New member, I have to get a town wagon

[Andydodgegeek]

Hello, my name is Andy and I live in east central Minnesota. I am very well known as a Dodge guy by all of the people who know me so I believe I will fit in this group well. Anyways, I am wanting a town wagon or town panel in the worst way. I went and looked at one this weekend about an hour north of where I live. I had to dig it out of 3 feet of snow to look at it. It was pretty ruff. All glass gone, interior gone, front fenders fairly rusty, the panel between the grill and the bumper is dented, floor is gone, the passenger side rear quarter had some accident damage that someone had bondo'd up. The rear doors are there but in some need of repair. The fellow wants $1500. I went home empty handed. I cant quit thinking about it though. I am willing to go further out of my state to get one of these trucks but I just am not seeing any for sale. I have a plan that some may like and some may not, I want to put one of these bodies on to my 1991 3/4 ton cummins turbo diesel 4x4 with a manual tranny.

Here is a quick bit of info on the trucks I own and have owned. Currently I have the 91 diesel I mentioned, a 47 wh47 2 ton truck, a 89 snow commander 3/4 ton 4x4, a 1981 Ramcharger (5" lift 36" superswampers), and a 97 2500 4x4. I recently sold my 77 powerwagon that I had built, it had a 440/727 with a 205 case and dana 60's with 4:88's both locked, a set of 42" super swampers on beadlock wheels, shortened wheelbase with an older stepside short bed on it. I really liked the truck but I kind of just got out of the off roading. I have also owned probably 6 or more othe ramchargers and several more pickups from the 70's and 80's. Not a dodge but I also own a 1946 Willys cj2a with a full steel cab.
I have been reading thru this forum alot and am glad I found it. I am planning on attending your rally in Iowa, its only 5 hours form my house.

[Ron in Indiana]

First let me say welcome to the fold and yes you are in the right place among friends. I own a 64 Town Wagon Power Wagon that was pretty worse for wear when I got it. That one sounds like it is pretty toasted and high priced for what you'd be getting. There are no repopped body parts for these trucks. Putting a TW body on a Cummins powered chassis is not the easiest thing to do in the world. The engine bay is too short for a Cummins some have tried. Unless you punch out the firewall and fab a new one it's not going to fit. Another thing is the wheelbase. Depending on what year of TW you were looking at it the new chassis is to long or WAY to long. 57-60 TW's are 108" wheel base 61-66 are 114". Now if you can overcome these and other things that will crop up and they will go for it. I'm not trying to rain on your parade just helping you from reinventing the wheel. There is a TW list on Yahoo and there is always someone looking to sell their TW/TP. These are fun to own trucks. I've had mine for a number of years now taking it to Iowa and several other states off roading or attending rallies. A good poly 318 in a TW does a great job. I won the truck pull at the Iowa rally last year with mine and had a blast on the trail rides. Keep looking yours is out there waiting for a new home. Hope to see you in June at the rally.

[Andydodgegeek]

Thanks for the welcome. I did know about the wheel base issue, my truck is 131 and the town wagon I want is 114. I would prefer the longer wheelbase one as i would still like to use the truck for towing the skidsteer and just like a longer wheelbase. I did some measuring when I looked at the panel this weekend, I parked my diesel along side it and you are definitely correct that the engine won't fit without alot of modifying. I have.done projects similar to this and I figure I could tackle it. I would be fine to keep the poly engine its just I have this diesel truck with 170k on it that has a rusty body. The search continues.

[Andydodgegeek]

I am going to go look at another town wagon this weekend. Its a 1966. Looks like the rear wheel wells are rusted out but otherwise it looks pretty clean. No motor or tranny. All of the windows and trim and lights are there. I will take some pictures. Anybody here have any leads on town wagons for sale that they would be willing to share?

[Ron in Indiana]

The rusted rear wheel arches are an easy fix with Utiline truck fenders. I can help you with repairing those. Someone just posted on the TW list that he wants to sell his TW but it's in Washington. It has a hot 440 in it with lots of spare parts. He was asking the guys on the list what it's worth. Other than that I don't know of any for sale. If you're wanting to drop a body on that late model frame a missing drivetrain shouldn't matter. We just replaced the entire body side on a 58 TW/PW today and hope to do the other side tomorrow. This is a customers truck not for sale. Looking forward to seeing pictures of that truck you're looking at.

[Andydodgegeek]

Thanks for the replies and offering of help. I hope this truck I am going to look at is nice.

[Gordon Maney]

Send me a for sale or wanted ad for Power Wagon Advertiser magazine, up to 100 words free. It must include an area code and phone number, since a lot of readers are not on the web. You would be surprise at how many readers are not on the internet — they buy and sell, too!

Email your ad using the contact us link below.

For more information, go here:

http://www.powerwagonadvertiser.com/placead.html

[Brian Hill]

57 Town Wagon

Andy, I have 57 Town wagon that I'm currently doing a swap to a 91 Dodge Cummins, l lucked out and found on in Wyoming that is in excellent shape. This has turned out to be quite the project but I'm enjoying every minute of it. I currently have my pictures posted on my Facebook page check them out.

[Andydodgegeek]

Andy, I have 57 Town wagon that I'm currently doing a swap to a 91 Dodge Cummins, l lucked out and found on in Wyoming that is in excellent shape. This has turned out to be quite the project but I'm enjoying every minute of it. I currently have my pictures posted on my Facebook page check them out.

Are you putting your body on a 91 chassis or putting the drivetrain into the 57? Do you have a link to your face book page? I went to face book and put in Brian Hill but couldn't find any dodge pics. I am interested in hearing about your project. I want to put the body of a town wagon on to my 91 3/4 ton 4x4 diesel. I am aware of the engine is going to be a tight squeeze and am willing to do firewall mods if need be. I am driving 5 1/2 hours tomorrow morning to go and look at a 1966 Town wagon.

[Brian Hill]

I'm putting the body on the chassis I cut 23" out of the frame and cut the firewall out of both vehicles. Try Brian Hill in Bluffdale, UT I figure out how to post a link to the page.

[Andydodgegeek]

I checked out your Facebook page and enjoyed seeing your pics of your truck project. Have to keep us posted on your progress.

I went and looked at the town wagon just north of Milwaukee, WI yesterday. It was pretty rough. Both front fenders, front and rear doors, rear quarter's, floors, and steps were badly rusted. Not the solid truck he said it was and I would say definitely not worth the $4500 asking price. It also had no motor/tranny. I'm gonna skip on that one. It was a 7 hour drive thru a snow storm to get there.

After we finished there we went for dinner at a friends an hour north of there. Then I called a fellow who had a 63 panel in Elkhart, Indiana and asked if I could check out his truck. So add on another 5 hour drive. Well I maybe going back to Elkhart with my trailer. The panel truck was very nice.

We are presently on our way back home about an hour north of Rockford, Illinois. I will keep you all informed.

[Kevin in Ohio]

You'll like it here. You frequent the arborist forum as well? Seems like I remember that name and we talked a while about your trucks. Welcome!

Here is a town wagon to envy. It's Jill's and Ron knows it well ;) Hang on and you can see the "famous" Gordon Maney who runs this site. Such a great cameo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3QR6pdKoew

[Andydodgegeek]

You'll like it here. You frequent the arborist forum as well? Seems like I remember that name and we talked a while about your trucks. Welcome!

Here is a town wagon to envy. It's Jill's and Ron knows it well ;) Hang on and you can see the "famous" Gordon Maney who runs this site. Such a great cameo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3QR6pdKoew

Yup, me and the wife are also big into chainsaws. Ive seen and drooled over your powerwagon over on AS. Good to see a fellow wood cutter here.

[Andydodgegeek]

Its very cold here today but I'm still thinking about Townwagons.

[Gordon Maney]

That means you are normal!