The Dodge Ramcharger, like the Ford Bronco and Chevrolet K5 Blazer, enjoys a certain level of stability in the collector vehicle market. These older trucks are highly capable machines even to this day when put to the task of going off-road, which is likely why their values have held. The truck shown here on eBay is a nicely preserved 1983 Ramcharger with the Prospector package that included some cosmetic tweaks and a few more options inside. The seller notes it benefits from an older restoration and an engine swap with a more powerful 360 V8.
Bidding is at $5,300 with no reserve, so there’s a chance this one goes for a fair number for all parties. The Ramcharger with the Prospector package got you nice-to-have features like air conditioning, decal stripes, occasionally two-tone paint, and other interior enhancements. It wasn’t necessarily what most of us hope for in a 4×4 upgrade package – no heavy duty lockers or beefier suspension settings – but the Ramcharger was already a pretty capable machine out of the box. It’s nice to see examples like this that weren’t turned into plow trucks back in the day.
In fact, the seller claims it hasn’t seen much road salt or snow at all in its history file. It’s been a California truck since new and the seller notes it has never been in an accident. The big work happened in 2009 when the truck was repainted and the engine upgrade, going from the factory 318 to the 360, was performed. The seller notes that it apparently stopped being used much around 2016 and the recent work included flushing the fuel system to likely address the years of stagnation. The transfer case and axles are both said to be in good working order.
That said, you’ll still likely find a few things to sort out. The older restoration is overall a plus, even though it seems like the term “restoration” may be a bit generous considering the paint has noticeable flaws. It was likely a hobbyist-grade job, which is fine for a driver, especially one that isn’t hiding rust in places due to exposure to salt and snow. Assuming the 360 was a motor sourced from the same period when this truck was originally built, it will provide around 175 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, and as an added bonus, the seller notes the engine and transmission were both rebuilt prior to being installed. Overall, a lot of value for the money in this California Ramcharger.
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