Like this Ford Econoline that was featured on Friday, Dodge had its version of a cab-over design known as the A100. And as with the Ford, there was a pickup truck version too and today we have a beautiful 1968 A100 example for your review. This Dodge pickup truck is located in Lakeland, Florida and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $12,600, reserve not yet met.
Offered between 1964 and 1970, the A100 pickup truck was mechanically identical to the A100 van and was offered in both a three and five window cab configuration. Our five-window van appears as if we have found a time machine and stepped back into 1968. There’s little detail in the listing text but with a recorded 97K miles on its clock, it’s likely that this pickup has undergone a complete restoration. The listing mentions “garage kept” but it seems too perfect to have survived over a half-century, almost run the odometer around, and still look like this – it’s fabulous! When reviewing a vehicle, one always wants to point out strengths and weaknesses (not nitpicks exactly) but there isn’t much one can say in the case of this Dodge, it looks perfect!
And that same treatment extends to the cargo box as well – and there’s the conundrum, how do you use such a vehicle with its seven by five and a half foot carrying capacity without marring the cargo bed? You don’t want to apply a permanent spray-in bed liner but you could use a trimmed, thick rubber mat. The only problem there is the lack of sidewall protection.
Power is courtesy of a tried and true 140 gross HP, 225 CI “slant-six” engine connected to a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. According to the seller, “It simply runs and drives amazing(ly)“. Unfortunately, no image is provided and that’s less than ideal as the engine’s appearance can tell one quite a bit about a vehicle and how it has been maintained – it can help authenticate a mileage range as well.
The interior, spartan as it is, presents as perfectly as the exterior. The seats, while very sharp looking, appear to have been upholstered in blue velour (the seating surfaces) which is probably not the original material used – vinyl would have been more appropriate knowing this truck’s lot in life. The interior’s raw simplicity, while in step with 1968, wouldn’t make it with today’s automotive preferences – too bad in a way, sometimes less is more.
OK, it’s what to do with it time. I’m sort of kidding (sort of) with the above image, this A100 truck is way too nice to hack up into a dragster. And that’s the overall issue, it’s a truck, but as stated three paragraphs up, it’s in too nice a condition to use for any real utility purpose. Buy, drive and just enjoy I guess, wouldn’t you agree?
Oooooooh! I always wanted one of these pickups to go with window my van; but I never did find one! This one so NICE, but I’m not in the market now, as I’d just like to my van back on the road! GLWTA!! :-)
I think the Hallmark featured truck keepsake for 2021 is very close to this one. For my budget the Hallmark one fits a lot better. My younger brother had a ‘69 model he restored. He really liked it but my uncle had a ‘76 Ranchero for sale that barely had the paint on the manifolds scorched. My brother had a ready sale for the A-100 and he wanted the Ranchero. So he let the A-100 go…
that’s a sweet ride.
Beautiful build.Looks better now than when new.
A wonderful restoration on probably one of the worst vehicles known to man, the A100( or Ford Econoline) pickup. The “pilot house” cab is extremely rare, fact is, I don’t ever recall seeing one, even though Dodge pioneered the 5 window cab in the 50’s. A guy in my town restored one, only went the big V8 route, again ( and again) sheer novelty is what’s driving the price up, just wait until they actually drive it. You can restore anything to the 9’s, but can’t disguise, it’s still a poor rendition of a pickup.
Awesome looking truck. I’ve always found it way more attractive than Ford’s version, the Econoline.
I like these things but its design makes me think if you hit the brakes hard enough you can get it to stand on its nose
It’s been done. Propaganda film from GM failed to mention, they had 500 lbs. of ballast in the front of the Econoline. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/time-warp-theater-watch-the-econoline-truck-tip-while-braking-and-other-bad-habits-compared-to-the-corvair-truck/
Very x10 Cool! Always liked ’em, this one is done perfectly.
Looks can be deceiving!
I spent many hours in one just like this one except the blue was darker. It always seemed, as a passenger, you would fall through the windshield on braking. It was a fine truck and didn’t get it’s first set of rear brake shoes until 125,000 miles, and had it been mine I would have left them on for another 40,000 or so. As a side note I almost drove Bill Golden’s Army tank wheelstander for him. I was 17, my dad and I were at the strip and Bill got to talking with us and could tell I was a diehard moparman and that I was enamored with the Little Red Wagon and he said ” Son, come on down and I’ll put you in the tank and we’ll see how you do” my dad laughed and said no way. He was a hell of a nice guy, may he rest in piece.
I have a ’65 Econoline pickup, body is rougher by far, but I have it back in mechanical nick. Way more Spartan than the Dodge.
The Econoline has a 160-lb pig-iron weight bolted at the rear, over the gas tank, to address the hard-braking nose-over effect. Fortunately, mine’s still there.
Love the truck, it’s cheap & reliable and can hold a 4×8 sheet of plywood flat. I’ll be driving it more once i install 3-point seatbelts – it has none at all.
There’s a site for nat sales listing of these (p/u only – all 3 co’s) for those wanting one. My fav, van (not p/u van) 1st gen cheb (B4 all usa cos ’64/6) was made a few yr simultaneously w/the Greenbriar (‘61/5) a more vedub-like usa van (air cooled/rear engine). I think the Greenbriar was the only one that ran w/o a counter weight engineered in (in back). The “E” had 165 lb weight over rear axel! I like the “A” for the slant 6 & split windshield, but still the 1st gen “G” has got my vote, even as I owned a 108 WB 2nd gen (lived in and used for wrk ’72/5 as did college (undergrad) – crazy 20somethings!