Today Soldier Number-One and I re-commissioned Area-52 for one more project --- The making of a pumpkin pie --- "The Great Pumpkin"
This is a project that has been a long time coming. Fourteen years ago I purchased a civilianized 1952 M37 that I named "The Woogie" . I named it The Woogie because it was too old and ugly to Boogie. The Woogie was bought and built for the sole purpose of running around on a 40 acre piece of water access wilderness lake property on the Canadian boarder. Since it was never intended to be driven on the road it didn't have a top or many other standard features.
A few years ago I sold the lake property and The Woogie came back to the mainland where, though it didn't have a top, was driven on the road in the summer. Over the years, I rebuilt or replaced everything mechanical imaginable including a new engine. Two years ago I completely rebuilt the front and rear axle assemblies and installed 489 gears and front and rear lockers. With the new gears I also added a new set of Denman Coyote Radials. Last year a NOS transfer case and transmission rounded out a "like new" truck. The only problem was --- the body and frame was in sad shape from previous years of salt damage. Although The Woogie looks good, it's in bad shape body and chassis wise.
The plot thickens. Twelve years ago I bought a 1953 orange M37 that has an excellent body and chassis from John Bizal at Midwest Military. Because of it's color, John referred to the truck as The Pumpkin. The Pumpkin sat untouched, in storage, until this summer when I sold the motor, transmission, transfer case, rear differential and winch back to John. I sold the components because I decided to remove all the new and rebuilt mechanical components from The Woogie and install them in The Pumpkin. Because I'm building what amounts to an underpowered truck to drive on the road, I elected to ditch the 300+ pound winch. Project Pumpkin Pie started today. I estimate it's going to take ten working days to complete --- it should be completely de-bugged by Thanksgiving.
Attached are pictures of each truck. The first day started out by loading The Pumpkin on my trailer for a 5-mile ride to Area 52. A thorough scrubbing of 15 years of dust and grime took most of the day. Day-one ended with The Pumpjin on the hoist and the front axle assembly on the floor. Tomorrow we bring The Woogie to Area 52 where the process will get underway. Please note the titles on the attached pictures. I hope I've loaded the pictures in the correct sequence. If not --- view them backwards for the story.
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1976 PLDvK 53/59 Jesterka, one of only two in the U.S. (Now three!) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/EZPLDVK1.jpg
M35A2 (sold)
Bunch of cargo and ammo trailers
1955 Farmall 100
1940&51 Farmall M's
1967 convt mustang
1923 Ford T roadster
and a bunch o' other crap
So what is the story on the cool Dodge (yellow 4 door)?
That, is my daily driver and the best truck I've ever owned. When I quit my corporate job several years ago I bought the crew cab (The Goose) for $1,300.00 and have been driving it for going on ten years. Before serving a 20 year stint with the Deering North Dakota fire department it was a SAC B-52 crew (scramble) truck on Minont AFB. It's a 1968 W-200 Power Wagon with a slant-six. It had 86,000 miles on it when I bought it and so far I've put 52,000 on it. It's still sound mechanically but the body and doors are about to fall off the frame. I'm going to hate to see it go but as soon as the Pumpkin is finished the crew-cab will go. I'm going to miss the vent windows.
Here are pictures of my buddy's 1964 W200 Crewcab. It is an ex-US Navy truck. Slant 6, 4 speed, 4WD. The Navy really beat the snot out of it, even managing to flip it. They cut the old roof off (you can see road rash on top of the dash frame) and welded another roof on and put later model doors on it (you can see it doesn't have the old school refrigerator handles on it, it has the new push button style).
I love the old truck and Jim has offered it to me a few times but I do not have anywhere to store it right now and as long as it is with him, it is indoors. I don't know what I'd ever do with it, I think my OCD would force me to replace the cab and these cabs aren't easy to come by.
That, is my daily driver and the best truck I've ever owned. When I quit my corporate job several years ago I bought the crew cab (The Goose) for $1,300.00 and have been driving it for going on ten years. Before serving a 20 year stint with the Deering North Dakota fire department it was a SAC B-52 crew (scramble) truck on Minont AFB. It's a 1968 W-200 Power Wagon with a slant-six. It had 86,000 miles on it when I bought it and so far I've put 52,000 on it. It's still sound mechanically but the body and doors are about to fall off the frame. I'm going to hate to see it go but as soon as the Pumpkin is finished the crew-cab will go. I'm going to miss the vent windows.
Make sure you part out what you don't want off of it - or advertise it on dodgepowerwagon.com. There is a big following for 60s era Power Wagons now, even parts trucks command good money.
This orange M37 is pretty darn cool. Please add more photos as you continue your project...
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Mike
maddawg308
FCC # W1AMR Extra Class
MVPA #33431
NRA Life member
2003 Dodge Durango SLT 4.7L V-8 parts hauler
1967 Stevens M416 trailer
owner of the "Dawg House" travelling Vietnam radio hooch display
avatar: Capt. Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity
Today, soldier number-one and soldier number-two (The Dos Grunts) were at it again. The day started by driving the Woogie (donor truck) to Area-52. It was a difficult "last ride". I've had this truck for 14 years and I felt I was taking a faithful old dog to the vet to be put down,
Upon arriving at Area-52 we proceeded to remove the freshly rebuilt front axle assembly from the Woogie and then installed it in the Pumpkin. We then installed the old axle assembly that was removed from the Pumpkin in the Woogie.
When I left Area-52 this evening I hated to leave the Woogie behind. It's been with me a long time. It's a shame the way the road salt attacks these old vehicles.
THE GREAT PUMPKIN --- Project Pumpkin Pie
(Now three!)
