Cheap Truck Challenge "overland" 64' Dodge

[rube bonet]

Just a few pics of the truck my buddy's kid built at the shop for CTC this year. We drove 6-700 miles around az in a few days, with a lot of dirt in between the road portions. Dodge never skipped a beat, and it has been my daily driver work truck since the trip while the Kid is finishes making payments on the truck.


Start of the offroad portion on our family ranch in northern AZ




Tigging up the np201 knock gear





Disc brake front end swap



Welding up the rear end...gave us traction and "fixed" really worn out spiders and side gears:sombrero:




A couple links if you want to see the "official" coverage...

D.E.D. episode-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zII42FMz6gE

http://www.fourwheeler.com/features/1509-cheap-truck-challenge-2015-1964-dodge-power-wagon-build-up/

 

[plh]

Wow. That is nice!

 

[GJStringert]

Cool! I follow the Motor Trend shows closely and it was cool to see this old hulk in the running this year. I saw the white single cab Dodge you were working on got featured in FourWheeler, glad to see the end of that project! Congrats! Now go throw some more beautiful beads down on the scout!

 

[justcuz]

Some questions,

Did you use the original gears in the front axle to keep the ratios the same?
Can you post up some pictures of the power steering conversion and the parts used?
What transmission is in the truck?
What size tires did you choose to run?
Is the 201 the same transfer case that International used?
If so there is a one piece replacement gear used in the M37 transfer cases that replace the two piece one you welded up. I think it is a 202 used in the M37, but not sure. I can double check.

I found one of these same trucks in Rialto a couple years ago, but passed on it because it was missing the engine, bell housing, and some clutch parts.
I was also concerned about the rear overhang and was not willing to chop up a perfectly good bed to bob it.
I suppose I could have installed a later model Sweptline bed, but they are not easy to find either.
Keep posting up it is a fun build and a great first 4x4 for the kid.

 

[rube bonet]

Some questions,

I found one of these same trucks in Rialto a couple years ago, but passed on it because it was missing the engine, bell housing, and some clutch parts.
I was also concerned about the rear overhang and was not willing to chop up a perfectly good bed to bob it.
I suppose I could have installed a later model Sweptline bed, but they are not easy to find either.
Keep posting up it is a fun build and a great first 4x4 for the kid.

First off....this is not one of my "typical" builds...LOL. The rules of the game only allow $2015 to buy the truck, and $2015 to modify the truck. Labor was unlimited for most of the teams, but in my case could not be performed by me without that adding to the labor bill. That is where the 17 yr old came in.

That said, all of the mods were done with the intent of making it a safer, reliable daily driver. A few corners were cut, but everything was built with future upgrades in mind. The truck was in decent shape to start with, it just needed a LOT of little things (like the frame cracking in half and the seat falling through the floor) fixed to get it to be a good wheeler.

Answers to the questions:
Did you use the original gears in the front axle to keep the ratios the same? yes, and front end was nearly bolt in out of a 77 dodge
Can you post up some pictures of the power steering conversion and the parts used? yes, but that will take some time. Box was a 78 ford saginaw box
What transmission is in the truck? stock, np 435
What size tires did you choose to run? 285r16--they were cheap. some 900-16 or bigger would make it better on the hwy (cruises at 65 mph now)
Is the 201 the same transfer case that International used? Yes, minor differences but essentially the same
If so there is a one piece replacement gear used in the M37 transfer cases that replace the two piece one you welded up. I think it is a 202 used in the M37, but not sure. I can double check Yes, the M37 uses an NP200 tcase, and its 1 piece gear would fit. I actually have one here, but it would have broken the budget. For $25 and some labor, we welded up the gear, welded and reground the shift forks, and the tcase works fine.

 

[justcuz]

Thanks for the quick reply!
I found the thread on Pirate about the t-case, but since you already know about it I won't bother linking it.
The guy the wrote about the repair says the old gear is referred to as a "knock gear" for obvious reasons.
He described his fix, pre heating and welding, then cooling and said his repair lasted until he sold the vehicle 200,000 miles later.
I have not seen any of your "typical work". I'm sure it is much more involved than this old Dodge, but it is a great beginner truck. 9.00 x 16's would be excellent tires for this truck, but where do you find them? I was thinking Co-Op Grip Spur type tires, but they are not radials.
I'll check out your site for some of your work.
Thanks again for your reply!

 

[mtnbiker4evr13]

Saw the build in Petersons and CTC on Dirt Every Day, love to see old full sizes getting used offroad. Hope to see more pictures of it getting wheeled!

 

[mkitchen]

Very impressive

It is great to see folks resurrecting the old iron and you can't go wrong with a Power Wagon.

We would love to have you join us in the next Old Iron Run. I think you would fit right in and we have not had any Dodge trucks involved yet.
Mikey
Here is a lead to the last OIR;
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/125187-Old-Iron-Run-3-September-12-14-2914

 

[Seanmiller063]

Awesome! Truck seemed to preform well but the video was short how was the rest of the trip?

 

[justcuz]

Did a little searching around and found some of your projects.
I agree this is not your typical work, but the kid will definitely benefit from hanging out at the shop.
In 1965 the wheel base increased to 128", this truck sets on a 122" wheel base. The shorter WB is preferred for off roading plus you can swap driveshafts front to rear which is cool. I wonder if an M37 bed would work on his chassis.
That would make a unique truck.