This is a 1958 Dodge Power Wagon that’s been given a full restoration and a series of significant upgrades including the fitment of a modern 480 bhp LS3 V8, a 4L70E automatic transmission, uprated suspension and brakes, locking differentials, and more.
The Dodge Power Wagon was America’s first mass-produced 4×4 pickup truck, it would be the vehicle that would set the standard that many others would follow, and even today all these decades later 4×4 pickup trucks remain some of the nation’s best-selling vehicles.
Fast Facts: The Dodge Power Wagon
- This 1958 Dodge Power Wagon has been extensively restored, it now has a 480 bhp LS3 V8, 4L70E automatic transmission, NP241-C transfer case, military-grade Dana 60 and Corporate 14-bolt axles, and upgraded suspension, brakes, and wheels, making it a more powerful and more off-road capable version of the original truck.
- The Dodge Power Wagon, introduced in 1945, was based on the Dodge WC military trucks. It became America’s first mass-produced 4×4 pickup, offering a dual PTO system for agricultural and industrial equipment use, making it popular with farmers, rural fire departments, and other industries including oil exploration.
- The restoration includes a fully upgraded interior with a leather and suede bench seat, suede headliner, Bluetooth-enabled vintage radio, stainless steel cup holders, and AutoMeter Hoonigan gauges. These modern improvements bring comfort and convenience while respecting the truck’s rugged appeal.
- Painted Willow Opal Green with a powder-coated frame and new oak bed flooring, this Power Wagon also retains its original Navy Department inspection plaque, verifying its military history. It is now being auctioned by Mecum.
The Mighty Dodge Power Wagon
The Dodge Power Wagon made its formal debut in 1945. It was closely based on the earlier Dodge 3/4-ton WC series of World War II-era military trucks – it was devised as a civilian version to gauge the demand for such a truck in the domestic US marketplace.
The Power Wagon was marketed as a powerful, go anywhere 4×4 pickup truck and Americans loved it. Every modern 4×4 pickup truck in America today is descended from it or inspired by it in some way. Image courtesy of Dodge.
The development costs of the Power Wagon were exceedingly low given the fact that relatively few new parts were needed over the earlier Dodge 3/4-ton WC, and the capabilities of the truck were already highly-respected by the millions of young American men who had served in the war, both in the European and Pacific theaters.
The Power Wagon was built around a ladder frame chassis with live axles on leaf springs front and back. Power was provided by a bulletproof 230 cubic inch flathead inline-six cylinder engine which sent power back through a 4-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case allowing either part time or full time four-wheel drive.
In order to make the Power Wagon as useful as possible to farmers for agricultural use as a tractor replacement (its primary intended market at launch) it was given two power take offs (PTOs) – one in front and one in the rear. This allowed the engine to be used to power a broad range of equipment including winches, pumps, rotary tillers, hay balers, wood chippers, post hole diggers, and more.
The trucks proved popular, and were quickly adopted by rural fire departments, forestry services, farmers, oil exploration firms, mining companies, and to a lesser extent, to enthusiasts who wanted to be able to drive off road.
Other American automakers would soon follow suit, and by the late 1950s and into the 1960s there were a range of 4×4 pickup trucks in production by a number of automakers – many of these model lines remain in production to the current day.
The Power Wagon was marketed heavily to farmers who could use it as both a pickup truck and a tractor, thanks to its front and rear power take offs (PTOs). Image courtesy of Dodge.
The LS V8-Swapped Power Wagon Shown Here
The 1958 Dodge Power Wagon you see here benefits from a comprehensive restoration and rebuild that saw every nut and bolt either replaced or refurbished by Lil Bit’s Vintage Speed Garage in Mesa, Arizona.
It’s now considerably faster and more powerful than the original thanks to the fitment of a 480 bhp LS3 V8 which sends power back through a 4L70E automatic transmission and a dual-range NP241-C transfer case.
It has rebuilt CUCV military 1-ton axles front and back with a Dana 60 up front and a Corporate 14-bolt in the rear. It’s fitted with powdercoated Hummer H1 12-bolt wheels, it also has new wiring, fuel lines, and hoses throughout.
The interior has been similarly upgraded, with a leather and suede bench seat, a black suede headliner, a Vintage Radio with Bluetooth functionality, four 6 1/4 three-way speakers, a billet banjo steering wheel, twin stainless steel cup holders, black carpeting, and AutoMeter Hoonigan gauges.
Power is now provided by a 480 bhp LS3 V8 which sends power back through a 4L70E automatic transmission and a dual-range NP241-C transfer case.
It’s fitted with a custom rear bumper, a slant tool box, AMP steps, power steering, and a Mile Marker winch. The entire body has been painted Willow Opal Green and it has a powdercoated frame with new oak floor wood in the bed.
The truck comes with its Navy Department plaque with inspection stamp verifying its U.S. Navy history and it’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
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