FOR SALE: 1958 Dodge Power Wagon

*SOLD*

After selling my last Power Wagon back in October, the shop just didn't feel right to me. I missed seeing that big, green hulk over in the corner, so when I had the opportunity to acquire this rather tidy 1958 Power Wagon with a utility box on it, I grabbed it. It actually has an interesting story, as it was originally a fire service vehicle of some sort (photo below). Remarkably, it has about 4800 original miles (not a typo). Fire apparatus guys will not find that unusual, since fire trucks don't get driven much, but they do idle a lot, so when it was restored about 12 years ago, they went through the engine and driveline to make sure all was in order. The engine was completely rebuilt, balanced, and assembled using correct parts, and it idles as smoothly as my late-model Cadillac, not like a vintage truck. The restorer reports that when they pulled the front hubs apart, the machine tool marks were still visible on the insides of the cups, suggesting that it has NEVER been used in 4-wheel-drive mode. Nevertheless, those pieces were rebuilt as well and it was fitted with manually locking hubs to help improve fuel economy a bit. The axles were rebuilt with new bearings and seals and the intention was to install a high-dollar ARB Air Locker (look it up, very cool piece of hardware) but that never happened, although there's a brand-new, still-in-the-box Air Locker included with the truck. 1958 Power Wagons were already 12 volts, but this one does have an alternator rather than a generator and the air cleaner was swapped for an open element piece that's easy to replace, and the original oil bath unit is included. The only other modification is a set of disc brakes up front, a bolt-on affair and all the original drum brake parts are there, including what appears to be a pair of NOS front drums.

Cosmetically, it's like most Power Wagons, not perfect, but appealing in an industrial strength kind of way. The gentleman who restored it specializes in the restoration of old homes and furniture, so this truck was his regular daily shop truck, and the many compartments in the bed were obviously very useful. As a result, it has some shelf wear and signs of use throughout, but with these trucks, making them perfect probably makes them less appealing, not more. It was festooned with his business insignias and phone numbers on the bed, all of which we've removed (they were only decals) but we left a few pieces in place to add some interest. They'll come right off if you don't like them. There's a full-sized 4x8 bed in the middle, so this thing is as useful as a pickup truck and that area has been treated to a spray-in bedliner so it's bulletproof. No rust in any of the boxes, cab corners, or floors; just a very clean, solid truck to begin with and the restoration was thorough if not perfect.

The interior is pretty standard Power Wagon fare, with a gray vinyl bench, a fiber-board headliner, and painted door panels. The instruments are all fully functional plus an aftermarket tachometer and vacuum gauge under the dash. Both windshield wipers work, the MoPaR heater puts out enough heat to roast a turkey, and all the control levers move smoothly. There's a manual throttle for managing the PTO and the winch up front is 100% functional and added during the restoration (what's a Power Wagon without the winch, right?). It starts easily with a bit of choke and this one drives quite well. The transmission still needs a bit of muscle and coordination to get through the gears, but if you can drive an old car, you can certainly manage this, and those disc brakes are hugely effective, giving this big brute impressive stopping power. A new exhaust sounds right and it sits on a set of expensive new tires that look great on the big 4x4.

The truck includes a huge cache of spare parts including the aforementioned brakes and differential, seals, wiring, clutch, gaskets, and all the other little stuff you acquire during a restoration. It also has a full set of shop manuals.

If this truck had a proper pickup bed on it, I'd probably be listing it at $44,900, but since the utility box is less desirable, we've got it at a more affordable $34,900. I've sold a lot of Power Wagons, and this one is pretty dang good all around. And unlike many of its siblings, it's ready to go to work!

Thanks for looking and happy holidays!

SOLD! Thank you!