1987 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4

What did Chrysler Corporation’s most famous factory drag racing team have in common with Dodge’s response to the Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer? And what bizarre contraption helps the front drive axle save fuel? It’s all here in this video!

[@leegeiger7140]

Ramcharger and Plymouth Trailduster, were great choices by Chrysler, to name their SUVs.

[@bobhill3941]

Yes they were. To me, the Rancharger will always be Chuck Norris's ride in Lone Wolf McQuade and Javier Bardem's in No country for old Men. Thanks to Steve, I now know they were both second gens.

[@guns-gas-diesel]

As was Blazer and Bronco. That thing should have been saved long ago.

[@ClaremontClassicGarage]

I miss all my old Ramchargers. The roof was steel. Took about 4 guys to take it off. 74 Ramchargers had topless doors. They were beautiful.

[@josephkutta599]

We did it with 3 guys. Off wasn't bad. Left it off most of Summer. Back on was a Sumbitch. Never removed it Again. Topless was Kool though.

[@ClaremontClassicGarage]

@Larissa Powell just the 74. 75-80 had full doors.

[@tomh507]

Love these trucks. Fun fact: the 318 got the Magnum treatment in 1992 while the bigger 360 didn't get an upgrade until '93; meaning in 1992 you could get the base 230 HP 5.2 OR get the optional 360 with... 190 HP lol

[@oldschooldodge1]

Yes in 1978 Dodge did use the Mitsubishi diesel in the Ram. Very rare but they still exist. I have seen a couple of them personally in unmolested condition

[@Truckguy2007]

I remember seeing a Mitsubishi diesel ramcharger in a dealership in Connecticut. Probably 1978 or 79.

[@BuiltXBuehn]

Came to the comments to see if anyone else has seen them! There’s actually a couple vids on here of some survivors with the Mitsu motor, the mistake was they were none turbocharged and I think that motor put out like 90ish hp and torque was low too for a diesel I’m sure mpg for the time was outstanding though

[@samholdsworth420]

My buddy had a Dodge ram d50 with a diesel in it. Good God it was slow...

[@thejackofalltravels8267]

I have seen a few in Nevada they were heading back to Mexico where they were more popular and parts were available in the early 1990s

[@myexescallmetictac8297]

I’d like to apologize in advance to the poor guy that owns one trying to get some model specific parts ☹️

[@choptmerc]

I had (2) 79 Plymouth Traildusters. They were great vehicles. The removable tops were steel although I never removed either of them. Thanks for stirring that memory.

[@typetwotim]

And they are heavy , was a big deal hoisting that top to the ceiling in garage . Ten years later it’s still up there .

[@elevatorbernie4924]

The later Ramchargers used the magnum motors from the pickup trucks. I had a 1989 with TBI and a1993 with the magmun MPI...the last year of the ramcharger. The magmun 318 was night and day difference over the 318 TBI. The axle dissconnect system was crap.....it worked on vacuum any moisture inside the vacuum motor would freeze in the winter and jam it. You could remove the cover and manually push the shift fork to enage or disengage the axle. There was an after market company that made a cable kit to eliminate the vacuum motor with a manual pull knob under the dash.

[@chriss5010]

1993 was actually the full year of production but a few were made in Mexico with Ram 2nd generation front body style. My uncle had a 90' and it was a beast.

[@jefffixesit60]

Back in the 80's, I was turning wrenches at Waller Automotive in Denton, Texas. A regular customer had a Dodge Ram with the dinky diesel. It's the only one I ever saw, and I worked on it several times over almost a decade. Oil change, occasionally wheel alignment. It was an automatic, and couldn't have made more than 100hp, it was so slow, it's probably still running somewhere.

[@CR7659]

Still on the way home from the garage

[@leviwittmayer8343]

My father in law has one still running around the farm in MT. That Mitsubishi diesel sure is a dog, but purrs like a sewing machine.

[@madmike2624]

I look forward to Steve's videos every day! Thank you for all you do Steve!

[@kman-mi7su]

I first saw this and thought, "Shame that's in the junkyard, and with the current craze for those types of vehicles, somebody should've rescued it". But then I remembered, he films this in Massachusetts. That means the frame is probably paper-thin or looks like Swiss cheese from all the winter corrosion. Steve, they did build the Dodge trucks with the Isuzu diesel. There's a guy on KZbin who has one up in Canada. Just search here and you'll find some videos on it. Heck, maybe the guy will let you do an episode on it. That would be cool to see you do.

[@Sak-zo1ui]

I think you mean it has weight savings so it is a racecar.

[@kman-mi7su]

@@Sak-zo1ui A racecar that will break in half! LOL

[@2tmx54]

The Coldwarmotors channel August 8 2020 episode did a segment on these. It's about 40 minutes into the video.

[@CR7659]

My salt-belt example was still good enough the guy I sold it to parted it for the front clip, but the rockers had been repaired with slip covers.

[@alanwood5857]

Had a '89 plain jane with 318/727 trans. 2WD, former phone truck. White with limo tint windows, daily driver for 6 years, solid tank-like vehicle.

[@stevenelson160]

Yes! they did build the diesel pick up. You can see on the channel Cold War Motors. Scott's friend bought one recently. I don't know the episode but I'm sure you can find it

[@luclemoine1840]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/foSZhKiDbt2No7c

[@curte7739]

every time I watch this intro with Steve with the weed whip about midways through he looks up at the camera. it almost looks like he's thinking who's ever idea this was is getting fired. never really like the idea of the vacuum actuated front end disconnect I always preferred locking hubs even though you had to get out and lock them or unlock them.

[@danw6014]

I installed manual hubs on my 2005 Cummins. They stop everything from turning and make backing a trailer with a manual transmission a snap with no frontend binding.

[@curte7739]

​​@@danw6014 did the same thing on my Isuzu rodeo and I did it on one of my older Chevys years ago I wish I could do it on my 97 f150 but it's not able to be done. you can also pick up one or two MPGs cuz you're not spinning all that front end less wear and tear on your front axles as well

[@kennyunderwood2412]

My daily driver for the last 2 years is an 87 RamCharger. Rust free, 360 with transplanted NP435 4 speed. Locked CAD with manual lockouts. Paid 4k for it and now see them regularly for 7k in good condition like mine. 9 mpg kinda hurts right now so it will soon be my go to shows vehicle.

[@cowthedestroyer]

Kinda nuts Ive been looking for a first gen Cummins since I have a 90 d250 and I keep seeing trucks and rc in worse shape then mine going for 10k+

[@letsgobrandon5814]

The 1980s Bronco 2 had a little wrap around side window also.

[@judewilliams3599]

So do the 1st gen 4runners

[@rcnelson]

I still have an "87 Ramcharger, 318 2 bbl. etc. I had a Mopar guy tell me at a stoplight that he'd always wanted one. Dodge should consider building them again. It's pretty slow and the vacuum-operated CAD failed on mine during a terrible blizzard. I replaced it with the Posi-Lok aftermarket set-up, which I highly recommend.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

I agree. People like the Bronco they sell now. But Jeep makes a high end SUV so maybe Dodge does not want to have to compete with that.

[@joedipiza1090]

Steve, When I worked for Allied Signal (UOP) in DesPlaines, Illinois Our Vehicle Emissions Department Performed Diesel Trap Testing for Chrysler, and they gave us a 1981 Dodge Ram Pickup with a Cummins Turbo-Diesel Engine. It was a Two Tone Silver Blue Single Cab. It may have been one of the first Cummins Diesel Engines in a Ram Pickup. Love this Show!

[@bigw8549]

My first new vehicle was a 1986 Dodge Ramcharger 4x4. I ordered it with the 360 and the SE trim package. Loved that truck. It's one vehicle that I wish I'd never sold.

[@jamespetersen3933]

Best truck ever 72 Dodge D100, with a 318 727 torqueflite and 323 gears. It was a import killer. Keep on crawling!

[@SombreroKnight]

Fun Fact: Dodge would develop and sell a 3rd generation Ram Charger In Mexico based on the 2nd gen Ram. it came with the 5.2 or 5.9 liter V8 and borrowed the rear hatch off a dodge Caravan and would be sold between 1999 to 2001.

[@Litauen-yg9ut]

My best friend's uncle bought one new in '82 I believe. Orange with black pinstripes and interior, and a hurricane type set of wheels. What a sharp truck...

[@toothdecay2465]

Born in the 70's, school aged in the 80's, I rode around in a lot of these types of vehicles. They probably weren't the greatest, but I miss them... and some of the people who drove them.

[@IROC400]

I love topless blazers and broncos, we should do something like that. Dodge: how about a roof you can't take off, with Pacer windows? Dodge "We're in third place for a reason"

[@moefuggerr2970]

Had an 88 4X4 LE 360 magnum quad 4bbl one of those. Two tone brown. Wood tone interior. Was a nice truck. Hit 250,000 miles and I sold it.

[@cerhart7172]

I had an '85, and the 318 was pretty anemic by then. I wound up dropping in a warmed 360, and surprisingly the fuel economy didn't change unless I leaned on it too hard. The CAD was such a pain in the arse though. The long axle was in two pieces, and the vacuum motor slid a splined collar to engage or disengage it. Either the line would get damaged or the vacuum motor would lock up. I wound up getting a cable-operated replacement for it, and never had a lick of trouble after that. They used the same system on the YJ Wranglers as well.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

I'm pretty sure the Prospector Edition was top of the line as the dealer let my dad have one for a week before he bought the base easy bake oven on wheels instead.

[@duncanfloyd1062]

The Prospector package was a deal where you got some money knocked off and some cool badging and interior goodies from my research. The Royale SE was the top of the line for the 81-87 trucks and ramchargers. The 70s trucks had different ones depending on year ranges and the 87-93 trucks was just SE I believe. Take all that with a grain of salt though. You could get a Prospector Royale SE as well but they are getting hard to find.

[@jamesblair9614]

A friend bought a new 74 Ramcharger SE, loaded, 440 power, black with gold pin striping, I didn’t realize the 440 was a one year only option. I remember a few years later, on a trip to Mexico, seeing 2wd Ramchargers everywhere.

[@pgrens]

Please keep doing these, Steve! Love the in-depth knowledge you provide on these gems. I'm now pushing 48 years old but have never owned a car newer than 1995, and this is by choice. My current stable includes a '91 Nissan 4wd truck and an '89 BMW 6-cyl coupe (both manual, both have well over 200k on the clock), so these videos are not only insightful, but also very relevant! Viva la vintage!

[@christic5339]

I had an 87 RC! Would love to have one again but they’re starting to climb up in price! Happy to see that it’s getting the love they deserve

[@curte7739]

starting to climb? good Lord I hope they don't get any higher than they are I've seen them go through Barrett-Jackson in mint condition for 50 60 70,000 same goes for the square body blazers of the same vintage automotive prices are just out of control. I guess it's great if you're selling but not so great if you're wanting to buy LOL

[@garymckee448]

Had an 88 and it was a very good vehicle but as anything now days priced out of sight.

[@mexicanspec]

@@garymckee448 If you want a 2WD version Mexico has a lot in really nice shape and very reasonable.

[@paolo-n2000]

Yeah, Mid-80s Ramchargers in good condition are fetching $20K these days!

[@garyjohnson801]

Glad to hear you call it a 2nd generation. I'm getting tired of people calling that body style a 1st Gen. Because they don't look it up . Instead they just repeat what they hear what other people say even when they are wrong

[@brentbell9543]

I love the eclectic mix of preparation and improvisation for videos like this. The prep of the model, and reading material and the quick grab of a stick to point out the CAD. Idk why but I love this series of videos

[@christianmccollum1028]

These are my favorite generation RamChargers. Thanks for the video, man. I have never before seen the CAD servo on the front axle. Super interesting 👌 👍

[@jimbote1968]

Currently doing a light cosmetic and mechanical restoration on an 82' ramcharger prospector with 318 and 4 speed manual. Super solid for a 40 year old SUV with mostly original paint. As for the pre cummins mitsubishi powered diesel pickups, I saw one for sale locally a few years back but never went and looked at it. So they were indeed produced. Cool video.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

I do not miss cooking in the back of the base model 82 my dad bought after finding out he had cancer but the beach wasn't gonna show up on our doorstep and he took surf fishing seriously but could no longer carry his gear from the parking area to the Point on the Outer Banks. I took my driving test in that beast and have wanted one ever since, without the miserable automatic locking hubs of course. I seem to remember that parts of the body were galvanized steel but I could be wrong.

[@sombra6153]

My experience with Ramchargers was 1985 fleet models that were pretty thoroughly beat to death by the early 90s when I drove them. They had 318s with Torqureflights. They weren’t fast - I remember the cleanest one had almost 80k on the clock and wouldn’t break. 78 mph ( assuming the speedo was correct), but based on its also slow acceleration…. The all steel body made for pretty solid underpinnings, however. The fleet also had a bunch of 86 Broncos, and while faster and more pleasant to drive because of the IFS, also suffered a lot of cowl and front floor board area stress cracks due to chassis flex going over terrain faster than sometimes prudent.

[@patrickwayne3701]

Steve,,, did you drop that tidbit about them building the Ramcharger until '96 to see how many people were paying attention? Or to get someone to make a bet? They DID engineer and build a 3rd generation of Ramcharger that LOOKED like the 1994 restyle of the fullsize Rams that everyone CALLS a 'second gen',, BUT,, they only sold them in Mexico. I've seen pictures of them from friends from there, but so far, no luck getting my hands on one yet. I have one of the 78 Diesel 'Mizer' 1/2 ton Mitsubishi inline sixes, because it was about the only thing left of the truck that hadn't rusted away... but I have NEVER EVER seen that engine in a poptop Ramcharger.... that would be ABOUT as rare as the 'Top Hand' Ramcharger from out west in the United States. They were mustard yellow with a Red Bulls head on the hood and red 'rope' decals down the side of the body, and spoke wheels in body color. VERY badazz rare package on a Poptop Ramcharger. Seen one in Seymour Indiana in 1984 and lost track of it before I could get it bought. I regret terribly that I didn't get pictures of that truck.

[@joe6096]

You could get these really well equipped - one of my scout leaders in my Boy Scout troop had one when I was a kid and I remember it had the power windows and locks, cruise, cassette player, A/C, full gauge package.

[@davidcarder6364]

A friend of mine had one of these when I was in highschool,late 80's not sure of the year of the truck but similar to this one.we would take it to the dunes in Pismo and that thing was a beast.

[@chrisscearce]

Has to be the toughest vehicle compared to the Bronco and Blazers, J.J. McQuade drove one

[@pancudowny]

'87 was the 1st year of TBI on Dodge trucks. The guys on the Cold Wars Motors channel showcased a '79 Ram 1/2-ton pickup w/Mitsubishi diesel & 4-speed.

[@googlesucks5318]

The pop-top roof was steel on the 74-80 Ramchargers.

[@bradkay9538]

Had a 85 360, wish I had it now. Watch most of your videos. Have fun

[@o.c.smithiii2626]

I have seen one 1978 D-100 for sale on Facebook Marketplace recently with the Mitsubishi normally aspirated inline 6 ,Scouts had Nissan inline 6 diesels. My dad had a Ramcharger that was similar to the one in this feature, while it was a 2bbl, it performed better than the 4bbl carburetor- it was a 2bbl Holley TBI , and delivered smooth consistent acceleration, and plenty of power.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

The last two years had multiport fuel injection and performed well. Was your dad's a 92 or 93?

[@justinwise6950]

I still remember going to the dealership with my dad to pick up his 90 Ramcharger. It was a base 318 4x4 but it was a tank! I drove it for a while in the mid 90's and then my brother got it when he started driving. Someone hit him head on in a Honda and totaled it but he was fine.

[@kinotransam]

Yes, the Mitsubishi Diesel engine was a factory option in the late 70s but the option didn't last long. They are rare to find, especially if they still run. Lots of issues with that particular diesel engine in those trucks.

[@luclemoine1840]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/foSZhKiDbt2No7c

[@racer72]

My daughter bought a 92 Ramcharger, it had only 18,000 mile when she bought it. It was a dog. I have never driven anything with a V8 that had so little power. The transfer case never worked right. You could shift it into 4 high but had to use a hammer to knock the shift lever back into 2 high. After her twins were born, she decided having a vehicle like this was not going to work. Traded it in at a Subaru dealer, they knew nothing about these things and gave her more than she paid for it. The POS Subaru she bought is another story.

[@kennethsouthard6042]

I remember we had a few of these in the Air Force. They were base models painted OD green with a beige interior.

[@TozziWelding]

I saw a Diesel Ram like that once, it was in a junkyard in Kingston MA back in the 90's, only one I have ever seen.

[@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793]

I love the new intro. More, I love your research. You don't just go to a scrapyard and start shooting.

[@SteveMagnante]

Hello Trucker Daddy, THANKS for the kind words. I always say: "the vehicles deserve MORE THAN A GUESS". I first came to this realization doing the Barrett-Jackson TV auction commentary and always make sure I do some research before each auction so I don't "start guessing"...and mis-remembering details out of innocence - and laziness. Thanks again and please be sure to tune into History Channel / FYI Channel in a couple weeks for the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction. I'll be there with Mike Joy and Rick DeBruhl doing the TV auction in my EIGHTEENTH YEAR! Time flies when you're having fun. Thanks again, Steve Magnante

[@justsumguy2u]

I worked with a delivery driver that used to have one (2wd)----believe it or not, it was his race vehicle. It had a pretty wild 12:1 360 under the hood, and that flying brick ran consistent mid 12's. But the best part is that he drove it 30 miles to the track and back. He kept the slicks in back, and would change them at the track

[@patrickwayne3701]

Funny,, I had a similarly inclined co-worker who had a 2wd RC that drag raced his with a 440/727. Weight transfer was PHENOMENAL at launch!!

[@justsumguy2u]

@@patrickwayne3701 Absolutely! I watched my buddy race, and all of that weight really came down nicely on the rear at launch. Wheelspin off the line (after the burnout box) was never an issue for him

[@paulevers2100]

Cold War Motors channel has a cool video of a survivor 1978 Dodge Mitsubishi powered diesel pickup. Its about 42 minutes into the video.

[@jiggity76]

Very cool video Steve! I can't help to think that Ford copied the rear quarter glass thing on their Bronco II's.

[@richdorak1547]

They are all still station wagons to me... the ultimate practical vehicle.

[@jeffdalrymple1634]

I was a volunteer firefighter in the northeast. Our department had a '78 Power Wagon cutaway brush truck with a 440. I was always intrigued that Chrysler put the old dodge star of David and even used the DeSoto insignia on the build plates. Did anyone else see this?

[@UberLummox]

That mid-'60s LWB Chev panel van with "Krackerjacks" on the side is MUCH more interesting!

[@tonyswickedcoolgarage]

They DID actually put that Mitsubishi diesel engine in late 70's in the Dodge D-series trucks. One was recently up for sale in a Facebook group for the 1972-80 Dodge trucks. Very, very rare! I have never seen one in a Ramcharger, but they did make it into a handful of D-series pickups for sure.

[@againstalltyrants9001]

There were mitsubishi diesel Rams, not a whole lot, but they exist, I've driven a couple, as far as I know, they never put one in a Ramcharger or Trailduster though. I've got a 1990 RC and a 1992 Cummins outside and still learned a few things from this video, very informative!

[@WyoWellTester]

Love the old ram chargers my grand parents had one that they let us grand kids drive when we got old enough

[@stephenyoutubin4476]

In 1991 i had a 1985 4x4 ram just like that. I installed a 4inch lift kit and ran 36 inch tires which did not stay on too long and went back to 31's.

[@HotRod-wv4vm]

Great show Steve

[@darrenpremo7735]

😀I saw 1980 D100 in a junkyard in Manchester NH that had a Mitsubishi diesel in it. It was Lambert's auto salvage. I almost bought it but knew I could not repair the diesel motor. I never thought to take a picture of it.

[@randywooldridge9064]

Myself being a Georgia boy here found a non-running … red and white one rebuilt a pretty healthy 340 and it sold later on to a big Georgia fan actually made a dollar or two!

[@johnnymartines2118]

They did do the diesel but I believe it was pulled pretty quick with not many made. I've heard sales were slow, the engine had head gasket issues..not sure which reason it was stopped for production but a few were made. My guess is less then a 1000. They would have had a winner if they did a 89 to 93 version in 1 ton with a Cummins...oh well..those days are gone.

[@luclemoine1840]

There's one in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/foSZhKiDbt2No7c

[@stubbsshop]

I've only seen one with the diesel, unsure of the year but was a 70s model

[@corey6393]

Cold War Motors did a segment on a diesel powered Dodge truck a little while back. Interesting history, and a very solid, unmolested original truck from Canada.

[@katiejameson]

Those are great trucks, I have had 2 K5 Blazers and one Bronco... the Ram Charger always has seemed to evade me. I'll take a rotted one as a wheeling rig at this point just to own one

[@HotRod-wv4vm]

I had a 77 k5 Blazer headers, dual exhaust, Edelbrock manifold and carb, Corvette cam in a 350, tubular bumpers front and back, custom interior, 43 gallon tank with skid plate, manual locking hubs conversion. I never should have sold it. Truck was pretty close to show quality but I used it to go everywhere, camping, hunting etc. The person I sold it to completely trashed it. What a damn shame some people don’t appreciate vehicles other than for transportation. I would love to have another but they are pricey. I have an 04 Honda Element that I bought new and it still looks like new, 215,000 miles.

[@jerryfarmer5989]

I have a 1980 Ramcharger Prospector edition with a front bench and a 205 transfer case and manual lock out hubs. But also my lift off roof is steel. Kind of funny on the face of the drivers visor is say's "Roof removal instructions see reverse". That sticker reads "see owners manual". It has never been off.

[@myexescallmetictac8297]

After a long day of work, it’s nice to crack a beer and listen to magnante tell me a story about some irrelevant vehicle(to me) because, car guy.

[@ramcharger9449]

Yay you made a vid about the ramchargers 😍 Ive had my 1985 ramcharger for about 5 years now and absolutley love it. Ive put thousands into fixing it and building it how i want it but it is so worth it

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Man I always have a soft spot for those! The same thing with the original Chevy blazer’s and scout ll. Too bad Chevy or dodge don’t make them anymore! They would sell like hot cakes! Onlist bronco is back! But would be nice to see a greater competition! Sad to see that beauty in such condition! Great video Steve! Thanks for the classroom lesson!👌😎👍

[@STB-jh7od]

Dodge Ramcharger was my favorite SUV from 70s/80s.

[@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793]

@Steve Magnante thanks again. My hobby is going in the woods for a walk and see the pretty iron people abandoned. In Newfoundland it was mostly because the dumps wouldn't take them.

[@robertellison4889]

They did infact put the Mitsubishi Diesel in the D series. There was one for sale here in Ontario, Canada about a year ago. I regret not biting on it.

[@WBatte1]

During your introduction on these videos, When you say Burnison Mass my closes captions reads it as "Burn out son" .

[@musclecarmitch908]

They used the Ramcharger name on dodge's fresh air induction system first, and Air Grabber for Plymouth, so I bet they already had rights to the name! Great stuff Steve! Thanks for sharing!

[@clutchkicker392ison5]

We remember the RamCharger lads ,doubt they got cashed but i hope they were well rewarded with factory tuning bits and noise memory.

[@MrWill73]

Cool video Steve! Love those Big Ramchargers!!!

[@howardfletcher7206]

This style Ramcharger Immortalized in the movie Lone Wolf McQuade starring Chuck Norris. Supposedly it was supercharged! One of the best action scenes was when the truck pulled its way from the grave after the bad guys tried to bury Chuck inside it.

[@googleusergp]

That is not correct about the assembly point. They were manufactured mostly at the Warren Truck plant in Michigan which Stellantis still operates today. I was hoping you would show the certification decal which would show a "1" as the first VIN digit, denoting US assembly. A "3" in that position is Mexican assembly. In contrast, the Chevrolet El Camino and GMC Caballero were exclusively assembled in Mexico starting with the 1985 model year. Yes, 318 or 360 V8 power only in a 2nd generation Ramcharger. Yes I believe there were some Mitsubishi powered units in the 1970s (at least in the D Series trucks, using the Mitsubishi 6DR5 from the Mitsubishi Fuso Jupiter) because of course Chrysler was selling Mitsubishi branded vehicles as captive imports through their dealer network. It was discontinued after a short time. Of course, the Cummins diesel would arrive for Chrysler in 1989 in certain models and is still an option on the Ram today.

[@johnwalsh7256]

Love the vehicle variety in your videos 📹

[@daveblodgett9371]

CAD has a shift fork that slides a collar over the two axle halves on the driver side.

[@blueduster74]

Steve!!! The removable top was metal. Blazer and later full size Bronco had fiberglass.

[@joelmurphy7980]

Had my '86 Ramcharger for fifteen years now, although modified quite a bit in that time, it's still my daily driver. As for the Mitsu diesels, yes they did indeed make a few but they were naturally aspirated and very underpowered, hence not very popular. Only a very few pickups were built, no Ramchargers or Traildusters got the Mitsu motor that I'm aware of. Point of fact Steve, the removable tops of the 74-80 models were steel, not fiberglass. They were/are heavy and difficult to remove without a few guys to help or a homebrewed winch setup. The removable steel tops also had a tendency to rust out which makes a good one a bit hard to find today. The early 74 frameless door glass tops are particularly hard to find as are the frameless doors, only being produced until mid year.

[@gregorylakatos7201]

I was a mechanic at Husak Dodge Detroit Michigan in the late 1970s. I was sent to the Chrysler training center. For training on the Mitsubishi Diesel engine. Soon after that we received two for sure but maybe three pickups with the Mitsubishi Diesel engines. I did the dealer prep’s on them. All of them went to the Detroit Salt mine. I was told they will never come back up. They were yellow. I have seen them on the local Detroit tv news.

[@gregorylakatos7201]

When I was at the training center the instructor mentioned how hard it was to understand the Mitsubishi representative. He said they were trying to get a answer on injector timing. Never were able to get a clear answer. A year or so later someone from Chrysler told me the the engine cost $1000.00 more then Expected. I guess the bean counters had these same Communication problems that the training center did. So that’s what killed the Diesel trucks. I still have the training materials from that class. One Outer thing that sticks out in my mind about that class was everyone had to drive the truck. They wanted us to know what was normal for that engine. I think it was slow off the line. Probably didn’t want us trying to fix something that was normal.

[@marklarson9436]

Had a chance to buy an 81 model in 1994 when I got my license. It was white and this farmer had it. Looked amazing and I was ready to hand over the cash. My dad pulled a magnet out of his pocket and found mostly filler under that pretty white paint job. Total rust bucket. Ended up passing on it.

[@jrobdickson8498]

1- my ‘78 Ramcharger 2WD had a steel roof, not fiberglass 2- I do remember seeing Dodge 150 diesel pickups around in the’80s- there was a big callout on the tailgate… they didn’t seem to last long, tho- the thing to have back then was an Isuzu pickup with the diesel, or a Rabbit diesel pickup for commuting.

[@wmason1961]

I had an 86 with a 360. I bought it in 88. I loved it. 12 mpg towing or not. No matter what the load, 12 mpg.

[@jnzkngs]

One of my post lottery winning builds will be a 2 wheel drive Ramcharger with back windows designed to be taken out like t-tops.

[@lrich8181]

I remember seeing a new 1978 Dodge diesel p/u at a dealership in Georgia. I remember it was very loud for a new truck!

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

Glad to see this gem of a channel growing!

[@tamiconklin2808]

I have seen a factory diesel ram I think it was a 77 or 78 the guy that lived in the same time as my grandfather he got it new

[@tituanbridged1135]

Ou....my favorite SUV😍🤌 (and TrailDuster)! Favorite years 1974, 79, 87, 94!

[@jasonstarnes3838]

I had a super nice 1990 w150 318tbi. Was a 2 owner and was in perfect shape. A couple years ago ,someone wanted it alot more than i did, so i sold it. Made a fortune. Still a mopar guy for sure. Great work and vid as always!!!

[@BillySinnz]

I still lowkey check FB marketplace every now and then for decent looking Ramchargers. Getting few and far between but they are still out there.

[@jimglasscock8169]

I had a 1989 Ram charger I gave $2000.00 for in 2005. Absolutely loved it. Last year I gave it to a friend who had been bugging me, wanting old "Rammy" for himself. I now have firewood for life.

[@CR7659]

I've told before I had a 360 2WD one of these some years ago. It was okay aside from the 11 MPG. Which the trans was a little funky so maybe that had something to do with it, the Chevy Suburban that replaced it was a bigger vehicle but got a little better mileage. I didn't care for the liftgate on it, granted the shocks were weak but it didn't open quite high enough and I bumped my head a few times. There were even some electric power Dodges in the late 1970s. I saw one auctioned off. A B150 van with like 1000 miles showing. You find out why, in the specs, the range on the battery was like 11 miles.

[@darrenbrisson4336]

Episodes called the other diesel dodge 1 year ago cold war motors one of the best channels on youtube

[@josephkutta599]

The Removable Top on First Gen was Steel and was Extremely Heavy. Took 3 guys to do it.

[@67L-88]

These things always seemed to lag behind the Blazer and Bronco. Today they are hard to find and quite expensive. A local person (nitwit) had a two-wheel-drive one and with hard gasing and braking could bounce the front wheels off the ground. It was more like lowrider meets wheelie...

[@cwie2968]

Thanks Steve. I had an 1988 and it was a POS. Undersized u-joints and 9.25 rear end was sloppy. Horrible off road with 3.23 gears and front axle vacuum disconnect would break down leaving me stuck in 4 wheel drive. God I loved that truck

[@gman77gas]

And bounced down the road

[@luclemoine1840]

I had an '88 too! A 2WD, absolute heap, hated it. 🤣

[@stephensmith3018]

father in law had a first gen one with a slant 6, 3 on the tree, soft top, 2 wheel drive! painted in geometric primary colors with a camper from his Vadillac trunk strapped to the rollbar. We called it the Circus Wagon!