We’re pretty sure that Fred Williams of 4-Wheel and Off Road Magazine has hit mitts on one of these trucks so when we saw this one sitting on eBay it got us thinking. With an old school 12-valve Cummins, a 727 Torqueflite transmission, and a Dana 70 rear end packing a 7.16 gear ratio for towing airplanes around, this is one freaky little piece. Is there a way to make something cool out of this truck or is it just good for dragging your Learjet onto the tarmac? With that 7.16 gear and the supremely heavy duty towing setup on the back we’re betting you could probably bounce the front wheels off the ground with a little effort, right? Maybe not.
One of the things that struck us as funny with the ad is the proclamation that the truck is in great condition (we agree) with no dents (ummm, the door?). Would this thing be cool to build the heck out of the Cummins and take truck pulling? The lack of wheelbase may hurt in some respects but it would sure be fun to watch this thing pull the nose up, dig in, and drag the sled. After all it was designed to drag really heavy stuff around. Building a little flatbed for it, adding the front axle from a 4wd and taking it through the mud would be kind of fun but it would look really odd.
Maybe some stuff is just destined to be a parts donor for other builds? Is that the case with this truck? Grab the motor, heavy duty transmission, and the beefy Dana 70 and then junk the rest for scrap? The seller does not have the title to the truck so it would either be a paper chase or an off road use only deal anyway. Got any houses that need to be dragged down the road? Monuments relocated? The top speed of this thing is probably under 50, which means it would beat the crap out of Fitzgerald’s scooter. It at least has that going for it.
Here’s the text of the ad:
1990 Dodge 3/4 ton wheeled aircraft tractor. Cummins, 6BT- 5.9 diesel engine. 12 valve, Rotary fuel pump, Turbo. Engine is in real good condition, holds good oil pressure, no smoke. 1737 hours, 71,898 miles. Chrysler 727 Transmission. Two wheel drive. Dana 70 rear axle, single rear wheel. It has a 7.16 gear ratio for towing. Short wheel base. The truck is in good condition no dents, interior good. The doors were changed to power windows but 12v Electric is not hooked up. The steering column plastic is broken and I am trying to find a different column. Tires 60 % rubber size 245/75R/16. I do not have a title on this truck but I have a Bill of Sale from the Government.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHTOS AND THEN HIT THE LINK TO SEE THE FULL EBAY AD FOR THIS CUMMINS POWERED 1990 DODGE AIRPLANE TRACTOR –
I’d build the Cummings, change the gears to something more streetable, put a flat bed on it, and paint it somthing other than green. Some nice wheels and interior work and go out and have a little fun.
Remove back bumper, add 4WD front axle and suspension, lift 4″, add bigger tires, respray doors in camo to match, and have an awesome short wheelbase trail rig.
Brian – how did you miss the most obvious answer? Clearly, the best idea is to purchase this truck and build a tractor pulling team around it. There would be no better vehicle for towing a huge diesel pulling tractor to the line than this little cummins powered truck.
Damn it man, you are right.
EPIC FAIL on my part.
I’ve driven several bobtails (comes with the job) and they are a blast. However I would never want a used one. DoD vehicles get beaten on worse than rentals, and maintenance is only done when something big breaks or when someone notices the service interval is way overdue. The Dodge bobtails did not hold up at all, although my experience is with the generation after this one. The Ford based ones fare better, especially the new 6.7 trucks and the older 6.4s. Never seen a Chevy bobtail.
A day in the life of a bobtail at my job: 7AM get started up by cold-cranking (what are glow plugs?) and as soon as the engine catches, floor the pedal and take off. At random times during the day, repeat this process as the vehicle is used for a “code brown” rush to the bathroom in a building 1000ft away, or as a simple transit from point to point. Once a day use the truck for its intended purpose, towing an overbuilt trailer that weighs 2000lbs loaded with 30 pounds of actual important stuff. On rare occasions, personnel will attempt to pop a wheelie or defeat the governor.
This might be a good farm truck. They really get scary at speed with the short wheelbase and the 40mph limiters are there for good reason.
Took the words right out of my mouth…These things get beat and beat hard….
7.16 gears are just begging to make this thing a crawler.
Put the abreviated back of a Trailduster/Ramcharger on it and make it into a weird Samurai like thing with a 4×4 axle and T-case and a lift as others have mentioned. I’d use it for all the things you’d use a CJ or Samurai for (except it’s wider) and otherwise offroad it.
Not to mention make yourself the go-to guy on the trail for rescue when the poo hits the paddles.
I always though it would be cool to make one of these into a triple car hauler with a deck that goes all the way above the cab and tons of storage space under the trailer. Make it kinda look like one of those articulated jobs. It would be really sweet if you could make the trailer look like a factory job.
I think that engine would be better off in Brian’s wrecker
Your right, that 12 valve would be perfect in the wrecker! Time to pony up Brian.
Dana 60 / 70 / whatever in front, get some more clearance out of it, dually rear 14 bolt. Add big-effing hydraulic winch & a few tool bags full of cable, straps & snatch blocks. Boom: hero to the local off-road community, recovering all of the things.