On the very short list of vehicles that I regret getting rid of, one that stings pretty hard is a 1984 Dodge D100 pickup truck. I found the little red shortbed parked along an Illinois rural route, for sale for $1,700, and once I put on new shocks, brake pads and tires, the 318/4-speed rig proved to be pretty fun. Unfortunately, I sold it out of necessity, since I didn’t have the means to transport a fleet of vehicles from one state to another. I dug the Dodge…it was simple, basic, and comfortable enough that I took it across the country and back on a roadtrip. I slept in it, I cruised for miles in it, and the only thing I missed was air conditioning…and I didn’t even miss it that bad. My total investment in the truck was under $3,000 and I was content.
So when this white 1984 shortbed Dodge popped up on my radar, I have to admit that I stopped for a moment and gave it plenty of thought. It’s a little rougher visually that my old rig, but it’s got Texas sheetmetal, so call that a draw. It’s got a 318, but it’s got an automatic…not a bad thing, just not an exciting thing. The interior is roasted and could use a re-do, and the rear bumper needs to be canned for a stock chrome unit in my opinion, but the options to make this Mopar hauler something neat are there…and relatively cheap. Once you got past the basic mechanical checks, a quick go-through of a restoration catalog like LMC would clean up the interior and get the missing beltline trim. A lowering job would help, and eventually so would some hop-up parts for the engine. Meantime, drive it everywhere so long as they don’t salt the roads and enjoy!
Craigslist Link: 1984 Dodge Ram 100 shortbed
I want one