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When I was a kid, my parents built a log cabin in the mountains of Colorado. My dad had an old ford pickup and when he would gas up to head back to Denver on Sunday night we stopped at the Bell Oil company's Standard Service in Bailey Colorado. There was a beautiful Dodge flat fendered PW sitting as a company tow truck fitted with what seemed like a massive winch.
I would get out of the truck walk around it and stare, but I remembered. That truck came up for sale a few years ago and I was ready to buy it, when the guy found out I really wanted it, he decided not to sell it. By that time he had repainted it and it didn't have the original large bell painted on the door, so much of the charm was gone.
My interest never went away, but was postponed for several years until I was a bit older. In 1975 my friend/roomate came home one day with a 1964 D100 Town Wagon and I was hooked.
I had seen them in 4 wheel drive and knew I wanted one. I had a new 1974 Chev pickup at the time and immediately sold it just so I could buy an old Power Wagon. Two weeks later, I bought my first truck, a 1962 Dodge W100 Town Wagon.
I was so excited, and clearly inexperienced, when I took off the next week for the San Juan mountains of Colorado, where I proceeded to nearly roll the truck 1000' over a cliff atop Cinnamon Pass, and then a mind boggling and extremely stressful trip over Imogene Pass between Telluride and Ouray.
My friend wouldn't ride on portions of the trip. This was in the days before the road was improved and it was strictly a jeep road, meaning short wheel base only.
Literally a few inches too far one way and you were finished. Bald tires and loose shale rock were no help. I kept the truck for a number of years and drove all over Alberta Canada and BC .
I am not a great mechanic, but had no money, so I made do and figured out how to fix it when it broke down. I sold it a few laters and was just sick after I sold it. I bought a new landcruiser, was unimpressed, and one year later, bought another 65 W100 town wagon. It was my work truck for carpentry and like the other one was my only vehicle that I drove every day.
Around 1978 I met a fellow from the MVCC who invited me to a meeting where I immediately got interested in military units as well. A local surplus dealer in Denver near my house became a daily stomping ground for finding surplus parts and it was this place where I originally got the idea to start Vintage Power Wagons.
After a series of strange events I decided to take a chance and start the business and did so on April 18, 1983. I had a few shelves in my garage at the time in Denver, and the next winter moved what I had to Iowa.
I never looked back. Its been a blast all these years and is still fun. Finally got my dream truck completed this year at the rally. My 1969 W300 is one fine truck.
Dave Butler
I would get out of the truck walk around it and stare, but I remembered. That truck came up for sale a few years ago and I was ready to buy it, when the guy found out I really wanted it, he decided not to sell it. By that time he had repainted it and it didn't have the original large bell painted on the door, so much of the charm was gone.
My interest never went away, but was postponed for several years until I was a bit older. In 1975 my friend/roomate came home one day with a 1964 D100 Town Wagon and I was hooked.
I had seen them in 4 wheel drive and knew I wanted one. I had a new 1974 Chev pickup at the time and immediately sold it just so I could buy an old Power Wagon. Two weeks later, I bought my first truck, a 1962 Dodge W100 Town Wagon.
I was so excited, and clearly inexperienced, when I took off the next week for the San Juan mountains of Colorado, where I proceeded to nearly roll the truck 1000' over a cliff atop Cinnamon Pass, and then a mind boggling and extremely stressful trip over Imogene Pass between Telluride and Ouray.
My friend wouldn't ride on portions of the trip. This was in the days before the road was improved and it was strictly a jeep road, meaning short wheel base only.
Literally a few inches too far one way and you were finished. Bald tires and loose shale rock were no help. I kept the truck for a number of years and drove all over Alberta Canada and BC .
I am not a great mechanic, but had no money, so I made do and figured out how to fix it when it broke down. I sold it a few laters and was just sick after I sold it. I bought a new landcruiser, was unimpressed, and one year later, bought another 65 W100 town wagon. It was my work truck for carpentry and like the other one was my only vehicle that I drove every day.
Around 1978 I met a fellow from the MVCC who invited me to a meeting where I immediately got interested in military units as well. A local surplus dealer in Denver near my house became a daily stomping ground for finding surplus parts and it was this place where I originally got the idea to start Vintage Power Wagons.
After a series of strange events I decided to take a chance and start the business and did so on April 18, 1983. I had a few shelves in my garage at the time in Denver, and the next winter moved what I had to Iowa.
I never looked back. Its been a blast all these years and is still fun. Finally got my dream truck completed this year at the rally. My 1969 W300 is one fine truck.
Dave Butler
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