Towpar, the Mopar tow pig and adventure rig!!!
Thanks to Gixxeropa for the name!
In true GRM fashion, this truck is mine, but not yet in my possession. This one is gonna be a full restoration project. I had a 1977 W200 Power Wagon in high school, with a flatbed, and the same color of red. This one is a 1976 Club Cab W200 Power Wagon, equipped with all of Mother Mopar's goodies.
4x4 (AWD right now, but I have plans to fix that), Dana 60 axles front and rear, A727 transmission, and a 440 CID big block. I already have an NP205 t case lined up to build a doubler with, and I have friends with Dodge parts that are helping with the tin work. Unlike most of my automotive ADD, I know exactly what this one wants to be, because I started this dream in high school. (A California mishap resulted in the untimely death of my '77).
Next step is to get it dragged home, and see how much sheet metal needs to be replaced.
Stay tuned!
Can't wait to see how this goes!
Has anyone said "Towpar" yet?
In reply to gixxeropa :
You are the first.
I like it! Might be a good name for the rig. (All of the cars at our house have names.)
Update #1-
Part of the reason I picked this project up is because I have a couple of daughters that want to learn basic automotive stuff, and a full tear-down affords them the opportunity to see how everything goes together. ReconKid #3 is a very science-oriented kid, and likes to figure out how stuff works. ReconKid #4 doesn't really care how stuff works, she just thinks old Dodges are cool.
I broke the news of a new project to them last night, and the reaction was a lot more... violently excited than I thought it would be.
I'm going to attempt to get it towed "home" next week sometime.
Like Duster, I am going to update my build and budget in this thread. My goal is to have a fully functional, mechanically fresh, decent-looking truck for around $10K. I may or may not succeed...
Truck- $100
Truck comes home tomorrow. Popped the hood to take a gander, and there is definitely a big block Mopar in there. The PO tells me that the engine was rebuilt shortly before the truck got parked. If you look closely at the passenger side valve cover, you'll notice a blue decal. That decal is the logo of a well-regarded automotive machine shop here in town, which indicates that the motor has indeed been refreshed and should need little in the way of major work.
The sheetmetal needs a lot of love, but we've all seen worse. The interior... well, it's on the inside of the truck, and that's about all that can be said of it.
It does, however, still have the Adventurer Sport badge on the dash, which is kind of neat.
Home at last (ish). Saturday I'll start cleanin' her up, so we can see what the work list is going to look like.
Recon1342 said:
Popped the hood to take a gander, and there is definitely a big block Mopar in there.
Not just that, but it's an RB, so it's very likely the 440. The pad will tell for sure.
In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :
VIN says 440, so that is most likely the case.
I'm just a wee bit excited...
Not sure I could justify spending $2700 on a go-fast EFI combo meal, but not everybody's the cheapskate I am. Otherwise, this looks terrible in all the right ways. And I am jealous of the extra cubes over my old (AMC) 360.
You planning on sticking with the 727?
I did a bit of work with the old Proflo EFI setups 15 years ago. Hopefully they've gotten a lot more intuitive and user friendly for you. They were decent they were just a bitch to work with
DarkMonohue said:
Not sure I could justify spending $2700 on a go-fast EFI combo meal, but not everybody's the cheapskate I am. Otherwise, this looks terrible in all the right ways. And I am jealous of the extra cubes over my old (AMC) 360.
You planning on sticking with the 727?
EFI is a long ways in the future. There's an Edelbrock 1406 perched on the manifold right now; I am undecided if it is staying or not. Primary focus right now is undoing years of neglect as a company truck.
Transmission- Yes. 727/203/205 doubler. The 205 will get a twin-stick shifter, which gives me the ability to drive the front axle or rear axle alone. Hi and Lo range on the 203 and 205 result in 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 ratios to the driveshaft. Even with minimal engine work, this truck is gonna be a billy goat.
Also, I didn't know 8-lug rally wheels were a thing, but I kinda dig the look...
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
I was hoping you'd pop in today. What do you recommend for wiring harnesses? There have been numerous less-than-optimal repairs done to the wiring, and I suspect it'll be easier to start over fresh.
Number of circuits? Brand?
I will eventually need to run A/C, a winch, and lighting, but that's pretty much it.
In reply to Recon1342 :
Quick and dirty talk to text reply is American Auto wire 21 circuit. They are about the only brand I'd recommend anymore. I would be more than happy to bring dump way more information on you than you ever wanted to know if you want to give me a call around lunch time at 828-260-1254. But at the end of the day the short answer is an American Auto wire 21 circuit to give you future proof and good quality
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Sorry I didn't have time to call you, Mike. It's busy in the land of bacon and pork chop production right now.
Something like this one, then? Highway 22 Plus Universal Wiring System – American Autowire
They have that 22 circuit or this 20 circuit (Link) that's significantly less expensive. I would like to try to maintain the OEM fusebox location on top of the dash under the glovebox lid...
The highway 22 is a NICE kit. Great piece. That fuse box is a bitch to package though.
The 20 circuit is the one that was in my minds eye.
Call anytime. Im industrial repair and sales, so dear lord do i understand the busy season....
Recon1342 said:
Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:
In reply to Recon1342 :
What's the letter?
D
That would be a '68 block, which of course wouldn't be original, but could be a blessing if the forged crank is still in it. (1976 would be "6T" on the pad) Good chance it has the "906" heads as well. A look at the harmonic balancer weight should give insight on whether the crank is forged or cast.
In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :
Sorry, Cooter. Thought you meant the VIN letter.
I'll pull the number off the pad tomorrow when I'm working on it.
