1957 Dodge Power Wagon

W100 Pickup truck

8 - Cyl.

Manual

82901429

Clear

Gasoline

1957 Dodge Power Giant W100 4x4 V8. Late serial number indicates this may be one of the last 1957 V8 4x4 trucks made. Please look at the pictures to verify the condition. If you wish to see a bazillion pictures of every tiny detail follow the link to:http://s491.photobucket.com/albums/rr280/Ruckus99/1957%20Dodge%20Power%20Wagon%20Power%20Giant%20W100/ BACKGROUND:Dodge developed and produced the heavy-duty All-Wheel drive trucks which helped the Allies to win WWII. After the war, Dodge sold this old military technology as the Power Wagon, a brute of a machine. Meanwhile, the civilian trucks had entered the modern era with V8 engines, radios, and style. In 1957 Dodge combined the two and created the Power Giant. Military and civilian in one. A legendary Truck was born. This was was the first year you could get your hand's on a V8 Dodge 4x4. The 1957 Dodge Truck featured a special one-year-only body style with unique front grille, fenders, and headlights. The interior also has superior styling to those made before or since. HISTORY This Truck looks to have been an off-road fire truck for the BLM. When I got the truck it had not been driven in some time. I brought it back to life and rebuilt the bed. This truck has a wonderful character. I have owned several other Power Wagons from the 60's and 70's and none compare to the 57. It was a real hot-rod when it came off the factory line and still is today. The Montana BLM motorpool mechanics are known to keep vehicles in top condition and made special mods to this truck to improve it's performance carrying a heavy load over rough terrain. This includes a steering stabilizer mount and high performance dual side-ported Cherry Bomb exhaust. Starting this truck will put a smile on your face. ENGINE:The 318 V8 fires immediately to life. It has fantastic low-end torque at idle, even when cold. I hardly have to use the choke and it does not suffer from the "takes forever to warm up" huff and puff of many older trucks. Jump in, start it up, and drive. Fun. This may be partly because it has the Bendix Stromberg WW carb instead of the later Carter. I keep the carb clean. It has dual side-port exhaust that is throaty and full, but not overly loud. Radiator has been thoroughly flushed and a new thermostat installed. Fresh oil change and filter. Recently changed spark plugs. Heavy duty oil bath air cleaner is kept clean. TRANSMISSION:The heavy-duty 4-speed transmission shifts and works well. It has been flushed and refilled. It has a very very slow leak of a few drops per day, normal for a vehicle of this vintage. The clutch works well and does not chatter. AXLES:First year of the Dana 44 front axle. Heavy-duty 6-lug axles have large 1" lug nuts. Original locking hubs are in working order. I cleaned and lubed them since they were stiff. They work better now. BRAKES:These trucks came with very large brakes. They are at the top of the pedal and nice and firm. I replaced the right rear brake line. The system has been flushed, refilled and bled. They can skid the tires and are surprisingly powerful. WHEELS AND TIRES:I had the original factory rims professionally stripped and powder coated to preserve them. They are nicely mounted with Dean Radial STX 255/85R16 traction tires. There is no comparison to the old stone-hard out-of round and leaky bias-ply tires. SPRINGS:The 1957 springs are a work of art and give the Power Giant it's signature stance. The front springs are the same as on the W200 and have the factory arch. Look at the pictures. Later springs are not comparable. The rear springs are 2-stage with a 6-leaf secondary that engages under heavy load. Later springs are wider and single stage and do not allow the axle articulation of the earlier springs. The spring eyes and shackles have grease zirk fittings, unlike the soft rubber of later designs. BED:I rebuilt the bed with reclaimed Montana Larch known for it's strength and rot resistance. These thick old larch timbers were planed down and coated with a marine grade finish. They are rock solid and look superb. The aged wood is fitting for a truck of this era and use. FRAME:While rebuilding the bed I spent countless hours pressure washing decades of grime off the chassis. It received multiple coats of rust-stop to preserve it's excellent condition. One of the rear spring hangers is cracked and could be replaced. It is currently functional. Overall the frame is in superb condition. Again, please refer to the pictures. BODY:The body is in very good condition. I have found absolutely no cancerous, bubbly, or flaky rust anywhere on the body including the floorboards, body mounts, fenders, door bottoms, cab corners, etc. There is light surface rust on areas where the paint has been worn off such as the floorboards or little nicks and scratches. The running boards are completely solid. They were coated in rust-stop since much of the paint had worn off long ago. As is common for the BLM fire trucks it has circular holes cut in the running board for the water pump pipes. The trucks were often set up to spray to the side as they drove down a road. The BLM motorpool is known for it's eager paint booth. This truck received a fresh coat at least once. The white two-tone was likely added at that time. Some of the white is showing the color underneath. The body has small dings and is not perfect but overall very nice and better than most. I would not hesitate to drive this truck in a parade or take it to shows. It could do quite well as a daily driver or original class. Everybody from old ladies to little kids smile and wave. Then there are the looks of awe and envy from those who really know what it is. Look at the pictures to see condition. GENERAL: This truck is 54 years old. It was used as an off-road fire truck. It is currently used as a ranch truck. It sees real Montana outdoor conditions. This sometimes means mud and snow. It has been rainy lately so the pictures are a bit wet. The truck is generally kept inside the garage and hosed down when muddy or dirty. I have strived to constantly improve the condition but there is always a bit more to do. I am currently going through the wiring and updating where necessary. The Headlights work great and even the high-beam indicator light in the dash. Not all the wiring is updated yet though as it is a process. The bumper has a few waves in the top metal, but is overall very straight and nice for it's age. I repainted it the factory Ivory since it had little paint when I got it. It now has marks from standing on it. I guess that I should mention that you may need a stepladder to see the engine on this truck. No kidding. It is nice you can sweep the garage floor without moving the truck it has so much clearance. If you are desiring a very rare and nice condition early 4x4 this may be the vehicle for you.