Napco Four Wheel Drive Vehicles

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NAPCO (Northwestern Auto Parts Company) was founded in 1918. During World War II, Napco helped the war effort by producing specialized mechanical parts and assemblies that were tested in war conditions.

After the war Napco began building four-wheel drive assemblies to be fitted to Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Studebaker vehicles. The retail price of Napco Power-Pak was $995. This option raised the price on a two-wheel drive truck from $1,548.96 to $2,796.96. There were companies that installed these upgrades for the previously mentioned manufacturers. Besides the four-wheel drive units they also provided winches, auxiliary transmissions, tandem drive axles, hydrovac systems, and dump truck bodies.

The Napco Power-Pak option could be ordered and factory installed on trucks with very few modifications to the original chassis. The Napco Power-Pak conversions were done on 1/2, 3/4 and one ton chassis. The package was shipped in a crate measuring 80"x30"x26" weighing 1,410 pounds. In a matter of hours with as little as 4 holes drilled in existing chassis a truck would be converted into a "Mountain Goat", a full sized truck that will climb steep inclines with ease. One feature was the "shift on the fly" rubber mounted transfer case.

Today these trucks are still considered to be very versatile and durable 60 years later and are considered to be collectible by Napco enthusiasts.