What is it about old short-wheel base vans that gets them so much love from enthusiasts of all stripes? I don’t know about you, but the proportions always seem just right to me. This nicely preserved Dodge Ram Van goes one step further and is optioned with the extremely rare manual transmission. The seller says it remains nicely preserved with minimal rust and a fine-running slant six. Find it here on craigslist for $6,500 or go here if the ad disappears.
I doubt very many of these utilitarian vans were optioned with manuals and I’m certain very few are left. This one was a stripper from the factory, with manual steering to go along with that unusual stick shift. The seller points out the first owner sprung for A/C at least, so while a smooth-shifting automatic held no appeal, staying cool inside the cabin certainly did. Door panels, seats and carpets all look perfectly serviceable.
The interior shows some indications this van almost went down a very funky path, but thankfully, it remains in largely stock condition today. The seller says the paint would bounce back nicely with just a buff, and he sourced the original steel wheels and hubcaps along with weather-checked tires. Not too many of these could have been spec’d with fire-engine red paint, unless this was formerly owned by a municipality that used it for ambulance duties.
The seller points out this was the last year Dodge used the dependable Slant-6 engine, which will never win a drag race but will provide years of dependable service. Lots of recent maintenance has been tackled, too, including: rebuilt carburetor, new alternator, new clutch and pressure-plate, and new brakes all around. Convert it to a camper or simply use-as for lugging around all the stuff you don’t want to put it the trunk of your daily. The possibilities are endless!
Anyone into vans should be interested. Dodge vans were notorious for rotting away.
It’s interesting, but a close look at the few pictures that show a glimpse of the rockers and lower quarter panels show more rust than the seller suggests. The asking price would be in the ballpark for a dry, west coast van.
Steve R
Its got the right hubcaps for sure I like red trucks and the red dash is very rare. However in 1981 I bought a new van just like this one but tan and I broke my right foot by mashing the pedal to the floor for hours at a time. My earlier 1973 B100 3 on tree w 318 got easy 20+mpg hwy the 6cyl didnt do any better so go w the 318 when you can.
still this is a great van to lock on to, they haven’t made them this good for years. Clifford makes goodies for slant sixes but I would be tempted to drop in a 5.9 from a pickup w OD AT.
I agree with you on the 5.9 but no way in hell I’d make it an automatic
This has a very awkward shifting position.
I work for a large city and we had a whole fleet of red Dodge shorties like this, except automatics and no a/c. Staffers hated them, they rode rough, had evil handling and kept breaking down. No such issues with the Econolines that won the following tender.
I’ve never seen or heard of a full size van with a manual transmission!…….and I’m 50 years old!
I’ve never heard of a full sized 50 year old that didn’t know that vans came with a ‘three on the tree’, or granny floor mounted four speeds back then. In Germany, huge passenger buses have 5 and 6 speed manual transmissions. That alone would hospitalize most American drivers
The Ram Promaster van was manual only until it was redone for the USA.
Correction, I’ve heard of “three on the tree” manual column shift full size vans “back in the day” but I’ve never seen or heard of a floor mounted shifter in one. But then again, I’m not much of a van guy!
The manual van to have is 1990-91 E150 w mustang trans stick coming up thru the motor box cover. I’ve had lots of manual vans including a real nice Astro RS I converted to 5sp. It had 4.11 rear gears, 200hp 4.3 HO, Love those manuals.
There are no signs of it ever having ” Free Candy” lettering on the sides, which is a good thing.
I’m pretty sure those vans were all black or navy blue…
LOL! The interior has to go…velour………..the fugliest……Be better bare! Glad its far away!
The ad claims it had factory a/c, but that looks like an aftermarket system to me. A/c does not appear to be integrated into the heater controls, and the knob for a foot well vent is present. Still, it’s a good thing that it’s so far away, as I might otherwise have had to go pay it a visit. In my misspent youth, I often played with pricing this configuration from the Edmunds guess. I would have insisted on opening windows instead of fixed ones, but everything else about it seems fine…
Last time one of these was on here, someone posted a link to a video about the Japanese racing subculture for these. Really; these loony Japanese gearheads are track-racing SWB Dodge vans. It was hilarious fun, and this van is a prime candidate for export to Japan.
In Japan they are also racing long wheel base dodge vans. Dodgeban or something like that. Youtube has videos of it.
Dajiban!
I drove a ’77 Dodge van when I was an outside tech for Ma Bell. It originally came with 3 on the tree but it was always malfunctioning. The mechanics finally installed an aftermarket Hurst 3 speed floor shifter mounted just to the right of the front seat, right on top of the transmission. Apparantly Hurst saw a market for this very odd but effective shifter. The crew thought I was pretty cool to have a Hurst in my Telephone van.
I too put a hurst shifter in my 73 dodge van. It was the coolest thing, but prevented the drivers seat from swiveling all the way around.
I have this van in a white 1984 with the slant 6 and 4 on the floor. 2 cross country trips and 1 trip to nova scotia….and still going strong
I had an 82 one of these. Went through 3 transmissions inn 55,000 miles. Factory specified auto trans oil. Always wanted to try regular great oil.
This is approximately $2,500 worth of cool.
Drove a 69 Dodge shorty in Uncle Sams band in Germany 318- 3 in the tree von von on Autobahn 100mph or more….
had one, 318with4 speedmanual, 4th gear was overdrive….back in the day, Dodge Street van was all the rage.
insulated it,
paneling, custom rear seats and bed in the back…….
Stud!
I owned this same exact van minus the A/C in Dark Blue. 250k miles when I sold it. Great truck, slow as a slug though.
Was roaming the junkyard the other day and came across a 90 dodge Ram 318 manual. Wonder if anyone has ever done a manual swap to the vans? I have an 86 B150 would love to swap over from auto eventually haha.