A heavily modified 1967 Dodge Power Wagon is heading to auction after being transformed into a 1,000-horsepower rat rod that blends vintage truck styling with modern off-road and highway capability.
Originally designed as a rugged, low-speed work truck, the Dodge Power Wagon debuted for the 1946 model year as a civilian adaptation of Dodge’s WWII-era WC-series military vehicles. Built for farms, utilities, and remote job sites, early Power Wagons emphasized durability over comfort, featuring four-wheel drive, solid axles, leaf springs, and an inline-six engine tuned for torque rather than speed. That utilitarian formula remained largely unchanged through the late 1960s, making the Power Wagon one of the longest-running heavy-duty truck designs of its era.
This particular example, while wearing the unmistakable body of a first-generation Power Wagon, departs dramatically from its original mechanical roots. The 1967 truck has been completely rebuilt around a modern Jeep Gladiator Rubicon chassis, bringing contemporary suspension geometry, braking, and drivetrain components to the classic Dodge shell. The result is a vehicle capable of sustained highway driving and extreme performance, something the original Power Wagon was never designed to achieve.
Power comes from a supercharged Hellephant 426 cubic-inch V8 crate engine rated at 1,000 brake horsepower. The engine sends output through an automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case, combining massive straight-line performance with four-wheel-drive capability. The modern chassis adds features such as coil-sprung live axles, four-wheel disc brakes, a tilt steering column, locking front hubs, a rear sway bar, and a Panhard rod.
Suspension upgrades include EVO Manufacturing components paired with King remote reservoir shocks, while Nitto Trail Grappler tires mounted on black wheels handle traction duties. A Warn winch is fitted to a custom steel front bumper, complemented by a matching rear steel bumper with a trailer hitch.
Despite its modern mechanical transformation, the truck’s exterior has been intentionally left in a patinated condition, embracing a rat rod aesthetic that contrasts sharply with its advanced hardware and extreme horsepower. This approach preserves the visual history of the Power Wagon while reimagining its purpose for a new era.
The reengineered Dodge Power Wagon is scheduled to cross the auction block with Mecum in January, standing as a dramatic reinterpretation of one of the most influential work trucks ever built.
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