Roughed-Up Machismo: 1979 Dodge Macho Power Wagon 4X4






































For the past few weeks, my brother and my dad have been looking around for a vintage Dodge pickup to build up as my brother's nice-weather driver. The reason this search began is my brother is mechanically-redoing his 1990 GMC K2500 extended-cab, and he's hit every major obstacle thus far. One of the trucks he's viewed thus far is this 1979 Dodge Macho Power Wagon, which is a rare and desirable four-wheel drive pickup from the 1970s. Find it here on Craigslist in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, with an asking price of $950.



























Built from 1977 to 1981, the Macho Power Wagon was an option on the W150 (four-wheel drive half-ton) Power Wagon. The easiest way to spot a Macho Power Wagon are the black and yellow accents and massive "Power Wagon" callouts. This Macho Power Wagon is a 1979 long-bed model, and was one of the models marketed in Dodge's famous "Adult Toys" line, which was supposed to appeal to young buyers interested in four-wheel drive and performance. Painted in the uncommon shade of red, this Power Wagon is fairly rough, obviously a victim of being run hard and put away wet. This truck will need a new bed and a ton of work to its cab. The front bumper is pretty cool, as are the new aftermarket wheels with Swamper tires. I would tear this truck apart, put the cab on a rotisserie, source a replacement bed, source new Swamper tires, try to find the Macho Power Wagon bed-mounted roll bar with bar-mounted lights, and give this truck the restoration it deserves.




























As with most Macho Power Wagons, this Macho Power Wagon is powered by the 318 V8. Rated at 145 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque, this 318 benefits from a new Edelbrock intake, but unfortunately no carburetor. Backed by the 727 Torqueflite three-speed automatic, the motor is currently not running (for obvious reasons), and the seller makes no mention of the last time the motor ran. I would source either a small-block 340 or 360 or a big-block 440 and drop it in for some improved performance. 



























Much like the rest of the truck, the interior has seen better days and is in need of a restoration. The seats are covered with cheap seat covers, which I'm guessing is hiding torn and beat-up seats. There are a bunch of wires exposed under the dash, the floor mat is missing, the four-wheel drive shifter knob is missing, there's a cheap aftermarket radio mounted under the dash, and there's a Grant GT wheel rather than a stock wheel mounted on the steering column. I would source a new floor mat, find a four-wheel drive shift knob, sort out and tuck away the wiring, redo the seats, source a Tuff wheel, ditch the aftermarket radio and source a stock one (upgraded with modern guts), and source Dodge floor mats. Though rough and needy, this Macho Power Wagon is a rare and unusual four-wheel drive truck, and is rarely seen on the road today. I would restore it and take it to local shows and off-road trails to whip up on some Jeeps. What are your thoughts on this rare but needy Dodge Macho Power Wagon longbed?
Location: Falls Township, PA, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 14, 2019 at 8:58 AM

    I hope you scored it because macho PWs are a rare find, and long bed machos are extremely rare, I would venture a guess at less than 1000 were made.I would do some digging to make sure it's a true macho though as it's missing some key equipment and not just a PW that was cloned to look like Rick Simons truck.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ghost in the Machine: 1996 Callaway Supernatural 450 C9 Impala SS

Image
After my brother briefly drove my dad's 455-equipped 1975 Trans Am and found out how terrible it was on gas, he switched to a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 decked out to look like an Impala SS. Furthermore, my dad worked at a junkyard where the owner has a 1995 Callaway C9 sitting in his yard, albeit rotting away. To summarize, I've been a huge fan of 1994-1996 Impala SSs for a long time now, especially ones modified by Callaway. This 1996 Impala SS is not only a Callaway C9, it's also been upgraded to a Supernatural 450 model. Find it here on Hemmings in Leesburg, Virginia, with an asking price of $50,000 obo. After getting his start as a driving instructor for Bob Bondurant's driving school in 1973, Reeves Callaway got his start in modifying cars by making turbocharger kits for BMW through Car and Driver's Don Sherman. After Sherman told Callaway that he had neither the manpower nor the equipment to build the turbos, Callaway founded C...
Read more

T-Topped G-Body: 1981 Pontiac Grand Prix

Image
One of the coolest options that I hope will return to production one day are T-tops. Last used in the early 2000s, T-tops were the practical and economic way to enjoy the great outdoors while driving without the fuss and worries of the convertible. It would be really cool to see a new six-gen Camaro or Mustang (heck, even the Challenger would look cool) to feature T-tops from the factory, but until then, take the wildcard route and buy this needy 1981 Pontiac Grand Prix. Find it here on Craigslist in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with an asking price of $1,595. After a full redesign in 1978, Pontiac's G-body Grand Prix was given a major facelift in 1981. The sheetmetal was given a more aerodynamic design, the tail section was revised, and a new grille was fitted. This 1981 Grand Prix is a LJ model, and is one of 46,842 cars built for the year. Painted a two-tone blue, the grille is cracked, the landau roof needs replacing, the bumper...
Read more

Mint Baja: 1991 Chevrolet S10 4X4

Image
There are certain vehicles that one rarely sees in nice, unmolested condition out on the road. Finding one for sale, however, is like trying to find the proverbial needle-in-the-haystack. One of those vehicles is the Chevrolet S10, especially 1982 to 1993 versions. An even harder version of the S10 to find is the Baja appearance package, which is a rare sight in any condition, let alone one as clean as this truck is. Find it here on Craigslist in Dallas, PA, for $13,750. Introduced in 1988, the Baja was an appearance option that was available on any S10 that had four-wheel drive. Available in Midnight Black, Apple Red and Frost White, the Baja option included  a roll bar with off-road lights, a front tubular grille guard with fog lights, a tubular rear bumper, an under-body shield package (transfer case shield, front differential shield, fuel tank shield, oil pan/steering linkage shields), a suspension package, a Chevrolet windshield ...
Read more