Basic Beauty: 1987 Dodge D150 – SOLD!

February 1, 2021 Update – we confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call Rudy directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

December 17th Update – The private seller just reduced their asking price on their clean, no-frills ’87 Dodge D-150 by $1,000 to $7,900. That revised price falls between the Hagerty Insurance #3 estimate of $8,000 and the #4 “Fair” (Daily Driver) appraisal of $3,200. 

A basic, no-frills, short bed, single cab, entry-level pickup truck. Throw in a seven-year, seventy thousand mile powertrain warranty for additional peace of mind.  In the late eighties, if you were looking for bare-bones, brand new transportation but didn’t want to drive a small economy car, chances are good an entry-level Dodge D-150 such as this example originally listed in December 2020 on Craigslist in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with only 52k original miles and an asking price of $8,900.   Looking at the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms this private seller has their D-150 priced between this guide’s #3 “Good” estimate of $8,000 and its #2 “Excellent” appraisal of $12,000.

As part of Chrysler’s make-over following the Federal Government bail-out, Dodge restyled and renamed its Sweptline pickup design (dating back to 1972) “Dodge Ram Trucks” for 1980.  These first-generation Ram trucks and vans introduced featured a Ram hood ornament first used on Dodge vehicles from 1932 to 1954. D or Ram indicated two-wheel drive trucks while W or Power Ram stood for four-wheel-drive versions. Similar to Chevrolet and Ford, Dodge labeled their half-ton trucks “150” and used “250” for the three-quarter-ton versions.  The revamped trucks introduced larger wraparound tail lamps, dual rectangular headlamps, and more squared-off body lines. Dodge now limited engine choices to either the standard 225 cubic inch “slant six” or two optional (either a 318 cubic inch or 360 cubic inch) V8.  Stylists completely redesigned the dashboard featuring an optional three-pod design – a speedometer in the center, with the two side pods containing an ammeter on the top left, a temperature gauge bottom left, a fuel gauge on the top right, and an oil pressure gauge bottom right. Models without the full gauge package simply featured only indicator lights in the place of the temperature and oil pressure gauges. Among the options offered on the Ram were front bumper guards, a sliding rear cab window, air-conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering column, power door locks and windows, AM/FM stereo with a cassette tape player, styled road wheels, aluminum turbine-style mag wheels, special paint and stripe packages, two-tone paint, and a plow package for four-wheel-drive models (referred to as the Sno Commander).  The venerable slant six our feature truck came equipped with was the final year for this engine.

With a 17-year-old truck design to pitch in 1987, one of the ways Dodge tried to sell their pickups was by touting their superior warranty:

During their five years of ownership, it appears the current caretaker performed a truckload of work (pun intended) to update this 52K original mile survivor back to preservation condition.  This is the perfect parts hauler/daily driver for the die-hard Mopar fan. Good luck with the purchase!

Here’s the seller’s description:

“52,000 Original Miles
Fresh PA Inspection
225 Slant Six- the last year of this storied engine.
4 Speed Manual
4×2
Short cab, long bed.
Power Steering
Some extra parts!

Here’s what I’ve done to it over the last three years:

New Tires
New Clutch
New Carburetor
New Starter
New Windshield
New Dampers All Around
All Refreshed Fluids- Coolant, Trans/Diff

I’ve owned this truck for 5 years and it’s be a great project. However, I’m ready to move on. This deserves to be with a Mopar aficionado that will either take it to the next stage as an original, or dump a crazy engine in it to have a different kind of fun. It’s a 33 year old truck, so it’s not perfect. But overall, it’s a great slice of history and would make a great addition to your driveway.

$8900 but feel free to make an offer.

Please use the Craigslist email relay and leave your name, email address, and number to text.“

Do you have a Dodge D-150 story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!