The seller refers to this 1984 Dodge Power Ram 3/4-ton 4×4 Prospector pickup as a true barn find and says that it was sitting in a barn for years. I typically drive between 40,000 and 50,000 miles a year and this beautiful beast only has 32,800 miles on it after 37 years. They have it listed here on eBay in Portland, Oregon. There is no reserve and the current bid price is $5,300.
The words elegant and tough truck don’t often go together but I think they do in this case. This is a different kind of elegance than truck makers are giving buyers today. I don’t mean loaded with options like leather seats, full power, four doors, touchscreens, DVD players in the backs of the headrests for rear-seat passengers, Bluetooth, etc. This is more of an earned and understated tailored elegance – simple, crisp, and clean. New trucks today do not have anything simple or crisp about them at all, in my opinion. They’re overwrought styling exercises meant to out-do each other and it’s too much, at least for me. Give me an old truck any day.
This is a 3/4-ton 4×4 with a full-sized box so it’s up to the task of being a real truck for people who need to haul construction materials or whatever in the back. The bed has had a spray-on material applied at some point in its lifetime which is unfortunate as far as keeping it all original goes, but as far as usability goes, that’s probably a plus. I don’t see any rust and they have included a lot of great photos showing everything top to bottom.
The Prospector package was available with different features depending on which level or tier of a package the buyer wanted, at least on Ramchargers. I’m not sure which extra features are included on this particular Power Ram but it’s a nice-looking truck with two-tone paint and a nice interior. This one has an automatic transmission with a column shifter, the shifter on the floor is for the four-wheel-drive system.
The engine is Dodge’s 360 cubic-inch V8 which would have had around 175 horsepower but this one appears to have headers on it so that will add a bit of power. I’m not sure what’s going on with the battery hold-down there, and the air cleaner sure lets the rest of this truck down. I may have changed that before taking photos. All in all, this is one of the nicest D/W-series Dodge pickups that I’ve seen in a long time, have any of you owned a similar Dodge Power Ram?
What does the right size battery cost compared to trying to shim it with a ECM access plate from a Ford? LOL
It sure is hard to believe, this truck, while barely noticed when new, would become the biggest selling truck. Old men bought Dodges, and this was some dads pride and joy. A mix of old and new. Headers for a bit more mpg’s( with a suffering in drivability) from his kid and some funky battery hold down ( good thing it’s not metal) clearly an “old man” fix. I read, it was the Cummins diesel in 1989, that really turned these trucks around, but in 1984, nobody cared, a sentiment that still happens today, and your chance to scoop up a darn nice truck that will never let you down. You can take that to the bank. Remember that dilapidated Dodge 4×4 pickup from the farm I lived on? Case closed,,
air cleaner missing snorkel that the preheat from the exhaust manifold goes to
(had an 85 ramcharger so I recognize ) Intake manifold is missing paint so hard to tell what else has been done. Carb looks to have been replaced, to shiny
bid is over 10K
I am always leery of these low miles claims, especially on a vehicle that has a 5 digit odometer as I see it all too often on CL and FB. I have an old Isuzu RS with over 200k miles, but it looks like it could have 20K miles…….caviot emptor.
My first Dodge Truck was an ’88, 318CI, 4X4. What a great truck that 318 was indestructible, my next one which I still is a ’97, 5.7L, 4X4. another great truck. The ’84 would be another great truck for whoever needs a great work truck.
My guess is that it was upgraded to a four barrel carburetor, as the intake looks like it might be aluminum. Maybe the headers were added when the carb and intake was installed. It’s a nice looking truck but I would lose that battery “hold down” and that rusty looking air cleaner lid.
I agree with scotty’s comments vis a vis pickup styling etc. I would further add that it also applies to modern cars too. Somewhere in the 90s designs went to crap, IMO. I rarely see an 80s survivor that I dont want to buy, and its equally rare when I have any interest in buying something newer. It’s funny that when I was young and broke, there was all kinds of vehicles I liked. Now that I’m old(er) and in better shape not much made nowadays interests me.
Auction update: this truck sold for $11,200!