When did pickup-based tow trucks disappear? As a kid, I remember seeing Fords, Dodges and GM trucks kitted out with wrecker units, massive push bumpers, and custom painted logos all over the place. The Conoco station that my grandfather would fill up at in Colorado Springs had a late 1970s GMC K-30 painted up in black for years. But time went on and they were replaced by medium duty trucks, because that’s the optimum vehicle for hauling around a Ford Tempo that gave up the will to live. I like the old wreckers…they was no question in anybody’s mind that they were meant to work. They were ordered up built to the hilt, as far as the options list would allow and they were used.

While some of these trucks live lives at small tracks across the country, a lot of them have disappeared with time. Finding one is always neat to us, but finding this 1982 Dodge Power Ram 350 with a Century wrecker kit on the back looking this good certainly got our attention. The metallic green and white machine was a pretty heavy order back in the day…with all options and the tow unit painted and installed, this truck rang the bell at $23,732…which in today’s dollars, would be getting close to sixty thousand dollars. For that price, you got a 360ci Chrysler small-block that came without a catalytic converter attached, a four-speed manual, gauge package, a radio, air conditioning, hand throttles, and tinted windows.

Yeah, the seat and carpet is worn, and yes, the door panels have sun-bleached. But on the whole, this is still one of the nicest 1980s Dodges we’ve seen in a bit. Someone loved this truck and took incredible care of it over the last thirty-four years. All of the paperwork is present and the tires are fresh, yet the road hazard kit still hangs behind the bench seat and the miniature Interstate Batteries trucker cap still hangs from the rear-view mirror, where it’s probably been since the Regan administration.

eBay Link: 1982 Dodge W350 Power Ram with Century Wrecker