Nice Truck Rescued From The Scrapper And Some Body IS IN Big Trouble !

[overlordofmars]

Hello All,

I was browsing a few auctions and I came across this truck, I liked the way is looked and the fact I won the bid at $209.00 should have told me there was a few things needing attention. Its been on a strange trip, Apparently this was surplused to a local fire company though the state of Pennsylvania DCNR and the Federal Forestry Program. They let these fire departments use these trucks , but make no mistake they are STILL FEDERAL PROPERTY. Well this bright bunch at this fire company did a crappy wire job for emergency lights and messed up the alternator. Being a bunch of knuckle dragging mechanics they did nothing but make a good running truck into a total mess. WELL they decided it was not going to be of use to them and told forestry to come and get it. When they did not get it right away the fire company SOLD this piece of FEDERAL PROPERTY to a JUNK YARD ! Well it seems some people did not like that fact, it had to be rescued by authorities a few weeks later but not before the driveshaft was bent like a pretzel, the gas tank had three holes drilled in it, the cat converter was sheared off and the transmission pan had a hole punched in it. The interior has the door panels missing as well as the interior door handles. Needless to say, I think this fire company and its chief got in trouble and will be watched more carefully next time.

Well I won the heap off a federal auction, got it home and accessed the problems. I had a new drive shaft made and replaced its mangled one. Put a new alternator in and replaced some minor parts and she runs like a champ. The fire company mist have had some crappy mechanical skills. The utility body has NO RUST ! There is a small spot of rust on the one fender where it apparently bumped into something but other wise the truck is solid. OK A QUESTION ! Its titled as a 1979, but has all the features of a pre June 1976 truck ? Any Idea why ? It has a 318 with power steering and 38,424 miles on the clock. It was originally painted a flat gray, but the fire company painted over that with a crappy red paint job. Any idea where this might have been used and the reason for the features being off date. Also WHAT IS THE MODEL ? M890 ? Its 2 wheel drive.

 

[M813A1]

It looks like a Contact truck which would have had tools onboard. As you suspect it was converted to be used as a Fire truck .. It is a Nice looking M880 Series Dodge truck.. You might check out Olive Drab web site you might be able to get more info about that model truck.

 

[doghead]

I don't think it was a military version truck.

That is a commercial utility bed.

Probably just a government contract vehicle.

 

[nattieleather]

At first I thought it was a contact maintenance truck but a quick web search clued me in that it wasn't. The bed isn't correct for the M880 series contact maintenance vehicles. Like Doghead said it was probably just a government contract truck. Might have been used for the Navy since it was painted gray? (Edit) Nice truck you have though a good buy none the less.

Here is a 880s contact maintenance truck. You can see the maintenance bed is different.

 

[Bob H]

Bed like a M888, but it isn't and there wasn't a 2wd version of it in the M890 series.

GSA regularly messes up the years on these Dodges. The 6th digit in the vin is the year W24BE6Sxxxxxx would be a 76 pickup (W21BE6Sxxxxxx would be a cab & chassis)

No DATA plate riveted to the dash?

 

[fuzzytoaster]

The truck doesn't look military and the bed is definitely commercial; probably a Knapheide 696J if not an older version of it. The reason I know is my M1028 came with a 596J Knapheide bed from the Gov and it probably got it when they issued it to a USTOC Contactor in 06' as indicated by the barcode stickers on the dash.

 

[ryan77]

Definitely civi with the chrome handles! U could make a cool m888 telephone maintenance truck!

 

[overlordofmars]

The data is damaged thanks to dozens of drill holes done by the fire company . Here is the VIN D24JE9S234601 There was a date of delivery on the plate by the glove box dated 7/79 Now on that plate its called Truck Maint Tele Utility . They drilled through the FSN number and contract number as well as model.

 

[overlordofmars]

The utility body is an old Reading, that's the weird part, its as old as the truck. But not rusted any where. Most of the Readings I saw over the years were rotted away.

 

[Bob H]

The data is damaged thanks to dozens of drill holes done by the fire company . Here is the VIN D24JE9S234601 There was a date of delivery on the plate by the glove box dated 7/79 Now on that plate its called Truck Maint Tele Utility . They drilled through the FSN number and contract number as well as model.

Yep 1979 Dodge D200, gov't contract purchase. not an M880/M890 series truck.

 

[dtracy22]

That is a 79 grille BTW. There is 2 styles of grilles in 79. Lower end models have large round headlights and the grille your has pictured. Higher end models have quad rectangle headlights. 1980 model year all have round headlights from what I've seen. I think your truck is actually a 80 because of production date.

 

[overlordofmars]

Now I am confused, I was going by the manual on the trucks.

 

[dtracy22]

This is a 1979 grille on lower end vehicles.

 

[dtracy22]

I entered your VIN on the decoder on ramchargercentral.

You entered the VIN Number: D24JE9S234601

D2	MODEL DESIGNATION		D200 or D300 for 80
4	BODY TYPE		Conventional Cab W/Sweptline (Standard Box)
E	ENGINE TYPE		318-1
9	MODEL YEAR		1979
S	ASSEMBLY PLANT		Warren Plant No 1
234601		Sequential Serial Number

 

[overlordofmars]

Thanks to all, I plan to run this as a daily driver and give my M1009 a rest.

 

[doghead]

1979 3/4 TON DODGE D200 PICKUP TRUCK, UTILITY BODY, 8 CYL, GAS ENGINE, 4X2, AT,

From the auction listing.