DOTS Ram 

"WilliamsSW" (williamssw) 07/22/2017 at 12:00 • Filed to: Dots, RAM, Dodge

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Sitting in a driveway with the car running and kid sleeping, admiring this truck. Rust free it seems - in Illinois that’s amazing. Love the hood ornament.

dogisbadob > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 12:10

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that hood ornament is awesome! Too bad they don’t use it anymore :(

WilliamsSW > dogisbadob 07/22/2017 at 12:12

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I also realized after I posted this that the RAM badge on the fender says “Cummins Turbo Diesel” underneath.

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 12:17

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This appears to be from around 1990. My dad had one similar to this, but a heavier truck. I think it was maybe a 92. Quite old fashioned, but solid, he never had real issues with it, and no rust worries out here.

WilliamsSW > fintail 07/22/2017 at 12:22

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I don’t know these well, but I’m sitting here and did some googles. It says the Cummins was offered from 89-93, so this has to be right when you’re thinking.

I thought this was cool till I looked closer at the fender. Now I’m thinking it’s freaking awesome.

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 12:29

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I suspect they have a little cult behind them, too.

WilliamsSW > fintail 07/22/2017 at 13:31

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That engine? Yeah it does—

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 13:36

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I think even that style, the last run of facelifted 70s style bodies, has fans. The basic design had a 20 year run, impressive.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 13:38

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Niiiiiiiice!!

Maxima Speed > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 14:05

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My dad has a short bed with the 318, he loves the hood ornament on his, apparently to replace them it’s quite expensive.

BJ > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 14:11

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Magnificent in its simplicity. RWD, regular cab, long bed, that sweet rake...

I grew up riding around (and driving) pickups like this, so maybe I’m biased a bit!

WilliamsSW > fintail 07/22/2017 at 15:16

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I’m sure you’re right about that, too. Growing up in the 70s/80s with these on the road, along with Chevy square bodies and Fords of that era, this to me is what a pickup should be. Boxy, standard cab, long bed, vent window — all 3 are great looking.

WilliamsSW > shop-teacher 07/22/2017 at 15:16

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Cummins power, too!

WilliamsSW > BJ 07/22/2017 at 15:18

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Wtf? I swear I just posted something very close to your words, before I read them! Great minds think alike!

Simple rock solid motor in that bad boy too.

WilliamsSW > Maxima Speed 07/22/2017 at 15:19

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I believe it- this thing got me wondering what it’s worth. I bet it’s a pretty penny with that drive train.

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 16:52

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Function over form - it can make a classic design if the product is first intended to be a tool, as was the case for those trucks. Reminds me of a saying - trucks were once made to be tools, instead of made for tools.

Before my dad had the Dodge, he had an 85 F150, big 6, manual. As non-pretentious as one can get, and I don’t recall it having problems.

WilliamsSW > fintail 07/22/2017 at 17:03

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Yup- all of the Big 3 pickups had more or less the same shape, because it did the job. All beautiful to me, too. Funny back then that most pickups were 4x2, too. 4x4 was more unusual, even in the snow belt.

A guy I knew in high school had a similar F 150. Maybe a couple of years older, but it had the big 6 and a column shifted manual. I think the F150 was one of the last vehicles in the US sold that way.

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 19:04

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Same here in the PNW, a 4x4 was relatively rare, not becoming more common until the invasion of smaller trucks in the 80s. Most Suburbans were 2WD, too. Now many or most people want AWD in a small car.

I remember my dad’s F150 had rubber floors and the long old fashioned gearshift. The 300 was apparently thirsty and not the fastest, but it was strong. That must have been the last column shift, I think the last domestic cars with it were in the early 70s. Back in the 90s, my dad also had some old Ford cars, one of them a 68 Fairlane with a 289, 3 on the tree, manual steering and brakes. Unusual car, but not fun to drive, esp for an inexperienced driver.

shop-teacher > WilliamsSW 07/22/2017 at 21:13

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Sweet. A buddy of mine had one of these with a Cummins. It was two tone grey and black.

WilliamsSW > fintail 07/22/2017 at 22:46

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I’ve owned old cars, but they all had PS/PB/Auto. I’ve driven a few old stick cars without power brakes, and they’re a bit of work, really. I can imagine that Fairlane wasn’t a lot of fun for a new driver.

I googled it, and apparently the F-150 and Chevy pickups were the last column shifts sold— I think the Chevy made it 1 year longer, only because it was redesigned a year later than the Ford.

fintail > WilliamsSW 07/23/2017 at 00:42

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It was a handful at low speeds and parking. The clutch was also weird, and it wasn’t fun to drive. My dad liked it though, in city/suburban driving, he’d just leave it in 2nd. A 60 Ford he had at the same time had PS, but no PB (I think), kind of odd, but maybe not odd for the time.

For MBs anyway, column shifts came back, which amuses me.