1953 Dodge Powerwagon M37 - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

Cool Fact
The ambulance version of the M37 was designated the M43, while the military radio truck was designated the M152.

Cool Fact The ambulance version of the M37 was designated the M43, while the military rad

The difference between the average vehicle owner and the people who read 4WOR is that for most people a vehicle is just transportation from point A to point B. They pick it based on color, looks, and mileage. There is no passion in that. Joe McDonald built his '53 Dodge M37 over the past 18 years out of nostalgia for the Dodge Power Wagon he had used to explore the coast of Northern California when he was a kid. "We didn't have Nintendo back then," Joe explains, "or even a TV for that matter!"

While nostalgia is all well and good, Joe wasn't overly interested in messing with ignition points, a carburetor, manual steering, or drum brakes. He kept the vintage sheetmetal, blackout lights, and sparse interior of the M, but added modern conveniences like power steering, fuel injection, and an overdrive transmission. The result works so well that Joe uses the truck as his daily driver, snowplow, parts hauler, and trail rig. That sure sounds like passion to us.

The body of the M37 is relatively straight and free of rust. Joe built a custom cage on the outside of the vehicle to preserve room for the occupants and protect them more than the sheetmetal. He noted, "The front section of the cage is removable and allows me to run the hard top in the winter."
The body of the M37 is relatively straight and free of rust. Joe built a custom cage on th
The front axle is a low-pinion Dana 60 from a Chevy pickup. The long side of the axle was narrowed 3 inches to line up the cast spring pad on the centersection with the leaf springs on the M37 to center the axle without outboarding the springs. The axle is fitted with 4.88 gears, an ARB Air Locker, stock hubs, and 30-spline stub shafts. The M37 is steered with a crossover setup, placing the drag link above the National leaf springs.
The front axle is a low-pinion Dana 60 from a Chevy pickup. The long side of the axle was
The rear axle is a full-floating Corporate 14-bolt that's been upgraded with 4.88 gears, a Detroit Locker, and disc brakes. Like the front, the rear axle is suspended by supple National Spring leaf spring packs and damped by Rancho 9000 shocks. An air tank sits above the rear axle. It's filled by a converted A/C compressor on the engine and is used to power the Air Locker and to air up tires. Behind the air tank, a custom 50-gallon fuel tank keeps the thirsty big-block fed.
The rear axle is a full-floating Corporate 14-bolt that's been upgraded with 4.88 gears, a

Joe has been through four different drivetrain's since he purchased his M37 with a 351C and SM420 transmission. The current engine is a TBI 454ci Chevy V-8 that Joe swapped in with the help of his friend Marty Boyer. The big-block is backed by a 4L80E four-speed automatic mated to NP203 and NP205 doubled transfer cases. On the driver side of the firewall is the Hydroboost, which is set up for the four-wheel disc brakes. The valves on the passenger side use the heat of the big-block to power an underhood hot water shower.
Joe has been through four different drivetrain's since he purchased his M37 with a 351C an
Joe kept the bare-bones interior of the M37, but as with the rest of the truck he added a few modern conveniences to make life more comfortable. There is no A/C or carpets, but there is a Kenwood stereo and a six-disc CD changer. The steering column and wheel came from a Chevy pickup. Joe added a host of Auto Meter white-faced gauges to keep track of the engine's vital signs. But when there was too much glare to read the gauges, he built pods out of exhaust tubing and angled all the gauges toward the driver.
Joe kept the bare-bones interior of the M37, but as with the rest of the truck he added a

Tech Specs
1953 Dodge M37 power Wagon

Drivetrain
Engine: TBI 454ci Chevy V-8
Transmission: 4L80E four-speed auto
Transfer case: NP203 mated to NP205 with Offroad Design adapter
Front Axle: Dana 60 with 4.88 gears and ARB Air Locker
Rear Axle: Corporate 14-bolt with 4.88 gears, Detroit Locker, disc brakes

Suspension
Springs & Such: Custom leaf springs from National Spring, Rancho RS9000 shocks
Tires & Wheels: 39x15x16.5LT TSLs on 16.5x9.75 Weld Super Single IIs
Other Stuff: Saginaw power steering, Hydroboost, Saginaw steering box, onboard air compressor, hot shower, 50-gallon fuel tank, PTO powered winch