This week, I’m going to explore some parts of the US that I don’t typically search, just to see what there is to see. We’re starting out today in the great state of Montana. Okay, technically one of these vehicles is from just across the state line in South Dakota, but close enough.
On Friday, we looked at two dirt-cheap AMC products: one bare-bones work vehicle and one frivolous convertible. Neither one was roadworthy, but they both cost less than a weekend getaway. I sort of figured the Jeep would win, but I was wrong – the Renault Alliance pulled off an upset. It may have been because its engine was actually inside of it, where it belongs.
That would be my choice as well. I don’t really have any interest in something that looks like a Jeep, and has all the discomfort of a Jeep, but isn’t really able to do Jeep things. A comfortable little drop-top, however, could be a nice companion. And by the way, the brake master cylinder is available, if you do a little digging, and it isn’t even expensive. Just because O’Reilly’s doesn’t have a part on the shelf doesn’t mean it’s tough to find.
It is impossible to understand, unless you’ve been there, just how much nothing there is in Montana and the western Dakotas. If you ignore the road in front of you and look off to the sides, there are places where the view hasn’t changed much at all in thousands of years. It’s old land, much of it untouched. As you might guess, it’s a good place to look for fossils. Some of them are even made of steel – like these two.
1982 Chevrolet K30 Custom Deluxe – $5,000
Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch OHV V8, four-speed manual, 4WD
Location: Dillon, MT
Odometer reading: 189,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Looking at the ruggedly handsome and weirdly photogenic truck above, you would think it’s a beast of almost unimaginable burden. With its eight-lug dual rear wheels, gigantic axles supported by huge stacks of leaf springs, and steel flatbed, this truck looks like it could carry the world on its back – and yet, this is still classified as a “light duty” truck. It has a one-ton cargo rating, and probably a gross vehicle weight rating of around 11,000 pounds, but it’s still a small fish in the big pond of trucks. Unless you’re hauling around huge pieces of infrastructure, however, it’s hard to imagine needing more.
Powering this old brute is Chevy’s classic 350 V8, but it isn’t the original engine. This truck left the factory with the new-for-1982 Detroit Diesel 6.2 liter V8. Whether that weak-sauce oil-burner gave up the ghost, or just became too much of a pain in the ass, we don’t know, but the 350 that’s in there now runs well enough that the truck has been used as a daily driver. It’s backed by my old friend the Saginaw SM-465 four-speed manual transmission, which drives both axles when you need it to. It just got a new battery and had its oil changed, so it’s ready to roll.
Old trucks are often a Frankenstein’s monster of parts from other trucks, especially inside, and this one is no exception. GM’s option sheets in the 1980s allowed for some strange combinations, but I highly doubt you could order a red interior with a blue vinyl seat. Regardless of how it got there, it looks comfortable enough. There’s no air conditioning, though, so you might want to throw an old towel over the seat to soak up the sweat.
This truck would originally have come from the factory as a cab-and-chassis, and had the flatbed added on by some third-party outfitter. It has a hole in the bed that might be a spot to mount a fifth-wheel hitch, as well as a beefy “headache rack” behind the cab. It’s all a bit rusty, but still solid. The cab has a cracked windshield that may or may not need replacing, depending on where you are. I have a feeling that Montana probably doesn’t care much.
1993 Dodge Power Ram 150 – $4,988
Engine/drivetrain: 318 cubic inch OHV V8, four-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Spearfish, SD
Odometer reading: 160,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If a one-ton dually seems like too much truck for you, or the idea of a four-speed with an old-school mechanical clutch linkage makes your left leg ache, don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. Here we have the absurdly long-lived Dodge Ram W150, from its final year before the Twister-style Dodge truck took over. It’s a classic regular-cab, long-bed layout, arguably the “truckiest” of full-size truck configurations, with four-wheel-drive and a nice big brush guard on the front to let you know it means business.
As old as the Dodge truck bodystyle was by this point, the engine driving it was Chrysler’s latest and greatest: the 5.2 liter “Magnum” V8, introduced in 1992. This near-total-redesign of the faithful old 318 gave it a serious bump in power, up to 230 horsepower, along with multi-point fuel injection. The last vestiges of the bad old lean-burn days were finally swept away. Also new was a beefed-up four-speed automatic with overdrive. The seller speaks very highly of this truck’s running condition, and brags that it recently completed a longish road trip without issue.
These final old-body-style Dodge trucks are a weird blend of old and new inside, as well, with a dash panel firmly rooted in the 1970s fronted by a steering column and wheel that look much newer. It has a button to turn off overdrive in the electronically-controlled transmission, but a long mechanical lever to engage the 4WD transfer case. The carpet is a bit trashed, but the bench seat looks fine, except for one popped seam on the side. This one has air conditioning, as well as a fancy all-push-button Chrysler stereo that looks like it came straight out of a New Yorker. No word on how well either of them works, however.
Outside, it used to be red, but now it’s all in gray primer that probably came out of a rattle can – or rather, a dozen rattle cans. It’s a big truck. There’s some rust along the bottom of the doors, and a few other places, but the seller assures us it’s “solid underneath.” Best to verify this for yourself. And while you’re at it, you should probably ask what the hell that thing ratchet-strapped into the bed is.
These trucks might not make a lot of sense to you if you live in a city, but trust me: in the vast open space between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, they’re the kings of the road. These two are a little past their prime, but that just drops them into our price range. They both still run and drive just fine, and they have that old-truck charm that I don’t think anything made today is going to have in thirty or forty years. So what’ll it be – the flatbed Chevy dooley, or the primer-gray Dodge?
I can’t even imagine how poorly that dually Chevy rides.
I went Dodge. It’s an intriguing mix of old-school looks and newer drivetrain.
My heart belongs to the Squarebody, but I’d find the Dodge more useful. I’d also enjoy restoring it to the only correct color for a pickup truck.
The Chevy definitely has a fifth-wheel style ball in it, you can just baaaarely make it out in the image.
I went with the Dodge just for the variety of use cases. If I needed a flatbed or fifth-wheel for a gooseneck or something, I’d have no qualms with the square body. But for sheer ranch utility (because why else would I have a pickup out there–why else would I be out there), it’s the Ram.
I those old Dodge trucks more than I should, so that’s how I voted.
They were even available with a really cool ram hood ornament 😀
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/vintage-dodge-ram-hood-ornament-elaine-haberland.jpg
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/dodge-ram-hood-ornament-mark-spearman.jpg
This era Ram truck just doesn’t do it for me, and I can’t place why. Ramcharger illogically does. Between that and the automatic I voted Chevy. It wouldn’t be great daily driving, but this is a work truck, and that flatbed would allow me to WORK (when it’s running).
The Dodge narrowly gets the nod from me, primarily because the 350 was swapped instead of a big block and I don’t want a truck quite that long since I don’t own a farm. However, having lived in the region, I don’t trust the rust claims of the Dodge’s owner and suspect it is much worse underneath than just some fender and rocker rust.
I would I suppose take the Chevy for parts. That thing looks like the frame was stretched or the axle moved back, but the trans and engine are maybe worth a grand. fixing axle location and putting the correct length square body bed on it seemed like the right thing to do until I realized it would not be that straightforward. It really is not too great for making into a truggy either, but I imagine I could maybe get 1500 for the one ton axles for a mall crawler Jeep. Literally this basic Drivetrain except a bit newer with TBI is in my CJ7. Outside of keeping the v8 cool some days, the setup does work very well with that super low first gear and Low Po v8 ability to lug it self around with decent torque.
I voted Chevy, but would probably prefer to have a different bed/cab configuration. It seems cleaner, and this is all make-believe anyway.
Tough choice. I love old trucks so both have some appeal, but I also don’t think these are particularly good deals and I wouldn’t choose either if I needed a truck to do truck stuff. Based on this, I am voting on which would be a cooler toy.
As a toy, the Chevy has far more potential. I would paint the cab a single color and remove the clearance lights, paint the flatbed black, lift it a few inches, remove the ugly running boards, get some aftermarket wheels with off road tires (maybe 37s?), and fix up the interior. I see a lot of cool lightly modified/restored old trucks, but very few of them are flatbeds. A restomod classic flatbed could be cool.
https://butte.craigslist.org/cto/d/butte-2002-chevrolet-suburban-ls/7856291337.html
This one is one of the good year LS 5.3 vehicles, if it runs and is less money to boot, I would have certainly chosen that over the long tall sally, even if I did not get a nice SM465 to use elsewhere.
This is though because I have a 92 D250 cummins (I paid 7500 for it about 6 years ago) that was a much better deal then either of these. But I voted the square body as it just looks to be better overall shape compare to the dodge.
Picking the flatbed to live out an ephemeral goal of needing a crusty shop truck for my nonexistent small factory.
I took the Dodge because it had a real bed already. I have not need for a flat bed and would end up looking for one.
Neither one do it for me, but the Dodge might have working ac. Gets my vote.
I had an 88 Dodge D200 up until around 2008, when it rusted out to the point a control arm mount tore loose from the frame This one looks like it’s on its way there despite what Stu the Salesman says. “Solid truck underneath” but no pics of that except rotted out doors. Those fender flares are probably covering up rust too.
Never had a Chevy truck, a 1 ton, or a flatbed so this checks all of those boxes.
If these were both regular half-ton pickups with normal beds, I’d probably go Chevy, but the Dodge fits my old truck use case better, so it wins the day for me.
Hey now, only the eastern half of Montana is boring, you have to drive a little past Billings going west, to see what Montana really looks like. Anyways, I picked the flatbed. And yes, I live close to the mountains here. The flatbed is the way to go.
I thought this was an easy one:
Who wants to ride around on the buckboard that is a one ton truck…But the rust on that Dodge negates any desire for it.Reviewed both listings closely, that Dodge has some upside, just replace the rockers?Make the K30 a carhauler and call it a day!
I think the $12 in savings for the Dodge might just buy you a meal at a fast food joint, or an additional rattle-can for touch-up paintwork.
If I’m getting a beater truck, I want the one that’s most likely to start without a fuss and is less unpleasant to drive. That means EFI, automatic, and lighter-duty truck suspension. Bonus: the bed will actually contain stuff and you won’t have to strap everything all the time.
Dodge it is.
Was the “western” qualifier really needed? If Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and both Dakotas were all amalgamated into a single state, it would still have less than half the population of Ohio.
Never forget: both Dakotas exist not because of population, but because of electoral votes.
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and both Dakotas: ~5M people = 10 senators
California: ~40M people = 2 senators
You’re driving west on I-94 in MN, through farm fields, clusters of trees, and lakes, then a little before Fargo, ND the trees and lakes get further and further apart, then become landmarks on the horizon indicating a farmhouse or small community. And that’s about it for 4 hours until you get a brief respite through the Badlands near Medora. Then another 4+ hours to Billings and distant views of mountains. It really is beautiful in it’s own way. But man I’m glad I left that part of the country for the mountains!
Yeah yeah yeah, I voted for the Dodge. Reasons. I have them. I can’t articulate them right now because I’m fixated on the location of the Dodge.
Spearfish, South Dakota.
Spearfish. Apparently a town in landlocked South Dakota. Named either for catching fish with a spear or some kind of fish that looks like a spear. Or there was some guy who was really important who lived there and his name was Steve Spearfish.
The sad part is that the last sentence of that paragraph is the most plausible. Either way, I imagine going to a tackle store in Spearfish is pretty frustrating because they are probably pretty stocked up with medieval fish impaling devices instead of useful fishing rods.
Either way, I guess that Dodge would be a great ride to take to that one little creek called Spearfish Creek that runs through Spearfish, South Dakota, where you can spear the crap out of some unsuspecting fish if you’re somehow faster with a spear than a creek fish.
It’s a college town, too. A friend of mine went there for a year. He didn’t say much about fish, except that everyone there drinks like one.
Pennsylvania is the king of WTF town names. There’s one in the dead center of the state called Port Matilda. I went to Penn State, and had a professor there who, when something was unlikely, was fond of saying “That’s about as likely as a ship sinking in Port Matilda.”
There is a town off I-80 south of Williamsport named Jersey Shore PA. It is in fact nowhere even close to the Jersey shore. Jim Thorpe PA is infamous as a naming cash grab that never worked. And of course, Intercourse and Climax….
Like I said, the king of WTF names.
Don’t forget Blue Ball, Virginville and Shartlesville…
And Blue Knob is a great ski resort. You’ll ski so long your knob will tur…you get the idea.
Have friends that grew up spear fishing in this area (really all around the Dakotas and MN). Typically smaller creeks and hand-thrown spears/tridents. I tried a couple times and the novelty wore off for me; not my jam. But there is spearfishing in the area, and I’d imagine there was more of it to simply put food on the table around the time this area was settled by white people.
Best part of South Dakota, hands down, though. Beautiful mountains, forests, lakes and some amazing driving roads. Cool mining history, too.
If I’m buying a truck, it’s to do trucky things. A flatbed is more versatile, so it gets my vote.
Rust, but fuel injection, automatic, and SRW?
Or carb, DRW, manual, but rust free and 350 vs 318?
I guess I’m going Dodge and looking for patch panels.
Someone else’s engine swap is rarely a good risk. Plus, since the Dodge is half as far away, it would likely save about $500 in gas to get it home. Not that either is worth anywhere near $5k.
Your last sentence sums this one up for me…they’re more like $2500 trucks wrapped in fancy price tags.
Cheaper, newer, probably lower miles, AND has AC? Gimme the Dodge!
The AC was the deciding factor for me today.
I like the interior of the Dodge better – So I’m going with that one.