Eyeing a 1982 Dodge Ram D150

[Nongan]

Well, I would like to own a little truck and I've been looking around and the previous owner of my dart has since selling the dart acquired this slant pickup:


It was optioned as a miser IIRC, he replaced the hydraulic motor with a '74 block with a super six upgrade. Its got an A833 OD and its super clean under the hood and interior wise. I will have to stop back by and get some better pictures, its got some surface rust on the roof but it isn't horrible. Its had the tranny and motor rebuilt, and the asking price is a low 1,100 dollars but since I am on good terms with him I bet I could walk away with it for 1000 even. I can paint it myself. Does anyone know what color the bed is? I really like it. Its a dog off the line, I think this has something to do with the distributor curve. I would like some input from the community on weather the price is right for this little truck. Oh and its a short box if you cant tell from the picture, and its dent free IIRC.

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Reed]

That's a very fair price if it is in as good of condition as you describe.

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Buy local! http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/ http://www.americansworking.com/tools.html

[Nongan]

Yeah, its all pretty much brand new drivetrain wise, one thing to note though is that during the rebuild, his friend knocked over the engine stand and it hit the water pump housing on the ground and broke it off, he had it braised back together by a shop and jb welded just for extra measure, he said he has never seen it leak.

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Nongan]

One other thing is that if I get this I will have heavy loads in the bed, will I want to just add-a-leaf, or will I want to do a better set of springs all together? The current loads I'm doing in my stepdad's 99 F-250 superduty are between 1000 and 2000 lbs, or more occasionally. I wouldn't subject this truck to that unless you, as a community, think It would pull that, but I wanted to give you an idea of how much I have in the bed of my other truck now. Also is the front suspension torsion bars also? I might raise it up a little bit for clearance if I'm out in a field (which I find myself in quite a bit )
He says right now he's getting 22mpg in OD on the highway cruising.

My family's F250 has a 4 inch lift and 33's on it now:

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Reed]

What is the suspension rating on the truck you are looking at? If it is a 250 chassis, then I wouldn't worry a bit about hauling 2000 pounds. THe drivetrain can handle it no problem (but you will want to get the sluggishness cured ASAP), the only question is if the springs and brakes are up to the task of the load you want to haul.

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Buy local! http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/ http://www.americansworking.com/tools.html

[Nongan]

its a 150 chassis, but he has hauled 2000 lbs before. I saw it when it had 2000 in it and it was way low in the rear, not quite on the stops, but it wasn't level anymore that is why i would want to either do HD springs or add-a-leaf. I would probably upgrade the suspension either way, regardless of the chassis. He said it had the 9 3/4(?) rear in it. What gear does it have in it most likely? And if I wanted bigger tires what rear gear ratio should i put in it? I like it snappy my Ford has 4.30's in it and it takes off like a rocket!

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Reed]

If it has an overdrive, I would use at the highest a 3.5 or so rear gear ratio. I can't say what the factory gears would be. If you are going to haul 2000 pound loads, i strongly recommend upgrading the rear leaf springs to a higher load rating and adding at least a front sway bar.

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Buy local! http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/ http://www.americansworking.com/tools.html

[Nongan]

Well if I had OD couldn't I run a higher gear in the rear? Just asking, not questioning your wealth of information, I'm just basing this assumption off my ford which has the six speed so I have granny low, 1-4 and OD so I have a very large range of gears to keep the motor in the band. And I plan on upgrading the rear leafs and front sway bar. Oh and its got power disc brakes on the front at least.

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Reed]

Higher numerically or hogher mechanically? A higher numeric gear is a lower mechanical gear and vice versa. I would run a rear gear no lower numerically than 3.5. You would probably do better with a higher numeric rear gear.

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Buy local! http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/ http://www.americansworking.com/tools.html

[Nongan]

numerically higher, like 3.89's or 4.10's, maybe not that radical, unless I were to run big tires

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

[Ross]

Mine can carry quite a bit for a half ton. It barely even notices 500lbs in the bed. Its the engine that is the week link, being slugish i can hold it, but hauling it is a different story, no big hills with a really heavy load unless i want to crawl up them at 20mph. if you have a 3.55 like i do, youll be fine pulling in 1-3. My 2 and 3 gears are about the same as the 833 1 and 2. Check the rating on it, if its not high like mine id get an add a leaf.

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Prerunner build: 82 Ram D150 Custom, 225, 4 speed manual. 2.5" exhaust. Hei ignition. Partially blacked out. Many mods

[hantayo13]

I put 4.10 gears with limitedslip in mine and added a leaf....puts it in powerband at hyway speed in OD...good pickup off line

[DusterIdiot]

Been looking for one of those, too bad I have a truck for now...

I figured if I were to do one it'd end up:
D-150
225 cast crank 9:1
Super six with Holley 350
Rv15 cam tops
ditch the cat convertor
A-833 OD-check for "whine" in forward gearing
Make sure it has a "truck" flywheel
Rebuild Hurst Shifter to tighten up "slop".
Keep 26" tires, rear ratio 4.11 or 4.56
Rear would be 8 1/4" or 9 1/4"...9 3/4 Dana 60 is just a waste of power
on the slant.
Upgrade stock 10" clutch to something else (Spec Stage 3+?)

-D.Idiot

[Slant Cecil]

$1100 seems reasonable to me. The bed should be body color. Being a Miser, it is probably sluggish from having high rear gears and the ESA ignition.'I have a '82 D150 'Miser" and a '84 D100, both have the 833OD.

The '82 Miser came with a 8.25 rear/2.94 gear, the '84 D100 8.25 rear/3.21 gear. Both now have 8.75 rears with 3.91 Sure Grips. Original tire size on a Miser is 195-75-15, so going to a larger size tire with a 2.94 gear will really make it 'slow to go'.

I seldom drive the '82, the '84 I alternate between it and my '00 Neon. Motor is original, 2.25 exhaust with NO cat conv, Super Six BBD was added, completely de-smoged, ESA was changed to '70s era electronic with timing at 10* int, 20* mech, 14* vac. Driving it easy, all hwy at 65mph, I get 19.5-20mpg. Mileage didn't change when I went from 3.21 to 3.91.

I'm not sure 22mpg can be done with a '72-'87 slant six truck. I've had two other D150s, an '84 I bought new and a used '87, both were 225-1, 904, 3.21, both were stock, except for removed cat conv, both would get 17mpg at 65mph.

Check the drip rail above the winshield, being in WA, it's probably fine. It's not easy to find the '72-'93 Dodges with good roofs in FL. The sun bakes the drip rail caulking, causing it to shrink and peel up, then the exposed bare metal that was under the caulking slowly rusts away.

Good luck on your deal.


EDIT:
Here's the '84 pulling a 6K lb load with the 3.21 gear, a '67 Charger I sold 7 years ago, trailer 2K lb, Charger 4K lb. It was hard to get it going from a start. With the 3.91 gear, I have pulled a 4.5K lb JD tractor with little trouble.

I put a set of Mopar Cop Car wheels on and larger rear tires after the 3.91 went in.

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Slant Cecil

'68 V100, 225-2, 904 - ???
'68 V200, 225-1, 904 - 18.19@74
'68 Signet, 225-2, 904 - 17.42@79
'79 Aspen, 225-2, 904-???
'82 D150, 225, 833OD
'84 D100, 225, 833OD

[Jeb]

My 82 miser came with a 3.25 gear. It also came with the crappiest set of springs I've ever seen on a pickup. That's been my only real gripe with that truck. 500 pounds in the bed and I'm looking at the sky.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2