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DAVE'S 71 POWER WAGON PAGE
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CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW PAGE
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Visit My Home Site lots of Navada photos
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W100's CAN HAUL THE TOYS, NO PROBLEM
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AT HOME IN THE MUD
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Don't forget to refresh or reload,
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'cause these pages are
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ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
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A LITTLE HISTORY-- WHY I DRIVE A DODGE
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Way back in High school, somewhere around 1966, I bought a used 62 W200 for $1000 if I remember right. I put twice as many miles on it exploring the deserts and mountains around Reno and northern Nevada, than I did on the pavement. Did very little work on it, and it never let me down, or left me stranded. Had to sell it in 69 when Uncle Sam decieded to draft me into the Army, after I had just rebuilt the 318 Poly, and all the drive train 2 months earlier! During the next 3 years, I think I missed that Dodge more than my girlfriend. The rancher I sold it to put a flatbed on it and hauled hay and equipment with it for 4 years without a single problem. He then reinstalled the bed and sold it to a buddy of mine, who used and abused it for 3 more years, before selling it to a guy at Lake Tahoe to use for plowing snow. Saw the truck a few years later, and it was still going strong.
Knowing what I alone had put it through, I was sold on Power Wagons! So when I returned from the service, I had to have another one. Finally found my 71 W100 on the Dodge dealer's used car lot, only had 1300 miles on it, and paid $3895 . The guy who had bought truck new, had to trade it back in for a station wagon because his wife turned up pregnant with twins. True story, I checked! His loss, my gain.
Over the years, I've gone through numerous cars, jeeps, and off road toys, but for some reason, I still have the 71 Power Wagon and drive it daily. The only time in all these years it left me stranded, is when I drove into a tree stump once while cutting firewood, and broke the steering arm off the knuckle. My fault, not the trucks. I have never been easy on the Dodge, in fact i've pretty much abused it for years without a complaint. These 61 to 71 trucks had to be the toughest pickups ever built! The 71 even survived me teaching my sister and 2 of her friends how to drive with the 435 trans.
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AN EARLY ATTEMPT AT AIR CONDITIONING
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SITTING ON TOP OF 600ft. HIGH SAND MT.
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OOPS!!
And I forgot the shovel! took 3hrs. to dig out by hand
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THE TECHNICAL STUFF
There have been a number of changes to this old 71
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CHANGES OVER THE YEARS
72--- Added headers and 4BBL manifold and holley 650 double pumper to 318, what a differance! Instant power an tap.
74--- Happened upon a 69 Road Runner 383 eng. that had been built for a drag car for $600, and couldn't pass it up. 13to1 compression, solid lifter cam, etc.,etc.Put out 423 hp on engine dyno. Rounded up all the right parts from a 74 Ramcharger with a 400 eng., and dropped it in. The bellhousing and flywheel were tough to find and expensive. Luckily, Hooker made headers for the combination, and a 750 Holley really made the 4100 lb. truck move! Not a lot of torque, but thats what low range, low gears and high RPM's are for! Of course, we had good gas in those days too. Couldn't figure out why I had to replace U-joints so often, till a friend told me I had the fastest truck in town. Seems that my girlfriend was out street racing while I was working nights! Actually got 17MPG on the highway at 4000 RPM. Sure miss the time when we had no speed limit in Nevada! Horsepower and light weight work well together.
76--- Time for trans swap. Got beat by a ford with a 428 one day because I couldn't shift the 435 trans. fast enough. Installed a B&M 727 automatic and higher stall coverter. HANG ON!! Now we're cookin'! Made the truck a lot more driveable off road too. Automatics, or rather torque converters, multiply your torque ya know. (Ran into the same guy a couple months later, left him in the dust this time)
77--- Time for some changes. After a round trip to Kentucky, using 2 cases of octane booster, and good pump gas being a thing a thing of the past, it was time to change the cam and drop the compression. A sad day that was. Rebuilt the 383 and went to a Purple Stripe hyd. cam, 10 1/2 to1 pistons, electronic ignition, and changed to a Holley 650 spreadbore. I've tried larger carbs, square bores, and AFBs, but at our altitude, the 650 works best all around. (Though I do have a 750 that I swap on if I'm going to be near sea level) This combination works great to this day. I get 14 MPG on the highway at 75-80, if I keep my foot out of it when passing. The cam has enough overlap to keep the clyinder pressure down at lower RPM's to help prevent detonation with today's gas. Lost at least 50 HP from the original combination, but it still hauls pretty good. Really enjoy passing new trucks at 75MPH while pulling my trailer over the mountains. Off road, there's no stopping it.
81--- Now for some up upgrades and comfort. Must be getting older! I decided it was time for POWER STEERING, power brakes, cruise control, etc. After years of fighting the steering wheel when off roading with wide tires, and a steering box that was getting pretty loose, something had to change! Stopping when fully loaded with green firewood was iffy at best, and the rough ride was getting old too. I figured it was time to get a new truck or make some drastic changes. So I did what any self respecting old Power Wagon owner would do: pulled the truck in the shop, pulled the front group off, put the brain in gear, and headed to the wrecking yard for some research. Managed to come up with a parts combination to add the P.S., P. brakes, and even cruise control ( a trip anywhere in Nevada is on miles of open road! ). Next, swaped out the 'snow plow option' front springs I had previously installed, for a set from a 75 W100. Added BFG 12.50X15 Mud Terrains on aluminum wheels and Rancho shocks.
Damn! Couldn't believe it was the same truck when I got done and drove it the first time! Actually rode smooth, even for a short wheel base, and handled like a Sports Car ( well almost ). The P.S. and P.B.'s took some getting used to after years of 'yanking' and 'stomping'. Found out one thing, when you add a power booster to drum brakes, you have to use premium brake shoes if you haul heavy loads. Low grade shoes will overheat, crack, and fall apart before too long.
Thats about it for the mods to date. Did add Posi Track about 8 yrs. ago, but that's been a 50/50 proposition. Works good off road, but things can get pretty exciting in the winter on icy roads with light weight, horsepower, wide tires, and a short wheelbase! Also converted an air conditioning compressor to an engine mounted air compressor for airing the tires up after off roading, and powering air tools out in the sticks. Used an old propane tank mounted up under the bed as an air tank.Sure get some funnny looks when I whip out the air tools in the middle of nowhere!
I have fine tuned all the modifications and improved on some of the factory stuff to where I'm pretty satisfied with the rig now. About the only thing I would like to do next is add disk brakes. I'm already checking on parts, so it won't be long.
Then I think it will be time to find a mid 60's Power Wagon to update. I need a challenge to keep the ol' brain working. Besides, it's a lot cheaper than buying a new truck, its something you can work on easily, and you can proudly drive a piece of American history. The loggers, the military, the power companys, and the phone company wouldn't have gotten far without Power Wagons!
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