1990 Dodge Ram W250 Cummins 4X4 Rustfree, low miles, manual transmission

1990 Dodge Other Pickups 5.9 Cummins Description

Up for sale is my 1990 Dodge Ram W250 4 X 4 Cummins Diesel 5 – Speed manual. I bought this truck in 2012. It had spent it’s life in the Pacific Northwest – Washington and Oregon. As such had no exposure to salt and no rust. The truck had just over 100k miles on it when I bought it and now has 104,808. I have several other vehicles and just don’t drive it often enough to keep it. Since I have owned it I have never driven it in rain or snow. There are not many low mile unmolested trucks like this left. This truck was taken care of and was owned by the same family until 2012. It had a camper shell on it most of it’s life and was not a work truck as you can see by looking at the near perfect bed. Below is a detailed description of the vehicle.

Mechanical

6BT Cummins. Always starts immediately hot or cold and runs great with no leaks, misses or smoke. 5-speed manual transmission. This is the best shifting Getrag 360 manual I have ever driven. The shift throws are smooth, no grinding in any gear ever. Stays in whatever gear you put it in. Clutch is tight and engages and disengages properly. This is an overdrive transmission. Axles are 4.10 gears with limited slip rear. All these 1st gen trucks are good trucks, but the early ones are the best. As a 1990 it has no computers whatsoever and it still has an external voltage regulator, not a computer controlled like 91.5 -93. There is no ECM on this truck. As a manual trans truck it has none of the transmission woes that plagued the automatics. In short, if it has fuel, air and 12 volts to start, it runs. This truck has no leaks from any component. It has sat inside for the last 5 years on a concrete floor and doesn’t drip. As you can see in the pictures there is some nominal gasket seepage and grease slung by the drive shafts, but that’s it. It drives straight down the road, does not pull left or right. No driveline vibrations or noises. After I got the truck I replaced the skinny old 16”x6” rims with 16x7 accu-ride wheels, so I could put a modern day 10 ply 265-75-16 tires on it. They have around 2,500 miles on them. I also replaced the battery, brake booster, master cylinder and voltage regulator and fuel shutoff solenoid. If you will notice the voltage regulator has been relocated to the right side of the engine compartment, so it doesn’t get cooked by the engine. Dodges original location is right over the motor on the firewall. All the fluids are at proper level. The brake pedal is firm and the truck stops quickly with no pull left or right. In a high speed brake application there is some slight rotor shimmy than can be felt in the brake pedal. The parking brake works and the brake light illuminates when the parking brake is set. The transfer case operates smoothly when shifting in and out of 4x4 and the 4x4 indicator light on the dash illuminates in 4x4. The exhaust is original and intact. The grid heater for cold start works. The block heater works. When you start the truck the water-in-fuel and brake lights illuminate briefly then go off as they should. The truck runs at normal temps regardless of the outside temps. Leaf springs in good condition, no cracks and truck sits level side to side with a slight rake as it was designed. Many early first gens sit low in the rear from years of overloading but this one wasn’t. I always kept the fuel tank on full and treated the fuel with biocide and power service additive .Right now its slightly over half tank because I have wanted to run the fuel out of before I put it away for winter.

Body-Paint-Glass

No rust ever. None starting and none repaired. The under-body is clean as the frame and chassis components. You can see in the pictures it still has the factory paint stencils on the frame. This is important because I don’t think you can ever make a rusty truck nice again no matter what you spend. I would call the paint better than drivers quality, but not a show truck. There are some chips and touch ups on the paint, but this truck is far nicer than average. The windshield has some pits and a couple of “stars” approximately 5/8 inch, one just above the driver side wiper, the other in the upper right side. Side windows, vent windows and rear sliding glass in good condition. The sheet metal is very straight. There is a “click” in the driver side door hinge when it is opened, but the doors both open and close and latch with no issues and the hinges are tight with no slop. You will get some whistle from the vent windows going down the road. Tailgate is laser straight and open and shuts right. It was not on the truck from 1990 to 2012, so it is like new. The cab and door weathers stripping is in good shape, the window sweeps along the bottom of the side windows are cracking from age. The bed looks like new on the inside as you can see in the pictures .I had the spray in liner installed to keep it nice. There is absolutely no rust on the roof or rain gutter on this truck.

Interior

As you can see it’s in very nice condition. The seat sits high and firm with no rips or worn spots. The door panels are excellent. The dash has no cracks and the instrument cluster is nice and its lenses are nice. The rubber floor mat is nice with no tears or worn spots. I replaced the headliner because it was sagging, so it is in good shape. The seat belts are all in working order. The window and window regulators work correctly. Doors lock and unlock and keys work in both doors.

Electrical etc.

This is one of the few trucks left with an unmolested electrical and wiring system. Fuse box sits in the factory spot just below the steering wheel. Headlights work on high and low beam. Turn signals, flashers and brake lights work. Cargo light works. Dome light and under hood light work. All gauges work and reflect the appropriate readings. Oil pressure good cold or hot. Instrument cluster lights work. The heat is hot and comes out of the correct vents. Blower motor works all speeds. Horn works. Radio works, but the digits don’t all illuminate. The license plate and backup lights work. The running lights work. The windshield washer works and the wipers work, but have a noticeable “catch” in them when they sweep across the windshield – something I never noticed until yesterday when I tested the washer- I never drive in the rain or snow and did not know there was an issue until then. The speedometer, odometer and trip odometer all work correctly. This truck does have a 6 digit ODO also. The aftermarket cruise control that is mounted on the steering column works and it works better than any Dodge installed at the factory because it holds a constant speed and doesn’t surge. There is a slight draw on the battery that will drop voltage less than one volt over the course of 2-3 weeks. It won’t make a test light glow. It is most likely from the radio memory as that is the only accessory that draws current when the truck is off. If you did not already notice there is no A/C, power windows/locks. And you won’t be searching for the obsolete parts to fix them either.

Summary

It is a nice truck, but is not perfect. But there are very few left that are this straight. I think vehicles always look better in pictures than they do “in person”, but this looks nice in person too. It is a fun truck to drive and has a nice sound to it as you go through the gears. It was built in the era that preceded todays “trucks” that are used for passenger service and going to home depot 2 times a year. And once again…I am selling a 27 year old truck in good condition and I have disclosed everything I know about it. I drove it 110 miles the day before I wrote this ad but If I could predict the future I would be buying lottery tickets instead of typing.

Both Carfax and Autocheck are clean. I have an Indiana title I my name that is actual miles. Some states “exempt” titles on vehicles over 10 years old, so that part is up to you. There was a previous exempt on this truck, but it is done on a state by state basis, so whether your state will give you a “actual” I don’t know. I also have the original window sticker, owner’s manuals and receipts for the work I have done. Truck is located in Columbia City, Indiana and I have no interest in delivering it or driving around the Midwest to show it, although you can certainly come look at it if you want. I will assist your shipper or you can come pick it up in person. I will accept cash, wire transfer or cashier’s check with verification prior to truck leaving. No personal checks. If you cannot pay for it or follow through with your commitment, please just pass. I can provide a copy of the title to the winning bidder before payment if you wish. Get permission if you need it… Winning bidder to contact me within 24 hours. My phone number is 574-78O-8639 for questions. NO trades of any kind. Thanks.