Fans of the unusual, look no further! Scoffers might peg this shiny mini-pickup as a gussied-up high school ride, “all show and no go,” but buckle up before the light turns green, because that assumption is wrong. Twist the key on this 1980 Dodge D50 pickup in Bowdon, Georgia, and a late-’50s Hemi’ V8 awakens, eager to carry out your evil bidding. GM fans may spot the modified Chevrolet step-side bed. Sadly, the builder of this insane mash-up has passed on to the great Saturday night cruise in the sky. The seller acquired this orange slice of madness from the estate, and knows little about its history. Check out more pictures and details here on eBay, where this wicked Dodge can be yours for $11,000 via Buy It Now or test the seller with the Make Offer button. Ask for the windshield wiper arms before you load up this hot orange chili pepper and go.
Mopar enthusiasts can tick off a few boxes with this D50. Compact pickups don’t exist anymore, so you can represent that rarely-seen category, and while second and third-generation Hemi’ engines barely garner attention these days, a whopping 392 cid first-gen Hemi’ will definitely draw a crowd. Put the two together and you’ll have a long line of car-crazy onlookers waiting to hear the story behind this potent pickup. Hopefully the manual brakes will slow this beast after it leaps forward in anger. Keep an eye out for signs of overheating until you wire a gauge to that engine coolant temperature sensor.
An assortment of tan hues fill out the tidy passenger compartment. A T-handle floor shifter controls the venerable 727 three-speed automatic transmission, known for consistent performance and longevity when properly maintained. With 300+ horsepower, locomotive torque, and virtually no weight over the drive wheels, point that steering wheel straight ahead before you uncork the 392.
At present, the truck runs from an external gas can, so anticipate a full fuel system flush or replacement. That and (at least) the suspect steering rack render this project trailer-bound. What looks like well-applied paint punctuates shortcuts like the farm-store trailer lights, $40 tube stock bumper, and late-model “Dodge” script running downhill. A Mopar fan looking for something different might fall in love with this D50. I could also see it becoming magazine-worthy with better rolling gear, a full custom interior, and higher order replacements for some obvious shortcuts. What would you change about this early Hemi’-powered mini-pickup?
Cool! Eleven grand seems like a reasonable price doesn’t it? (calculator sounds in the background) Man would I love to have this thing – nice find and write-up, Todd! I love that the 2.6L Mitsubishi four-cylinder was also referred to as a Hemi in some literature and in some Dodge circles, but yeah, give me a 392 any day.
This appears to be a D-50 Sport with the extra gauges by the shifter and it might be cool to put the original graphics back on there. The D-50, I believe, came with standard power brakes unless that was a D-50 Sport feature. This looks really nice for the price in 2022.
Hey thanks Scotty, Mr. D-50 owner himself. I believe the price is reasonable. I’d consider owning something like this for a few years, maybe de-burring some of the rough edges so to speak, then letting someone else have fun with it. Never in 1000 years would I have modified the hood if it weren’t necessary, etc. but someone will probably love it as-is. It’s clearly not meant to be a daily driver, and it’s super-cool for sure. Let’s slam a Gen III Hemi’ in yours and hit the Solo II circuit… (or not).
I’d have to fill that rear pipe bumper with lead before getting on the road with this little demon.
The tail lights look like what was on every Chevy and Dodge stepside during the 70’s and into the early 80’s. You probably can find them at a farm store. But you can also find them as OEM parts. The rear fenders look so weird with that extra wide wheel well lip.
I don’t think I’ve ever simultaneously both hated and loved a vehicle this much.
My CJ 5 and 7 both wore those tails as well.
My 78 Warlock has those as well. Currently factory 440, but boy I would love a re-engineered 392…..
Great build concept, but whoever did the front really phoned it in. Someone with the talent to modify that Chevy bed should have been able to do better than tacked-on fender flares and a hood scoop that looks like an origami project.
Hmm, no wonder Scotty has been so quiet,,,okay, well, it certainly makes a statement, like how much cash ( and knuckles) can we dump into this thing.( and not done yet) I’m sure purists will scream bloody murder, a 392 hemi is pretty hard to find these days, and would be much better in a vintage Chrysler restoration, if any. At one time, like 40 years ago, I would have thought this was really cool, but apparently I’ve out grown this kind of thing, and hopefully this thing won’t kill the occupants on it’s 1st “run”. I can’t rip on the build, so far, but like many of these unfinished projects, with costs soaring, these will appeal to less and less people, reducing the prices to an nth of what they pixxed away, and someone will buy it for the motor only.
Again, it bums me out, that someone had a great idea, went this far, and falls short. Sign of the times, folks.
I would love to have something ridiculous like this. I would find a replacement hood, remove those silly fender flares, and even though I do admire the work on the bed, I would try to source a replacement stock bed. Fix what needs to be fixed, and (if you can get the rear tires to actually get some traction) drive the wheels off of this thing.
I used to have an 86 Ram 50 (last year before they changed to the boxy style) and enjoyed the heck outta that little truck. Sadly the tin worm had its way with it but I wish I still had it. They dont make real compact small trucks like this anymore. The behemoths they call small trucks now are bigger than my fathers 92 F-150.
Only guessing, but I am betting he replaced the front with a big block Chrysler K frame that was much wider than the D-50 original. Resulting in those god awful fender flares. That 392 is massive.
BernieCuda – I wondered the same thing, but I stopped short of suggesting it when I saw coil springs. I believe the 392 and torsion bars both came in ’57. It could be some other V8 K-member of course. That would definitely explain the need for fender flares, though I would have preferred a more wide-body effect.Thanks for your comment!
To complete this outlandish build: a 6-71 blower.
Then no need for the hood scoop. Just a big hole for the blower to poke through.
Too much horsepower for you?
Then go for 8 chrome stacks of fuel injection.
I’d take out the Hemi, buy a low mileage 440 motor home engine for a few hundred bucks and slap that in. It would be just as fast and as totally unreal. Then I’d take that 392 and….and….. :-) Terry J
LOL, Terry J….
Unfortunately, we all seem to have more ideas than money or time…
Seems like a great price for the work that it needs.
Seller mentions that the brakes work. Why would you need brakes with this bucket?
Door panels with holes where the speakers once lived is a nice touch too.
I like the 392 Hemi and 727 trans but why stick into this type of vehicle. No offense to the builder of this creation , but why? I respect the dead but wish he was here to ask him. Should have stuffed it into a a early to late 60 ‘s Plymouth, Dodge or similar vehicle. I guess whoever buys it can show it off as a novelty vehicle.
John, As a car guy no doubt you’ve built or helped create something yourself. In my case(s) I have never had the freedom or finances to plan a project out in detail go out and buy the components. I have always collected a pile of parts over time and then engineered the car around what I had or came across during the construction. Since the subject truck is so different I’d guess the builder had a hemi laying around and came across the pickup who a pal of his blew up and there you go. No denying the skill level it took. :-) Terry J
I agree it took skill not to mention all the work and time to build but to choose this truck is beyond my imagination. Respect the guy who did it obviously he really liked this truck.