Wicked Wednesday: Legacy Classic Trucks Gave This 1949 Dodge Power Wagon the Ultimate Makeover
This 1949 Dodge Power Wagon has been upgraded to look distinguished and classy on the inside, but still get the job done out in the woods.
It has been said that Muhammad Ali was one of the most recognizable people in the world. The automotive equivalent might be the Dodge Power Wagon. If you ever see a picture of a Power Wagon, is there any doubt about what it is? Most people just need a quick glimpse before they can name what it is they are looking at. This is one distinctive truck. So, while the 1949 Dodge Power Wagon that you see here has been thoroughly upgraded, its classic looks remain. So, while you might not be able to improve the exterior looks, there are still plenty of upgrades you can apply to one of these trucks.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this 1949 Dodge Power Wagon that has been modified by Legacy Classic Trucks. It is not often that our wicked Dodge posts feature a vehicle with a top speed of only 80 mph. But this truck is not about speed. This truck is built for power and capability. The Power Wagon you see here was the 118th that Legacy Classic Trucks has worked on. Winslow Bent, Founder, Legacy Classic Trucks speaks to this particular build on a video recently uploaded to the Barcroft Cars YouTube channel. We all love talking Power Wagons so let’s get right to it.
Legacy Classic Trucks
Bent began his love affair with the Power Wagon as a little kid. When he was young his father would let him drive a Power Wagon that he had. That was all it took; Bent was hooked from that moment. Bent founded Legacy Classic Trucks and restored his first Power Wagon back in 2008. He now has nearly 120 Power Wagon builds under his belt, so he knows a thing or two about these special rigs.
A Gentleman’s Truck
The owner of this Power Wagon made his objectives clear to Bent. He still wanted the truck to be able to do all the things expected of a Power Wagon. It needed to be able to work and survive out in the woods. But the owner wanted a high level of fit and finish and detail on the inside. He wanted his 1949 Dodge Power Wagon to be a real gentleman’s truck. So how did Bent go about building this dream truck?
Special Touches
Sometimes it is the little things that make a difference, even on large work trucks. One example on this Power Wagon is the door handles. When you turn the handle to open the door the power side steps drop down to assist you in climbing into the cabin. Speaking of the cabin. Even though this is a big, beefy truck, it is actually not very big inside. So, to make it more comfortable the cabin has been extended by 14 inches. To reduce the blind spots this, stretch caused, a set of pilot windows were installed into the back corners of the cab. The truck bed was not left out and has beautiful marine grade mahogany wood.
Inside
Bent sits in the driver seat and the first thing he calls out is the extra space that the 14-inch stretch provides. There is plenty of room for even the tallest drivers. The truck of course has front and rear locking differentials that are controlled by switches on the dash. The truck has a 5-speed manual transmission with first gear being a granny.
On the Road
Bent gets behind the wheel and you can immediately tell the passion that he has for these trucks. He says that driving one is great because it has such a presence on the road. Well, there is no denying that. But on top of the presence, it performs. “When we jam on the brakes in this car, those are four-wheel disc brakes. And this thing stays really, really straight even in threshold panic stops.” Says Bent. He is extremely proud of the trucks he builds.
Take a Look
Watch the video below to get a closer look at this special 1949 Dodge Power Wagon. It is not going to blow you away with crazy stats or wild bodywork. It is simply a well-executed upgrade to one of the most iconic trucks to ever come out of America.
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