What’s the difference between rust and patina? Something like $10,000 or so. This time around, however, there would be more to offset the eye-watering price tag of this classic Power Wagon than just a little bit of chipped paint. But sadly, it ain’t for sale.
This 1968 Dodge pickup built by Roadster Shop has not only had its chassis and running gear revised, but its tired old engine has been replaced with a 700+ horsepower Hellcat crate motor. It may look like a modded-up farm truck from the outside, but underneath, it’s anything but.
Roadster Shop is known for these kinds of builds. In fact, if you’ve got the dough, you can buy a brand new square-body C10 from them. The price? A cool $250,000. It’s a lot of money for a “new” old truck, but then again, these guys don’t mess around.
As well as swapping in a Hellcat Hemi, the entire driveline is new as well. Backing up the V8 is a 4L80E four-speed automatic. It sends power to Currie 60 VXR axles through an Atlas transfer case. The rubber meets the road at four 37-inch BFG Mud Terrains, with everything suspended by new coilovers from Fox featuring remote shock reservoirs.
All of these new parts are bolted to the shop’s own “RS4” platform, which is typically used under first-generation Ford Broncos but it also works fine here. The chassis alone, for those who are curious, starts at $36,495 without an engine or a cab to bolt onto it.
Interestingly, this particular Roadster Shop platform utilizes a pushrod-style rear end, which could theoretically protect your expensive Fox coilovers from damage while off-roading. It’s an interesting and uncommon setup. Clearly, a lot of impressive custom fabrication work was done to ensure this impressive build worked as well as it looked.
As mentioned, this Dodge Power Wagon isn’t for sale, but with a little math, you get the impression that it wouldn’t be cheap. The chassis is $36,000, the Hellcat Hemi is $20,215 and that’s before we get into any of the other driveline components like the transmission or transfer case. Needless to say, it’s an expensive build with hundreds if not thousands of hours of labor put into it.
That being said, it’s just as impressive as it would be costly to buy. Is it better than a new Ram TRX? Well, I can tell you which one I’d rather have.
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