It’s rare that you find a truck that checks a few different boxes that most enthusiasts would deem essential: low mileage, V8 power, four-wheel-drive, and outstanding cosmetic condition. Now, the real humdinger would be if said truck was offered with no reserve, but that’s not going to happen for a truly desirable specimen like this 1986 Dodge Ram 2500, listed here on eBay with bids to just over $13,000 and the reserve unmet.
With classic 1980s truck colors and the attractive stance that only a 4WD truck can have, this Dodge Ram has a lot of eyeball appeal. The chrome bumpers and steel wheels with hubcaps round out the looks, and overall, the cosmetics alone make it worthy of a higher bid. The seller notes that he is the second official owner of record, and that the longtime original owner provided the truck to him with a variety of documentation and also confirmed that the paint and interior are original.
You can usually tell when a cabin hasn’t been messed with. There’s just something about the appearance that suggests it’s still in the same shape as it was when it left the factory. The stitching isn’t off, the padding looks correct, the carpets aren’t some cheap aftermarket replacement – the tell-tale signs are prevalent in a cabin that has been quickly refreshed. The listing notes that the air conditioning and heater still work, and that four-wheel-drive engages as it should.
The bed photo is yet another classic sign that a truck is as original as the seller claims, and that it hasn’t been abused by a previous owner. You can see in the case of this Dodge that it was not used for hauling all that often as the bed paint is impeccable while still being just dull enough to suggest it hasn’t been recently repainted. The seller notes the fluids have recently been changed and the transmission serviced, and that a new set of tires have been mounted. This Dodge looks like a survivor in every sense of the word, and hopefully, it will attract more bids before the end of the auction.
Nice truck , it will be interesting what the final price is . I’m guessing 318 as in this time period everything got a 318 but it has the rare A/C option that is so needed now days!
I use to own exact truck bought it new came with a 360
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this truck on E-bay before. It was a while back. Being a 250 and what looks like a stripper, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it were a 360, but pictures at the bottom of the See Full Description hyperlink confirm it as a 318.
There’s also a pic of the original window sticker. 2 things to note: 1) the truck only cost $15k when it was new and despite the overdrive automatic trans, it’s rated at 13 MPG highway.
I love my old Dodge Trucks, but I’d have to pass on this one due to the money, both to buy it and feed it.
It’s been on here and on ebay before. See the May 6, 2023 listing. And that listing notes it was on here before that too, so this is the third time.
It is a nice truck by appearances but I wonder if the seller is realistic about what it’s actually worth. Maybe that will explain why it’s been on the market so many times.
Agree. These trucks always exceed the retail price when they were new today. Too much for a 1986 truck, dodge, ford, chevy or GMC for that era 4×4 or not. Its what the buyer & seller agree to. But not me!
jake i just went back and looked. something is fishy.
1) i don’t recall the od autos being available before the 318 got tbi. this one is carbed.
2) the od trans trucks have a button on the dash to disable overdrive. it’s not here
and
3) the paper he posted states 4spd manual
and 3sp auto under the mileage rating
I stand corrected.*DGA Automatic Transmission is listed as part of the Manufacturers Equipment (Installed). I remember the Electric Overdrive coming out in the mid-to-late 1980s and it makes sense to bring it out with the TBI system (even the one as bad as Chrysler’s first tries – but at least it wasn’t the dreaded Electronic Carter BBD).
My dad and his girlfriend had this truck but in dark blue. It had 40000 miles on it when they sold it. To her son..who blow up the motor in the truck which was a 360.
Nice but everyone’s romantic high school dream of the “good old cars” is just that. They forget how bad vehicles from like 73 to 99 actually we’re. Anything that era is garbage. Constantly broke down, underpowered, ride and handle like 💩 and rust to nothing. In my honest opinion anything over a few grand for them it’s crazy . No matter how nice it looks, it’s a soon to be money pit
Why would a/c be needed now, but not back then? Summers were hot in the late 80’s, too.
Florida + hottest year since records kept
By how many degrees?
Grant, if I truly believed that, and were truly convinced that the changes were due to the hypothesis presented, I certainly wouldn’t be in the market for an old 3/4 ton Dodge 4wd with a V8. “The temps are rising and our grandkids won’t survive. Thank God it’s got AC!”
Great response.
Summers were hot then but not to the extent as they are today. Most pick ups then A/C was optional. Many of em, you rolled down the windows with the cranks and opened the side window & or the back cab window with your elbow on the edge of the door and the wind blowing across your face & you acting cool. Lol
It is predicted to be .8 degrees hotter here tomorrow than it was on the same date in 1986. Seriously. Politics aside, do you think you can really feel a .8 degree change in ambient temperature and that whatever the average temp is now vs what it was in 1986 would make air conditioning necessary now, but not “back then” in 1986?
simple big c… i’m not as young as i once was, with too many bouts of heatstroke under my belt. so i don’t take the heat well any more. heck even my garage is air conditioned. now if a rig doesn’t have it, i’m adding it or passing it by
A very nice truck. The 318 is an odd choice in a HD truck, but since it’s a Custom trim level, you could pretty much order any combination you wanted. Everything is period and looks original. It’s nuts that the gauges all still work, typically the 1st Gens at least one if not all of them are off by a lot. Also, it looks like the smog control is complete as well. Boy, no one at all was under the hood tinkering. Oh, Jeff, this truck is not a 2500. Dodge didn’t get 1500/2500/3500+ till the new model in 94. This truck is a W250 (W for the 4×4 vs D for the 4×2, then 250 HD setup just like a Ford).
According to Forbes, it’s a whopping 1.8°F warmer today than in the year 1750 long before this 1986 Dodge was manufactured, and about 150 years before most fossil fuel vehicles. Although it was much warmer in history prior to 1750, as during the reign of the dinosaurs.
Had an eighty six bought new with 318 auto. Changed the oil every 3000 miles and drove it half a million miles. great truck, replacing it is a 2006 Cummins same color, still rocking it
Leave it to a bunch of Neanderthals to have a climate debate on a listing for vintage Dodge truck. Sheesh.
Since you’ve mentioned it let’s ask BA which way he leans since he started it.
LORD HELMET; Thanks for saying what most of us are thinking.
Had a d100 short bed that same color with slant six and manual transmission, a basic truck but so easy to work on reliable and bulletproof