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1964 Dodge A100 Forward Control Pickup

Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, and Dodge all made cab-forward or forward-control pickups in this era, which one is your favorite? The seller has this first-year 1964 Dodge A100 pickup posted here on craigslist in, of all places, just northwest of Malibu, California, and they’re asking $15,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Pat L. for sending in this tip!

Other manufacturers made these unusual pickups, too, of course. Even imports were in on it, such as VW’s Type 2 pickup, the tiny Subaru 360 pickup, and Honda, Suzuki, Daihatsu, and others all had a version of this style of truck. Is there a better color scheme for this truck? No, no there is not. Dodge made the A100 pickup from 1964 to 1970 and buyers could also get a van in this series.

This example looks rough at first glance, but I bet if a person laid down a two-hour roller paint job on it, things would be different. Not that I’d recommend that, but I have a feeling that the body is better than the worn-out paint lets us believe. The seller’s description of the body is “patina”, and “no rust underneath.” The bed itself looks as it should, with heavy surface rust, and it would be a nice vintage motorcycle hauler. The seller doesn’t provide any underside photos.

The interior looks surprisingly good compared to the outside. This truck appears to have originally been Arctic Blue, a beautiful light blue color, but man do I love that red, white, and blue scheme. I bet it looked great when it was fresh. This A100 has a three-speed manual with a column shifter (three-on-the-tree), and that big doghouse between the seats is where the engine sits, of course.

Speaking of the hidden engine, there it is in all its glory. The seller says that it’s a straight-six and it could be either a 170 or 225 slant-six, most likely the latter, which would have had 140 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque when new. A V8 wasn’t available until the following year. The seller says that this one runs and drives great and it has side exhaust. Any thoughts on this one?

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    Looks like the one in Hemmimg’s garage,
    only not as nice.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Howard A (retired) Member

    None of the above. They are dismal, unsafe, poorly engineered vehicles that never should have been invented in the first place. Again, we can thank good ol’ Brooks Stevens, who introduced the Jeep FC, because he liked the idea of a cabover truck. There is about 4 things of merit there, and about 400 bad things, I won’t list them all, I’m a busy man( crickets) I put in a lot of time in a cabover semi, because i was TOLD to, but they are the worst rendition of a vehicle I can imagine. I jumped for joy went length laws were abolished, and cabovers fell out of favor. The fact someone thinks this is worth $15 grand, only bolsters how bad things really are. These should be on a dragstrip with the bodies on backwards pulling wheelies for exhibition. That’s about it. Oh, they do awesome “stoppies” too.

    Like 17
    • Avatar Connecticut mark

      Yes look up little red wagon

      Like 4
      • Avatar Terry Bowman

        maverick!!!!!

        Like 0
    • Avatar 19sixty5 Member

      In the late 60’s early 70’s, there was a wheel stander called the “Back Up Pickup”, the Ford version of this style truck, with the body mounted backwards. Cool, fun days.

      Like 3
    • Avatar Fitz

      The “stoppies” were a result of a certain (Generic) Motor company completely backing off the back drum brakes , and adjusting the fronts all the way out. Ford added the counterweight to eliminate any possibility of this malady.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Steven S.

      Howard, I dont know if you noticed lately but there are more and more cab overs on the road these day. . Im a truck driver myself and I try to pay attention to these kinds of things. I have driven a few of these in my younger days

      Like 1
    • Avatar Terry Bowman

      My sister had the Van. Not a fun ride.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Big C

    You obviously never did any inner city driving!. Cabovers were the way to go, down in the mean streets. I’d take an Econoline cabover instead of the Doge. As far as the Asian ones? Never seen any, except in history books. But, I don’t live in La La land.

    Like 10
    • Avatar DON

      look up Mitsubishi Fuso , they’re everywhere

      Like 0
  4. Avatar That AMC Guy

    Hard to imagine a worse configuration for traction in slippery conditions or stability during hard braking!

    Like 6
  5. Avatar Tony T

    Add in the “heat sink” of that motor tween the seats. Unbearable in Tempe summers, i.e., 300 days a year.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Art Engel

    First one to the scene of an accident is what they used to say about cabover anything! Knew a guy in high school had a Charger R/T he totalled, it was a 440 sixpack. I remember he put the engine in an old Bell telephone A100 beercan van. I never rode in it and most people wouldn’t as it was scary fast. 15k for a basic utilitarian pickup with old everything, they’re cool but not 15k cool.

    Like 9
  7. Avatar chrlsful

    love ’em for one of the last split windshields & slanty, more so in p/u livery. Only thing beddah is fold downs like the veedub pick-up van. Just cant seem to think upa well designed (good lookin) one as mod.

    Some of these added over 150# under-bed counter weight due to the frnt end imbalance. The jeep FC beat them to market and may have been a partial take-off for these w/the Big3 (I think the european, mostly Brits, another near copy for eventual merican desigh). This here co had the longest running platform (Dodge ’60 – ’03) in automotive history, no?

    Like 0
  8. Avatar John Arnest

    Only one comment here, as a confirmed air-cooled person. VW was there from the beginning with this (I had a ’61 single cab which I wish I still had!) and you just can’t beat them (except in the power department…) All type 2’s were FC, they just didn’t call it that.

    Like 0
    • Avatar 19sixty5 Member

      And as a Corvair guy, don’t forget it’s air cooled distant cousin, the Rampside, and Loadside versions!

      Like 2
  9. Avatar RexFox Member

    Another nice thing about FCs is the length; you have a full size bed in a compact vehicle. They fit in small parking places and garages. Just don’t crash them (same goes for motorcycles and VW Bugs).

    Like 2
  10. Avatar ronald wroblewsky

    hqd one,same color,mopar parts del.truck.not the most comfortable but what was,econoline,chev van,

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Maestro1

    I remember these and contrary to what Howard thinks of the price was more realistic I’d take it seriously. I also have a space problem. I would
    restore it back to blue, try to find the right wheels and caps for it, rebuild
    the Slant 6, add an Automatic (I’m at an age wherein shifting isn’t appetizing anymore), Power Steering, Idit Steering column, Power Windows and update the thing mechanically so you can’t see anything
    externally but those items which will make it safer to drive at speed.
    At that point I’d be in it a substantial number. Who cares? I’d keep it
    forever.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar Cooter Member

    Engineer and set a blown 440 slightly ahead of the rear axle with enlongated chrome header pipes sprouting at an upward rear angle and you got something here. Improved braking and launching! Yes, I loved my Hotwheels!

    Like 4
  13. Avatar Carbob Member

    Not much different than the Chevy van of the same vintage I drove thousands of miles for the company I worked for in the early seventies. It wasn’t lost on me that my chances of surviving a front end collision unscathed was slim and none. Didn’t wear seatbelts either. Still remember banging second gear listening to Smokey Robinson sing “Tears of a Clown”. Great memories.

    Like 4
  14. Avatar Murdock

    I have the same year Dodge version and yes, if you’re not careful, you will be the first to the accident!
    That said, I’ve driven TR3A’s and other small cars, so everything is larger than you are and you learn about defensive driving early on.
    So, no worries in this “cab forward” design.
    Just know that most everyone out on the road with you is too busy to be pay attention to the task at hand!

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Ken Vrana Member

    Mine back in the day

    Like 4
  16. Avatar Ken Vrana Member

    Inside is completely trippy and looks like a jungle.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Murdock

      How cool is that Ken!
      We need some inside pictures!!!!

      Like 0
      • Avatar Ken Vrana Member

        here you go!

        Like 2
  17. Avatar Murdock

    I can hear Tarzan calling in the distance now!!!!

    Like 0

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