47K Miles? 1968 Dodge D-100 Custom
There’s something about a mostly-original vehicle that gets to a person. Is it from the memories of the era that it comes from or just the look of honest wear and tear? I don’t know what it is but when it’s a truck like this 1968 Dodge D-100 Custom, I like them even more. This low-mile truck can be found here on eBay in Midway, Arkansas – the current bid price is $3,000 and there is no reserve.
This looks like the perfect vehicle for a family project, one to have young folks learn how to fix a vehicle. Maybe I should say folks without a lot of experience, not just young folks. It looks and sounds like there are just basic tasks to be performed here, brakes, shocks, tune-up, and general work like that. In fact, it sounds like that’s why the seller bought it, as a project for their son.
This good looking truck is for sale because it turns out that the seller’s son didn’t like the three-on-the-tree manual shifter. That’s unfortunate as heck as a lot of us learned how to shift a manual transmission with a column-mounted manual. I have a feeling that a minuscule percentage of parents teach their kids how to drive manual transmission vehicles these days, maybe it’s because they’ve never had one, or maybe their parents never even had one. This does look like a nice, relatively-simple project truck.
The seat upholstery isn’t original, of course, but it looks good. I would want a period correct seat fabric or at least something blue to match the truck. The seller mentions that they fixed the driver’s side floor but the passenger floor also looks like it’s had some work done to it. Inside the bed looks good other than some heavy surface rust on the cab end.
It’s hard to go wrong with a 225 slant-six engine, although you can see the gas can under the hood. The seller mentions that it needs a gas tank and it starts, runs, and drives as is, but the brakes need work. Are there any Dodge D-100 fans out there? How about fans of the three-on-the-tree transmission?
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Comments
I call these the “Rodney Dangerfield” of trucks, they just got no respect.( adjusting tie, wiping forehead) Dodge, for whatever reason, was just not a major player in the midwest. I think we saw more Studebakers than Dodges. Didn’t make a lick of sense either, Dodge had one of the best trucks out there, but it was Ford and Chevy all the way, Dodge had to settle for 3rd. Boy, THAT sure changed, yet, I lost all respect for the marque, when they stopped calling them Dodges. I suppose “RAM” is as silly as “DODGE”, but it’s the principle.
Now they’re just RAM. I think because Dodge Ram is an oxymoron.
Had a classmate’s Dad that had one like this, with the 318. It was that familiar green with a white cab roof. Gated dash shifter. Neat truck.
Appear’s to be more sheet metal hanging on the side of these trucks. Although that’s not the case it’s more the design. This thing is begging for bigger tires to fill up those cavernous wheelwells. I had a 71 Dodge Dude 3/4 ton with the 16″ tires which helped with those large wheelwells. Along with a factory 383, auto. My first Big block mopar. I was impressed.
I wonder why it has two master cylinders.
Clutch
Doesn’t appear to be a’68, maybe a 67.
Tough trucks that a young person needs to take on, and show his friends how 3 on the tree is cool!
PaulG, the ’67 grille was different than the ’68 grille.
https://img.hmn.com/fit-in/900×506/filters:upscale()/stories/2018/08/463481.jpg
Correct Scotty. There should be side marker (reflectors) lights F & R on 68 and up. Someone must have removed them…
My uncle had a 65 this color he used in his plumbing business.
After buying a 66 Pontiac for his wife the GMC/Pontiac dealer made him an offer he couldn’t refuse on a 68 GMC truck
He was still driving it in 1986. Converted to propane.
Had a ’68, Mayflower Green with the white top while in high school in Texas in ’77. Loved that truck. Gave it to my dad when he moved to Maine. He kept it for another 10 years and sold it . The road salt up north was starting to take its toll but it still ran like a top. Hard to beat that slant 6.
well, it’s up to 4900, interesting to see where it goes. If this thing was local I’d be very interested.
I drove one of these for years. Great truck. Wish I still had it.
I’ve got the stepside version of this truck, called the Utiline, sitting in my back yard. It’s a ’68, slant 6, and — wonder of wonders — an automatic. I low-balled an offer on eBay and was stunned when I won it. It is a fine machine — easily the equal of a ’68 C-10 or F-100, at perhaps half the price.
Congratulations. You got a well made truck and something you can work on very easily. Better hang onto it.
I drove one like this that was a company truck assigned to me. The three speed column shift would lock up every few miles, and the only way to get it unstuck was to stop, lift the hood. Then you reached into the hot engine bay pushing one leaver down while pushing the other one up. When it rained, the doors filled up with water. They would slosh going down the road. There were no drain holes in the bottom that we ever found. After drilling three drain holes the problem was fixed. Nothing on the body fit correctly and the cab was so drafty that the heater was ineffective. The truck was sent to the shop several times to get the sticking gear shift repaired, however it continued to stick as always. I was just a kid and the time, and my cheap employer told me to deal with it. Dealing with it meant only using first and third gear so that I didn’t have to deal with the shifter sticking. When I left that job, I was so thankful to be done with that truck! I owned several later model Dodge trucks through the years, and none were as poorly engineered or poorly built as that truck. I hope that this one finds a good hope with someone who will care for it and enjoy it. I probably wouldn’t take it home if they gave it to me!
All I can say is OH I WISHED I HAD IT. I have a 71–body in bad shape. I,d take both trucks and put my 318 in it. Do away with the hydraulic clutch (less thing to cause trouble.) Change the motor. The slant six is a good motor ,but no power on the hills hear. I keep looking for a good body at a reason price to transplant everything . They were good –tough–dependable truck.They rusted out hear quick. I paid $110 for mine back in 1976. I remeber going back to Norfolk,Va one night. Eveytime I would dim my lights. The temperature gauge would go up. I stopped and checked everything. Nothing was wrong. Next week when I got back home. I fixed it. Took the water hose to the inside and it worked perfect after that. I guess it has dirt under the dash,hahahaha The gauge worked perfect after that. Even ran it 4 quarts low one time. Racing coming in. Motor NEVER made a bit of noise. Filled it back up and it still ran perfect. Very good -tough motors back then.
Howard A, I am a fan of Chryslers as a rule. But the reason it got “no respect” is that it has no style! “Let’s take box and glue some headlights on it and call it good!” Early ’50s Dodges had style. But when they got to this design the designers went on vacation for the whole time this body (lack of) style was built. It’s fine when you drive it as it is a good truck. And you don’t have to look at it when driving it. But you have to drive it with a paper bag over your head so no one will recognize you. And then you still need to park it behind the restaurant no that no one will see you get out of it.
Sorry to those who like the style. I was just repeating a conversation from my high school days. (and I still don’t like the (lack of) style)
Wayne . . . you are totally right. I had a 58 Step Side D100 for 43 years. That truck had style! That truck had personality! It was distinctive . . . in a good way. It reminded a lot of people of a Power Wagon. The trucks that preceded that style (Pilot House, etc) were also great looking, stylish trucks, and at least were not embarrassed by the “Big 3”. I remember when this style came out . . . it left me cold. But, to each their own!
Wayne , I think something happened to them Since 69 their hasn,t been any style–comfort –good made product . I have a 2001 Dodge Ram . I took notice when it hit 30,000 miles. The mileage started jumping on the mileage. One evening after I filled up with gas. I thought I,d checked how much mileage I was getting on gas. I wrote the mileage down. The VERY next morning I started up my truck and just looked at gauges and noticed the mileage–it traveled 95 miles OVERNIGHT–PARKED. They have it working buy electric. How many other people noticed their vehicles doing it? I think they did it so the warranty runs out quicker and they don,t have to pay for any bad parts. I think that Chrysler should be held accountable. The mileage also adds up–when you back up. The older vehicles did not do that. They would run the mileage back.
I see the heater is disconnected.
Wonder why?
The answer is “Yes!”. The question is “Do you like old Dodge trucks? With slant motors? With 3 on the tree? “Yes!” and also “Yes!”
I have a 57 D-100 with push-button Torque-Flite” It is a little less refined than this one but not much. I always liked the roofline on this series. It reminds me a little of the 1958-1961 Thunderbirds. I also like how the door has a dip and changes in level right where you might rest your elbow. Some of you don’t see it but this is a stylish truck with large sculpted body panels that come together in a cohesive design.
I am not a big fan of lowering most trucks (sort of defeats the purpose of having a truck) but I would consider lowering this one, giving it some chrome reverse wheels and 2 inch whitewall tires, losing the clunky step bumper, redoing the bench seat in period cloth or vinyl or custom naugahyde and then giving it a Larry Watson type panel paint job with metal-flake and candy colors. That truck is a big blank canvas.
l almost forgot to point out that sweet white steering wheel! Wouldn’t change it.
That would no doubt be a solid lifter slant 6, they had a much beefier crank in them as well I believe. Ten Thou. intake & 20 Thou exhaust were the valve settings.
Could be the deal of the week here on barn find!! Very sanitary and looks stock too!! This would be a nice truck to putt to Home Depot on a Saturday or Sunday after noon!! I don’t think I’d change a thing!!
Any motor will fit
They were available with the Hemi but none were ordered. Just think what one would be worth now if it were original in good condition…… any guesses?