This 1986 Dodge W250 “Power Ram” is an original paint survivor with under 60,000 original miles. It sports the preferred combo of four-wheel-drive and a 5.2L V8. It’s always amazing to find workhorses like these in survivor-grade condition because they clearly weren’t intended to be put away and kept out of the rain. Still, many owners of 1980s trucks like these seemingly did just that, perhaps because the truck was bought in retirement after the hard working days were over. Whatever the motivation behind preserving trucks like this Dodge, we love to see them like this. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $25,000 and the option to submit a best offer.
The 4×4 pickups just present so well right out of the gate owing to that burly stance. Combined with the knobby tires and white-painted steel wheels, it’s just a classic look that can’t be beat. The tell-tale signs of cosmetic faults just aren’t present here, as the bumper chrome is outstanding and the lettering on the tailgate is near-perfect. The factory-style exhaust is still present and may be original for all we know; it’s just nice to see a V8 truck that doesn’t have a cheap aftermarket setup.
As you would expect with an exterior this nice, the Dodge looks even better inside. That’s not an easy color to keep clean, either, so kudos have to be given to the previous owner(s) who evidently took great pride in this W250. The seller reports that the heat and air conditioning work as they should, and that it is indeed a one-owner example (well, at least until this dealer got their hands on it.) While the mileage may be low, plenty of abuse can happen in 60,000 miles, and that’s just not the case here.
The Dodge looks right under hood as well, and that 318 will likely outlast the next owner of this tidy specimen. Known for its longevity, this mill with such low mileage is likely to return very low annual ownership costs, which is another bonus to investing in a survivor truck like this. The asking price may be high but with so many boxes being checked from an equipment standpoint, I can’t blame the seller for trying. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.
The Cummins( 1989) changed everything. Old men and farmers who couldn’t get IHs anymore, went with Dodge. Otherwise, these flew under the radar, just a Dodge pickup, and never achieved #1, UNTIL the diesel. While the others offered diesels, they were no match for a respected name like Cummins, and Dodge knew it. I’d have to say, since the rest of the truck was nothing special, it was the Cummins that put them on top. These are great trucks, many might remember my “farm” stories with a truck just like this, only about 5/8ths of it missing. Proof positive here, some “old guy” loved his Dodge pickup, you won’t find a nicer one. HOWEVER, ( I’m famous for “bottom lines”), it’s a 1986 Dodge 3/4 ton 4×4. It’s an “old” style pickup, and rides and performs like one. A new RAM, it ain’t. I don’t know if $25gs is out of line or not. For me it is.
One thing about the Dodge diesels is that they’re
about the noisiest pickups on the road (& off road).
We had one of the ’90’s Dodge diesels in our
Fire Department that I got to drive.I was amazed at
how nice it drove.As it was one of the older rigs in the
department,I enquired about buying it.I was told that,
since it had such low miles,they planned on keeping it.
When I told one of the Fire Captains that I was
interested in buying it,he laughed at me,& told me that
there was a long list of guys in the department that were
also interested in buying it.
I think it’s still in service as a utility truck.
Pickup is in pretty good condition and it’s a 3/4 ton. The 318 is a long life engine because they rarely ever made enough power to hurt themselves. That engine in a pickup that was designed to pull and haul heavy this is a bad combination, that little gas engine would not live long doing what the pickup was designed to do.
We used Dodge D400 3 tons with 318 V8 , 4 speed w/2 speed axle all through the 60’s. Never even had a head off. The local Ford dealer said you would never get the milage we got on a Ford without at least a valve job. After Dodge stopped making medium & heavy duty trucks we switched to Internationls.
Totally wrong, I have had over 8 of these, mostly 318 snow commanders, will take anything you could give it, plow 24 hours, loaded with sand/salt. Hauling, soil, mulch, no problems ever, all made over 200k or close, but frames cracked or beds rotted away. But engines and trannys will last 4 ever.
I like this truck, but alas, it is sold. 😕
I wonder what it went for…