PART BEAUTY, PART BEAST: An Incredible Custom Dodge Truck Heads to Scottsdale for a Great Cause

November 7, 2024
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

“The mother of all work trucks.” That’s how Mike Rowe, executive producer and show host best known as the “dirtiest man on TV” from the hit series “Dirty Jobs,” described the one-of-a-kind Dodge Power Wagon crew-cab truck when the custom build was complete. Designed and created specifically to benefit the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic Scholarship Program when it sells with No Reserve at the 2025 Scottsdale Auction, January 18-26 at WestWorld, the rolling work of art is truly a sight to behold.

Dubbed “Project S.W.E.A.T.” – a nod to the S.W.E.A.T. (Skill & Work Ethics Aren’t Taboo) pledge scholarship recipients are required to sign – the unique truck is the brainchild of Colby Donaldson, known by many as a television personality and host, but at heart a rancher and a welder who has a fabrication shop just outside of Austin, Texas. “It’s the one anchor I’ve always had,” he says. “I’ve long had an intense and intimate connection with the skilled trades, because that’s what I do.”

A longtime admirer of Rowe and his work, Donaldson felt even more of a connection when Rowe became an “ambassador” for skilled trades after his work on “Dirty Jobs,” and eventually their paths crossed two years ago in Montana. A few months after that, John Richardson, chairman of the board of SugarCreek (the largest privately owned bacon producer in the country), paid a visit to Donaldson’s Texas ranch. The two men immediately bonded over their love of cars, and Richardson invited Donaldson to come check out his restoration facility in Ohio.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of custom shops,” Donaldson said. “I’ve never seen one that has the breadth of capabilities that John’s has. Here’s a guy who has 28 men in his shop – all of whom are the exact type of people that benefit from Mike’s scholarship program – and they all just build John’s vehicles. So that was the first time that this germ of an idea popped into my head.”

Donaldson proposed to Richardson that they collaborate to build a special truck to be sold to benefit Mike Rowe’s foundation, to help further the cause of skilled trades. He had spied several ’58 to ’62 Dodge Power Wagon Town Wagons in the “boneyard” behind Richardson’s restoration facility. “I said, ‘John – my idea is to cannibalize those trucks. Take them, cut them up and build a four-door crew-cab pickup that Dodge never built.’ I told John it HAS to auction at Barrett-Jackson in January, and we really need to debut this thing at SEMA in November, prior to the auction.”

Richardson was sold. Donaldson worked for two months with Adam Tolman at Box Rocket Designs to get a professional rendering done and took the idea to Mike Rowe and his team. “To be honest, I was skeptical that it could be pulled off,” Rowe admits. “I loved the design, and was flattered that Colby wanted to help me raise money for the next round of work ethic scholarships. I wasn’t sure a truck like the one Colby was proposing could be built from scratch in time for SEMA. But then I visited the guys at SugarCreek, and saw firsthand how talented they are and how committed they were to the project. Those guys are the best at what they do, and I was blown away by the sheer talent in that shop.”

While titled as a 1962 Dodge truck, Donaldson wanted it to have the feel of having been designed in 1958. The result is nothing short of remarkable. In the end, five different Dodge vehicles were used to craft the truck, which is powered by a fully documented 426ci 1,000-plus-horsepower Dodge Hellephant-spec engine with a J1 Motorsports direct-connection 3.0-liter IHI twin-screw supercharger, mated to an 8-speed 8HP95 4×4 transmission. The truck’s stance is supported by a Carli Dominator 3.0 suspension and 18-inch Black Rhino Abrams wheels wrapped with 37-inch Toyo tires. The one-off custom interior is loaded with modern amenities and features handcrafted tan Apex leather with black microsuede adorning TMI seats. The functional and stylish flatbed was custom-made by M&M Fabrication.

Donaldson is rightfully proud of the collaborative effort and what the team was able to achieve: “I knew that if I could connect the right people, we could put something together that truly would move the needle for the scholarship program and the foundation itself.” Over 8,000 man-hours went into the incredible build.

“I was struck by the fact that the body of this truck – not unlike our country – is a melting pot of sorts,” says Rowe. “It was assembled from a number of other trucks, and put together in a way that’s practical, beautiful and completely unique. I’m very proud to have affixed the mikeroweWORKS logo onto it myself and promise to use whatever money Barrett-Jackson can raise to help train the next generation of skilled workers. God knows, our country needs them.”

For a chance to own this one-of-a-kind truck and contribute to the skilled tradesmen of the future, register to bid today.

Written by Barbara Toombs