Back in the ’70s and ’80s, all of the Big Three had a full size, body on frame, 2 door SUV. GM had the Blazer and Jimmy twins, Ford had the Bronco, and Mopar had the Ramcharger. When this 1983 Ramcharger came off the line, this was still true, but if you wanted a diesel, you were pretty much out of luck. GM was the only one of the three to offer a diesel, the rest had given up on them by then. Of course, some people will not be denied, which brings us to this San Diego, California area 1983 Dodge Ramcharger with a Cummins 6BT (aka 12v) from a 1993 W350 pickup that’s currently listed on Craigslist for $18,000.
If you’re anything like me, this is a swap that’s crossed your mind. It might even have led to afternoons wasted looking for Ramchargers and early Cummins diesels. Curiously, Cummins didn’t start making the engine in this 1983 until 1984, so as primitive as it might seem in 2018, it’s downright modern in comparison to the Mopar 318 or 360 that would have been OEM. The engine’s not the only thing this Ramcharger’s picked up from 1993 either. This example carries the A518 4-speed automatic and Dana axles (60 in the front, 70 in back), assumedly from that donor W350, which would have had both.
Not content to leave the swapping to the drive-train, the interior seems to have gained parts from the W350 as well, with the revised steering collum and Cummins branded dash also seemingly swapped in. Of course, all of these updates, paired with working AC says this isn’t your average backyard swap.
The seller says they’re the truck’s second owner and that they did the swap themselves. Anytime there’s as much changed from OEM as there is in this example, that’s a good thing, as it can be a challenge to understand what’s been updated or changed and being able to talk to the person who did the swap can make a huge difference when it comes time to fix stuff. Is this the Ramcharger you’d take when it’s time to abandon civilization or does the asking price have too many zeros for a 35-year-old truck?
Sick conversion! I wonder what they used for springs… Stock Ramcharger springs would seem too light to control the heavier axles and to deal with the weight of the Cummins, but this would be one rough rider if they just put the W350 springs on it.
I really like this truck, but at half the asking price. Fresh paint always begs the question of what’s underneath it.
Given the quality of the rest of the work involved, I’ll bet that any rust issues were addressed to protect the rest of the investment.
Good question regarding springs. From personal experience, those 6BTs weigh a bunch. Personally I would source leaf springs from a one ton diesel, like the donor truck (unless it was a 2wd, obviously). As for the rear, i would use the one ton leaves as well, if they would fit dimensionally, but remove a few leaves since the ramcharger wouldnt have/ need the same payload capacity as a pickup. Otherwise inwould think you could add a leaf or two to the stock 1/2 ton ramcharger springs. One of the great things about leaf springs is you can add or take away a few to adjust for ride comfort vs payload capacity.
W350 springs up front and stock in the rear. It’s a little soft In the back for towing but it rides nice. It’s really well balanced and handles well on turns
To be Honest it’s Worth every Penny .Take a truck like that and put the time into building it you will see it takes a while to do it right .
I have pix of before it was painted it was really straight to start with and the w350 leafs are up front along with the bigger stabilizer bar. It has a Borgenson shaft for the steering. The rear has the stock leafs to keep the ride smooth.
Vehicle looks great, but there are always going to be hidden things that may not be very appealing. I own a 63′ C10 12v swap and it’s great, however, a large swap comes with it’s own set of issues. Worth the 18k, I’d say so, however, I’m super biased.
you should see what a crewcab conversion has brought .1 guy built it up did 1 heck of a job on it and sold it for 33K
If it’s originally from San Diego there’s no need to worry about rust. Not that other things couldn’t have been painted over but we don’t get no stinkin’ rust unless damaged left unrepaired it is really rare. I’m seriously considering a road trip if it’s still avuailable. I like Dodge anything.
So living in a beach house or within a quarter mile of the beach does not equal rust?
Living on the beach doesn’t either. Like I said if untreated damage isn’t fixed then sure. Considering almost all major SoCal populations are pretty near the beach and if rust was a major issue California cars would not be as prized as they are. I lived in Newport and Laguna for many many years and never saw a bit on well maintained cars. It’s not like they’re made of wood which the salt air destroys. And I suppose if you drive it actually into the ocean you’d have a problem. How many rusty cars do you see at the beach? I spent Comic Con in Pacific Beach last weekend and didn’t see one. So, no. And since the owner says “no rust” and considering Ramona is a good hour at least from the beach, again, no.
Thanks for the answer, it was a real question (not a sarcastic dig)
Yes it’s still available .only reason I know is I know him personally.
Quite a unit. An ambitious project to say the least. I might have been tempted to try for a newer engine to take advantage of the extra power capabilities. The ’93 is a good strong engine but the distributor injection pump limits you to 180 hp. You can go higher but it just wrecks the pump from the inside. And I’ve overhauled hundreds of them. But overall, it looks like it will take you anywhere without any problems. That Dana 70 on the rear is overkill but sometimes you use what’s available. Don’t expect a jet-smooth ride with this one though….
180 no we can run 350 to 450 all day long without any problem’s .I am running 450 in a 1985 dodge crewcab 4×4 conversion and don’t have any problem’s .also got rid of the weak link 518 and went with a built up 47rh trans and Man what a difference it made .it will run all day long at 2100 rpm’s at 80 mph . and not break a sweat .
You’re doing that with a VE pump? I’ve heard that from others and I’m not going to argue with you except to say that you’ve got the exception and NOT the rule (it sure isn’t the case in our shop). I’ve seen a VE last about 10K miles set at 235; they even have problems set at 180 but most of them run past the year warranty so we set them at that and leave them. Half the cores we get in have got the cam plate and rollers either chipped, or completely destroyed. I might add that with the VE governor setup the way it is, the higher you set the fuel the less responsive the governor becomes. At 180 they’re still pretty sharp but at 235, they’re getting mushy. The inline (P-7100) however can deliver enough fuel to completely melt the back 2 pistons (a Cummins weak spot). It’ll never hurt the pump or the bottom end but the poor top end just can’t transfer the heat.
I owned a 91 ramcharger for a short time back in the early 00’s. I had pie in the sky dreams of doing this exact swap back then. I knew a guy at the local wrecking yard and they were getting a few totalled cummins trucks in at the time. It was an ex city of austin truck and was pretty clean. White with grey interior. 318 auto ac ps pb 235/75r15 highway tires and dog dish hubcaps and not much else. I gave $1500 for it. It was pretty roomy inside. (More so than the 85 Jimmy I have now.) unfortunately i was a broke apprentice electrician at the time and didnt really need a third (project) vehicle. The trans went out shortly after i bought it so i had to pay as much as i gave for the truck to have it rebuilt. I was a little disappointed in the performance as the truck had pretty tall gears (great for the highway but it kinda sucked in town off-road) i swapped a set of second hand 31×10.50×15 all terrain tires on it but it made the acceleration worse. I decided to sell it before i got innover my head. I got what i had in it ($3500).
This would be a real fun truck but a little outside my budget right now.
If you are going to do something this radical why not use V10 ?
It would probably be way lighter.
Not with my 10 foot pole ……
How about a 6.1 or 6.2 3G Hemi with a 5 speed auto?
main reason I do the cummins is the reliability and the smog exemption. Another huge plus is the fuel mileage. Honesty it drives like it came with the diesel from the factory and is really well balanced. I road trip it quite a bit to and from Baja and it drives down the freeway 75 80 all day long comfortably
Saints be praised, someone actually “dropped a Cummins in it”.
Ssssh! Don’t say that too loud; you’ll give someone the idea that they should push the envelope and drop in a 3408 Cat…
I KNOW the Owner he has done some very nice work . He also has done a crewcab dodge to cummin’s conversion they are fun to do and if done all the way from ground up can bring Big Money
And DEL Why would you use a Gas Sucking v10 YUK no point at least with a cummin’s it’s usable
Judging by the Bronco K5 Blazer market,these are sure to appreciate over the next few years. This one with what appears to be a quality conversion is well worth the asking price.
Luv it , Luv it , Luv it, I drove a Ramcharger for 9 years ,plowed with it , pulled boats , trailers , ran the crap out of it . tin worm finally got it . sold it and bought a Chevy blazer , big mistake ,Wish they made these again . This one looks solid !
Geomechs there is a few guy’s well into the 400’s with ve pump’s there is a shop in Idaho with 650 with a ve with twin’s .I have a 1985 dodge crewcab long bed converted to 4×4 and then I dropped a cummin’s in it . lifted with 37 in tall tires and 410 gear’s I run 2100 rpm’s at 85mph and it has plenty of pedal to go . egt’s are 900 cruising speed of85 this thing is like a swiss Watch . P Pump’s are for people that can’t get a ve to run :)
No one is going to mention the wrong grille?
My truck. It’s a Mexican 1996 grill. A few things are from a 96 I bought in Mexico. The rear hatch with the wiper and washer. The tailgate panel,seats,inside cab wiring harness doors and front clip are from the 96. I bought the ramcharger from a guy in garden grove Los Angeles. It had zero rust anywhere and it was pretty straight. Since it was a one owner truck and never really been off roaded mostly city driving it was a good truck to build.
96 Mexican grill. Same as 93 style I had to use it because of the inter cooler and ac condenser. Plus I like the look.
That is the 91.5 to 93 grill when you run a inner cooler you have to run the late style core support so it requires this grill.
Of the offerings from the big 3, I’ve always liked the Ramchargers and Broncos best. I’m more of a Scout fan, so I follow those more and hope to have one someday. Regarding diesel swaps, this reminds me of this cool Scout rig I’ve seen posted over the past several years from Oregon. It always intrigued me. Traveler body on a shortened 2500 Dodge Cummings pickup frame of similar vintage as the Ramcharger, I believe. They had to extend the hood and front fenders to give extra space for the long 6, plus account for the extra intercooler plumbing. Made it a bit “snouty”, but I think an interesting graft. Wanted similar $ to this one. I looked for the link but can’t find it. I think there still may be a YouTube video online from the owner showing the truck’s history with his family and documenting the conversion. Sweet story. Cool rigs all around.
Personally I can’t stand the racket those Cummins make, lots to love for some folks, but my hearing is bad enough. Sounds like a cement mixer on acid.
They’re pretty noisy but I like the sound lol. You can’t beat the reliability of them though. Plus torque is nice
Best sounding Diesel engine on the Market and it’s a medium duty engine not light duty like the other 2 . I call it Music to my Ear’s :)
Well I’m a very flattered to see my truck on here. Thanks Val for letting me know. It’s been a fun build nothing fancy but pretty much an original truck. If anybody is curious the front seat is a Mexican ramcharger seat so it does not storage in the center it just has a set of cup holders and a little seat. I also have the original radio that will still plug in to the factory harness. Only thing that doesn’t work is the 4×4 light (I’m assuming the switch is bad) and the cruise doesn’t work either.its all hooked up so probably something minor. Everything feels like it should and it’s my third ramcharger I’ve converted. Thanks so much for sharing my add again I’m very flattered.
I got an 79 RC bodys mint. Needs paint. Bone stock 318 4×4 323 gears. Even the air works
Question. Do you cuminis swaps. Id like to swap the gasser for a cummins . Also want a 5 sp manual. Dana 60s with a 3.07 gear range.
Do you or will you do something like this. Also want the dash to be cummins. All wiring to be factory. No cob jobs.
Thanks DJ
I live in Santee and see this truck on the 67 every once in a while and have also seen it on craigslist off and on over the last few years. Very nice truck. I have an 84 Ramcharger 4×4, silver with a black vertical mopar stripe in the rear and we’ve exchanged thumbs up a few times going down the road haha