Spectacular all-new professional build by Dan Mininger of Precision Power Wagons. Fresh 4BT Cummins turbo-diesel, Tremec 5-speed, 4-wheel disc, and more. Leather, A/C, stereo, drop-down running boards. The ultimate Power Wagon that works like it should!
The Dodge Power Wagon is a legend. Developed on the battlefields of WWII and brought home to work in the farm fields, it quickly became one of the most useful tools known to man. If you had someplace remote to go or had to haul a bunch of gear over rough terrain, there was nothing better. But what the original Power Wagon didn?t do well was drive in city traffic. No, despite its legendary capabilities, the original Power Wagon was little more than a tractor that looked like a truck?it was slow, crude, and tough to maneuver in more urban environments.
That?s where this absolutely awesome 1949 Dodge Power Wagon resto-mod comes in?it keeps everything that made the original Power Wagon legendary while adding a big dose of usability for today?s world. It?s still wrapped in its original sheetmetal, so that utilitarian do-anything look remains 100% intact, right down to the fully functional Ramsey winch on the front bumper. It?s massive, make no mistake, but the incredible proportions look right and dressed in traditional bright red with black fenders, it could almost pass for a stock truck. And that?s the magic of Dan Mininger?s work?he updates the Power Wagon without removing its soul. Hardware is correct, the doors fit nicely, the hood snugs down without a fight, all signs of a craftsman at the top of his game. And with just test and tune miles on the build, it remains in excellent condition throughout. Even the oak in the bed is beautifully finished?probably too nice to ever work for a living, but a wonderful finish to an exceptional truck.
Inside, there?s still plenty of Power Wagon DNA. We?ve seen other Power Wagons with interiors that look like street rods, and that?s fine if you?re into that sort of thing, but this one still feels like a Power Wagon should. Of course, there are comfortable leather bucket seats that adjust in a myriad of ways, a nice upgrade over the slippery vinyl bench the factory installed. There?s a tilt steering column with a handsome small-diameter wheel, so it?s easy to get comfortable (as long as you?re under about 6?1?), and plenty of sound-deadening materials make it feel finished, not crude. Matching black carpets cover the floor, adding more quiet to what was originally a VERY loud place to be, and a beautiful set of Speedhut gauges monitor all the engine?s vitals, including boost and exhaust temps. Of course, no resto-mod is complete without some creature comforts, so this Power Wagon also includes power windows, a powerful Vintage Air HVAC system, and a Rickford Fosgate stereo system with a controller neatly integrated into the original dash. The 5-speed shifter falls easily to hand, just like it was born there, and there?s a second lever for controlling the 2-speed transfer case, which is, of course, fully operational. Like I said, it feels like an original Power Wagon, it?s just more comfortable, more capable, and more usable today.
The heart of this Power Wagon is a Cummins 3.9-liter 4BT turbo-diesel, which is the right choice for your updated Power Wagon. Torquey as hell, reliable as an anvil, simple to service, and it slots right into the engine bay without any cutting, so the admittedly compact passenger compartment doesn?t get any more compact. This is a fresh crate engine, not a take-off or used piece, and it?s fitted with new hardware throughout. It?s incredibly user-friendly: simply turn the key and fire it up and it works every time?if there?s fuel and you can make it spin, it WILL run. There?s enough torque on hand that you really don?t even need 1st gear (in fact, Dan Mininger recommends starting in 2nd for normal driving) and the torquey diesel pulls the massive Power Wagon around without ever seeming to work very hard. And with the tall overdrive gear in the Tremec 5-speed, it cruises easily at highway speeds. The rest of the powertrain consists of an NP241 transfer case, a GM 14-bolt rear axle, and a Dana 60 front axle, the latter of which are filled with 4.10 and 4.11 gears, respectively. The original leaf springs are long gone?they were so massive that they could carry anything but rode like bricks?and have been replaced with lighter leafs up front and coil springs and adjustable QA1 shocks out back for a much improved ride. There?s a disc brake at all four corners for impressive stopping power and power steering is, of course, included with the package. Everything in and under the truck is new, so it?s 100% ready to roll. And speaking of rolling, it sits on 17-inch Black Rhino wheels with massive 40x13.50R17 off-road radials that look like they can go anywhere.
There?s a reason these trucks have been popular since day one: they?ve got the right look, the right capabilities, and with this incredible resto-mod, the right road manners to make it genuinely usable as a real truck. We should probably also point out that if you want Dan Mininger to build you one like this, it?ll be a quarter-million bucks and a 3-year wait. Suddenly this one looks a lot more appealing, don?t you think? Superbly built, a blast to drive, and the star of any cars-and-coffee event, this is a legend you can drive. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.