The seller of this 1984 Dodge Ram D100 pickup is sitting on an incredibly unusual find as the odometer reading indicates there are just 135 miles on this truck. We have certainly heard stories of the truck that grandpa bought as a retirement gift to himself and then sadly never got to use due to an unforeseen illness or other tragedy. With only 135 miles, this Dodge barely drove home from the dealership before being parked for the next several decades with little to no use. However, the truck does have some battle scars which make you wonder how it was stored as the bed is scraped up and the clearcoat on the hood failed. Find it here on eBay with an asking price of $34,500 and the option to make a best offer.
Sometimes, when you find a time-warp vehicle, it just feels brand new no matter where you look. The paint is just spot-on, as it should look when wearing an untouched factory finish. The interior looks and feels new no matter where you touch it, from the steering wheel to the glove box handle. The bumpers don’t show a single ding or dent from even the gentlest of love taps. This particular Dodge looks good under the lights but it doesn’t have quite that same level of perfection some vehicles do when they’ve been kept under wraps since new. The paint looks cloudy in places; the bed has clearly been used; and there’s surface rust underneath the truck and in the engine bay.
That’s not to say the mileage isn’t genuine; hardly. Any vehicle in the snow belt or the northern states is going to have flash surface rust if it’s been parked outside for any period of time, or even in a damp garage. I would love to know how this Dodge was stored for all those years it wasn’t being used, as the up-close gallery photos show paint nicks and blemishes, along with the clearcoat fade on the hood. The hood latch shows signs of the paint being worn off the striker, so it’s certainly been opened and closed more than once. All in all, it seems like this Dodge was still being “used” even while it wasn’t being used.
The interior is certainly in good shape, but there are even some questions inside the truck. The carpets show what looks like mild staining in places, and there appear to be some surface blemishes on the plastics beneath where the radio delete panel is. Again, I am picking nits that are mainly driven by curiosity and how this truck was found given it was evidently never used. The scrapes to the finish in the bed suggest to me the truck wasn’t being used much but it was still a handy storage shelf on occasion. What do you think the story is with this 135-mile Dodge pickup?
Oh, you know this is going to grind my gears.It’s not so much what I think of the truck itself, clearly an unused truck with a host of problems from sitting, but it shows the level of insanity, someone, who by looking around, is used to spending large( to me) amounts of money, so $35grand must be chump change to them, but hello, how could anyone think a bare bones truck, ( doesn’t even have a freakin’ radio) could be worth $35 grand? This is the market value here? It tells me, WHEN the bottom drops out, these folks will never understand they are the smoking gun in all this. Just can’t bilk people enough to stay in business. What did we do wrong? The “KING” ,,, hey, hate to break it to them,,we don’t all live like kings.
Slant six and torque flite with air but no radio and with a crazy asking price! So those rear shocks look new?
Another overpriced dealer vehicle, all they want to do is bend you over.
There’s nothing special about this truck other than having a few miles on it. That truck new never costed that much. Clear coat going bad, and scratches is not cheap to repair. I’d say $20,000 at best, it’s a driven used vehicle at best.
Its still an old used truck with no collector value.A lot of work is needed to put it on the road.
I didn’t study the pics like you did Jeff, but I think you have this truck figured out: the mileage is correct, but: it wasn’t stored in climate-controlled conditions– surface rust would be expected, it was somewhere where people were around it (e.g. maybe the grandkids played in it), a couple times someone borrowed it to haul some stuff like rocks; it was used to store things from around the house. As to the clearcoat, I don’t know about that, can it fail just from time as opposed to exposure?
Yes the paint could fail from time on this era vehicle. It wasn’t the paint that was the problem, it was the primer. Big 3 all had same supplier, so to properly redo the vehicle needs to be sanded through the primer layer. For some reason Grey, Silver, & Blue paint had less adhesion than other colours
hello Rick, I don’t and won’t represent myself as any type of paint professional but from what I have learned from observations is that lighter colors typically require more coats of paint to attain the best quality of coverages and to allow the coats to be sanded and still allow for enough of the paint to remain for a quality level of longevity. Darker colors cover better but they can show imperfections more clearly.
If my fuzzy memory serves me correctly, a lot GM Ford and Chrysler products that were silver back in the 70s and 80s had problems. Light silver blue color as well. I remember all 3 manufacturers having the paint peeling off and exposing the black factory primer. Perhaps this just failed or the front was exposed more to the sun. Its a shame it wasnt stored better.
Good thought Driveinstile. The silvery-blue paint on my 79 Mustang wasn’t in very good shape after six or eight years, even though most of that time it was garaged. My in-law’s 79 Fairmont was silver, and the paint was essentially gone after three or four years. It was not garaged, which contributed I’m sure. They had it repainted a soft non-metallic gray which lasted fine.
I bought a turquoise ’94 Dodge Shadow brand new in December ’93, and within a couple of years the paint was peeling just above the windshield. Other than that it was a very reliable and decent little car.
GM had big problems with paint, silver, gold, light blue metallics were the worst. I saw a Olds Delta 88 come up the road toward the dealership I worked at and the whole hood delaminated and the paint folded over onto the windshield causing a panic stop. We would take blow guns to cars in the body shop and blow paint off them. Good times
I remember some car makers (I think GM mostly) had problems with white paint. I’d see some cars going down the road whth the white paint flapping in the breeze.
I would suggest that the issue originated at the factory during the painting process. It is possible that the quality of the compressed air was not clean and dry or something got on the paint before the clear coat was implemented.
Drivinstile has it right. I was a factory tech rep for Chrysler then, and I had to repaint MULTIPLE products for failing clear and “acid rain” damage on the horizontal surfaces. The hood would go first as it had the heat from not just the sun,but the engine too, speeding the chemical reaction decline of the paint.
The pedals don’t look nearly as virgin as I would expect for those crazy miles. Remember, folks, all it took to keep the miles down in this era was to unscrew the cable real quick. 🤷🏽♂️
That actually is a thought that bears consideration.
Grandpa’s truck, as the writer supposed. He bought it and then couldn’t drive. It’s sitting in the barn; unused…and dang it, we need a TRUCK! Gotta move (furniture, topsoil, rototiller, whatever) and that truck is just sitting there. Grandpa’s not gonna notice – he’s in bed, out of it.
So, pop off the speedo cable, and do what ya gotta do. Put it back in the barn…the truck’s better for having had the fluids coursed through it, and Grandpa, if he hobbles out there, will still see his “new” truck, “unused.”
notice the rear bumper is tweeked a bit~~? Only thing that may bring this much money for this~~~ IS the price of a 2023 truck~~~
Looks like the trip odometer has more miles showing than the primary odometer.
100% true. I sold Dodge’s from ‘81-‘86. Back then, all salespeople got demonstrators to drive as their personal cars. If we got a car we liked (Cordoba, Magnum, ColtTurbo, Rampage, etc,) we’d gust unscrew the speedometer cable to keep the miles down. Normally we had to turn the car in before it had 2,000 miles.
Also, very common for cars to come without radios or AC or sunroofs. Dealers added these at customer request for added profit.
There was a huge class action lawsuit against Chrysler for that practice Mitchell. A friend of mine stayed out of the class action and won a $1.5 Million dollar judgment from buying one of those cars. After the decision Chryslers lawyers shook hands with my buddies lawyer and said, “Congratulations. For now.” Chrysler appealed it and his amount was reduced to $250,000. The same as what the class action suit awarded.
I loved it the Turbo Colts, those things would move. We had a mechanic that was a real hothead, he put a hammer head through a Turbo Colt valve cover once.
It looks, to me, like the rear bumper is pushed in on the passenger side.
It’s got to have more than 125 miles. How does the trip odometer have over 700 miles? I call BS.
…and digits misaligned. Nonsense roll up to next value. Maybe someone left the cable plugged into the drill chuck too long? Trading my Flame Orange ‘79 Omni with 100K, one dealer suggested I replace the dash from a junkyard wreck, another was livid when we filled in the mileage on the title transfer.
…OOPS!
Someone at that agency gonna get in and press the button there, in a REAL hurry…
Yeah,I noticed that too. And those tires don’t look like original from the factory tires either. I call SCAM!
The trip meter shows a different story. They do not roll over like that.100,135 miles.
My current thought as well!! 135 miles is not straight,,sign of a rollover odometer~~
That is the first thing I noticed too. Looks to me it about to roll to 880 miles. Quite the trick!
Missing air filter housing fresh air hose – why would that be gone?
This truck has had some use past the mileage claim.
Feeling that something not right here.
Asking more than twice what this should be listed for, my opinon only.
Someone needs to educate the seller that when a 5 digit odometer goes past 99999 miles it doesn’t just add a 1 to itself it starts over
This truck had a rough life for <200 miles. The front pass side trim near the running light is damaged, the rear, non-stock bumper is damaged, the inside rearview mirror is gone, the rear shocks have been replaced, the rear tires do not match the fronts, and I see chips out of the pin stripes on both sides. With this low miles I would expect to still see faint machine marks on the brake rotors and drums. The dealer is in NJ. Most of the states bordering NJ had state inspections, that would tell the story of the miles if someone could get the VIN.
There is a Vin listed in the ad, so a Vehicle History Report could help tell the real story on this truck.
Odometer shows 135, but the rip odometer shows 779. Steering wheel has been changed out, and the rear bumper is bent and twisted in, on the passenger side. Not a 135 mile truck.
Daryl,
I covered this issue earlier; Federal law requires the main odometer number wheel assembly to be set at zero miles when manufactured and installed in the vehicle. It’s a crime to change the listed mileage without documentation of the change. However there is no regulation concerning the trip odometer, as it can be reset anytime. During manufacturing, these were often thrown together with miles showing on the trip odometer, as it could be set back to zero when installed. Sometimes lazy employees where the speedometers were made, failed to reset the trip odometer before sending them for packaging and/or installation.
I owned a vintage and job lot auto parts business for 40 years. I’ve seen more than a few NOS speedometers in the original packaging, where the main odometer is zero, while the trip odometer shows mileage. It doesn’t make sense for someone to change the original speedometer mileage back to a low number, and ignore the trip odometer that can be reset simply by pushing a button.
By the time this truck was built, all speedometer assemblies had their main odometer rolls made up of the round number wheels with special thin metal separators between the individual number wheels. The separators are painted black to match the number wheel base color, and the back edge of the separators are painted white. If turned to increase the number the separator doesn’t move. If the number wheels are turned backwards, the separators will also turn backwards, and will then be visible as white lines between the number wheels, indicating possible tampering.
The trip odometers have no such Federal requirement, and do not have the special separators, because on these mechanical [instead of digital] units, the numbers can turn either direction during each manual reset.
It’s important to understand that the original speedometer may have failed or was noisy, and when the truck still had low mileage it was replaced, perhaps during the warranty period. A dealership mechanic, being paid under the warranty payment schedule that doesn’t even cover the time it takes to perform the work, would likely be in a hurry to finish the job, so he didn’t bother to reset the trip odometer.
In reality, the trip odometer reading means nothing.
Even if it has less then 200 miles, still doesn’t warrant the sell price. Over priced vehicles will cause the death of the hobbie
Wasn’t it easy to disconnect the speedometer on these? My suspicion is that this is a 10k mike truck on which the original owner disconnected the odometer.
Regardless of the mileage reading, I like the truck. But not anywhere close to the ask. As already mentioned, it’s a base truck. Not anything desirable or collectible (?) . Mopar was in a sad state at this time in their truck division. If it had a 360, 4speed, 4wd, etc it would be more attractive. Look at the Ford, Chevrolet/GMC of this vintage. Working in auto dealerships in years past, I just remember clowns in shirts and ties in the back room thinking up prices and marketing plans at Caldwell Dodge in Columbus, OH. The after hours parties were fun and I learned a lot.
How can they include the pic of the Trip meter and think that’s going to fly? Some pictures of the under carriage could be telling also.
Remember the old adage, if it’s too good to be true… Potential buyer needs to go over entire truck with a .mechanic or knowledgeable dodge truck person and fill in the blanks. Do your csi work before purchasing.
I agree, there seems to be at least a few more miles than stated, though still looks very good for the age. Also agree, way over priced. If for some reason it is a true 135 mile truck, I would imagine that the back story isn’t a sad one. Back in those days, the IRS was pretty easy on big farmers, so many of them bought new trucks and put them in sheds instead of paying taxes on profits. I have seen many examples of this over the years. Really doesn’t seem fair. There is no problem buying a truck for farm use if that is truly what it is used for (and not personal use that we all need), but to just buy one out of smugness to cheat on your fair share of what makes our society run is just plain wrong. Farm trucks need to be dirty and scratched, not waxed and beautiful as if your teenage son is going on a date with it. Many a truck with farm plates look pristine, and you just know they have never, nor ever will, haul a load of manure.
In 1986 I bought a new leftover 1985 D150 for about 9 grand. It was a carbureted 318 and ran like crap in cold weather. For 35 grand you can get a much newer and more reliable truck. The seller needs to drop a zero off the price. That’s all I would pay for it
Its in new jersey that explains the ridiculous price
It’s worth whatever someone will pay. My dad had an 85, with the Slant 6 and a 4 spd. manual. NEW Hampshire winters rusted it bad, as it did the 95 F-150, he had next. Nice truck, but will need every gasket replaced and will be one slow and boring Dodge and without tunes. Pass. Leave it in a museum where it should stay.
You missed every hose and most likely brake lines
looks to me like rear passenger side bumper damage…..
Crickets on the truck.Not sure what to say about the truck.I would have an expert look at this truck.Just saying!
Based on my experience with 2 silver MoPaR trucks over the last 40 years, I can tell you the metallic silver paints back then were terrible and I would totally believe that a 135 mile Dodge truck would have these paint problems.
I had an almost exact Dodge D100 pickup except mine was 318 V8 with the floor shift 4 speed OD trans. & gray vinyl interior. Mine also had A/C. Silver paint. Bought it off the dealer’s lot brand new.
When the silver paint started flaking off before the truck was a year old, I filed a paint warranty claim. They originally claimed I had put a special sealant on the paint, but when I threatened to take a sample and have the paint analyzed for a sealant coat, they backed off that claim. Dodge still refused to do anything about the paint, so I began taking photos of other late model Chrysler products with flaking silver paint, and by the time I filed a complaint with the Maryland office of Consumer Affairs, and provided around 400 photos, with each vehicle identifiable by it’s license plate, Chrysler said they would repaint the truck.
Around 1990 the second paint job was starting to peel, by then I had established my own body & paint section in my restoration shop, so I let my guys strip it down to bare metal and start over. They told me the first repaint should have been stripped down to bare metal, and this was not done. I also discovered thru our paint supplier [Sikkens] that the problem was due to the original paint being water based, not solvent based, and was happening mostly to vehicles with metallic paint, and it was the same situation with the big 3 manufacturers. Painted the truck 100% black, and the truck still looks pretty good today [gave it to an ex girlfriend about 15 years ago].
My next truck was a 2001 Ram 2500 with a utility bed.Bought it at a GSA auction. The original Army log book was still in the glove box, so I now knew it’s history. It had been ordered as part of a fleet deal for the US Army, and was sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds here in MD, where it sat in a warehouse for several years, only being driven every couple of months. Turned out the Army was slowly closing the base, and by the time the truck arrived, it was no longer needed.I got it with about 1,800 miles showing, and the truck looked as nice as the one shown here. It had been kept inside except for it’s rare drives around the base.
It’s Color? Silver of course! Within a year uf being outside, the paint’s top coat began to disappear on both the hood and roof. Paint on the utility body was fine [and still is] because it was painted in non-metallic gray by the body company [Stahl] to sort of match the cab. Today the truck has done an honest 85,000 miles and 90% of the hood and roof have lost the top and color coats, but no rust.
Now about that mileage vs condition: I know from experience that pickup trucks stored inside attract stuff, and will quickly fill up with extra things in need of a place to stay. It’s entirely possible for the bed to be dinged up and the truck otherwise staying nice. And don’t forget, that silver paint is easily damaged.
As a court recognized appraiser and forensic mechanic, I feel the mileage may well be correct. As for the trip odometer reading, when the entire speedo head was manufactured, by federal law only the actual mileage numbers had to be assembled with zero miles. I have seen speedometer heads that were new in the box, and while the main number was all zeros, the trip odometer was not.
The majority of the truck looks like it could indeed have 135 miles on it. The small amounts on non-painted surfaces under the hood and chassis area are consistent with what I still see today on new cars for sale.
Does the author really believe the miles?…..even after pointing out the numerous reasons why NOT to believe it? As others have already pointed out, in the early 80s it was common practice to disconnect the odometer. That is clearly the case here. And the wear and tear inside and out of this truck are sure fire proof of this. I hope no buyer gets sucked into this one.
779+ miles on the trip odometer and so much for 135 miles. What BS!!
I agree. That’s what caught my eye immediately. Add to that the questionable edges between the hood and the fender leaves me to believe that odometer has turned over – at least once!
Slant 6 with A/C in 1984 had smog equipment and they were dogs very under powered the 318 was a good choice I drove a few of both back then
Has 78 other vehicles listed, just about all trucks.
The fortunate thing is that since it’s an ’84, anyone really interested in the truck can order a Vehicle History Report. This will provide evidence of true mileage and vehicle registration history.
Most ads will have it provided for free by clicking the Vehicle History Report Tab. This one doesn’t.
Just adding to the many paint comments. I purchased a brand new 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix. Silver gray color. Five years later I was trading it in and the salesman asked me if I had ever had a fire in the engine compartment.
The front hood looked like a speckled trout.
I did not have a fire or any kind of damage. The paint was absolutely terrible!
Although I like the look of a silver gray car, I will never buy one again.
Interesting overpriced pickup that may be what they say it is but……..
Odometer vs trip odometer is a puzzle. The paint is no surprise; my 1987 Silverado, light blue/silver was repainted before it was one year old as were many others. Bed scratches may have been from trips to the dump right away or as some others stated from storage issues. Looks good under the hood though. Still too much coin IMO.
Seem to remember a family member trying to sell this truck a year or so ago with that mileage claim. If I recall was in a farmbelt State. Price was not so high.
new paint formulas in those days. you know, the environment thing
Nice looking truck and if the mileage can be proven it might be worth $15,000 to $20,000 maximum. I can buy new 2022 or slightly used models for less than they want for this one. Prices have jumped the last 2 years, but an 84 model even with “low”
mileage is not worth $35K. Looks to be another flipper looking to find someone with more money than brains. Big pass on this one. For me to buy an 84 model truck I would look to spend maybe $5,000 max..
Its still an old used truck with no collector value.