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1954 Power Wagon Ideas..

Krackle959

Krackle959

Active member
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Member Number
2308
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38
Loc
ME
So I picked up a buddies 1954 Power Wagon that had been sitting in his garage for 7-10 years taking up space. Its in pieces, which doesn't bother me at all, as I knew what I was looking at. The frame and body is rust free for Maine, some surface rust. When it was taken apart it ran, it just needed to be refreshed and painted, we took an innovatory of parts, and what was missing. Right now its sitting in the garage taking up space, but parts are starting to come together for it. The plans are a truck that looks close to original on the outside, with a modern driveline. It won't be a master class restoration, or something that will win any awards, just a fun truck to go for drives, and tool around the back 150 acres.

Since I have a 12 valve that is an obvious choice, but anything else I should be looking at? I know someone will say hellcat engine, and that has crossed my mind.:smokin:
One ton axles, either super duty or Dodge, don't have them yet.
Manual transmission, NV4500, sitting in the garage.
An atlas or hero case, don't have one yet.
Suspension looking at going links on each end with coil overs, but there's something to be said for keeping it on leaves.
A cage at least, will probably evolve into way more than practical.
Comfy bucket seats, the original leather bench seat is now in my woodworking shop.

The body work is starting this winter as I have time, and parts will be gathered until fall and then assembly next winter. I know there is a ton of knowledge on here that could offer suggestions as well. :flipoff2:



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Don't think a 6bt will fit without hacking into the firewall severely and with how small the cabs are already its not ideal. Are you keeping the winch as a pto? It's a drivers side drop and will complicate things drivetrain wise. Will need to find a new steering box as the cummins starter will most likely interfere with the steering box. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Going to be a neat project.
 
Yeah I had thought that fitment would be an issue, just by looking at the engine bay, and the size of the 12 valve. Originally I had thought the 12 valve would go in my 1941 WC-1, but that is a smaller engine area compared to the power wagon. The winch I will keep and use as they don't look correct without a winch. the pto shaft routing will always be an issue with a different engine, just takes planning..

The other partial issue I have is it is a numbers matching truck with documentation, so part of me says restore it and sell it for stupid money, then find another to build and modernize.
 
Subscribed--there's always a way to make things fit--relocate radiator or stretch the front or stretch front and hack into the firewall a little. Awesome grab on your part.
 
Krackle959 said:
The other partial issue I have is it is a numbers matching truck with documentation, so part of me says restore it and sell it for stupid money, then find another to build and modernize.
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Your build would be great, but as it's numbers matching with documentation I would go the restore route.
 
sweet rig man! keep it and make it badass! my vote is cummins with a manual trans. and 2011+ super duty axles with the factory rear locker. use the super duty leafs as well for the rear, think they are in the 66" range. then make some radius arms to work with the factory SD bracketry up front. would be a pretty solid drivetrain IMO.
 
If it's all original numbers matching truck I would strongly recommend restoring it as it would be way more valuable like that. You can upgrade the brakes and add power steering among other things and keep the originality, look at the Vintage Power Wagons catalog.
 
TRINDU said:
100% factory restoration
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Bacchus said:
Numbers matching with documentation makes this a no brainer. You'd be stupid to hack this one up. Shit, even if you sold it as is with the documentation you'd be many dollars ahead finding another one to cut up.
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shortbus4x4 said:
If it's all original numbers matching truck I would strongly recommend restoring it as it would be way more valuable like that. You can upgrade the brakes and add power steering among other things and keep the originality, look at the Vintage Power Wagons catalog.
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I have been thinking about doing a 100% original restoration, and selling it. It would probably take 2 years at my pace, with the OCD I have. Every nut and bolt would be correct. Our 42 F script GPW is 99.8% original as it rolled off the assembly line, and now is reserved for parade duty only. If I built it to sell, it would have to probably go through a Hemmings auction or something like that to get the money it would need to bring. People around here won't pay for 100% correct all that much, even with paperwork.

I had bought a 1941 Dodge WC-1 that was non numbers matching to hack up and hot rod, but its kind of a rare truck, and typical for them to be non numbers matching as most went though a rebuilt after the war. I passed on a 1941 Dodge WC-12 which looks identical, but was numbers matching and in pristine shape. I have had a lot of pressure for purists to build the WC-1 to factory class restoration and get it judged. The WC-1 is one of 2500 or less built, there is no real known quantity of survivors.

I guess my thought process is if I restore the WC-1 to factory class restoration, have it judged, and use it around town, I don't need a power wagon restored to factory as well. I could probably sell it and be money ahead, but something keeps me thinking about hot rodding it and driving it.

I am familiar with the Vintage Power Wagons Catalog, have a printed copy in the home office with several others including WWII truck parts, which most parts are interchangeable between the 3/4 ton WWII stuff and the power wagons.
 
Krackle959 said:
I have been thinking about doing a 100% original restoration, and selling it. It would probably take 2 years at my pace, with the OCD I have. Every nut and bolt would be correct. Our 42 F script GPW is 99.8% original as it rolled off the assembly line, and now is reserved for parade duty only. If I built it to sell, it would have to probably go through a Hemmings auction or something like that to get the money it would need to bring. People around here won't pay for 100% correct all that much, even with paperwork.

I had bought a 1941 Dodge WC-1 that was non numbers matching to hack up and hot rod, but its kind of a rare truck, and typical for them to be non numbers matching as most went though a rebuilt after the war. I passed on a 1941 Dodge WC-12 which looks identical, but was numbers matching and in pristine shape. I have had a lot of pressure for purists to build the WC-1 to factory class restoration and get it judged. The WC-1 is one of 2500 or less built, there is no real known quantity of survivors.

I guess my thought process is if I restore the WC-1 to factory class restoration, have it judged, and use it around town, I don't need a power wagon restored to factory as well. I could probably sell it and be money ahead, but something keeps me thinking about hot rodding it and driving it.

I am familiar with the Vintage Power Wagons Catalog, have a printed copy in the home office with several others including WWII truck parts, which most parts are interchangeable between the 3/4 ton WWII stuff and the power wagons.
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just build it to your liking man! then use the shit out of it. enjoy it. cant bring it with you when you die. :grinpimp::beer:
 
I'm not a purist, but I just think that those trucks were cool for more than just looks. I'd like to have some old like that exactly in the shape it's in. I have a buddy who use to drive an original one around looking like a 1940s trapper. :laughing:

Either way, I think the 12v would ruin it. That tiny metal cab with a 12v stuffed half way into it would be a miserable loud pos. If you don't care and just want something obnoxious, at least do a cool/wierd diesel like a 3-53 or om617.

I'd say if you're going to swap it, keep it inline 6 and put something obscure like a built 300, 4.0 jeep, one of those late model ford (import only) or gm i6's, or if you really want to hurt butts, a 2jz :flipoff2:

Edit: if you do a V8, at least do something cool, heathy old school big block, 8.1 gm? 7.3 ford?

If you want to be weird and stick with the "power wagon" theme, you could find a wrecked late model one and swap everything over. But I'd bet they're severely overpriced for what they are.
 
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Could do a 4bt instead of a 6bt. I know the 4bt will fit without major hackage and still fits the image as a industrial engine. You could also use all dodge parts then for nv4500 and be able to get them easier then something from vpw. If you used dually rims all around on newer axles it would still give you the look of old with the convenience of new axles.

I'm sure you know that thoese axles are 5.83 or 6.38s so even with 37's your not getting above 45mph down the side of a mountain with the wind at your back.
 
The 12V will have the last cylinder under the dash, no question about it... unless you stretch the hood, which is a common thing for the re-power guys to do.
For new / old axles, I went with the Eaton HO72s. I built a front and the lug pattern is a give away but if you use a set of beadlocks it can hide a bit of the appearance. The comments about the truck being more valuable as a restoration is a mixed bag depending on how well the work is done. A clean and driveable resto-mod that will maintain highway speed is bringing $150k to $250k on the auction block these days. A stock, clean, original truck rarely touches $70k, and only then if there is something unique or rare about it.

The swaps for powertrains are about endless for whats been done. I have an ISB170 in my truck with an Allison 1000. Theres 4-53T Detroits, and a few 3-53Ts as well. Perkins swaps, and even seen one with a large 4 Cyl John Deere Turbo Diesel in it. The LS and Hemi swaps are fully abundant as well. I have a friend with the Hellcat in a school bus version of the civilian PW even.

If you do anything to the suspension outside of leafs, BOX THE FRAME.. otherwise you're not getting anything out of your nice new components. The frames twist badly on these trucks and you need a solid reaction point for the suspension to work against.

Just please, I beg you, do not do a cab dump onto a "modern truck" chassis. Just too much work to hide all the new and make it work.
 
long ago I had intentions to build a nice clean 'resto-mod' M-37. My plan was to put together a driveline 'similar' to original - one that would operate similar to the original (and not a diesel), yet be modern and easy to get parts for etc. That said, what I had thought of doing was building a strong 4.0 liter engine from a Jeep (or maybe a 4.6 stroker), with a nice 5-speed behind it. Standard 3/4 or 1-ton axles to to handle a clean set of 40" military Michelins.

Going with a newer inline 6-cylinder will give the truck all of the original 'feel' with a nice bump in performance. Yah a 4 liter is no Hellcrate but so what - put a modern 'in-line 6 gas engine' and that thing will score all kinds of bonus points, it'll run sweet, it'll be bulletproof and reliable, and it'll still 'look and act' like the original.

Oh and if it's just being used for bombin' around the property keep it simple and drop leaf springs under it. Add ram-assist steering and hydroboost brakes and it'll handle awesome.

- Sam
 
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You should restore it since it's numbers matching. You kinda missed the time period where it was ok to cut up a numbers matching 50s vehicle by 30-40yr.

If you're not gonna restore it I might be interested in that flathead and trans.
 
shortbus4x4 said:
I have a Dodge M37 and love the big manly 5 lug Budd nuts. It lets wimpier vehicles know that this truck has big nuts so don't mess with it.:beer:
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And terrible brakes, and sketchy steering that go with the associated lug patterns, so they need to maintain 42 mph and stay out of the way. The original steering, axles, and brakes are all fine for sub 50 mph speeds but anything over and you are expecting too much rpm and load out of components that lack the means for lubrication and needed friction for stopping. The zero camber and minimal caster in those axles is always a joy as well.
 
There are a lot of ways to make money . Restorations aren’t exactly one of them for most people. If it was me I’d have no interest in restoring it factory . If there’s concern over “ruining” a numbers matching truck then sell it to someone who wants that and get another one to build . I believe there’s one that’s been sitting in our farm pasture for the last 20 years a cousin asked to “park” there until he started it and it will likely never move from there . I wouldn’t do the 12v though honestly they’re boring at this point.
 
The frame will be boxed regardless of the suspension that ends up under it. The axles will be swapped even though there is a disc brake kit made for them. The lug pattern is unique, I picked up a set of WWII combat wheels off a 3/4 ton truck, which is an early beadlock wheel. They look great, and are hard to come by in matching sets, each wheel is stamped with month and year of production on them. I would have to run adaptors to use them, so they will most likely end up on the WC-1.
There is a lot of thoughts on engines, I have seen hoods stretched to accommodate a 12 valve, done correctly it looks nice. Sheet metal is easy enough to get for hoods, and the fenders are simple to extend. I hadn't thought about a gas inline 6, but the old man still has his 94 F150 with a 300 in it sitting out behind his barn, that could be an option.
 
Leadfoot21 said:
There are a lot of ways to make money . Restorations aren’t exactly one of them for most people. If it was me I’d have no interest in restoring it factory . If there’s concern over “ruining” a numbers matching truck then sell it to someone who wants that and get another one to build . I believe there’s one that’s been sitting in our farm pasture for the last 20 years a cousin asked to “park” there until he started it and it will likely never move from there . I wouldn’t do the 12v though honestly they’re boring at this point.
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Its not really about making money, the purist in me about keeping WWII vehicles intact and correct is transferring over my current project. Even though it is numbers matching, I have to remember it didn't see action in WWII, so its just another truck.
 
AlxJ64 said:
The swaps for powertrains are about endless for whats been done. I have an ISB170 in my truck with an Allison 1000. Theres 4-53T Detroits, and a few 3-53Ts as well. Perkins swaps, and even seen one with a large 4 Cyl John Deere Turbo Diesel in it. The LS and Hemi swaps are fully abundant as well. I have a friend with the Hellcat in a school bus version of the civilian PW even.


Just please, I beg you, do not do a cab dump onto a "modern truck" chassis. Just too much work to hide all the new and make it work.
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I hadn't thought too much about a 4bt or the newer versions, I will be keeping it a manual. Our household is all manuals except my 18 Ram 3500 6.7L, and its annoying, and makes me feel lazy.

I couldn't do a modern truck swap, they never come out right, and you can always spot them as no one takes the time to do it perfectly.
 
AlxJ64 said:
And terrible brakes, and sketchy steering that go with the associated lug patterns, so they need to maintain 42 mph and stay out of the way. The original steering, axles, and brakes are all fine for sub 50 mph speeds but anything over and you are expecting too much rpm and load out of components that lack the means for lubrication and needed friction for stopping. The zero camber and minimal caster in those axles is always a joy as well.
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Ahh yes. Back when men were men and had equally big nuts.:flipoff2:
 
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