1958 Dodge Power Wagon M43 - $50000

[aschafer14]

This price seems a little outrageous but looks like a well done rig. Does anyone have any experience with these as an expedition vehicle?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/5547594572.html



Impressive Dodge Power Wagon Ambulance "AMBO". Restored and modernized by Legacy Classic Trucks (LCT) in Jackson, Wyoming. It features a Cummins 4BTA inter-cooled Turbo Diesel engine, 5-speed NV 4500 super duty transmission and Atlas Transfer Case. Power steering and four wheel disc brakes have been added. Heavy Duty 300M RCV axle shafts with 4.89 gears. BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 37 x 12.50 on 17" Marsh Racing Wheels.

The interior has Vintage Air AC and Heat, electric windshield wipers and custom gauges. AMBO has front and rear tow hitches, highlift jack and integrated toolbox. Easily cruises 65 mph all day long and gets approx. 20 mpg. You can sleep 4 people in the rear benches and the rear compartment was insulated when it was repainted. The exterior is clean and straight and was stripped, sandblasted and painted by Legacy Classic Trucks (LCT). All mechanical equipment in good working order. The engine is running properly and is very simple. No electronics so it smokes when accelerating and when lugging the motor. It is very reliable and not prone to electrical problems. Gauges and wiring completely redone by Legacy. There are 2 batteries, one for starting the engine and one for accessories so that you will always have a fresh battery to start the AMBO after using accessories when camping or hunting.

To summarize the work done by Legacy: Cummins diesel repower (looks better than factory installed), cold air intake, intercooler, NV 4500 5-speed overdrive manual transmission, complete electrical rebuild with 12-volt conversion including all new gauges, including Fuel level, water temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter, exhaust gas temperature, turbo boost pressure, keyed ignition switch, electric windshield wipers, backup lights, new 4 core Griffin radiator, complete driveline rebuild, dual reservoir master cylinder with new brake lines, disc brakes, 4.89 axle gearing, front steering knuckles rebuilt with lock-out hubs, power steering upgrade, disc emergency brake and vintage air conditioning.

All ready for your next camping/hunting trip or overland expedition with plenty of storage in the rear compartment below the benches which sleep 4 people comfortably, with room on the floor for a 5th. THIS IS ONE AWESOME TRUCK! Asking $50,000 or best offer. No Trades.

 

[snekvasil]

Pretty cool rig. That price isn't as bad as some of the quotes on Legacy's website. Don't get me wrong, it's still crazy expensive...

 

[Martinjmpr]

About 20 years ago I owned an M43 with the idea of turning it into a camper but then life got in the way, the way it does, and I sold it for a loss. Still wonder about what might have been....
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Having said that - everything about these trucks is overbuilt, on purpose. The shock absorbers are the size of my forearm. The lug nuts are roughly 1" across. :Wow1:
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As cool as it is, IMO these are better to restore and show off. No matter what you do it will still be a 60+ year old vehicle that rides like a buckboard and is noisier than a caterpillar bulldozer.
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As a novelty or an "attention getter", they are awesome, but I think as something to drive for a long time, there are better choices.

 

[ABCanuck]

I'm guessing this rides very different than other 60 year old trucks. The old power wagons are getting intense price wise and being that this has all the heavy lifting done with the 4bt swap, 50k really isn't that bad.

I'm not saying I can afford it! Just saying that to build something similar would be tough to do for close to that amount. Would be an incredibly cool rig and with that 4bt, reliable and easy to work on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[aschafer14]

I am starting to realize there are drawbacks to every expedition vehicle, half of the expedition campers on this site can be described using at least three of the following adjectives; too big, too slow, too loud, too uncomfortable.

For me there are a few things I'm looking at(in no particular order)

-The ability to setup a bed across the width of a vehicle (which I believe this achieves, does anyone have interior dimensions for one of these). I would need sufficient space to live and work out of the back.
-Not get run off California freeways, speed isnt everything but some freeway driving can't be avoided.
-Mechanically simple enough to work on in remote areas
-Capable Off road machine

I keep getting sucked back to the Unimog with a custom box on the back but it seems by the time you get a turbo motor and fast axles in a decent 416 or U1300L you'll be well over 50k before the box.
A pre 97(smog exempt) ford ambulance seems like a sensible option but I hear the quigleys have limited upgrade options and a 4x4 conversion is going to run you at least $16k. Plus anyone that has worked on a V8 van knows they are a bear to work on and unlike military vehicles IMO ford components are anything but overbuilt
A 4x4 Diesel Vario or other MB van would be perfect but I don't even know if they exist pre 79 for import to CA.

 

[peneumbra]

These old ambulances (ambuli?) are major kicks but you're not going anywhere in a hurry, no matter what engine you've got. So what you do is just park it at the beach (Santa Barbara always worked for me) and wait for people to come up and drool over the truck.

I've discovered - after years of experimentation - that many of those people will have beer that they're willing to share with you...

 

[Martinjmpr]

I am starting to realize there are drawbacks to every expedition vehicle, half of the expedition campers on this site can be described using at least three of the following adjectives; too big, too slow, too loud, too uncomfortable.

For me there are a few things I'm looking at(in no particular order)

-The ability to setup a bed across the width of a vehicle (which I believe this achieves, does anyone have interior dimensions for one of these). I would need sufficient space to live and work out of the back.
-Not get run off California freeways, speed isnt everything but some freeway driving can't be avoided.
-Mechanically simple enough to work on in remote areas
-Capable Off road machine

I keep getting sucked back to the Unimog with a custom box on the back but it seems by the time you get a turbo motor and fast axles in a decent 416 or U1300L you'll be well over 50k before the box.
A pre 97(smog exempt) ford ambulance seems like a sensible option but I hear the quigleys have limited upgrade options and a 4x4 conversion is going to run you at least $16k. Plus anyone that has worked on a V8 van knows they are a bear to work on and unlike military vehicles IMO ford components are anything but overbuilt
A 4x4 Diesel Vario or other MB van would be perfect but I don't even know if they exist pre 79 for import to CA.

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A later model military ambulance might work better and can often be bought far cheaper.
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Here's some info on the Dodge M886 (the article calls it a "CUCV" but I was in the Army at the time they were using these and I never heard the term "CUCV" applied to any Dodge. They were always called M880's or M886's.)
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http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m886_ambulance.php
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The transmissions in those were crap and the engines not much better but seeing as how they were based on commercial mid 70's Dodge trucks, getting a modern drivetrain in it would be relatively simple.
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For a newer option you could look at an actual CUCV based on the 70's - 80's Chevy truck, the M1010:
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http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m1010_ambulance.php
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Again, being based on a fairly common vehicle, getting parts and accessories should be much simpler than in an old beast like an M43.

 

[toylandcruiser]

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A later model military ambulance might work better and can often be bought far cheaper.
.
Here's some info on the Dodge M886 (the article calls it a "CUCV" but I was in the Army at the time they were using these and I never heard the term "CUCV" applied to any Dodge. They were always called M880's or M886's.)
.
http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m886_ambulance.php
.
The transmissions in those were crap and the engines not much better but seeing as how they were based on commercial mid 70's Dodge trucks, getting a modern drivetrain in it would be relatively simple.
.
For a newer option you could look at an actual CUCV based on the 70's - 80's Chevy truck, the M1010:
.
http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m1010_ambulance.php
.
Again, being based on a fairly common vehicle, getting parts and accessories should be much simpler than in an old beast like an M43.

X2. The cucv will have stronger drivetrain and comes with a Detroit already installed.