1953 Dodge M-37 ¾-ton 4x4 Heavy Weapons Truck

1953 Dodge M-37 ¾-ton 4×4 Heavy Weapons Truck

Got war memories? If you’re forgetting some, this 1953 Dodge M-37 ¾-ton 4×4 Heavy Weapons Truck is sure help you remember some of them. MotoeXotica Classic Cars is proud to present this authentic post-Korean War era truck. It was rolled off the assembly line in Detroit, Michigan in late 1953 and was build number 386.

The camouflage paint and trim are in overall satisfactory order as are the windows and lights as this truck saw duty; it has not spent time in a museum. Its bodywork is straight and solid, comes with stenciled military warnings and instructions and still has plaques on the glovebox door from its service days. This truck rolls on Power King Premium Traction light truck tires, size 9.00-16 at all four corners. Each tire wraps around steel wheels that are in decent shape.

Under the hood is an T245 230 CID Dodge L-head inline six-cylinder engine buttoned to a New Process 88950 four-speed manual transmission with synchro-shift in third and fourth gears. Between the engine and transmission is a Borg & Beck 10-inch clutch, single plate dry disc type. Transmitting power to the front wheels is a New Process 88845 transfer case with a 1.96:1 Low setting and a 1:1 High mode. From the cab, there is a twin lever operation, one for 4×4 or 4×2 selection and one for hi or low range. Additional truck features include a 24-gallon fuel tank, a 24-volt electrical system, Wagner hydraulic drum brakes, Gemmer B-60 worm-and-sector steering and a Braden LU-4 PTO operated winch.

Inside, the canvas roof is removable while the front seats are in satisfactory shape, as is the indoor-outdoor carpet that someone added. The three-spoke steering wheel is in fair condition, as is the shift lever. The instrument panel and inner doors are all satisfactory. This truck has some needs= right side wiper, fuel and temp gauge, speedo/odometer are inoperable.

The powerplant was identical to the World War II-era WC vehicles line, as was most of the drivetrain. The straight six-cylinder engine was derived from a 1930s era passenger vehicle engine that was widely produced. This was in line with a long-standing military procurement strategy that attempted to use commercially produced vehicle variants in military service.

As the average speed of the vehicles in the military increased, these engine failures became commonplace due to the low gear ratio of the vehicle, which was originally designed as a multipurpose vehicle capable of transporting heavy loads of ammunition.

Six prototypes of the vehicle were produced in early-to-mid 1950 based on the WC series Dodge vehicles used in World War II, with the first pre-production pilot vehicle rolling off the assembly line on 14 December 1950. Many of the components on the M-37 are similar or identical to the World War II vehicle and many deficiencies of the previous series were corrected in the M-37. Notably, a conventional pickup truck style bed replaced the platform on the World War II vehicle, simplifying production. There was significant drivetrain and powerplant commonality with the WDX series civilian Power Wagons. Outside of the fenders, there were sheet metal differences between all the vehicles.

Production of the M-37 began in earnest in January 1951, with approximately 11,000 vehicles made by the end of that year. By mid-1954 63,000 of the vehicles had been produced. In total, between 1951 and 1968, 115,000 M-37s were produced. It was common in the 1970 and 1980s to encounter these vehicles in government auctions. Many of the vehicles were transferred to civilian agencies and some are still in use today in rural areas.

Documentation include a few service and parts receipts, many hand-drawn documents related to the truck and assorted other paperwork.

If you find Hummers boring and you want a new way to take a bunch of your former military buddies out for a cruise, this is the way to do it. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars to check out this truck today!

This truck is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 34,136 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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VIN: 80257695

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