Department > Old Iron
Readers’ Rigs Roundup
by Jim Allen
We asked and you came through. Here is the first batch of Old Iron rigs for all to enjoy. Keep ‘em coming! When we get enough, we’ll run more. To recap, the pics can be a print, slide or high resolution digital photo. The digitals should be on a CD, or Zip disc; please don’t e-mail them. Include some details on the vehicle, and why it’s cool. Give us your best sharp, well-lit, nicely posed pics because our art director has certain minimum photographic standards.
Send your submission for Old Iron Readers’ Rigs Roundup to:
- Off-Road Adventures
- Old Iron Rigs Roundup
- 610 W. Walnut St.,
- Compton, CA 90220
Stock Class
This is seriously classy. According to owner David Holmes of Santa Monica, California, this ’46 Mercury Woody Wagon with a Marmon-Herrington All-Wheel Drive conversion is probably the only one left of 12 that were converted in ’46 and ’47. This one also has a camper conversion that was done by Coachcraft in ’48 and includes a built in stainless steel icebox, water tank with an electric water pump, fold-down bunk and the roofrack. It also has an auxiliary fuel tank. The four-wheel drive conversion included a 4-speed tranny from a 1 1/2 ton truck, a Ford rear axle converted to a front with M-H knuckles and hubs, a M-H single speed transfer case, skidplate and new front springs. This rig belonged to the famous ornithologist Don Blietz, who used it for studying our feathered friends. It originally came with an 85 hp flathead V8 but was repowered in 1961 with a Chevy smallblock.
Stock Class
Meet the Princess. This is Cole Wilson’s Yakima, Washington based ’77 Volvo C303 Cross Country. Though many of the C303 rigs were used in military roles, Wilson’s is a 7-passenger civilian people mover from Sweden that’s a rare sight in the U.S. Like many Volvo 4x4s, it used portal axles that offer a full 21 inches of clearance with the 305/75R-16 Trelleborg bias ply tires. Power come from a 3.0L Volvo B30 OHV six that makes 125 hp and 165 lbs-ft of torque from a pair of CD-175 Zenith Stromberg sidedraft carbs. This engine is similar to the B30 that was offered in Volvo cars here in the States to the late ’70s. The C303 came with vacuum operated diff locks front and rear and leaf springs. It has a 4-speed tranny with a 3.85:1 first gear, a 2.39:1 low-range in the two-speed transfer case and 5.99:1 axle ratios (2.91 in the diff, 2.06 in the reduction gears in the portals). top speed is about 65 on most models (Cole says his will do 70) and they weigh out at about 7,600 pounds. Cole’s also has a PTO winch. The Volvo C303 was built from ’74 to ’80
Stock Class
Dan Durst’s ’63 Willys Utility Wagon is still bearing it’s original Colorado Forestry Service colors and is bone stock except for the Super Swamper Tires, alloy wheels and updated shocks. It’s still powered by the original 226ci Super Hurricane flathead six that cranks out 105 hp. Also stock are the T-90 3-speed, Dana 18, Dana 44 rear and Dana 27 front. Shown with the vintage rig are daughters Michelle and Jamie at the ORV park at Silver Lake Park Michigan.
Modified Class
Keye Kinnamon’s mom sent this pic in while her son is away from home serving in the U.S. Army. Keye’s ’74 FJ-40 Land Cruiser is his pride and joy. Mom didn’t give us any detail on this rig, but it looks like it has a V8 conversion (betcha it’s a Chevy), a shackle reversal up front, Goodyear MTs on ProComp wheels and an electric winch. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was locked up too. Hooah, Keye, wherever you are!
Stock Class
Here’s some old iron most of us have never seen. It’s a 1956 DAF-126, built in the Netherlands for the Dutch Army from 1952 to 1960 and used for many years after. It came in weapons carrier (shown), ambulance, workshop or radio vehicle configs. How Richard Elder in Luther, Oklahoma got it is the question that will come to many minds. It was rated as a 1-ton (off-road). It uses a Hercules JXC flathead six (280ci, 102 hp) with a 4-speed manual trans and a two speed t-case. The axles are unique in that the transfer case has four outputs, each driveshaft feeding a wheel individually and with the diffs in the transfer case. It carries about 30 gallons of fuel, plus another 10+ in the cans you see on the side. It has two spare tires, one on each side, that are mounted on hubs so that they roll then the vehicle gets close to being high centered. Richard says, “It does pretty good for a stock critter.”
Semi-Stock Class
Purchased in “somewhat running” condition a few years ago, Wes Brandon’s ’46 CJ-2A underwent some severe sprucing up at his Fremont, California home. Mechanically, it’s stock with the original 134ci flathead four, 3-speed stick, Model 18 t-case, Dana 41 rear axle and Dana 25 front. It also has a rare factory PTO fitted. Wes added custom seats to stave off early Jeep “butt-abuse” and a roll bar to keep from getting a flattop haircut in the event of a rollover. The Jeep got rewired with a 12-volt conversion and the tub was protected with spray-on bedliner. While replacing the leaky fuel tank, Wes found a corroded old rifle cartridge rolling around next to the tank. Yikes! The revitalized old Jeep will now go back to work at the family’s cabin retreat as a “putt-putt” vehicle.
Stock Class
The recent winner of our “Stump Jim Allen” contest, Rod Skaggs, of Claremont, North Carolina, sends us a nice pic of his ’73 Jeep J-4000 Townside pickup. It’s powered by a stock 360 2-bbl, 4-speed T-18, Dana 44 front axle and Dana 60 semi-float rear. Painted in the optional two-tone Jetset Metallic Blue/Champagne White, it’s stock except for some ignition system upgrades.
Stock Class
Dan Gilliana will make some of us go green with envy after seeing his recent purchase of a cherry, one owner ’89 Jeep Comanche Pioneer MJ short wheelbase pickup. It has the 4.0L six, the HD 5-speed manual, optional Dana 44 rear axle and 3.07 gears.
Stock Class
This ’47 CJ-2A is a time machine to the past for owner Santiago Martin, of Santa Ana, California. He says it’s bone stock, which means a 60 hp flathead four, 3-speed T-90 trans, a Dana 41 rear and Dana 25 front. Santiago likes the challenge of ’wheeling the old stuff. Since this picture was taken, he has added a repro vintage type canvas top... “To keep my bald head from boiling in the sun,” he says. Some of us can relate to that.
Modified Class
Drew started wrenching on his ’58 Willys Wagon when he was 18 in Montana. Three years later, here it is in full frame-off, Plymouth Prowler Metallic Red, restified glory! It’s powered by a 300 horse Chevy 350 and has a front disc brake conversion, a Warn overdrive and many other goodies. Drew did everything including the body work and rebuilding the drivetrain, but also hand sewing his own leather and suede interior upholstery. Drew calls it a “tank” on the trail but very streetable.
Semi-Stock Class
Don Scott’s ’42 WC-53 Dodge military carryall is a rare bird. He’s fitted it with a civvy Power Wagon front wrap and upgraded the original single speed transfer case with the later civvy two speed unit. To enhance everyday use, he replaced the stock 5.83 gears with the later civvy 4.89s. The truck now mounts Michelin 11.00-16s on WWII combat rims. It has the legendary 8,000 pound Braeden MU-2 PTO winch and a Lock Right in the rear. Here’s some Power Wagon Trivia for you. The old style Power Wagon was the first application for the Lock Right... just because the inventor, John Zentmeyer, had one!
Modified Class
Adventures in Paradise! Kunane Canrio’s ’69 W-200 lives on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. He did a frame off on the body and added a potent 440 Six Pack motor. He didn’t include any other details, but a W-200 would have come stock with a 223ci slant six, 318 V8 or a 383 2-bbl big block as it’s most potent motor option. An NP-435 four-speed and an NP-205 would have backed them up. The rear axle would have been a Dana 60 full-float and a Dana 44F closed knuckle up front. A knockout Dodge in a knockout setting.
Stock Class
Trevor Franco in Woodside, California describes his yellow ’59 F-100 4x4 as “stock as a clock.” The 1959 model year was the first time Ford built light truck 4x4s in-house. Up to that point, they were farmed out to Marmon-Herrington for conversion. It has a 292 V8, T-98 4-speed, Dana 24 transfer case, a 9-inch rear axle and a Dana 44 closed knuckle front axle. Trevor also has a ’62 F-250 4x4 and a ’57 two-tone 4x2 shortbed, to which he added the running gear of another ’59 he owned that has a little accident. A redwood tree fell on it. Ahem!
Stock Class
Kyle Fenn of Lehi, Utah sent some neat pics of his ’54 M-37 but not much else. It looks stock and like it spent some time as a brush rig with some fire department. This pic shows him cruising Moab and we’ll tell you right now that an M-37 Dodge can hold it’s own there. It has a stout drivetrain, and low gears. They flex well for an HD truck, they have low gears and you can buy Lock Right lockers for it. Even with the stock 230ci, 92hp flathead six, they seem to have enough grunt to get the job done. They have an NP-420 four-speed, a divorced cousin of the NP-205 t-case, big 9.63-inch ring gear diffs with 1.375-inch chrome steel alloy axle shafts.