I’m thinking about buying something foolish. Maybe an 80s model Power Wagon or Ramcharger. Are parts hard to come by for restoration projects and up keep?

Oh, and if you have a truck of that vintage, feel free to post up pics.

I have a friend that had a 1979 Dodge Power Wagon (think Simon and Simon), that he restored. He used several sources. I'm not sure what they were. But he completely restored it to like factory new.

He sold the truck 3 or 4 years ago. Got a pretty good penny for it. It really looked like new. I'm guessing the restoration was 8 years old when he sold it.

Most parts are fairly common and easy to get, some not so much.


ARman

Something along those lines:



This is a good (before) pic of my son's pickup.
1991 W250 Pickup, 4x4, 1st gen Cummins turbodiesel. Truck looked like that with the addition of a snow plow frame. It looked just like that until a 17yo chick in her dads minivan decided it would be a good idea to make a left directly in front of him. She got a ticket and a totalled Sienna; he drove BigBlue home, and got an insurance check for $120 less than he paid for it. Still drives it, while he stockpiles parts for a frame off rebuild.

Be aware that the tin worms really love the taste of those era Dodges. One area of particular concern it the sheet metal just above the windshield. The rain gutter over the doors extends all the way across the front of the truck, and a lot of them develop rust up there. This leads to pinholes, water intrusion and then leakage down the A pillars, and then rusted out floorpans.

Parts are available but like anything else 40 years old, you're looking at $$ for NOS or aftermarket reproductions. Before you jump into this, I'd get some catalogs (LMC seems to be the most comprehensive) and get an idea of what you're getting yourself into.

There are a lot of places to buy parts for old vehicles online. Another good source would be Hemmings.

I've been into Mopars since before they were cool. Nowadays you can get quality (AMD) sheet metal for most of the Chrysler musclecars but trucks are still hard to get parts for.

For any older or classic vehicle, fixing rust will be a headache. You're so much better off to get something in great condition to start with. Mechanical things are a little easier to deal with, but if it runs and drives well, too, then you're ready to enjoy it.

Any money you put into it to restore it usually costs more than the value increase when you're done, so start with the best condition you can find.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
https://www.lmctruck.com/dodge

LMC is a good choice

quote:

Originally posted by motorheadjohn:
I've been into Mopars since before they were cool. Nowadays you can get quality (AMD) sheet metal for most of the Chrysler musclecars but trucks are still hard to get parts for.

For any older or classic vehicle, fixing rust will be a headache. You're so much better off to get something in great condition to start with. Mechanical things are a little easier to deal with, but if it runs and drives well, too, then you're ready to enjoy it.

Any money you put into it to restore it usually costs more than the value increase when you're done, so start with the best condition you can find.

I should have just texted you to begin with......

Have you ever driven one from that era?

I'd drive a restored model before I'd spend the time and money bringing one back to life. Unless you're a true fan of older vehicles many of those 70's 80's resto's can be quite underwhelming compared to a modern vehicle. Braking and handling pretty bad, etc.

I did a frame off resto tears back on a 65 small block Corvette coupe. First real outing with it I took it back to the alignment shop as I thought the frt and rear alignment was off. It wandered all over the place. Seems that was simply how they were in 1965.

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:
1991 W250 Pickup, 4x4, 1st gen Cummins turbodiesel.

I had that exact truck in red with gray sides.

I also had a black ‘86 Power Ram, and a red 1980 Power Wagon. My dad had a 78 Trail Duster, a 87 Power Ram, a 93 turbo diesel, an 02 turbo diesel (he still has it at about 400k), and a 2020 Laramie Ecodiesel.

My truck is a 17 Laramie.

Yeah, we’ve had one or two.

My experience and advice is to start with the best example you can lay your hands on. A month spent interviewing candidates will pay off far faster than a month with sandpaper and wrenches.

Skilled labor is more expensive than hardware. You can rebuild drivetrains with YouTube. Body and paint not so much. Better to appreciate the old survivor look than empty your bank account.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by motor59:
1991 W250 Pickup, 4x4, 1st gen Cummins turbodiesel.

I had that exact truck in red with gray sides.

I also had a black ‘86 Power Ram, and a red 1980 Power Wagon. My dad had a 78 Trail Duster, a 87 Power Ram, a 93 turbo diesel, an 02 turbo diesel (he still has it at about 400k), and a 2020 Laramie Ecodiesel.

My truck is a 17 Laramie.

Yeah, we’ve had one or two.

Well then, you know what you're getting yourself into.

The kid is somewhat obsessed with those square bodied Dodge Rams. He's the second owner of BigBlue; bought it from my first partner at the Sheriff's Office. Had his first ride in it when he was 5 and never looked back...

Right now he's trying to decide whether to go stock '91 with the big chrome grille, or late 80's style. Hard to find a good 91-93 grille; they all crack in the logo area.

Best of luck if you decide to (re)dive down this particular rabbit hole!

quote:

Originally posted by motorheadjohn:
Any money you put into it to restore it usually costs more than the value increase when you're done, so start with the best condition you can find.

Wrenching on cars has always been therapeutic for me. Bad day at work, go out to the garage and skin some knuckles. Planning the project can be as much fun as doing it. That said, even with a good condition starting point, it is almost inevitable that you wind up under water economically. So if driving it is the main interest, try to find something that needs little to nothing. But if the process is the point (as it is for me), just try to avoid rust.

I'd look for one in halfway decent shape to start with. The extra cost up front will more than make up for itself in time, money and aggravation. You might have to go to one of the western states to find one that isn't a rust bucket. If you want a 4wd and for a daily driver, a post-1994 model, with coil spring, longer travel suspension, rides much better.

I wouldn't worry too much about engine and other mechanical parts. If it gets in an accident, body parts (that aren't bent out of shape or rusted), lights and such might be difficult.

My brother has a 1992 model (bought new) with the Cummins turbo diesel and a 5-speed stick (extra low "granny" first gear, overdrive top). This is the second year they were intercooled. Even in sub-freezing weather, the engine will start faster than you can let go of the key, literally the moment the first piston comes up on compression. The all-mechanical direct injection makes it very noisy, but this is an acceptable tradeoff for not having to deal with electronic controls, let alone the exhaust fluid bullshit. Because of the leaf spring, two-inch-travel front axle, it rides like a buckboard wagon full of bricks.

Slight drift, but I have a 1997 Ram 2500 Cummins with 5 speed manual that I am sadly selling at much too low a price.

LMC is a good source for parts.

For reference my daily driver is a ‘95 Ram 2500 with a Cummins and a manual transmission. 2WD. I believe mileage for the 4WD is in the 11 - 15 range. My 2WD averages 20 around town and has gotten 25 mpg on the highway. Parts that I can’t get locally have been through LMC.
In my case the truck came from Richmond, VA. It has a very nice, straight body with almost zero rust underneath. Dodge trucks of my vintage are routinely known to do in excess of 200,000 miles. 3,4 and 500,000 miles are not unheard of. Manual transmissions in these trucks seem to be better than the automatics.

I’m looking for a first gen Dodge diesel with cummmins, a stick and 4x4 like pictured above. For some reason I like the boxy look backed up by Cummins.