Vehicle Description
1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Extended Cab Long Bed 2wd Pickup
When your hobby is racing or showing vehicles, sometimes you just
need a go to truck to get you from point A to point B in situations
when driving the actual car is impossible or unwarranted. That's
why at Classic Auto Mall, we'll often list trucks capable of such a
job, and one with a 5.9 Cummins turbo diesel would be near the top
of the list.
For consignment, a 1997 Dodge Ram 3500 extended cab long bed with a
title verified 82,779 actual miles. Our consignor states, "This
truck has received meticulous attention all its life. It has
basically been stored during the winters and is 100% rust free. In
fact, it has never done an honest day's work in its 27 years. Its
sole job was getting race cars to just about every major track East
of Indy. It never failed."
Exterior
If you don't see the truck coming down the street, well maybe a
coat of Flame Red will help. Of course, the face is chrome,
including the big grille and bumper that spans the width of the
truck with headlights perched on the end of bulging fenders
flanking a massive hood. This leads to the cab that wears cab
lights for visibility on the edge of the extended roofline.
Trailing behind is the long bed, widened itself by the flared
fenders that form a canopy of the dually axle. Extra marker lights
illuminate in back as well on a tailgate that's straight and clean
and rises over the trailer hitch and polished exhaust tip. Towing
side mirrors spread wider than the Flying Nun's hat and 16-inch
Weld wheels carry 85 series tires that are fittingly huge for the
truck. A sliding window is out back, and the hard tonneau cover is
in great condition. In fact, we couldn't find any glaring exterior
flaws on this truck and the paint, chrome, and black plastics are
all in fantastic condition. Meticulous attention indeed.
Interior
Formed tan plastic door panels house softer inserts with faux wood
trim pieces and black hardware, all looking great. Big puffy tan
leather bucket seats occupy the front and other than some minor
compression of the driver's seat, they look to be in good shape and
flank a storage bin and arm rest that doubles as the back for a
third seat. In the back, the bench is not thick and comfortable but
provides plenty of room to stretch out. The standard steering wheel
with cruise control buttons on the center leads to a dash
completely framed in wood laminate applique, oak if we had to
guess, providing a honey colored glaze on the gauge pod, radio, and
every other element of the wide dashboard. The gauges are standard
although some A-pillar units have been added for measuring exhaust
temperatures and boost, great additions for a turbo diesel engine.
Next to the vertical A/C controls, we find an AM/FM/CD radio. A
Prodigy towing brake controller is mounted at the bottom of the
dash. The tall shifter is floor mounted and surrounded by plush tan
carpet that belies the mileage on the truck, as does the foam
backed headliner on the ceiling.
Drivetrain
We had no doubt it would be clean after seeing the rest of the
truck and sure enough, under the hood is a clean 5.9 liter Cummins
turbo diesel with a modified pump and injectors, a Horton auxiliary
fan, and a new radiator assembly and hoses. A 5-speed manual
transmission sends power to the Dana 80 rear axle with 4.10 gears
and limited slip. Power brakes are onboard with discs up front and
drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
Some light surface rust but a truck that has seen very little road
salt, if any. We're not seeing any leaks, only minimal grease on
the knuckles, and no road dirt to speak of. The single exhaust is
large and flows through a stock style muffler before exiting the
polished tip in back.
Drive-Ability
We hear some great engines around here, so pedestrian trucks don't
do much for us, but a big turbo diesel plays some nice music,
especially when you give it some gas, er, diesel and let 'er rip.
Plenty of power at hand here and a big comfortable cab from which
to wield it. We find a few things not working perfectly, however.
For example, the A/C doesn't blow through the vents, the power
locks aren't working, and the rear tilt on the driver's seat panel
doesn't move the seat. Beyond that, all functions get a check mark
from us as operational. While Classic Auto Mall represents that
these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we
cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of
your purchase.
Our consignor asks, why spend over twice as much for half the
truck? We kind of agree here and the only thing missing from this
equation is a show car on a nice aluminum trailer! So, who's ready
to roll some coal around here? Who needs a work truck that's
obviously been well taken care of and has many miles ahead of it?
We love matching collectors and racers with great tow vehicles. Can
we set you up on a date to meet this one in person?
3B7MC33D4VM577840
3-Mexico
B-Dodge
7-Truck Without Side Airbags
M-10,001 To 14,000 GVWR
C-2wd
3-3500 Series
3-Quad Cab
D-5.9 Liter Cummings Diesel
4-Check Digit
V-1997
M-Lago Alberto, Mexico Assy Plant
557840-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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