eBay Find of the Day: World's nicest Dodge Rampage?
1982 Dodge Rampage - Click above for photo gallery
Listen, we're not complaining here. Folks who restore old cars are to be applauded. Period. Mostly, the resto subjects are rides with mass appeal -- cars everyone is familiar with. Those are great and all, but the really insane aficionados are the ones who restore things you'd never think of. Seriously, though -- would you restore a 1982 Dodge Rampage? Frankly, we probably wouldn't either. But in this case, some Mopar lunatic did. And we want to hug him. We'll go out on a limb here and say that this is probably The Nicest Rampage in America, because on the exceedingly rare occasion when we actually see one out and about, it's usually a tired-looking disaster that's hauling something like 300 pounds of manure and/or a month's worth of recycling. This one? Concours condition. It's pretty amazing. Anything that wasn't up to snuff was replaced. You could touch the engine bay and then perform open-heart surgery without scrubbing in -- it's that clean. If a perfect Rampage in Sport Edition duds is the missing link in your personal collection, $12,900 on eBay is all that stands between you and forgotten-car Nirvana. Will people think you're crazy for spending that much on a Rampage? Probably, but screw those haters. They're just jealous. Follow the jump for a video produced by the seller, Best of Show Automotive in Mentor, OH.
Gallery: eBay Find: 1982 Dodge Rampage
[Source: eBay Motors | Images: Best of Show Automotive]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Nick 2:47PM (8/02/2009)
Butt ugly then and now, but I love the concept of car based trucks.
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Shiftright 2:23PM (8/02/2009)
I loved these trucklets! Had a friend in the 90's with one stuffed with a Shelby Trubo engine that ran teh quarter in the high 13s. His license plate was "I8AV8". Awesome.$12,900 is not much for any restored car. I'd buy it if I could.
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notYou 4:36PM (8/02/2009)
I agree. I don't really care for that car at all, but kudos to the effort by those who apparently bled to make it as spit-new shiny. Plus, while it's not my cup of tea, it's so homely that it kind of gives me warm fuzzies...and I am _not_ a sentimental person.
ps. As an owner of an 06 CTS-V powered by a torque snorting V8 LS2 (FTW!!!), there's at least a 50% chance I'm gonna steal that license plate for myself! I8AV8 - _brilliant_!
Mike 6:37PM (8/02/2009)
You know what makes this one cool though?
ORANGE.
That is all.
PJ 7:49PM (8/02/2009)
Love the "I8AV8" story. Reminds of the Dodge Omni GLH of the same vintage--which, in its day, really could beat the pants off contemporary (anemic) V8 Mustangs, Camaros, and Firebirds in the quarter, provided you could hold the steering wheel straight.
Anyway, I have to throw in a plug Best of Show's website (not affiliated in any way, blah blah). Most of the iron on their site is spectacular vintage stuff--'Cudas, B-bodies, Chevelles, Mustangs, etc.--and perusing the photo galleries is great muscle-car fantasy fodder.
Alex Nunez 7:51PM (8/02/2009)
Agree 100% on Best of Show's website. I had never come across it before today. If you look at the Current Inventory list, there's a Dodge A100 pickup in there that will make you faint, it's so awesome. That guy has a museum, too, according to the site. I can see why and how...
Mr Clickerson 2:26PM (8/02/2009)
Nope- Cash for Clunkers.
Well... If it were 2 years newer...
But really, quite an interesting vehicle... At first when I saw the picture I thought of the Subaru Brat.
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Alex Nunez 2:59PM (8/02/2009)
As a matter of fact -- the Rampage (the '84 at least) is ineligible for C4C. It averages over 20 mpg.
Mr Clickerson 3:10PM (8/02/2009)
Good point- but it still pains me to see great condition cars being destroyed when they could simply be put back into use by families in need. It's just blatant waste.
Alex Nunez 3:12PM (8/02/2009)
You'll get no argument from me, Clickerson.
Blacksabre 5:57PM (8/02/2009)
The thing only weighs about 2400 lbs, and with the turbo engine, it flies.
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MemphisNET 2:45PM (8/02/2009)
Love it or hate, gotta give top props to the people that keep stuff like this alive.
Personally, I love it :D
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LoneWolf 2:58PM (8/02/2009)
It's nice to see one restored (and it's the first time I ever heard of a Dodge Rampage - today, you can't name a car "Rampage" anymore, I think), but I wouldn't drive it...a fwd car based pickup? No thanks, I would take a Caballero!
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Vermonter 3:07PM (8/02/2009)
I live in a small town in northern VT that not only has a light blue Dodge Rampage and a dark blue Subaru Brat. We also have a White Plymouth Scamp! Red interior with a manual transmission. The Rampage and Brat are summer drivers and in good shape, the Scamp is owner buy a collector and is in excellent condition.
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Alex Nunez 3:09PM (8/02/2009)
Your town obviously kicks all sorts of ass.
Joe K. 5:55PM (8/02/2009)
Plymouth Scamp sounds like some form of pilgrim whore...
Scott K. 9:39PM (8/02/2009)
(off-topic): Hey, I live in Vermont, too! Have MSN messenger?
(on-topic) It' restorations like these that make me wonder if people will be restoring Hyundai Accents in the 2020's. Pretty cool that someone would restore something that's not a "classic" (Mustang, Charger, etc.).
Jim 9:54PM (8/02/2009)
"I live in a small town in northern VT that not only has a light blue Dodge Rampage and a dark blue Subaru Brat. We also have a White Plymouth Scamp! Red interior with a manual transmission."
them's were the days. Red interiors, or blue, or green. Now, most of the time your choice of interior color is "d'ya want black, or gray?"
Wow 2:21PM (8/07/2009)
Wow, that is actually cool.
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JayP 3:19PM (8/02/2009)
My boy has a fascination with car-trucks and I was trying to explain to him the Rampage. I called him over to look at this thing- He asked what engine was in it. When I said probably a 2.2 4 cylinder, he shrugged it off.
I can't please this kid.
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