Wicked Wednesday: 24V Cummins Turbo Diesel Powered 1952 Dodge M37 Goes On 600-Mile Road Trip
Can a restomod 1952 Dodge M37 serve as a long-haul travel partner? Yes, but there are a few things you should be prepared for.
Taking a truck like a 1952 Dodge M37 and restoring it or giving it the restomod treatment is not all that unusual. However, once a project like that is done most folks do a short little shake down drive and call it a day. After that the truck sees limited duty on the show circuit and is never really pressed very hard. But that is exactly what makes this particular M37 project so special. All the work took about a year to complete. And when it was all done a simple drive around the block was not going to be sufficient. The owner immediately loaded it up and took off on a nearly 600-mile journey. Did the truck hold up? What lessons were learned? Is it comfortable enough to handle a trip like that?
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this 1952 Dodge M37 restomod. The truck was given a 24V Cummins Turbo Diesel powerplant as well as several other more modern touches. It even has heated seats! But there is still no hiding the fact that this is a big brute of a rig. It is not something that you would typically want to cover hundreds of miles in. But it actually performed quite well on the trip. However, there are some things that you should expect and plan for when undertaking a drive like this in a truck like this. There are dozens of videos showing the entire process of this build posted on the Dave Pepper YouTube channel. We are skipping to the end of the series here but be sure to watch the others for all the build details and to see how it was done.
Fully Equipped
It should be noted that this 1952 Dodge M37 lives in Novia Scotia. The weather up there can be a challenge, so the owner made sure the truck was equipped accordingly. He built some custom windshield defrost vents. The heated seats also come in handy. And if you are going on a road trip you need a cup holder. So, he fashioned one out of a 3.5-inch exhaust pipe flange. There is also a full panel of gauges to keep tabs on everything from boost pressure to fuel pressure, and oil temperature. It is not exactly a luxury sedan in there, but all of the basics are covered. Of course, anytime you go on a trip like this with a truck you just built, you need to pack your toolbox. The owner does this, and it comes in handy.
Hit the Road
With the prep out of the way it is time to get on the road. The first 130 miles or so are uneventful. But then a boost line went, and he had to pull over. This is when that tool kit comes in handy. Thankfully he had a replacement clamp and was able to easily make the repair and continue on his way. However, he didn’t pack quite everything he should have. A 1952 Dodge M37 with a 24V Cummins tends to make quite a racket. He forgot to pack his ear plugs so he had to shove some shop towels in his ears to block some of the noise. When he got to the halfway point, he realized the parking brake didn’t disengage so he was dragging his rear wheel. The fact he didn’t notice tells you all you need to know about the power of the Cummins.
Back Home
The trip back was largely uneventful. The truck performed well, there we no engine codes thrown, and it even averaged 17 mpg. Not too bad for a truck with the aerodynamics of a barn door that was dragging its rear tire for half the trip. Overall, it was a very successful trip. With a bit of planning, you should be able to drive a truck like this for as long as you want. It is refreshing to see someone actually do that and not treat it like a garage queen. Hopefully this video inspires others to build rigs like this and enjoy them out on the road. We love to see these old beauties out where they belong.
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