Need Your Truck Buying Help Oppo

"tythegeek" (tythegeek)
04/25/2016 at 18:31 • Filed to: None

So, I am contemplating buying a 1974 Dodge D200 with a 318, for my yard work, haul gravel, and go to the dump, truck. I am really not a Mopar guy, I kind of dislike Dodge in general. What are the things I need to know about these trucks? What are the things that tend to go wrong with seventies Dodge trucks? Have I completely lost my mind? Thanks for any input you may feel like providing. Thanks.

DISCUSSION (29)

Steve in Manhattan > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 18:35

Having borrowed a similar truck like that once (to haul firewood) I can say that it’ll almost certainly need a starter motor and a steering rack. But that’s just me.

HammerheadFistpunch > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 18:36

“So, I am contemplating buying a 1974 Dodge D200 with a 318, for my yard” Got to here and became worried, thinking you were getting a new lawn ornament, of course that doesn’t mean that’s not actually the case..

tythegeek > Steve in Manhattan
04/25/2016 at 18:38

Nice, thanks for the input, we’ll see if it starts when I go drive it tonight. Don’t all old trucks need steering racks?

tythegeek > HammerheadFistpunch
04/25/2016 at 18:38

Well it is a Dodge, so...

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 18:41

A 42 year old work truck. I think it would be easier to list the things that probably wont be wrong with it.

Steve in Manhattan > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 18:42

Probably.

The starter in that era was called the Highland Park Hummingbird - EEEEEEEEE-ripripripripriprip! Then maybe a running engine.

tythegeek > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
04/25/2016 at 18:55

Yeah, the only thing I can tall that is really wrong from the outside is a little trans leak, and crappy tires.

E92M3 > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 18:58

I don’t know your budget, but why not get something useful, as well something that will appreciate in value. For $4-5k you could get something pretty decent. Unless your going to just beat the crap out of it.

tythegeek > E92M3
04/25/2016 at 18:59

Yeah, I’m in the under thousand dollar truck market, thanks for the sound advice though.

slipperysallylikespenguins > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:01

There really isn’t any reliablilty differences between the 70s trucks from Dodge, Ford, and Chevy. The tech is all basicly the same and nearly all repairs are doable for an amateur mechanic. Parts are very cheap and can be found anywhere. Being that old it probably needs new bearings, any rubber parts in the suspension, and brake/fuel lines.

Boxer_4 > Steve in Manhattan
04/25/2016 at 19:08

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:14

if it’s nots rusted out and drives nice for sub-$1000, it’s a great option to haul some crap around. It may break but damn that’s a great price for anything with a V8

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:19

For a grand I'm sure you could find a beat up but running F150 or C10

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:34

Dodge pickup starter motors tend to fail, so there’s that.

Birddog > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:36

Not much to go wrong on a truck that old. Its a carburated 318 with a Torqueflite 998/999 or 727 trans. Most items can be fixed with a rock and a paperclip.

Ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rod ends, center link and driveshaft would be the main things to look at. Where is the trans leaking from? That could be an issue.

jimz > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:45

they’re typical trucks of the day. the engine will probably run fine but leak oil from all over the place; e.g. valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, and rear main seal. the trans will likely be a 727 or 904 which are pretty robust, but again, leaking gaskets. Back in those days, the height of gasket technology was either paper/cardboard or rubberized cork. Garbage.

jimz > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:49

they didn’t have racks back then. Trucks used the old Saginaw recirculating-ball steering gear up through the 2000s. HD pickups still use them to this day (though I don’t know who still makes them; maybe Nexteer.) New recirculating-ball steering gears are tight for about 5 minutes, then they loosen up. as long as the gear isn’t leaking and you don’t have more than 1/16th of a turn of slop, it’s probably fine.

Steve in Manhattan > Boxer_4
04/25/2016 at 19:51

Oh yeah ... I know that sound.

jimz > Steve in Manhattan
04/25/2016 at 19:54

reduction gear starters were novel back then, but nowadays they’re pretty much all like that. they’re just so much lighter and draw less peak current.

Back when I wrenched, I was putting a new starter in a ‘80-something Cadillac Seville. That damn (direct drive) starter was heavier than shit. It must have weighed 30 lbs. It was heavy enough that the it needed a front support bracket bolted to the engine, if it was only held up by the bolts mounting it to the transaxle it would have cracked and fallen off of the car.

Die-Trying > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 19:54

4 wheel drive???

jminer > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 20:17

I had a 76 d200. Mine was a long bed extended cab (that thing was ridiculously long!)

Mine had a 440 magnum on it from a roadrunner. Not built by me, but by the relative of a friend who went a bit crazy in his old age. The family didn’t want the truck so I bought it.

Overall a solid machine, that big block was a blast and sounded awesome. I miss that truck...

Oh sorry, back on point. I’m no dodge fanboy but they’re alright trucks. The transmissions are solid from that era (torque flight 727) and the 318 is a sound (albeit unexciting) power plant. Mine had some electric gremlins, I ended up replacing the voltage regulator, alternator, starter, and cables before getting it starting and running well. That’s all under $100 and an afternoon though.

Man I miss that truck. I wish now I had never sold it. I was driving 1000 miles a week and it just sat at the time though.

BJ > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 21:05

If the transmission is solid and it runs, what else is there to worry about? For your needs and budget, this is probably a good buy.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 21:55

If you don’t like Dodges, it’s probably not a good idea to get an old shitty one. Don’t get into a relationship with something you hate, especially if you’ll need to put work into it. Which you will, cause it’s 40 years old, and you're planning in putting it to work.

There are plenty of 80's and even 90's trucks in your price range. I'm a fan of Chevys and Jeeps, but get something from a manufacturer you appreciate.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 21:58

A trans leak means the trans has been run low. No one is that religious about keeping it topped up. If it's a manual it's not a huge end-of the world scenario, you'd notice anything wrong on the test-drive, but overheating an automatic takes a pretty serious toll on it.

tythegeek > Die-Trying
04/25/2016 at 23:07

Two wheel, I don’t really want four wheel drive, I have no need.

tythegeek > jimz
04/25/2016 at 23:08

Doesn’t seem to leak any oil, but drips out of the trans pretty good.

tythegeek > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 23:19

The thing I may have forgotten to mention, is it has a pretty new edelbrock four barrel, and performer intake. New muffler, brakes, and good sheet metal and pretty decent interior. No rust and decent looking diamond plate tool box. I figure the carb intake and tool box are worth a lot of what he’s asking.

Die-Trying > tythegeek
04/25/2016 at 23:27

those are some stout trucks either way. the 318 is about like the small block chevy, simple to work on. about the only stuff you have to keep an eye on is the electronics for the distributor(if its not points) on the firewall, and making sure it has a voltage drop for the coil. otherwise they are hard to kill.

tythegeek > Birddog
04/25/2016 at 23:30

It would appear that it’s leaking from the trans pan gasket, but I am not sure.