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Rust-Free Montana Truck: 1987 Dodge Ram D150

This 1987 Dodge D150 shortbed pickup has a great look, doesn’t it? It’s as if it may have been a forest service truck or a similar agency pickup. Being from Montana appears to have saved it from rust, although I believe that they use some sort of salt mixture on the roads in the winter. The seller has it listed here on eBay in Great Falls, Montana and the current bid price is $2,051 but the reserve isn’t met.

Ok, hit the brakes for a minute, this side isn’t looking too hot. It’s still rust-free but that smashed door (does it look like it previously had Bondo on it?) and maybe the fender makes me hold back on bidding. I would love to have a truck like this but I have over a half-dozen projects now. Thankfully, the seller is including another door and the fender shouldn’t be a big deal to get ready for paint. It also needs a windshield so there’s that. As a general reference, Hagerty is at $3,600 for a #4 fair condition truck which with the work that’s needed, seems like a safe bet, no?

That being said, every other area of this Dodge half-ton D150 looks great to me. It’s a two-wheel-drive truck as the “D” tells us – as opposed to a “W” which would be a 4×4 – so you’d have to load the box with sandbags or something in the winter to have a chance of getting around if you drive it in the snow. The bed itself looks good with just some honest wear inside. DODGE – DODGE RAM. There’s no mistaking who made this truck.

The interior looks almost perfect, just a little dirty and a small wear spot or tear on the side of the driver’s side of the bench seat. It has a 4-speed manual transmission. The seller says that this truck has 127,000 miles on it which is hard to believe seeing how good it looks, other than the driver’s door. The underside almost makes me weep it’s so solid after having lived with rusty beaters in the upper-midwest for five decades.

The engine is Dodge’s 225 slant-six, which in this case would have had around 100 horsepower. This truck has power steering, power brakes, and air-conditioning and those are three nice features that none of my Dodge vans had back in the early-80s. Have any of you owned a Dodge pickup from this era?

Comments

  1. Avatar Bluetec320 Member

    I’m not a fan of that toothpaste green paint! Also, are those front tires retreads?

    Like 4
    • Avatar Steve R

      I doubt it will stay this shade of green for long. It’s a rust free standard cab short bed, it has “future project” written all over it.

      Steve R

      Like 7
      • Avatar skorzeny

        Insert V-8 of choice and drive for the next 50 years…

        Like 12
      • Avatar John

        It will run for 50 more years even if you do nothing. A “real” truck..

        Like 5
      • Avatar SirRaoulDuke

        There’s a fan base for Forest Service Green. That project just might be to restore it to its former glory…with a 4×4 conversion, of course.

        Like 1
    • Avatar George Simpson

      Looks like the same on the back but I’m not positive. My thing is it’s a slant six only putting out a hundred horsepower and running power steering and air. Not going anywhere in a hurry lol. Nice old truck though and I’d gladly drive it on the off day I don’t want to drive my 87 Chevrolet stepside with the 305 TBI and factory 400 transmission.

      Like 4
    • Avatar bobk

      I believe that there must be federal and state laws requiring that all government trucks must be painted really awful colors,…like toothpaste green, mustard yellow, and so forth.

      Like 7
      • Avatar nlpnt

        If so it’s been repealed, even the Forest Service goes for “fleet white” now.

        Yellow or orange are still common in highway departments and utilities where visibility is an important consideration.

        Like 1
  2. Avatar Gary

    Was this the last year for the slant six? I believe 1983 was the last year for passenger cars, but when the trucks? I think the cars were down to 90 HP in 1983, yet you say this truck has 100. Were there still truck differences for emissions by 1987?

    Like 1
    • Avatar Bob C.

      1987 was the last year for the slant six in trucks. How much power? Couldn’t say. It was only available in 1 barrel form by this point IIRC. Good thing it has a stickshift.

      Like 2
  3. Avatar Steveo

    It’s been fine the way it is for going on 35 years and now every expert wants to mess with it, double the cost to buy it with ‘improvements’, and make it into something it never was intended to be. It’s a sweet little truck for occasional light hauling. That’s why it’s still nice.

    Like 36
    • Avatar Chris M.

      Couldn’t agree more. It’s perfect with the /6 4 speed combo. Loose the WalMart hubcaps and run factory police wheels and enjoy. Rust free Dodge pickups are not easy to find.

      Like 28
      • Avatar nlpnt

        I’d even just give the existing steelies a fresh coat of silver paint and be on the lookout for original base-trim truck dog dish hubcaps.

        Like 1
  4. Avatar CaptMark

    Had a 1990 with 360 and 4 speed. Put 225 k on it when odometer stopped. Had it another ten years. Guessing 300 k when sold, ran and shifted fine. Rust started to get ahold, sold when still a solid runner. Great trucks if this was only closer

    Like 9
  5. HoA Howard A Member

    This a great find. It is no doubt a forestry truck. I read, certain colors were reserved for certain govt. entities, like olive drab for army, blue for air force and this shade of green for the forestry dept. They weren’t available to the public, so when one like this shows up in the private sector, it had to a forestry truck. In a truck like this, the 6 is more than adequate. Shorty 2wd doesn’t weigh much, and I’d personally want an automatic, but this will cruise along at 60 and deliver decent mileage. Can’t go wrong here.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Skorzeny

      Until you try to merge into modern traffic with the crap 6…

      Like 3
      • Avatar RGSmith1

        I had one just like this. I had no problem merging into traffic. The 6 was a tough little motor. Unfortunately the dreaded tin worm ended up eating it here in NW lower Michigan 😕😪.

        Like 5
      • Avatar TimS

        Modern traffic? It isn’t as if today’s plastic grayscale jellybeans travel at warp 1 and shoot lasers or anything like that. How fast do you think you need to go?

        Like 6
  6. Avatar Joe Haska

    I would love to have this truck. I had a 69 Dart 225 SlNt 6, std 3 speed, what a great little driver. This truck would be better, A/C, PS, great mileage and rare. I would give it a great stance, cool tires and wheels maybe paint or a chemical paint restoration and of course the fender and door. Next drive it everyday.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Dog father

    I owned an 85 D150 for 12 years. Had the 318 and the fussy carburetor. Took it to several mechanic shops and nobody could make it run right. In winter, I had to jam my snow brush on the accelerator and let it run until it warmed up

    Like 2
    • HoA Howard A Member

      What happened, was the exhaust crossover in the intake manifold would become clogged, and the manifold would ice up, and they never ran right.

      Like 2
  8. Avatar RalleyeRimRay Member

    Skorzeny : So much hate and negative vibes….Slant 6 a crap motor….really…at least 75% or REAL car enthusiasts probably have POSITIVE things to say about this engine from their past experiences. Skorzeny : enlighten all of us with your wealth of automotive knowledge…what cars/trucks do you REALLY own/drive/like ??? My shop truck is my 1978 D150 ClubCab, shortbox with a factory 440, original paint, lowered 3″, new suspension & 4 wheel disc brakes, fresh 1969 440…strong high 12 second 1/4 mile times……but not so good mpg…..lol !! Take a deep breath Skorzeny….not so much hate, we are all normal car enthusiasts…..

    Like 10
  9. Avatar RalleyeRimRay Member

    Skorzeny : The 440 in my 1978 Dodge D150 ClubCab shortbox. Show us all one of your vehicles and/or your engine please.

    Like 7
  10. Avatar Russell

    Why all the boohooing the forest service green? I love that color, and just bought a 96 Cherokee ex-forest service 4wd Jeep. Build sheet shows HD cooling, trans cooler, HD suspension full set of skid plates, trac loc rear, AT tires, and that oh so lovely Green that sets it apart from the normal Cherokees. Like Smokey the bears says “Keep it Green”!

    Like 7
    • Avatar Larry

      I really do like that shade of green!

      Like 2
  11. Avatar Mark P

    I had two, an 84 D250 and an 85 D150. Of all the trucks I’ve had the 250 is still a favorite. 360ci and automatic with the full floating rear axle and factory 16.5″ steel Bud wheels. Very heavy duty truck. Got 10mpg empty or fully loaded. Once had to be flat bed towed home, driver said it was real heavy on his truck. The D150 was a slant six with 4spd on the floor. Short bed. Love any straight six, air pump disconnected and cat removed I was amazed at the performance boost. Enjoyed both and used the he’ll out of them.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar mikeh

    I’m just surprised that ol’ Ronald Reagan popped for factory A/C on that USFS pickup. We’re still paying interest on that little chunk of national debt, no doubt

    Like 2
  13. Avatar HermieB

    Not noted, but wouldn’t it be a 4 speed OVERDRIVE transmission?

    Like 1
  14. Avatar Russ Ashley

    I had a 76 Aspen station wagon with that “crap” six (see above) and four speed overdrive with factory air, and I drove it everywhere and even was able to merge into today’s freeway traffic. I put 201K miles on it with virtually no troubles (or rust) ever. I got 25 mpg on the highway with it and only traded it because I wanted a Dodge Diplomat two door car with automatic. I got an 81 model with another six, automatic, and factory air, and had plenty enough power to merge into freeway traffic.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar John

    Yup, drove part time a Dodge Taxi W/6 and auto in it, PSPBAC, great car had enough power for anything and got great milage in town not like the “modern” 6’s or 4’s now a days that get lousy milage. But a 4 puts out as much power HP as an old V8

    Like 1
  16. Avatar Steve R

    Sold with a high bid of $3,900, there were 35 bids spread out among 16 bidders.

    Steve R

    Like 1
    • Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      Thanks, Steve, I was just going to give an auction update. I’m not sure if it sold, it just says that the auction ended with the highest bid being $3,900?

      Like 1

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