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Can It Be Saved? 1964 Dodge D200 Crew Cab

While not the first quad cab or crew cab pickup, Dodge had the first crew cab of the big-three American vehicle manufacturers. This 1964 Dodge D200 Crew Cab is a non-running project and the seller has it posted here on eBay in beautiful Vernal, Utah. There is no reserve and there are three bids that have brought the price up to $2,000. Thanks to Larry D. for sending in this tip!

It appears that this Dodge was repainted at some point. Other than having loads of “patina” (i.e., surface rust), it actually looks pretty solid and straight, for the most part. The D200 is a 3/4-ton version of Dodge’s D-Series trucks and they started offering a crew cab body style for the 1963 model year. International had pickups with four doors as early as 1961 but Dodge was the first of the big three to offer them. The Dodge D200 pickups came with a 122-inch or 146-inch wheelbase, but the crew cab trucks only came in the 146-inch wheelbase version and they came with either this Sweptline box or a Utiline (stepside) box.

See what I mean about the truck looking pretty good for clearly a truck that has been parked outside for years? The flat tires and the incredible amount of surface rust – especially in this photo – give a hint to this truck’s inactivity over the years. The bed floor also needs help. The seller doesn’t give much information other than just the facts, ma’am: “Rare crew cab pickup. It does not run.  It has a 318 Engine, manual transmission, 18,561 miles.” This is a first-generation D-series Dodge Sweptline truck, and they were made from 1960 to 1965.

I’m secretly fantasizing about how long it would take to fix, weld, pound, sand, prime, and paint the exterior. Then I get to the interior photos and all bets are off. It shouldn’t be that way as a lot of interior work is fairly straightforward, especially if a person knows a good upholstery shop. In this case, there are two cabs to restore, the front and the back seating areas. Once you get to the dash and wiring and things like that is where it turns scary for me. Hagerty is at $5,500 for a #4 fair condition truck which is light years nicer than the condition of this truck, just as a starting point. They’re at $24,000 for a #2 excellent truck, and there’s a lot of work to do to bring this one up to that point.

The engine is Dodge’s 318-cu.in. OHV V8 which would have had 200 horsepower. This one isn’t running, as per the seller’s description, but it looks much better than I thought it would. Three bidders think that this truck can and will be saved, which is great. Would any of you restore a vintage crew cab pickup like this one?

Comments

  1. Avatar Howard A Member

    The authors optimism should be a lesson to us all, most importantly, a negative Joe like me,,”beautiful Vernal, Utah”,,I’m sorry, on a recent trip, Utah had to be the most BORING state. Signs that say “Next curve 50 miles”, are common.
    2nd, how anyone could write up a vehicle like this, remain optimistic, even mentioning the “low” miles, when I know full well, HE knows it’s got a MILLION 18K miles, and at this point, isn’t worth squat, BUT,,he remains professional, you know, just in case someone might actually want this heap. The faded green indicates some sort of forestry dept. vehicle, and if by some miracle it DOES have 18K, it would be the roughest 18K, as shown. These went to the roughest places, taking a “CREW” back where no man has gone before, most likely, fire patrol. I see a button labeled “C”, I can just hear it now, “gramps, what’s the “C” knob for?” A CHOKE? You mean I have to choke this to get it running, how brutal,,,and it surely will sit.

    Like 8
    • Avatar Duaney

      Have you ever restored anything? This truck is in tremendous condition for restoration and I predict will bring a healthy price. Already up to $2500. Trucks like this, especially a crew cab are super hot these days, and Gilbertson’s “Can it be Saved” and Howards negativity is so out of touch with reality.

      Like 13
  2. Avatar Dave

    Gosh I hope someone saves this treasure.

    Like 15
  3. Avatar Gary

    My favorite trucks. I just sold my 70 D200 regular cab and if this wasn’t so far away I’d be on it. It would make a great Pro Touring truck

    Like 7
  4. Avatar RMac

    Wow Howard Utah boring? Jeez you surely do not see the mighty 5 or vermillion cliffs dead horse point or any of the other unworldly beautiful places in Utah ! Northern New Mexico northern Arizona and Utah have some spectacular places
    This truck while very cool may be beyond hope

    Like 9
    • Avatar Howard A Member

      Well, I’ll tell ya’, living in Colorado with majestic mountain vistas out my back door, yes, boring, at least from an “interstate” perspective. Every state has its beautiful spots, many times viewed from a seat on a plane, or through a windshield, so we can’t actually stop and visit them, more of a PITA to get to your real destination. I’ll admit, once past the mountains, Colorado is just as boring, and we should be able to go 180 mph in those situations.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Dave

        Not a comment on the truck. . . Hmmm. The quad cab is interesting enough on its own. I agree with Duaney someone will get it back on the road.

        Like 2
  5. Avatar RMac

    Howard
    I went to college at NAU in flagstaff AZ. In the 70’s before I 40 was completed And spent weekends and holidays traveling and hiking all of the western states each has many surprising places that are unique and spectacular seeing states from an interstate is like seeing a car on TV you don’t really experience it so when my oldest daughter was 10 she said “I want to visit ever national park”. That is what me and my family have been doing the lay 17 years up to over 60 visited now and about to retire so bought a fifth wheel and my wife and I will continue

    Like 4
  6. Avatar JustPassinThru

    Having spent a marvelous week in Moab last month…I’ll attest to how Utah is anything but boring. It all depends on where, and what vantage…Eastern Colorado is as dull as the plains states it butts up against.

    To this truck. The work it needs looks to be involved…but nothing is complicated with those things. A wiring harness should be relatively easy. Patching the bed will be a lot of work, but a buyer may be fortunate enough to find a replacement bed.

    The instrument panel on that thing, looks to be not-stock. I’ve never owned one but I’ve seen many, photos and in-person. That somehow has a military vibe to it. Retired Air Force truck? Or someone just swap in a military gauge cluster, out of a junked military Dodge?

    Like 1
    • Avatar Kim in Lanark

      I know the Air Force used trucks of this vintage to run crews around various bases the size of Delaware. However, they were stepsides and used the slant six. Just a guess on my part, but I would presume any kind of Forestry vehicle or the like would use a stepside with 4 wheel drive.

      Like 1
    • Avatar Kim in Lanark

      I ran an image search for Dodge truck instrument panels of this vintage, and it seems to be standard.

      Like 2
  7. Avatar John

    Get it running, paint “Dean Proffit Expert Carpentry” and could be a close cousin to the one in the movie Overboard. LOVE THESE!!!!!

    Like 4
  8. Avatar Mark

    The best and highest use for this Dodge is its current role as an ornament to an otherwise empty backdrop. The only changes I would make would be a rattlesnake sunning itself on the seat and possibly a buzzard roosting on the roof.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar jeff

    Ahh – also my favorite pickup – would love to get it but unfortunately a ocean between him and me – good luck to the new owner

    uh – and by the way – utah – a beautiful place!

    Like 3
  10. Avatar geomechs Member

    For the right person this is worth restoring. Of course, with beauty being in the eyes of the beholder, anything is worth restoring. Not really my preference but someone is bound to enjoy this.

    Like Howard says these were most commonly used as crew trucks. And they got well used up. But on the other hand Dodge made a tough truck that gave back as well as it got.

    Like 4
  11. Avatar ClawSS

    resto-mod with a 1st / 2nd gen cummins.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar John L.

    This is a former Forest Service vehicle. At the time this was sold, they tended to run their vehicles until they were junk. Then some rancher bought it for $200.00, and then drove it until it wouldn’t go any further. Then they parked it out in the back 40, and this is what you see today.

    Like 5
  13. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    I have to agree with several comments above, this is an ex-US Forest service crew vehicle. The 2 Forest service trucks I owned were grey color from the factory, but later painted Forest service light green. From what I was able to learn from a former US Military fleet purchaser, the Forest service trucks were combined as part of a military order, hence they came in grey. I’ve had several over the decades, paid between $1 and $500 for them back when they were simply used work trucks.

    Dodge made the right decision to build these, as there was a serious demand by the Military and other governmental agencies for a 6 passenger truck with 8′ bed, and if I had to guess, probably half [or more] of the original crew cabs Dodge constructed were for the Government.

    The guy I knew who told me about the military orders was one of my customers and worked at the Pentagon until he retired about 20 years ago. In a visit to my shop he saw one of my trucks, and he was a wealth of info on them. He told me Dodge was able to keep the price down on these and beat the International Travelall crew cab, by using almost all normal production Dodge truck parts. If I remember right, the only special parts were the roof panel, the 2 side triangular panels between the side doors, the door center posts, and the 2 longer rocker panel assemblies.

    Like 4
  14. Avatar 370zpp Member

    You can see grey paint on the firewall.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Chuck

    Utah is boring? What planet are you living on? Some of the most wildly beautiful landscapes in the world are in Utah…the ‘Beehive State’.

    Like 0

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