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I've always been drawn to the Dodge 6x6s. They are a simple combination of utilitarian design and necessity engineering. The open cab always seemed impractical for regular use and winter driving, and for a long time I believed that I couldn't justify owning one. Then I saw a picture of a closed cab 6x6 in the July 1991 issue of the Power Wagon Advertiser, and everything changed. A 6x6 was still not a terribly practical vehicle to own, but at least a closed cab one could be used year-round. 20 years later I found pictures of Dan Mininger's beautiful red closed cab 6x6, and I decided to take the plunge and start the project. Another reason for the project was to include my older sons who are now in their late teens. They like Power Wagons, and I figured this would be a good way to give them some hands-on mechanical experience, and have some fun together.
So in the fall of 2011 I began searching for a decent chassis to start the project. I remembered that an old friend in the mountains had a WC 6x6 with a later model civilian cab on it. For years he plowed his long driveway with it, but other than that the truck didn't get much use. I tracked him down and called him out of the blue, asking if he still had the truck. He did, and had just retired it because of a rod knock in the engine. After looking at the truck we agreed on a price, and I flat-bedded the monster home.
The truck is a 1944 Dodge WC63, but the only parts left of the 6x6 were the frame, drive train, and fuel tank. The cab was taken from a 1960 D500. The winch had been removed to make room for an enormous steel bumper and PTO pump for the home-made dump flatbed. The 230 engine was from a 1947 Plymouth truck, and the tires were 7.50-16s with 5.83 gears, The frame had been modified at least 2 times before I bought it. At one point the truck was used to haul steel and concrete to remote mine sites to close up the abandoned mine shafts. The frame showed some signs of damage from the work, but overall it was in relatively good condition.
In 2013 I bought a complete cab and front clip from a 1957 WM300 (which was known as a W300 at the time). Even though the truck was from Arizona, it sat for years in the weather and has some rot in the back of the cab floor. It also has a couple areas which will need some extensive bodywork. But overall it's in decent shape and should look nice when it is finished.
Fast forward to today. The old cab, flatbed, and engine have been removed, the chassis has been cleaned and straightened, the axles are rebuilt, everything is painted, and a rebuilt 318 engine and NP435 transmission are 95% installed. The original fuel tank and skid plate have been repaired and reinstalled. The WM300 radiator has been rebuilt and is waiting to be reinstalled. The brake system is just about done, and will be getting a vacuum-boosted dual master cylinder under the cab. I've also installed a rebuilt Braden MU2 from another WC Dodge and front bumpers from a WDX.
Up to this point most of the work on the truck has been standard mechanical work that I'm very familiar with. But the new cab and front sheet metal have recently come back from the blasting shop and now it's time to start fixing the body panels. This is work that I have never done before, and I figure it's time for me to learn. Overall the sheet metal is in good condition, but there are a couple items that are borderline fixable, and will test my fledgling bodywork skills.
I will be posting more as we work through the repairs of the sheet metal, and start to reassemble the rest of the truck.
So in the fall of 2011 I began searching for a decent chassis to start the project. I remembered that an old friend in the mountains had a WC 6x6 with a later model civilian cab on it. For years he plowed his long driveway with it, but other than that the truck didn't get much use. I tracked him down and called him out of the blue, asking if he still had the truck. He did, and had just retired it because of a rod knock in the engine. After looking at the truck we agreed on a price, and I flat-bedded the monster home.
The truck is a 1944 Dodge WC63, but the only parts left of the 6x6 were the frame, drive train, and fuel tank. The cab was taken from a 1960 D500. The winch had been removed to make room for an enormous steel bumper and PTO pump for the home-made dump flatbed. The 230 engine was from a 1947 Plymouth truck, and the tires were 7.50-16s with 5.83 gears, The frame had been modified at least 2 times before I bought it. At one point the truck was used to haul steel and concrete to remote mine sites to close up the abandoned mine shafts. The frame showed some signs of damage from the work, but overall it was in relatively good condition.
In 2013 I bought a complete cab and front clip from a 1957 WM300 (which was known as a W300 at the time). Even though the truck was from Arizona, it sat for years in the weather and has some rot in the back of the cab floor. It also has a couple areas which will need some extensive bodywork. But overall it's in decent shape and should look nice when it is finished.
Fast forward to today. The old cab, flatbed, and engine have been removed, the chassis has been cleaned and straightened, the axles are rebuilt, everything is painted, and a rebuilt 318 engine and NP435 transmission are 95% installed. The original fuel tank and skid plate have been repaired and reinstalled. The WM300 radiator has been rebuilt and is waiting to be reinstalled. The brake system is just about done, and will be getting a vacuum-boosted dual master cylinder under the cab. I've also installed a rebuilt Braden MU2 from another WC Dodge and front bumpers from a WDX.
Up to this point most of the work on the truck has been standard mechanical work that I'm very familiar with. But the new cab and front sheet metal have recently come back from the blasting shop and now it's time to start fixing the body panels. This is work that I have never done before, and I figure it's time for me to learn. Overall the sheet metal is in good condition, but there are a couple items that are borderline fixable, and will test my fledgling bodywork skills.
I will be posting more as we work through the repairs of the sheet metal, and start to reassemble the rest of the truck.
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