2016 - Volume #40, Issue #2, Page #15
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1947 Dodge WDX Power Wagon Was A Best Buy
“I recall my grandfather pointing out a Power Wagon to me when I was riding along in his truck as a boy. I always wanted one.
“It’s an underpowered truck, but it has a lot of torque. Initially, Dodge pushed the 4-WD, 1-ton Power Wagon as good for everything. It has a 6-cylinder engine and front and rear pto, and can be equipped with a hydraulic lift. Some owners used it to pull a 3-bottom plow. It has a pto hp rating of 43.3, drawbar rating of 40.5, and engine hp rating of 94.
“It was advertised as a portable power plant and had more power than most tractors at the time. The problem was that it was expensive, with the 1948 selling for more than $2,000. There were about 80,000 sold from 1946 until they were discontinued in 1968, although they hardly changed from 1948 to the end.
“Good Roads Machinery Corp. manufactured a Dodge Special snowplow that I mount on my ’47. I’ve got several pto-driven attachments, like a buzz saw and wood splitter, which I use at home and at shows. I also have a pto-powered post hole auger that mounts to the 3-pt. Monroe lift.
“When I bought it, $1,000 was quite a bit for a Power Wagon. Recently, I’ve seen some like mine sell for as much as $30,000. Collectors are buying them as investments and fixing them up. I like mine with its original paint and a few dents and scratches. They are beauty marks that tell its story. It’s a working truck.
“When I bought my truck, information was hard to come by. That’s no longer the case. Readers interested in a Power Wagon should visit the website www.T137.com. It has lots of information and photos of my truck and others.”
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