1952 Dodge Power Wagon

M37 Pickup truck

6 - Cyl.

Manual

6795531

Clear

Gasoline

Up for auction is my 1952 Dodge M37 three-quarter ton Power Wagon. I have owned this truck since high school and bought it when it was freshly released from Civil Defense use in a small town in lower Michigan. The truck came with an Arctic-type hard cab. There is still some Civil Defense light blue faded paint over the original olive drab green. The truck was always in good surplus condition and has very little rust. The truck is a standard M37 without winch. It has a flathead 230ci 6 cyl gasoline engine, a four speed transmission and a two speed transfer case. In the last couple of years, I have made many upgrades to the truck to make it much more drivable, reliable and fun to use. These upgrades include: I switch over the entire truck over to 12 volt system including a new alternator (with internal regulator) and Napa commercial battery. I rebuilt the 12 volt starter. It has been changed from a floor starting button to a switch on the dash. I installed a Chrysler high energy electronic ignition and contemporary cap, rotor, wires and plugs. I removed the old, water-tight type cap, points, wire and plug system. This is much easier to maintain. With the electronic 12 volt ignition, the truck always starts very easily. The truck runs better than it ever has with this upgrade. It will even go 55+ mph on highway. The truck starts in a snap even in the dead of winter or if been idle for months. Just give it a bit of choke on starting. I have removed all the old wiring harness, and all wiring is new on the truck. This includes new turn signals, brake, running and head lights. Everything on the truck is fused with a new fuse panel under the hood. I have installed new radiator, hoses and water pump. The carburetor has been freshly built and the air clean has been switched over to a paper unit for better protection in dusty climates. I have installed a vacuum booster plastic tank. The vacuum wipers work – as well as any vacuum wipers work. In a nutshell, they suck. I used this truck for hunting and never hunted in the rain, so this was never much of a problem. I also replaced the exhaust manifold (old one had a crack) and put in new exhaust pipe. Lately, I have noticed the muffler has a rusted hole, so that will need to be replaced eventually. I installed new Stewart Warner gauges to monitor engine temp, oil pressure, amperage, and level in gas tank. I also installed a hot water heater in the cab. It works, sort of. The 230 flathead doesn’t make much hot water with the new radiator. I installed new locking hubs. This makes the truck handle a lot better on the highway and making tight turnarounds in the woods. It also avoids a lot of stress on the front end drive train. I installed a dual circuit master cylinder from one-ton Chevy truck. The hydraulic brakes are still manual, but you have alot of braking power. If you have been around any old Power Wagon, the brakes are the Achilles heel of the truck. I installed new brake lines and wheel cylinders. Funny thing, the brake pads still look really good after all these years. The brake drums too are in great shape. I installed new custom wheels and got rid of the old split rims. These are great wheels with beadlocks, and you can mount tires yourself. With these new wheels, you can mount any Humvee size tires. They work allot better than the old military NDT. Those tires just suck for off road and God-awful in the rain. The truck now has four brand Goodyear Wranger RT II 36-12.50-16.5 LT Military OZ tires ; it’s great in mud, sand, snow, rocks and even pavement. The gas tank has been rebuilt and sealed. I also installed a new electric fuel pump, filter and new fuel lines. There is a heavy duty pintle hitch on the back of the truck. It’s handy for towing your buddies out of a mud hole. The brake lights have been re-located to the truck bed to avoid being broken off in the woods. In the cab of the truck, I have installed a map light and a comfortable bench seat. The truck also has a cell phone booster system, so you can make phone calls while out in the woods. In some pictures, the truck is shown with a marine-band radio and antenna and hound dog boxes. These items DO NOT come with the truck. I have recently changed all the drive train fluids and kept up with engine oil changes. The truck does use some oil, but doesn’t smoke (except on choke) and has decent power. It does leak a bit (like an old Harley). The clutch feels good. The transfer case shifts easy. The not so good…..one of the access doors behind the cab and below the bed have rusted off. I never used these compartments so I never repaired it. The other one is in weak condition. The right front fender shows some signs of damage, but that was before I got the truck. The windshield glass is cracked, and the back window glass is also cracked. The side windows are in good shape. The back of the hard cab is separating, but there are no leaks that I know about. There are some normal damage and dings you would expect on a truck of this age that spent some time in the woods. Years ago, the parking brake mounting brackets broke off the transfer case, so there is no hand brake. The horn has not been replaced with a 12 volt unit. The truck needs a paint job. It needed it ten years ago. I have camped out of the truck with my daughter in the middle of nowhere for weeks at a time. I trust this truck. It can go just about anywhere and it won’t let you down. It’s not original. It’s not a show truck. But it’s a great M37 that you can use every day. Truck is sold as is with no warranty expressed or implied. If needed, I can assist with reasonable delivery. Please give me a call with any questions. Tom (219) 313-0883. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JrM4G2cn-4