Patriotic Barn Find: 1975 Dodge D100 Spirit Of ’76

I still put out a flag each morning and take it in at dusk every night, or if it’s raining. On the eve of America’s 250th birthday, we should be showing more vehicles from 1976, and particularly, more with the 1776 theme. The seller says this truck was found in a barn in Washington state, and it’s sure packed in there. This 1975 Dodge D100 Spirit of 76 edition pickup can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in Duluth, Minnesota (hey, wait a minute!), and the seller is asking $15,900. Here is the original listing, and thanks to… well, I guess I found this one.

How’s that for a transformation?! The seller did a fantastic job of finding this rare, and I mean rare, model, not to mention cleaning it up. There’s no word about the topper/cap/shell that’s shown in the barn/shed photo, so I’m assuming that’s long gone by now. I would have taken it off anyway. This is one of a couple of special editions from Dodge to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It’s impossible for me to believe that another 50 years have gone by since then. I don’t see this special edition listed in this 1975 Dodge pickup brochure. There is some conflicting information online (shocking, I know!) about this special edition. This website says they were available on the D250 long bed, and in red, white, or blue exterior. I’ve only seen the white version, but maybe one of you knows more about this edition.

I’m old enough to have been alive and aware of things in 1976, having just barely become a teenager by that time. I was driving at age 13, although not on city streets. I mean, as far as anyone knew. As a huge fan of special edition vehicles with fun and sometimes gaudy graphics, this truck appeals to me like world peace, two-stroke engines, and retro TV shows. Dodge also made a Dart version with the Spirit of ’76 graphics, and we’ve seen two or three of them here, as well as International’s Scout version. There were probably others as well. Making this one somewhat unique, it’s a short bed, which could explain the higher price than a couple of others for sale online with a regular/long bed.

My wife and I saw a WWII Navy vet on a walk yesterday. This gentleman was slowly walking with his daughter, and he needed help to walk, but he was outside enjoying the nice weather. I noticed his WWII Navy Vet cap and thanked him for his service. His eyes lit up, he smiled, and said, “Thank you” in a soft, somewhat scratchy voice. It was such a great feeling to do that and to see someone in their 90s light up, knowing someone noticed their WWII Navy cap, and to take literally just 10 seconds to thank them. I know this isn’t the place for talking about things other than vehicles, and I’ll probably take some heat for doing that, but it gave me a good feeling to know that he had a good feeling from that little interaction. That someone cared enough to stop to thank him. I thought for a long time about what he must have seen during his life of well over 90 years. Ok, enough of that, sorry.

That brake pedal and automatic selector on the column are new, unfortunately. As a Custom trim level, a more basic truck, this one originally came with a three-speed manual and column shifter. The seller says that this truck was still with the original owner’s family when it was found, and, sadly, the owner’s son started to change the transmission from a three-on-the-tree to an automatic (NOOOOO!) but lost interest, so it sat. It now has that automatic in place, along with the 225 slant-six it came with. As a Custom/base trim, it was a low-content truck, but this one has power steering. The interior looks fantastic (the seat has been redone), but they say there was some rust on the floor, so they sealed it with POR and left it so the next owner can see what’s going on, rather than covering it up.

Even though they included a lot of great photos, there isn’t one photo showing the engine. I know. I’d amend the 250-year-old Constitution so online sellers would have to include at least one engine photo. Who’s with me?! (crickets). It has a 225-cu.in. OHV slant-six, which would have had around 145 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque. With an automatic and power steering, I’m sure it’s a super nice truck to drive now, but I really wish it still had the three-speed manual. It does have a new fuel pump, water pump, fuel sending unit, new rear shocks, radiator, belts, hoses, sway bar, and more. This truck isn’t inexpensive, and it has a few dents and dings, along with fading of the graphics. I’d want to restore this truck back to bone-stock original spec, including that three-speed manual. Have any of you heard of this special edition Dodge pickup?