A few days after writing the recollection of my first attempt (and failure) at a Cheap Truck Challenge truck that actually ran, I stumbled upon a '75 Dodge W200 extended-cab 3/4-ton 4x4 for $1,500. A huge grin crept across my face as I remembered my tax return that had entered into my life only the day before. With a swiftness only paralleled by gaudy women at a half-price shoe sale, I snapped up my cell to confirm with the owner that this was indeed the correct information.
Sure enough, he described it just as in the ad. Six or seven people had called to go take a look, and all had said they would buy it, but none had even given him a deposit. One thing I knew for sure: Money talks. And with that attitude I made an appointment the next day. Pockets filled with green, I headed to Corona, California, for the best deal possible on a Dodge that, if as the owner described it, would be mine by the end of the night.
When I got there, the truck started up with one pump of the pedal, something impressive for an old truck that's not warmed up. It was dark out already, so I felt around with a half-dead flashlight to check what I could. Sure enough, the truck had a 440ci engine, a 727 tranny, an NP203 transfer case, a Dana 44 front, and a Dana 60 rear. There was a hole in the driver-side floor, but the body seemed to be very good overall. I'd have to take a closer look at home the next morning. A bit of haggling got the price down to something I could afford: $1,300. Time to test the vehicle I'd just bought five minutes before, in a nice, safe, contained area, away from other people, so I hopped straight onto the Southern California freeways at rush hour. Oops. By the way, how jealous are you of the sweet paint job? Dirt-brown with some killer '70s yellow, white, and brown stripes down the side. We might repaint the vehicle, but we'll definitely keep the stripes. | 
The next morning's exploring found almost nothing wrong with this vehicle. The only thing I could find besides a rusted-out driver-side floorboard was some bare hot wires spliced together under the hood. The wiring job was actually done somewhat cleanly, but the installer had forgotten to tape or heatshrink over a few positive wires, making for an unlikely, but potentially harsh, short circuit. This vehicle was in such good condition that it still had the original doorplates and spec sticker under the hood. Apparently this truck had a 360ci engine originally. I was surprised at this since whoever had done the motor swap had done it very cleanly, even utilizing the factory air conditioning and condenser. Most of the rubber was good on the vehicle, but the wipers were crap. A set of wipers at the local parts store set me back $10, and the oil and oil filter I always get for any vehicle immediately after I purchase it set me back $34.75. When you're getting a truck, do all the cheap maintenance you can. Check the fluids and belts and seals and U-joints. Make sure none of the U-bolts, wheel studs, steering-box bolts, or leaf-spring bolts are cracked or broken. Be happy that you found a problem, if any. It'll cost you a little ching, but in the long run, you'll save yourself a ton by not burning up your good investment.
Budget Left: $155.25 | 
One feature of this truck I really liked was the 66-gallon fuel cell in the bed. This isn't the greatest setup for useable bed capacity, but this was an 8-footer, and I was probably going to put a fuel cell in the bed anyway. |
How Does It Work?
This second time around at the Cheap Truck Challenge proved to be more fruitful, as an 80-mile drive back home assured us of this truck's reliability. If anything can test a vehicle's reliability, it's the busy stop-and-crash-and-go Southern California freeways.
The W200 has a good amount of power, but the thing basically blows goats off-road. The longer the wheelbase, the more it's suppose to flex? Well, check out the total lack of articulation and twist when this rear 33-inch tire lifted as the front tire went up onto a foot-tall rock like 10 freakin' feet in front of the rear.
In the last few days, we've been driving our new Dodge Lawg to work and back to find any potential problems fast. A cooling problem has arisen at higher speeds, with temperatures jumping to almost 250 degrees on the freeways, but it seems to cool itself off once back below 50 mph. We'll look into this further, but it is most likely a worn-out thermostat, a hose collapsing, a bad water pump, a belt slipping, or a tranny cooling issue, as the engine seems to run great and no fluids are burned up or spilled out.
Another nice feature on this truck was the fact that the owner had already installed some heavy-duty front shackles and 33-inch tires. When looking for the best deal you can, think about what the truck already has on it, and factor that into the worth of the truck. I didn't have much money left in my $1,500 budget after my purchase (like Fred or Dave had), but the W200 was running and already had a ton of things I wanted, and I didn't have to buy nearly as much to make this vehicle somewhat capable. | 
One mod I did add was a K&N air cleaner. Lying in my garage was a pile of old air cleaners and filters that had found their way to dormancy in this pile by way of improvements or donations. I pieced together one of my nicer air cleaners with a K&N air filter that was given to me about six months ago. Since the air filter was a K&N, I just washed it out and re-oiled it. I'll estimate this air intake combo at around $45.
Budget Left: $110.75 |  |