truck
POWER WAGONS RULE ALL TRUCKS HANDS DOWN....❤ 😅
I would like to see more videos on that 48 Dodge Power Wagon
Between the transmission and steering quite a man's truck.
Absolutely love this old guy! I'd gladly give a ton to run across one I could redo the way I would like to do one. I know that towards the end of this body style MA Mopar equipped some of them with a poly 318 which would make me the happiest truck owner ever!
Actually, as far as I know, these were flathead and then slant six only - and I think the slant may have just been for export? These trucks remained in production for the US through 1968, but were available elsewhere into the 70s. The W series (the more modern pickup based Power Wagons) could have a poly, an LA later, and even apparently big blocks? Either way, I also just love this thing. It’s just about my favorite thing to drive now - despite being pretty horrible by today’s standards. Haha.
I know that I saw a power wagon factory equipped with a poly 4 barrel. It was used by a fire department.
Great video just in case you haven’t sorted it out yet the seat has a rod at the front in the middle,which enables you to slide it back and forward. Hope this helps from sunny England
Mine doesn’t…
Love old trucks for firewood, you just load till your tired , not going to overload!!
It is ammmmazzzzzing how much trucks have changed over the years.... I LOVE that you are using relays to handle the headlights.... If you never have, you should read MAD ELECTRICS online book on wiring. Still loving your channel!!
Thats a great truck. I actually like the straight cut four speeds. I also dig your approach to the "refurb". Keep @ it,,,Izzy,,,,
I really disliked it at first… then I got learned. I love it now!
Check the bolts and holes in the transfer case mount brackets. The bolts stretch and the holes egg.Especially with a divorced transfer case. There's also a frame diamention graphic in the original service manual for home frame alignment.
Nice! I might well need that. The t case is definitely sagging so this makes sense.
@@DeadDodgeGarage The 205's have mounts on the top of the case don't know about the 200's(201?).
@@Ross046 It appears to be a very, very similar setup.
488 gears and new windshields are life changing in those old trucks. Just let some air out of the tires if it rides to rough. It helps
I also got a set of AVM lockouts and that was a vast improvement in noise reduction and drive ability.
Also I'd work on being proficient with the factory drive trane and enjoy 1948. If you want a modern transmission, get a modern truck . It sounds like it needs a little timing or slightly leaner at idle. Looking forward to more on this project
You got that double clutching down pat.
Except when I forget 😅 but yes I can do it pretty reliably. Now if I can figure out how to float them I’ll be somebody…
@DeadDodgeGarage well, if you had a tach the magic number is 1800 rpm. So long as you're in that ballpark you could power shift it no problem.
That thing is freaking sick. I love that truck Jaime nice job.
Uhhhhhh self driving must be factree option
She looks good👍👍👍
For an air compressor, mount an A/C compressor from a 70's Ford or Mopar on the engine and if you converted it to a 12V system, the stock A/C clutch will allow you to turn on the air compressor when needed. Strangely the old York style A/C compressors supply a lot of air and they do it pretty fast.
I’ve responded to other comments about this. That has always been my plan. I have two Chrysler RV-2 compressors for exactly this purpose. The problem is space under the hood… it’s very, very limited - and so is the space where I would have to add an additional v belt drive pulley. I didn’t talk about those plans in detail in this video, so I do understand people making the suggestion. I have considered running it off of my extra PTO drive, but I’m not sure the RPM range would be suitable. I have a lot to learn about how that stuff works.
@@DeadDodgeGarage the RV2 compressor is larger than the York compressor which is why I suggested that one instead of the RV2. Some Mopars did use the York compressor so it could still be considered to be all Mopar. The drive belt system is not an unachievable goal either. The most difficult part of the entire installation is allowing yourself to think outside of the box on how to do it.
Damn it. Now I want a power wagon
I have seen Power Wagons from the sixties sporting poly motors. Interesting.
The later W series Power Wagons based on the late 50s-60s trucks, absolutely. My 1964 W200 Power Wagon has one. Any V8 in an original, “military style” Power Wagon like this was swapped there.
Epic! The power wagon
For floating gears put a little pressure on the shifter toward neutral when it falls into neutral it should fall into the next gear it should do big rig things
I’m gonna try it!
Itll go killer truck man
My favorite dodge truck ever the 41-58 i think power wagon!!! Newer second gen dodge 3500 and 2500 4x4 suspension with a Cummins diesel and the 5spd manual shift hydraulic transmission!
Civilian Power Wagon was 46-68 (even later in other countries…) of course the WW2 military truck was very similar. It’s a tempting thought - but I feel obliged to preserve this one in factory form (mechanically) as it is. A transmission that is actually usable would be nice though. Haha.
@@DeadDodgeGarage I can understand that but yeah the transmission change may be a necessity for driving it almost anywhere lol
I was including both of the civilian and military power wagons since it was still basically starting out with the same truck.... both were awesome in my opinion and yeah I meant 68 autocorrect you know lol grrr..
That thing is pretty cool. You're doing a great job on it.
One day I'll wrap and tie up this wiring one day *Maniacal Cackling of Hell No I Won't* - LOL killing me.
Absolutely love those old power wagons, I think that i would probably put a big block with a stroker kit and a low rpm high torque cam for some serious off road power, okay i like to dream about things that will probably never happen, but those trucks are just cool looking
It ain’t about the torque, it’s about the crawl ratio 🙂
Without going into way too much blather on my part, your videos induce massive personal life reflection within me, and sometimes cause an existential crisis within my psyche. I think it's the broken windshield on the 48? I really should be paying you for the weekly mental health wellness. OK, enuf of that and back to work I go.
Well, I’m happy to help, I think! 😅
I absolutely love this thing
Have you ever checked out the swivel frame powerwagons...the frame had a joint that was behind the cab allowing the rear half of the frame to flex almost 45 degrees
Yeah! Really cool stuff. There was recently a limited edition Power Wagon die cast built, and it has a swivel frame.
Speed,comfort,and safety are over rated.....You lose the adventure...the sense of accomplishment just to have arrived...Not to mention the kinetic,audio, and olfactory sensations you experience...
The ghost of DDG Christmas' past still inspires...
Awesome truck! I've always wanted one of those!👍
Use a hockey puck for the mountain stead of a block of wood
Didn’t have any handy but have heard of that. The wood is “factory” though. 😅
Great truck
"Armstrong steering" lol I forgot about that one.
These were used extensively by the Indian Army and civil authorities who needed a 4wd truck for heavy going. This was a world truck. I believe it was also used in the Middle East. They are affectionately remembered by old timers. Long replaced by something from Japan, I think petrol consumption had something to do with it! Good to see them on here.
Great video!
Try double clutching that trans . - it may go a bit easier.
I actually was double clutching in this video. I am now shifting it without the clutch and it works much, much better. I never managed to double clutch downshift correctly at all, but I can do it pretty easily rev matching without the clutch. It’s ridiculously good fun.
It is an air seat control valve. Bostrom is an example. Bostrom air adjustable seats.
I actually found some original literature for it in other Dodge trucks in ‘48. It was an air bladder of some kind under the seat that used what looked exactly like a barbecue vent to control air flow in and out. I’m guessing it didn’t work very well, as mine is gone - and they sure didn’t stick around in Dodge trucks. I haven’t ever seen an example of one.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Wow, Never heard of that. I worked for Mack Trucks for 30 years and they used the same term for the air ride seats. My Bad. Thanks for the Great Videos
The transmission has no synchronizers. It just takes practice. When you can shift without the clutch you may have it mastered.
Yeah I don’t know about mastering that. Haha. I can upshift pretty reliably as long as I don’t forget what I’m driving.
The worn look makes me think of duel 1971!
"Come on, car!!" Yeah it really has that look. Other people have said... Jeepers Creepers? Something like that.
It would look great in my shop garage.
$12,000 would look good in my hands 🙂
Use a mopar ac compressor from the 70s for on board air. they work great on jeeps.
I have two. It’s a matter of space…
Lots of great "Wooows" in this one ! 😃😃 14:21 14:35 are just 2 examples
Very cool truck! Next time you're at the local junkyard, look for the oldest truck. Rob the SignalStat out of it. They're not self cancelling, but look period correct, sort of :-)
I actually have one already. Haha.
Hi, I have a 1947 PW but do not have the badge info about the seat. However under my original seat at midpoint is a lever to adjust how much air escapes, it’s a vent like device. Helps with the seat firmness. Like poor man’s air seat, but does not work as well.
Hope this info helps. GB
Yep, that’s exactly what it is. I found a brochure describing this not long after making the video. The mechanism strongly resembles a vent on top of a barbecue. Not working well sounds about right. Haha.
One rust hole
Major components covered in grease.
I sense a likely correlation between the leakage that must have caused the impressive dirt and lube coatings and the relative lack of perforation on such an aged vehicle
It’s self under oiling!
@@DeadDodgeGarage My Dad's family had a Power Wagon farm truck when he was a teenager. He had a lot of things to say about it (mostly very positive). They saved the used motor oil (as expected, learned during the depression then also for the war effort); they used to spray the undercarriage of the truck and their older car with the used oil during fall/winter seasons to protect them, and burned the rest for heat in the barn.
It takes some big cajones to get out of that that rig and video it moving on its own my man :)
That’s just the kind of beans I’ve got!
That’s just the kind of beans I’ve got!
Hey if you take a paint pen doesn't matter what color it is and go over the numbers again that they put on there with fresh paint you can wipe it all right off do it all the time at the shop when I'm writing numbers on parts or what not and then I go to use them on the trucks when I want to take the numbers off or put new mileage number on there or new date on there you just go over it with paint pen and then once the paint sweat you can wipe it right off
Oh damn. Good to know.
Love these
Yeah a np435 would make it so much better and gives you a chance to clean up the mass of grease everywhere.
I wouldnt change that flat head out for anything.
That beast is truly awesome, just floored at how well it runs when the carb isn't being a bitch. Has the engine ever been apart that you know of?
I have no way of knowing and no one to ask unfortunately. As hard as it was beaten in the woods, I strongly suspect that it has been boogered together from various other trucks over the decades. But don’t really know. All of the correct mechanical parts are there - except the missing air cleaner.
I platonically love you Jamie. As you read this, you will find that this is more of a request than a comment. Honestly, I am very selfish when it comes to my women and my ice cream. My hope is that you can edit all of your future videos to have clear blue skies and sunshine. Sure, I ask this for myself, but also for all of your fans who may enjoy a beautiful background too. I'm not saying that I am only concentrating on the sky, instead of the fascinating content in your videos. However, I digress.
You’re going to like next weekend’s video… that is, if I get this insane trip finished and edited by next weekend, which frankly would be a miracle. Well, and as long as you don’t mind a horrible layer of wildfire smoke between you and your blue sky. Personally, I find it a cool sight at times - but it would be nice to breath through my nose again. Anyway, I’ll see what I can do.
Miracles and magic. You can do it Jamie the Great! All though, try not to lose all of your tools on the road side during the process.@@DeadDodgeGarage
i plan on converting a old york ac compressor for my on board air
I’ve got a couple RV-2s - but not much space around the engine to install one in.
I put an air conditioning pump on my PowerWagon wrecker for on board air has worked great for 20 years or so AND ya flip a switch to turn on N off...
I am well familiar with this. I have two, and this was my plan. I am very, very limited on space in the engine compartment, and for adding an extra pulley.
REMINDS ME OF JEEPERS CREEPERS TRUCK
put one of the Holley fuel injection systems that kinda look like the 1 barrel carb would be nice
No… never. That would be like gluing a penis onto a chicken. It makes no sense and accomplishes nothing
I like this truck 👍
Just observations and you know it's kind of want to ask the question of you guys actually finish anything I always hear it future Jamie's problem I really feel sorry for future Jamie that guy seems to have a extremely large workload in the future did you guys ever tell Jamie in the future he's going to have a lot of work to do are you guys keeping it as a surprise lol love old power wagons hope to own one someday
I actually do finish things, occasionally…
I think a DDG T Shirt with a very exasperated Future Jaimie would be funny
I think I like this truck more than the patina Charger.
Saludos buen día.felicitaciones! Cuántos galones de gasolina mete el tanque de combustible?
No lo sé, porque no he llenado el tanque, y no es el tanque original.
THERE WAS A OLD TV ADD FOR THIS TRUCK ON YOU TUBE SHOWING THE FARMER WIFE TAKING THE TWO KIDS AND HER GIRL FRIEND ALL PILLING IN THE CAB DRIVING TO TOWN TO GO FOOD SHOPPING / O ! !THE COMFORT
About that plate on the dash. I ve never seen one working but it’s supposed to open and close an air valve under the seat to make it a soft or hard ride. Sorry, but it’s as soft as it’s going to get!
I did finally find a picture of it in a brochure. It basically looks like a plate under the seat with a large barbecue lid-type vent in it. Haha.
Not the original seats I believe, it should have like a ancient OTR type seat and the adjustment valves are for the seat bladder and the air was adjusted by the valves. Not a great set up for it would leak and they would get tossed.
I think it’s a factory seat missing an in between setup that had the air and movement controls. It’s definitely a factory shaped seat with factory material. I was able to find brochure info for it today. It didn’t use actual air pressure, it apparently used a little air door in the bladder that looks just like a vent on top of a grill. Interesting stuff there.
Cuz in 1938 men's butts were manufactured of US Grade A steel, y'know, to prepare for war....
United brotherhood of iron butt teamsters 😂😂😂
Damn right
Well said, my great uncle said lots of his paratrooper buddies were only 16 or 17 cuz they lied so they could serve. Jumped into Holland and hid out in the grateful farmers’ barns to ambush the enemy forces. 🇺🇸
Yoooo bropars !!
Damn! now i want a power wagon. REEEEALLY wanna do some wild alaskan backwoods type build with huge balloon airplane tires.
Whats the price range of these in okayish project condition? (like yours is) would appreciate some insight so i can calculate end price with import fees and taxes.
Have a nice day!
Well, I see complete trucks listed for a lot. This one is/was actually listed for sale for months (after finishing the cab mounts and lights I decided I should just keep it. Haha. But I haven’t deleted the ad yet.) Before I finished the video, apparently it was worth around $10,000, as that’s what people tended to offer me. I thought it would be worth $12-14k. It’s relatively rust free and a factory winch model - but the wrong bed that isn’t complete yet is a big strike on value.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Oh wow thats more than i expected haha! Not a ridiculos price though i can definitely see why they are at that range. Very desireable, not many left etc..
@@retrotech383 Everybody wants one! People get really excited about it. Haha. It's always hard to sell things where I'm at. I'm used to it...
@@DeadDodgeGarage its really sweet!
You know that no matter how nice you make it, it will always ride, um, "poorly". You do know that, right? Right....
So I'm back in the days I had those balls that you would text and saying we'll help turn it because you don't have power steering at this on those old trucks people usually happen to the present a sum these perfect so there's a similar ball with that
Well… yeah. I’m pretty familiar with how things work. I’ve also done seat time in the lighter, 3/4 ton rated M37 military variant of this truck, which rides a whole lot better. Since the frame and drivetrain are damn near identical, I have thus concluded that I can lighten the spring packs, improve things a whole lot and find a happy medium - where the truck can still carry some weight, but it can no longer carry a house, and my spine may well survive the experience. It’s worth a shot.