DodgeZilla
Owner, Operator and Builder: Sean Butler Handle: Wardog
Website: Butler Iron Works
E-mail: mad-loxman@comcast.net
See the amazing transformation below.
Vehicle: "Dodge-Zilla" a severely modified '41 Dodge 1/2 ton Military WC-4 Pickup
Color: O. D. Green w/White Stars on Hood and Doors.
Sponsors:
+ Lisa Butler- Wife, parts manager, and constant source of encouragement.
+ Jeff Williams- best friend, and gives me way cool stuff, always there when I need help.
+ Clint- The NAPA guy, the best parts man on the planet! Always bears with my insane requests for off the wall parts hunts.
+ Daniel Little of USA6x6- Tires, wheels & hubs.
+ Randy Smith of J&H 4WD Specialties- (Custom clutch plate)
+ Randy Ouverson of OEM, rear axle shafts and spool.
+ Dean Butler (Dad) for making me the best DFM on the planet.
Modifications: The whole truck is one rolling modification.
This truck continues to be a "work-in-progress"
+ Engine: '67 318ci Mopar V-8 Six bored .030" over, w/ Mopar Performance "Orange" Electronic Ignition, Hedman Headers, FlowPro Exhaust, Edelbrock performer Cam and Intake, and Homemade MegaSquirt Fuel Injection using GM Throttle Body.
+ Winch: 5,000lb Braden "MU" PTO Driven by the Transfer Case.
+ Engine driven onboard 2 stage air compressor(RV-2), with air tool hose connections.
+ Open Cab with fold down windshield, Bucket Seats & 5 Point Harness's. AM/FM/CD & CB Radios.
+ Roll Cage w/ integral Seats & 5 Point Harness's in the Bed for the Kids.
+ Power Steering w/ axle mounted hydraulic ram, NP435 Transmission, NP205 Divorced T-Case w/ PTO.
+ Front: Rockwell 2.5 ton axle w/ 19" custom disk brakes and Selectro Locking Hubs.
+ Rear: Rockwell 2.5 ton axle w/ Ouverson Engineering Machine OEM Spool and shafts, custom pinion disk brake, and 4 link suspension w/ quarter elliptical swinging springs. (The swinging springs are my invention)
+ Nerf Bars, Bobbed Front Fenders, Pioneer Rack & Tools.
+ Custom 20" Dual Bead lock wheels with 16.00x20 Michelin XL's from USA6x6.
Here's Pictures of the conversion work in progress. (Text Proceeds Picture)
Sept 18th 2003, The New Chassis Gets Delivered!!
Nov 5th 2003, The New Chassis goes under the knife for the rear axle 4 link.
4 Link with conventional springs
Nov 9th 2003, 1/4 Elliptical springs done, tweeking it to see the flex.
Look at that flex!!!!
Nov 23rd 2003, Mack and I take one last ride before the old Dodge-Zilla is completely dissasmenled
Dec 8th 2003, Pinion mounted disk brake in place.
Disk brake and front torque rod.
Rear 4 link upper trap point & brake lines.
Dec 13th 2003, Rear Brake Lines Complete.
Check out those blocks that the brake lines runb through.
Front Brake line. I later re-routed it because of the headers. It now goes forward on the left side, across that front cross-member, and back gound the torque rod.
Dec 13th 2003, Power Steering Gear Box & Support, Nicely Tucked into the Frame.
Jan 2nd 2004, Rear Drive Line Modified and Installed. Look at the size of that lower U-joint, it's a spicer 1410, the upper is a 1350.
Front Power Steering Assist Ram Installed, the hydraulics tap of the Saginaw Box.
Front Drive Line Built and Installed, You can also see the Transfer Case Mount. So far I have done all machining and fabrication work myself, that includes the pinion mounted disk brake adapters & brackets, the power steering box taps, and the making/modifying of both drive lines.
Jan 3rd 2004, Frame is painted, motor mounts done, engine, power steering hoses & headers are in.
(Thanks to Clint at the E.Brem NAPA for bearing with me, and way cool deals!)
Jan 4th 2004, Installed the AC compressor, for onboard air, new alternator, timing cover, water pump and new power steering pump. The new timing cover and water pump also moved the water pump inlet to the passenger side, the same side as my radiator, I won't have to use that goofy cross over tube anymore. All the parts came off a 1983 Chrysler Cordoba donor engine. The engine went into the Aspen Wagon we got from JJ. I kept the stuff above, just for this mod, I'll install a pressure switch, a reservoir and some hose and QD's later. Also got a cool fan off eBay a while back, just cuz. (Hopefully it works well, I saved the old one just incase) I also ran an all metal fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb, flares at both ends. NO GAS LEAKS!
I also installed the exhaust today. It was a pain, believe it or not, but that passenger side tube squezes in between the frame and the t-case, and actually doesn't touch anything. I got skills.
Jan 06 2004 Installed the radiator, after I blocked off the original water inlet, and put in a new one. The original one interfered with the AC compressor.
Jan 08 2004 Today I modified the header. I flipped the #3 cylinder exhaust pipe. I didn't like the way it went past the #5 & #7 plug wires, the starter and my clutch cylinder. I cut the collector off the end, cut the #3 head pipe right where it straightened out, and flipped it over, welded it back on, welded the bundle together, slipped the collecter over the buindle, and seal welded the collector. Other that the bead on the #3 head pipe, you can't tell. Compare the image below with the many engine picture's above and you'll see the difference in the #3 head pipe.
11 Jan 2004, Today we modified the #3 cylinder head pipe again. Installed the Cab, radiator hoses, engine wiring, battery, fuel lines, hooked up the steering, finished the brake lines. And best of all, started the engine. It runs great, but the alternator, doesn't alternate (grin). We'll figure that out. If you compare the above and below pictures you will see the differences in the #3 cylinder head pipe, radiator hoses, steering, and the cab.
The wiring hanging there is for the head lights and the tow vohicle connection. The power steering mods worked fantastic, although I do need to install a fluid reservoir, because of the drastic changes in system volume when the power assist ram goes full stroke.
18 Jan 2004, got the winch mounted today, been busy selling truck parts, doing 4x4 presentations with Jeff, so didn't get much done. The old frame is all cut up now, lots of the parts are sold.
22 Jan 2004, Today the bearing came in for the PTO shaft, so we hooked up and tested the PTO, works fine, also installed the bumper from hell. It's the stock deuce bumper, looks good. That bumper is 9 inches tall, and 8 feet wide.
30 Jan 2004, The locker came today, so Lisa and I put it in, we also put new brake wheel cylinders in the back brakes while the axle shafts were pulled.
02 Feb 2004 Today I took a day off work, We mounted the seats and made some cubby holes under the seats for storage, we mounted the radios inside an ammo box mounted in between the seats, (water tight and a nice center console) Mounted 2 cup folders (coffee cans) in between the seats and made the shifters for the pto and the t-case.
05 Feb 2004, Today, Lisa and I made the way cool diamond deck floor, not that cheap aluminum crap, but real 1/8" steel.
As I was under the truck tightening fasteners, I figured it would be fun to take an "SUV-EYES" View of my truck.
7 Feb, We made some way cool shifter knobs for the PTO, T-Case, and Tranny.
We also put the wheels on it, bled the brakes and Drove it. Dodgezilla Lives again!!!!
Then we started working on the roll cage.
16 Feb 2004, Well.. we've got the roll bar in, the bed sides on, the front fenders on, the rear bumper, and the gas-tank w/ fuel shotoff (you can see it in the pix). I want to thank Jeff Williams for the cool birthday present (tomorrow is my birthday), the rear tail lights. It took me about 3 hours to cut that 6.5" pipe into 2" pieces; face them off in the lathe, weld in the sheet metal inserts, and then cut the centers out in the lathe. Then I welded the legs on and attached them to the bumper. End Result, bullet proof tail light brackets.
DODGEZILLA!
Weapons Carrier
Cult
Good God, It's still alive..
DODGEZILLA!
Green Dodge
Truck with a camo-tarp top,
Something an Amtrak couldn't stop,
Left in a lot, too rusted to be towed,
dug it out, cleaned it up, back on the road.
They called it a
wreck, and left it for dead,
The six turned over and stunned them instead,
New V-8 Heart, out of the junkyard,
The Hell is getting right out of Dodge... DODGEZILLA!
Oh, no, it still
wants to go, Go, Go, DODGEZILLA!
Oh, no, it still wants to go, Go, Go, DODGEZILLA!
You can laugh,
but don't turn your head,
Sure that Truck’s not back from the dead?
You can laugh,
but don't turn your head,
Sure that Truck’s not back from the dead?
Oh, no, it still
wants to go, Go, Go, DODGEZILLA!
Oh, no, it still wants to go, Go, Go, DODGEZILLA!
And it's running great and still soldiering on.