There’s an entire era of vehicles that has been cast aside for years, usually for good reason: they were economy cars, expensive to maintain, or simply unloved when new. The 1983 Dodge Rampage fell into the category of being a somewhat disposable vehicle, but there’s an emerging appreciation for ones that have survived. This example is a 1983 model with the preferred manual transmission, under 100,000 miles, and clean inside and out. Of course, it’s from Oregon – the land of rust-free survivors of cars that have died everywhere else. Find it here on eBay with bidding over $2,000 and no reserve.
I don’t know what it is about Oregon, but whenever I visit there, I cannot stop photographing cars and trucks that are in use as daily transportation. I wouldn’t be surprised that this Rampage was still picking up loads from the farmer’s market, or some obscure hardware store, up until a few days before it got listed on eBay. The body looks to be in excellent shape, nice and straight down the sides, and the seller calls it “all original” which I’d assume to mean factory paint. The old-school Oregon license plates are a nice touch.
The interior really is a high point, with bucket seats that present way better than the mileage would suggest. Carpets look clean too, and the rest of the pictures show an uncracked dash and a period-correct radio in the dash. Despite having the ability to haul small loads, the Rampage never had the payload to do truly heavy-duty work – which allowed them to remain in better shape than larger pickup trucks. However, the problem is survivability, which is why so few exist today in any condition, much less minty-fresh like this one.
Of course, when you see the condition of the bed, it’s obvious that the longtime elderly owner didn’t put much undue stress on the Rampage. Will a Rampage ever be collectible? I’m not sure, but I’m not ready to cast it aside as an impossibility. Take something as unique as a Rampage, with a body-style that hasn’t been replicated in the modern era, and you can start to see how emerging collectors from Generation X may begin to take note of an oddball they owned in Hot Wheels form but haven’t see in the flesh in decades.
I’d love to have this….but, I don’t need another car…MUST RESIST URGE!!! GLWTA :-)
Sorry moparman…on a split second decision…I bought it…will let you know how it goes……………….Ole Vet…
Will recieve car on the 9th Moparman……lookin forward to it!!!………………Ole Vet…
Elderly owner? Sure. The ad also says it is a factory radio, sure again. A little fabrication here? How come no engine shots? These looked better with four headlamps, but I will admit, it is a sharp little unit.
If it is a one owner since 1983 up until now, which would be easy to prove, then the owner would likely be elderly! So I don’t doubt that.
Well since it is a one owner since 1983 until now, it is likely the owner is elderly! So I see no reason to doubt that.
Depends on what you call elderly I guess.
What motor would this rampage have ?
Standard was a 2.2 with a carb.
The Rampage/Scamp all had the 2.2 liter four cylinder.
This, in the same driveway as the Olds Starfire a few entries south, would be the fulfillment of a crazy dream.
“…sharp little unit…”
yep, 950# load capacity out back? Plenty for me. Lub’em,
the ’60s ranchero, BRAT, etc. Just here needs cover on back.
(& as a DD – 4 me, an auto).
These are 4 bolt wheels. There was another set of 4 bolt wheels available wasn’t there ?
Or were those optional Omni wheels ?
Anyways I have an entire set in the basement
These are really great car/trucks. The manual trans is a real bonus. Amazing snow monsters too. Lots of quirky things will break, but this rig is more than meets the eye
Our family, including myself, has had several Omni/horizon variants, one of them being a first year 79 024, which this is derived from. I’ve had a few beater 4 doors that I use for pizza deliveries, and aside from Mickey Mouse stuff going wrong, they were always dependable. The bidding is at $2750 now, if it stays under 3k, it would be very well bought. Darn sure you’re not going to find one like this here in the Midwest. Too bad not closer to home, or I’d be putting in a bid.
Sure would like to put one of my 340’s in it!!!!!
Terry – You would have to build an entire chassis to do that – these babies were all front wheel drive – similar layout to the Dodge Neon.
The 340 engine/trans unit would take up much of the little space in the interior unless the front clip was extended forward.
You’d be better off getting a Valiant ute from Australia, or turning a Valiant/Dart station wagon into a ute, which would require very little chassis modification other than strengthening the lower unibody rails to make up for the roof section removal.
A late model VW Golf GTi drivetrain would fit.
There’s a salvage yard in Tennessee that’ll palletize a complete running drivetrain with all engine management equipment right down to the gauges and key in ignition chimes..
But money…
Don’t know if a lot of people are aware of this, but at least the first year, if not the second, first issue Omni/Horizons all came with the same VW engine straight out of the Rabbit.
Doug, didn’t know it was that much involved to input a small block into a Rampage. I seen one at a drag track in South Florida several years ago and it was quick being as light as it was. I knew the rear would have to be narrowed and fabricate the engine department to handle the extra weight and HP. It was just a “DREAM”, as the same in a Prowler. I do agree, keep it as it is.
I owned a 1983 Dodge Rampage. It was the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. It came with aluminum mags that I’ve never seen on anything else, a fake hood scoop, a 2.2 litre engine (not Turbo Charged), a 5 speed transmission and a truly horrible cable gear shift that could not be induced into a powershift. Trying to get gas into the tank took a long time. I put a matching cap and a bed liner on the back and since it was black, it looked like a hearst for midgets and got over 30 mph.
Other than that, it was perfectly balanced. I travelled everywhere in that Rampage at 80+ mph in blizzards, blinding rain, ice storms and normal weather. That is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that handled all weather conditions like dry pavement. It found steep mountains a challenge but other than that, it did what I needed. I hauled plenty of manure on weekends while landscaping my garden. Since I was the Sears National Men’s Visual Merchandiser I had occasion to haul loads of mens suits in it since I used to do studio set ups for commercials. That little truck was the first vehicle to have the air vents placed so you could aim a strong warm blast at your hands in subzero weather and the engine heated up so fast it was pumping warm air in seconds flat from below zero temperatures.
One time in Toronto we had a major blizzard. The snow was so deep cars and buses were getting stuck in the middle of the street. The hill from the Don Valley Parkway to Don Mills road had a line of cars stuck at the bottom and the downhill side had been barricaded at the top by the road crews. I drove around everyone and climbed the hill on the wrong side of the road like there was no traffic.
The Dodge Rampage was absolutely unbeatable as a commuter vehicle in the 80s in my opinion and I’d buy another one today if I had somewhere to put it.
I’ve had 3 Jeeps and two Dodge Rams as well as many other cars, trucks and muscle cars. None of them could touch a Rampage for handling in weather that would stop anything else.
I often thought about dropping an AMC 401 in it but didn’t have an engine at the time. Now I have engines and no Rampage…
I love this! Upgrade the wheel/tire combo (+2?), lower it a bit, put a wood bed in it, freshen the paint, and drive the snot out of it! Doubt you’d see another at your local Cars & Coffee!
Wood bed in it? And reduce the already small cargo area and payload? You must be thinking of a traditional RWD Lil Red Express, F-100 or C-10.
Why do those guy’s want to put a V-8 in it? Can’t they leave well enough alone? Maybe a bigger I-4, but no more than that. Maybe a 2.5 from a Plymouth Acclaim.
I love these cars. The Rampage, Charger,GLH ,DaytonaZ what they didn’t have in horsepower they made up in fuel mileage,handling and fun. I consider my GT Cruiser the grandson of those cars 200hp.and a hoot to drive. I wish I had the money to buy one of each and a warehouse to keep them in. Along with the Mustang SVO the GMC Typhoon, and all those great 80’s cars that kept driving fun alive.
I had a 1984 Rampage with automatic transmission in the 1990s. Very dependable, but very poor build quality and very “tinny”. I don’t think Chrysler put any sound insulation in the thing anywhere. They rode like a rock, with stiff suspension and you felt and heard every stone, pebble, and road expansion joint. The guy above who wants to lower it is nuts. It’s got about 5 inches of ground clearance as-is. The door/window and tailgate “hardware” were always breaking, mainly because they were made of plastic. When one of the front U-joints went south, I had to replace the whole hub assembly to the tune of about $500, so I fixed it and rapidly sold it. Loved the gas mileage and the handy bed that would haul engines to the machine shop and seats to the upholsterer.
I only had 2 repairs in over 150,000 miles. One was a braided steel tailgate strap and the other was the shifter cable. I drove I at least 60 miles evert day. Had no sound issues or tinny sounds possibly because it had all the sound proofing. I traded it because an A pillar rusted due to a sunroof seal failure I didn’t notice until too late.
I agree, lowering a Rampage would not do it or the driver any favours. The original brakes and exhaust were still in place when I trade it. My driving was all highway at high speed, so not much braking and no time for condensation or other dampness on the exhaust. No speeding tickets either.
We drove to Florida and back once and to the east coast a couple of times, once in winter. Like I said a fantastic vehicle. I wish they still made them.
Probably the easiest engine swap that would have lots of potential would be to swap in a turbo 2.2, preferably out of a GLH-S.
I borrowed one of these from everyone’s favorite Mopar vintage parts dealer, Frank Mitchell, RIP. I was in Georgia seeking parts for a Dodge van and used it to pick up an 833 4-speed transmission. I loved it. I am 6’4″ 280 (at the time), and I fit into it just fine, which is a rarity. I would love to have this, and it makes me happy to see all the positive comments.
Sold for $3205