What’s there to say? It’s a mutt in the truest sense of the word. Powered by a Ford diesel made by Navistar, fitted with a GM steering column, and meant to be worked. No, that’s no joke: this truck was built to be used and used it was. We’ll get to that in a second, but first, look over the lines. The Dodge body dated back to the 1939 refresh and fell in with the “Job-Rated” branding that was not far off from the truth. These were the days of the original Power Wagons, the WC trucks. Dodge knew how to make a brutal and bulletproof truck, and that had paid dividends during the wartime effort. Most people remember the Power Wagon look. But look at this rig and tell me you don’t see more than a little bit of Art Deco styling going on here. The chrome, the headlights on the fenders, that massive grille composed of chromed bars reaching up to a stylized badge and the ram hood ornament? It’s gorgeous.
When this truck was originally put together, it was packing a Ford IDI 6.9L diesel and a four-speed. The 7.3L and ZF five-speed with a GearVendors unit attached now means that it’s an interstate roller as well as a big diesel-powered beast. It’s a well-crafted rig, a beauty, but who is using it to make runs to the home improvement store?
…oh.
