It' not an M880......

[WVCB]

.....so I'll just call it a military-inspired vehicle. I wasn't having any luck finding an M880 but I did find this 1977 Dodge W200 Club Cab. It has the 318/727/NP203 drivetrain with 58,000 miles on it. I pulled the bed off and did the undercarriage with KBS Coatings products. Put patch panels on the front fender corners, one lower door corner and one bed wheel arch. Used Rustoleum's epoxy bedliner in the bed and sprayed the body with Gillespie's drab brown. (Discovered that paint on this site. Good stuff) The black parts are matte black implement enamel. Four new shocks. Still have to replace the cab mount bushings with poly ones and do a little interior work, then she'll be ready to roll. Here's a few pics

 

[cornrichard]

Not many people love on those old dodge trucks. I think they look great and are built like a anvil. I hope you put the tin worm to bed. Sounds like you did your best. No Charles Bronson jumping. I would hate to see that truck in a U shape.

 

[Super Warrantman]

Great looking truck! I don't know of anyone else who has tried to recreate an M880 but it looks as if you succeeded.

 

[N1265]

That does look good...

 

[Flyingvan911]

My dad had a '74 just like that but it was white and brown/gold. I liked the way the back seats folded out of the sides.

 

[unaffiliated]

Nice truck. Seeing this 77 Dodge makes me wonder why it took Chevrolet another 10 years or so to jump on the extended cab bandwagon. Ford did it back then too.

 

[WVCB]

My dad had a '74 just like that but it was white and brown/gold. I liked the way the back seats folded out of the sides.

This one was two tone when I got it; copper and a yellowish color. I debated on whether to keep it original, but decided to go this route. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I bought it for a wood/coal/gravel/lumber/dirt/etc. hauler, so no need for fancy.

 

[jbingvtx]

I like it!! I wish my 880 had an extended cab.

 

[Bob H]

Hmmm.......................
Maybe we could call it an XM880E

 

[WVCB]

I like it!! I wish my 880 had an extended cab.

I don't guess the military ever used extended cab Dodge trucks, but I don't know why. It seems like they would have been useful in some applications.

 

[jbingvtx]

Not only were there no extended cab M880s, you can't even lean the seat forward to stow anything behind it.

 

[jbingvtx]

BTW, Welcome from Southern WV.

 

[WVCB]

Thanks. I'm up in the mountains of Pocahontas County.

 

[ibhiii]

Good looking truck. I am looking to do all most the same thing with my 78 W200 Club cab as I too could not find a real M880 near me. Did you add more leaf spring and remove the radio etc... Like military did to the M880.

 

[Carlo]

GREAT truck. I like it..

 

[WVCB]

Thanks, guys. ibhiii, I wasn't really trying to make it authentic since it was a ClubCab, so I left the radio in, didn't add any springs, and, of course, kept the power steering. I just like the military look, and since I'm not a body and paint guy, I figured it would be easier for me to do a good looking drab paint job than a shiny OEM job. The radio doesn't work, if that counts for anything.

 

[Super Warrantman]

Well, so long as the radio doesn't work I suppose we could call your vehicle an honorary M880. It's a good thing you decided to keep the power steering in your civilian W200 as the real M880s didn't come with it and they were a bear to drive. Mine was retrofitted with power steering when it was in the forest service and it is much easier to drive than the Army ones I remember.

 

[WVCB]

Yeah, I don't think I'd want to do anything besides highway cruising without power steering. I don't know what the military was thinking when they spec'd no PS on the 880; one less thing to go wrong maybe.

 

[Bob H]

Yeah, I don't think I'd want to do anything besides highway cruising without power steering. I don't know what the military was thinking when they spec'd no PS on the 880; one less thing to go wrong maybe.

The 28v generator mounts where the factory PS pump did.

 

[MatthewH]

The 28v generator mounts where the factory PS pump did.

Yeah, but they could have run the Sno-Commander p/s setup, which puts the pump high up on the motor, right in the middle of the block.

Oh well, there easy enough to convert over