Vehicle Description
1952 Dodge M-37
The Dodge M37 3/4 ton 4x4 truck, (G741), was Dodge's follow-up to
their successful WC Series from World War II. Introduced in 1951,
it was used extensively by the United States armed forces during
the Korean war. In the 1970s, they were replaced by the Commercial
Off The Shelf (COTS) based 1/4-ton trucks Kaiser M715 (late 1960s),
and Dodge's M880/M890 series (1970s).
Not unlike the Hummer series, the public had a hankering for
military style vehicles. It was common in the 1970 and 1980s to
encounter these vehicles in government auctions and many of the
vehicles were transferred to civilian agencies and some are still
in use today in rural areas. They were out of significant military
service by the late 1970s, replaced by the M715 and M880 series.
This consignment, a 1951 Dodge M-37, served its military time in
the US Air Force and this is verified by the dash commission plaque
and the factory Air Force Blue paint adorning the interior. The
beneficiary of a full mechanical, (engine, transmission, brakes,
electrical, and upholstery), restoration from 2017-2018 which also
included a color change to Army OD green, this rig is ready to
fight any war or take you and your buddies nearly anywhere you dare
to explore.
Exterior
In true 1952 form, this large and in- charge 4-wheel pickup truck
with front grille guard and D-rings for towing weighs in at nearly
6,000lbs! You can plow through just about anything with the big
steel OD Green front bumper and grille guard or do some serious
helping out by way of the D-rings. This resides right in front of
this truck which has a big steel grid grille, squared off design
with a wide hood and large fenders with exterior mounted headlights
on them and a Jerry can on the passengers fender. A squared off 2
door cab with a new windshield frame and new windows sports small
running boards below the doors to assist the get in and this is all
showing in US Army OD Green. On top of the cab is a newer OD Green
canvas top which extends rearward and down to create the rear of
the cab. White painted stars adorn the doors and have a nice
patinaed finish to them as does the overall body and paint
application along with some chip off and surface rust. In back, a
deep pickup style bed in a different shade of military green full
metal shows some surface rust dancing with the green painted panels
and new New Life green canvas convoy topper. Inside the bed is a
rust free floor and twin 2x4 wooden beams creating a rudimentary
bench seat on either side. A spare tire is on this bed. The back
gate is in a similar condition to the bed, and small crash pad
black steel rear bumpers are currently attached. 16-inch steel
wheels are wrapped in standard military issue non directional
9.00x16 rubber tread tires.
Interior
Opening the starred and OD Green doors reveal dark gray and blue
painted door panels. It's all metal and utilitarian here kids. This
reveals a tough all metal interior with a blue diamond plate floor,
a blue metal dash sprinkled with data plates, black bezels for the
OD green knobs and switches and the centrally located OD Green
instrument cluster. A recently recovered OD Green 60/40 bench seat
configuration is seen with canvas coverings for the cushions. The
headliner is the underside of the canvas roof and is finished in
white.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a rebuilt 230.2ci L head Dodge T245 6-cylinder
power plant. There is a 1 bbl Carter carburetor atop, and a rebuilt
with new clutch NP-420 4-speed manual transmission on back. Also
noted is an NP-88845 transfer case with a high and low level gear
ratio available through the selection of the correct shifter in the
cab's floor. The rear axle is a full floating, (Hypoid ratio),
5.83:1 with a front universal drive by New Process (hence the
NP-### designation).
Undercarriage
Underneath we see a coating of patina, blue paint, some
undercoating peeling, and a bit of invasive rust at a few of the
seam welds of the rockers and flooring. We note a replacement rear
crossmember under the bed and all else for the frame and supports
are solid. Wagner hydraulic drum brakes with new lines, master
cylinder and wheel cylinder are all around and steering is a HD
Gemmer Model B-60 version which is a worm and sector type
mechanism. Leaf springs are on front and rear for the suspension
and a single exhaust system with a stock style muffler handles the
exhale.
Drive-Ability
My crack decoder, partner in crime and all around good guy was off
feeding his face at the local diner when it was time to drive this
military brute, thus I made a solo run at the test track. The truck
fired right up and immediately fell into a smooth idle. It handled
the test track with ease, however, due to not wanting to incur
extra detailing I stayed on the tarmac instead of enjoying the
hills and farmlands of scenic Morgantown, PA. On the track it drove
like a truck. Crude, rudimentary and basic but this wasn't designed
for comfort, it was built for traversing the wilds and fighting the
enemies, think the predecessor to the Hummer H1. The acceleration
was adequate for a truck of this style as was braking and handling.
All functions were working at the time of my drive and once
acclimated with the dimensions of this rig, I felt capable and
confident I could drive this daily and even parallel park if need
be.
With all the mechanical upgrades performed this truck is ready to
tackle anything you can throw at it, from the urban jungle to the
Mojave Desert or even cruising the strip in Vegas. This 1952 ex Air
Force rig with a rebuilt drivetrain, redone brakes and new
upholstery both in and out is ready for more years of service.
Tough, utilitarian and completely bad-ass, be the only one on your
block, or possibly your entire town to own a piece of US automobile
and military history.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.