We have seen a number of older Power Wagon models go up for auction in recent months, but this one really caught our eye. It’s not often that you find older emergency vehicles up for sale like this one.
This 1966 Dodge Power Wagon W500 dual-rear-wheel 4×4, was used as the first mobile field headquarters for the Fremont Police Department in California. The truck wore a White with Blue stripe paint scheme until it was decommissioned, and has since been repainted with an earlier Black-and-White livery after the roof was replaced.
The exterior of the vehicle features a PTO winch, factory-style sirens, emergency lights, two antennas, a locking storage box on the right side, an exterior power outlet, side, and rear steps, sliding side doors, and ambulance-style rear doors, as well as aftermarket, LED headlights and taillights. The truck is fitted with Black-painted steel wheels with Falken RI 128 rubber.
The chassis is fitted with power-assisted front and rear drum brakes, dual-rear-wheel axle, Warn manual front locking hubs, and power steering (the seller states there is a vibration when driving at speeds between 30 to 50 mph).
This being an emergency vehicle, don’t expect a luxurious cabin. Instead, you get bucket seats trimmed in Black cloth, as well as three rear bucket seats fitted with Gray vinyl. Creature comforts are simple, this includes lap belts, an aftermarket center console with cupholders, a Federal siren control box, an emergency light panel, a Motorola loudspeaker, and a floor-mounted battery box.
Currently, the five-digit odometer shows 18,000 miles with about 500 of them coming from the current seller. Total mileage is unknown. There are also a couple of gauges that will need to be replaced (coolant temp. and fuel level).
The box of the truck was stripped down after the vehicle was decommissioned. The current owner installed new insulation to the interior walls along with aluminum sheeting and has included a roof fan.
Under the hood is a 5.9-liter (361 cubic-inch) Mopar Big-Block V8. No, we didn’t make an error. The 361 was a precursor to the popular 6.3-liter (383 cubic-inch) Big-Block and was from the same “B” series of engines that were found under most of the Chrysler Corp. muscle car lineup in the 1960s. The 361 is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case.
The auction for the Power Wagon ends on Wednesday, September 14th. To see a ton more pictures or to bid on this truck, you can visit the dedicated Bring A Trailer auction page.
