Prior to, during, and after World War II, Dodge was pumping out work trucks which they referred to as Job Rated Trucks. And not just two or three models. Between 1939 and 1947 Dodge offered an astounding 175 variants of Job Rated heavy trucks, changing up drivetrains, axles, brakes, transmissions and more in an effort to appeal to particular customers and markets. For the war, Dodge produced a number of trucks including the 502 4×4’s that served as weapons carriers, carryalls, and ambulances.

For consignment, a fully customized 1940 Dodge Series VC that you have to see to believe. If this isn’t the highest vehicle we’ve consigned at the mall, it certainly has the largest wheels and tires, and we’ve represented fire engines! The large Dodge truck has been monsterized to wild proportions and with no expense spared equipment and mechanics. Modern Cummins diesel, check, 4-speed manual check, NP205 transfer case, check, and lets not leave out those bullet-proof deuce and a half axles. No bolt went untouched in this build and the truck even has its own name, FUBAR, a military term that has been adopted by us civilians over the years. Not sure what it means? You’ll have to google it as we can’t print all the words.

Exterior
The steel bodied Dodge is elevated on 20-inch wheels and 53-inch tires connected to military 2.5 ton, (deuce and a half), axles. Bathed in glossy Battleship Gray, the truck is highlighted by black features including the custom FUBAR step boards. In front the massive custom bumper gives way to a hydraulic PTO driven variable speed Braden 20,000 pound winch with a synthetic winch cable in front of a black brush guard. LED headlights give way to custom made side hood panels, a vintage visor, and the round roofed cab. The bed, which has a black-painted diamond steel floor, was also custom fabricated and the tailgate is embossed with FUBAR in early Dodge font. Tail light housings are from a 30’s Ford and contain LED lights. We note a custom rear bumper hydraulic tank out back and massive D-ring tow shackles are found on the front and back.

Interior
The Battleship Gray paint flows seamlessly into the interior just as the military drab green would have originally. The surfaces are not covered in plush materials or cushy padding, it retains its utilitarian appearance but with the floor having been smoothed. A black vinyl bench seat is supplied with three sets of seat belts. You can’t miss the floor mounted grenade shifter handle and transfer case shifters topped with .50 caliber bullet shells. The clean fitting gauge cluster contains Dakota digital gauges, black faced and backlit. The Pioneer screen head unit leads to Fosgate speakers and a Bazooka bass tube, naturally. A painted ceiling is fronted by an overhead switch console with unmarked toggle switches and indicator lights. The side and rear windows are tinted, Vintage A/C and heat are included, and power windows have been added.

Drivetrain
A fully rebuilt 239ci Cummins 4BT inline 4-cylinder includes compound turbochargers, hi-flow injectors, a custom ram air intercooler, and cold air induction. It is fed fuel through electronic fuel injection and connected to a T19 4-speed manual transmission with an NP205 divorced transfer case with twin-stick control. Wilwood pinion brakes are found on the front and rear as well as power disc brakes at each wheel. Power is supplied by dual Optima gel batteries. The radiator is a custom build.

Undercarriage
Easy access to the undercarriage is granted by the massive wheels and tires and one can practically walk under the rig. It’s here we find the heavy duty 4 link suspension with Fox coil overs at each corner. A PSC hydraulic steering kit is front and center and a single exhaust emits spent diesel under the truck. The underside is spotless and serves as a clinic in mechanical and hydraulic operations.

Drive-Ability
The first task is climbing up to the cab and there are a few options to do so. Once up there with the clouds, it’s an experience unlike any other for mere civilians, unless you’ve driven a tractor trailer. The diesel fired up and we were rollin’ coal, (not really), out the garage and onto the loop. It takes a few minutes to get your bearings and fortunately, our loop is a wide open lot so we won’t be testing the parallel parking abilities of this beast. Obviously, there’s tire noise with these enormous treads but the truck rolls along in a commanding way that is surprisingly smooth. The hefty rig is slowed adequately with the rather elaborate brake setup and accelerates well given its girth.

Here’s the ideal armageddon vehicle, one that can drive over zombies and gridlocked cars and deep creeks. But ultimately, it’s the ideal show truck and everyone, and we mean everyone, will want to take a closer look. The proportions are so large, so exaggerated, that it leaves your jaw agape, even if you know nothing about cars or trucks. It also represents one time American dominance in the world as a battle tested, a true FAFO nation that liberated others and protected freedom at home. This would be a huge hit at Memorial Day parades and others. Hooah!

View the full listing on classicautomall.com