Incredible, professional build. Cummins Turbo Diesel. 5-speed. A/C. Crew Cab.

1947 Dodge Power Wagon Description

Harwood Motors has probably sold more Dodge Power Wagons than anyone else, and as a result we’ve been able to watch the market evolve. We were the first to sell a Power Wagon for more than $100,000, something that made the traditionalists scoff. We sold the very first Cummins 6BT powered Power Wagon. We sold the very first quad cab 4-door Power Wagon ever built. So when we tell you that this spectacular 1947 Dodge Power Wagon WDX Quad Cab is the finest we’ve ever seen, you can believe it. Built by Dan Mininger and his team at Precision Power Wagons, it showcases the current state-of-the-art in resto-mod Power Wagons, combining function, comfort, and style in equal measure to create something truly special.

The thing about Precision’s work is that it still looks, acts, and feels like a Power Wagon. There are other companies out there who are building similar machines, but they look like street rods with glittery paint and over-styled interiors that completely erase the Power Wagon’s character. If you want a modern truck that kind of looks like a Power Wagon, well, they’re fine. But if you want a Power Wagon that looks, acts, and feels like the genuine article, then Precision’s work will appeal to you. It’s updated, it’s comfortable, and it’s modernized, but the stuff that makes the Power Wagon unique remains 100% intact, from the giant winch (still driven by the engine!) to the DODGE lettering emblazoned on each taillight. This is Power Wagon done right.

This particular WDX Quad Cab is a Gen III model finished in 2016 and shows about 5000 miles on the clock—enough that you know it’s sorted, but it’s still in virtually new condition throughout. Comparing it to the first quad cab they ever built, a truck we sold in 2014, this one is more polished in every way, with notable improvements in ride, handling, NVH, and comfort. Precision’s 4-door quad cab is built using two standard Power Wagon cabs and SIX doors so it has a correct look that looks exactly how the factory might have done it if they had ever built such a thing (they did not). The chassis was extended by 15 inches to give it a fully functional bed in back and to keep the butch Power Wagon proportions. Finish quality is exemplary, with doors that close easily, shiny paint with distortion-free reflections, and traditional colors: Submarine Seawolf Green with black fenders. It’s all steel, of course, and the several hundred build photos show it in bare metal so there are obviously no surprises underneath. The running boards were expertly lengthened (plus there are lighted automatic drop-down running boards underneath), the headlights are high-intensity units that light the road up like a lightning strike, and the heavy-duty brush guard up front is a big part of why the Power Wagon is the manliest vehicle on earth. In back, the bed was refinished and fitted with 4000-pound aircraft cargo tracks and a 12V power outlet, and it’s not so perfect that you’ll be afraid to treat it like a pickup truck.

Open any of the four doors and the running boards drop down to make it easier for you to climb aboard. Inside, you’ll find a luxuriously appointed interior that doesn’t erase the Power Wagon’s identity but embraces. Yes, the seats are far more comfortable than the original vinyl bench and there’s considerably more space, but the driving position and feel are still very much like they should be. A steel dash, complete with crank-out windshield and overhead controls for the windshield wipers, all make you feel like it’s 1947. The tilt steering column holds a small wood and leather wheel that would be utterly impossible on a stock Power Wagon, and in the build photos, you can see that they went to great lengths to make the center horn button match the rest of the leather used inside. Precision Power Wagons installs their own set of bespoke GPS-referenced instruments, too, including turbo boost and exhaust gas temperature gauges in addition to the usual stuff. You’ll also note a killer AM/FM/CD/satellite stereo system with touch screen in the center of the dash, and it’s connected to a rear-view camera that automatically comes online when you put it in reverse. Controls for the powerful A/C system are underneath and there are three sticks in the center that control the split transfer case, so you can send power forward, rearward, or both depending on conditions. The seats are finished in upscale leather and cloth, there are switches for the ARB locking differentials and on-board air compressor, and it offers push-button starting with a remote key fob that only needs to stay in your pocket to work correctly. Heck, even the headlights turn themselves on automatically! Accommodations are quite adequate for four passengers and there are seat belts at all four positions for safety.

Mechanically, this truck is built to run the way you expect a Power Wagon to run. The originals look awesome, but they’re really tractors that look like trucks: crude, slow, and primitive. Not so here, where it has been upgraded with a 3.9-liter Cummins 4BT turbo diesel engine that grunts out more than 400 pounds of torque at barely a walking pace. Somehow the guys at Precision have managed to quell the vibrations and this oil-burner feels smooth and torquey without being so invisible that you forget you’re in a Power Wagon. There’s power all over the tach, but you don’t need to rev it to get the most out of it—in fact, we typically start in 2ndgear simply because it makes so much torque that first is only needed for really slow going. Dan and the guys painted it bright red so it really stands out in the engine bay, as well as to emulate the later Power Wagons and their red inline-6 powerplants. It’s quite nicely detailed with polished stainless coolant lines, but functionality and an OEM vibe were the goal and we’d say they nailed it. The hardware is bulletproof reliable, needing only one wire and that’s the one that shuts it off, so it’ll take you just about anywhere you need to go without worries about a breakdown. The cooling system is massive, the wiring is all new, and given the experience behind the build, you probably don’t have to worry about this one any more than you worry about your modern iron. You could drive this truck coast-to-coast tomorrow if you wanted to.

It sits on a reinforced Power Wagon chassis, again to preserve the vintage feel which, after all, is the entire point. The 5-speed manual transmission shifts easily and clutch action is light, but the hardware is virtually indestructible. Oversized axles front and rear carry 4.56 gears, and with a deep overdrive 5thgear in the transmission, it cruises easily at 70 MPH. Obviously the suspension has been upgraded with coil springs and a 4-link in back to vastly improve ride quality and power steering is a very welcome addition. Gigantic 4-wheel disc brakes are more than adequate for the heavy but surprisingly fast Dodge, and thanks to careful tuning on the shocks and bushings, ride quality is excellent—a far cry from the spine-compressing original setup. There’s a PTO for the Braden 10,000-pound winch up front, which carries 200 feet of stainless cable and Precision’s signature red tow hook, plus a rear-mounted winch with a remote control for the really rough stuff. It’s also built with an integrated Class IV receiver hitch with both 4-way and 7-way electrical connections and this truck will pull just about anything you can connect to it. A gigantic gas tank hangs under the bed and given the relative thrift of the diesel engine, it offers plenty of range for going to some really remote places. A full stainless steel exhaust system will last forever and custom powder-coated wheels carry mammoth 40x13.50R17 Super Comp off-road radials.

I’ve really only scratched the surface of this incredible truck, which is by far the finest Power Wagon we’ve ever seen or driven. I probably have more experience with these trucks than all but a handful of people in the world, so I can say with a great deal of confidence that this is 100% the truck you hope it will be when you buy a Power Wagon. Rugged, totally butch, and infinitely versatile, but with the added bonus of actually being usable as a real-world truck that’s fast, comfortable, and air-conditioned. We understand that it’s expensive, but then again, if you want one, any of the Power Wagon shops will probably quote you $300,000 for a fresh build and a 2-year wait. With that in mind, this truck starts to look awfully appealing, don’t you think? Call today!