It appears that the elderly original owner of this 1984 Dodge Ramcharger parked the vehicle in his barn soon after purchase, and never drove it again. It remained in that location after he passed away, until the family revived it 3-years-ago. It now has 4,676 miles showing on its odometer, and it is looking for a new home. Its condition is impressive, and it is as close as you can come to buying a brand new Ramcharger that is 36-years-old. The Dodge is located in Portland, Oregon, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $12,100, and the reserve has been met.
It’s quite hard to know where to start with Radiant Silver Dodge. I did immediately spot one flaw, but even that has a question mark over it. The hubcap is missing off the front right wheel, but this fact doesn’t rate a mention in the listing. Therefore, I’m not sure if it has been removed for a specific reason, or whether it has been lost. If it has been lost, that shouldn’t be a problem. Replacements are easy to find, and they sell for $40 each. Beyond that, the exterior presentation is close to perfect. The paint shines beautifully, and the panels are laser straight. The owner provides an enormous selection of photos, and there are no signs of rust problems anywhere on or under the vehicle. The trim and chrome sparkle in the sun, and the glass is as perfect as the rest of the exterior.
While the 360ci V8 under the hood of the Ramcharger provides a useful 175hp, it is the 260 ft/lbs of torque that makes this an effortless off-roader. Add dual-range 4-wheel-drive, an automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes, and this just reinforces that effortless tag. It is easy to become cynical about some of the low-mileage claims that we see on older classics, but that isn’t the case with this Dodge. The owner states that he holds documentation that confirms the claim. Even though the vehicle has been sitting for decades, the buyer isn’t going to be faced with a mountain of work to return the Ramcharger to a roadworthy state. This has all been done, and the vehicle is said to run and drive well. One interesting claim that the owner makes is that the Dodge has never been used in 4-wheel-drive mode. That is a bold statement, and I would be tempted to check its operation as part of any inspection.
Given the life that the Ramcharger has led, it is no surprise to find an interior that is in such fine condition. There isn’t much that you could fault, with some rubbing of the paint where the spare wheel attaches in the rear as about the only flaw. The upholstery, trim, and plastic are all in good order, and there are no issues with the dash. I have to admit that I was slightly surprised to see vinyl seat upholstery and rubber mats rather than cloth and carpet. However, this is a far more practical option when you consider the sort of life that this classic could potentially live. The lack of these features doesn’t mean that this is a vehicle that is devoid of comfort. The buyer will find the interior equipped with air conditioning, a rear seat, pop-up rear vents, cruise, and an AM/FM stereo radio.
Usually, any 4WD of this age would have undergone some form of restoration work, or it would have been mercilessly beaten within an inch of its life. This 1984 Ramcharger is an entirely different kettle of fish, and finding one in this sort of condition with such low mileage is a rare treat. That raises the question of what to do with it. This is a vehicle that is designed to get its occupants into some pretty inaccessible places, and it should still be capable of doing that today. However, its incredible state of preservation could potentially make some people hesitant to take it anywhere where it could be damaged. I’d be tempted to exploit its abilities, but would do so with some care and respect. What would you do?
Sorry, once again, I don’t buy the claim. That engine compartment doesn’t have 4,000 miles. Exhaust manifolds, battery cables, radiator cap, hoses, would be like new. No doubt, a nice truck, gas mileage will be single digits ( ask Scotty about that) but not a big seller, for some reason. They weren’t much different than the K5 or Bronco, but like Dodge trucks in general, they had a poor following. That sure changed. Again, nice find, but not 4,000 miles.
I sold new Dodge trucks in 1989. If they were transported by rail in the winter, they didn’t look much different under the hood than this when they had fifteen miles. I wouldn’t bet either way without an in-person inspection, but the low priority placed on materials and finish in Detroit and the 36 years that have elapsed since it was built don’t make me want to bet against it being what it is presented as.
Price seems reasonable at the moment, but I doubt it will stay that way.
Dodges featured full-time four wheel drive. For most driving situations you never had to lock the system with the transfer case lever. The plus side was practically unbeatable traction, the minus side was single-digit gas mileage. These also rusted easily when driven in road salt.
I think they did away with full-time 4WD about the same time that they dropped big block engines. This Ramcharger would have had a part-time 4WD NP-208 transfer case instead of the full-time AWD NP-203 used before 1981.
This truck has locked in hubs in the front, not selectable so it must be full time.
Not as bad as the Chevies from the same time period !
The dodge ramcharger has a front axel full time in gauged but can easily add hubs. The transfers case manually controls all 4×4 operations. Can be shifted into 4×4 high when driving and can disengage while driving, best not to in gauge over 35 mph.
I believe the miles is correct. I do believe the Driver’s has had repairs by the look of the lower edge of door to rocker panel. I have a 91 canyon sport trim red and gold great paint have been offered 15,000. Still to low.
5k miles and already had a re-paint …. Overspray on quarter window rubber, poor masking around trim tag and no decals on underside of shiny hood .. Beware !
It is hard to see. Are the A/C belts still there?
you don’t buy a ramcharger for A/C
That depends where you live and that was not my question anyway, was it?
Just out of curiosity, what do you think you buy a Ramcharger for?
Seller is lying until he posts a macro close-up of the paint on the steering column directly under the ignition switch.
Another low miler that doesn’t quite add up. The seller has had it for three years, and hasn’t transferred the title? The manufactures data sticker appears to have been removed, then replaced. Don’t let the shiny paint cloud your vision, examine the underside, for a clearer picture. This one bears an extremely close inspection. Buyer beware.
Very nice but some different wheels would sure help the overall appearance. It also seems so odd to see no headrests on the front seats. I would have thought everything should have high back seats or headrests by then but truck requirements were obviously different.
Bid up to $19,300 now with seven hours left. When restyled for 1981, Chrysler claimed that fewer than five percent of ’74-’80 Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailduster owners ever removed the tops. Thus the fixed roofs on ’81-’93 models. Also cheaper to manufacture this way. I think they dropped the ball on the large side windows with this restyle. The previous body had side windows that were pretty much even on the top with the door windows, where these new windows wrap over the roof top, looking out of place with the rest of the style lines of the body. I strongly prefer the styling of my ’78 Ramcharger, which is one of many that has probably never had the top removed.
Those big windows make the passenger compartment very nice w fantastic views. I think they look good on the outside too.
The featured truck is a very low spec truck. It has the vinyl interior and roll up windows.
How much does the 4X4 add to the value?
What would this truck in almost perfect condition be worth in 4X2 form with 58,000 miles and all the options including the 360?
Now at $30,000 with four hours left.
On top of the other things mentioned the very ad rattle can job on the underneath of the truck is suspicious at best
The drive shaft is painted only on one side you can see where they painted over the grime on the front differential etc……
Hope whoever shells out the 30K gets a real inspection before they money actually changes hands
I purchased a 1987 Ramcharger with 15k on it ,it was a insurance co. sale it had been stolen in NYC and had lots of body damage , I bought it in 1990 for $3500. got some body work done and drove it for 9years ,It was the sel trim pw//pb /ac leather and cloth seats buckets and carpet. Had some nice factory wheels and trailer tow , barf fuel injection 318 . I put a Fisher 4way plow it plowed any thing and towed a ton of boats and trailers , It was one of the best vehicles I ever owned except for the Jeep Wagoneer . This one is nice and it sold for $31k good luck to the new owner .