1984 Dodge Rampage
Over its three years of production, about 40,000 Dodge Rampages were produced and improvements were made with a manual option in 1983, and a facelift in 1984 that shared its look with the Charger of the time. Likely used as midsized El Camino type working trucks, not many Rampages and even fewer of the Plymouth Scamps survive today and of course, there's a dedicated Facebook group with about 2,800 members.
For consignment, a 1984 Dodge Rampage with many custom features that surely make it a one of one show car and a clean example of an obscure car.
Exterior
Red, and lots of it, cover the exterior of the car and everything from the nerf bar to the bed to the bar and cage around the bed wear a bright hue. An added hood bulge wears red as well and has mesh on the cowl side to simulate air intake. Perhaps the most notable features are the Eldorado-like torpedo lights at the end of the bed bar and the big dual exhaust pushing through the sculpted rear valance, hinting at perhaps a bigger engine in the bay. There are also a pair of seats in the bed, Brat style, and a cage behind the rear window to prevent cargo, and maybe craniums, from breaking the glass. 16-inch chrome wheels, looking period aftermarket, are rocking 195/50R16 tires with plenty of room to spare in the wells. The bed is red and clean and panel gaps are mostly well minded with a little misalignment on the tailgate. Other imperfections include invasive rust on the quarter panels and door corners, bubbling on others, chips and missing paint, and bubbling and invasive rust on the roof near the rain rail.
Interior
Gray tweed tops the door panels which also have rows of gray vinyl and a black carpet base in good condition. The gray cloth bucket seats are high backed and in decent condition providing some lateral support and behind them, an amp and speakers are mounted on the wall. A 4 spoke steering fronts a simple angular dashboard with three gauge behind plexiglass providing eight bits of information and the A/C push button controls live to the left of the column. An AM/FM/CD radio with removable face is in the center stack along with a storage cubby and lighter. The shifter emerges from a plastic box base with accordion style rubber boot and gray carpet covers the floor under Dodge branded rubber mats. The headliner surrounds a sunroof with red film applied to it.
Drivetrain
Under the hood we find a driver quality 2.2 liter inline 4 cylinder engine producing 84 horsepower and fueled by a single 2-barrel carburetor. A 5-speed manual transmission keeps power in the front where 3.05 gears are found. Power brakes are onboard with the typical disc front, drum rear configuration. There's plenty of patina in the bay with many parts wearing surface rust.
Undercarriage
Overall, a dry underside with plenty of surface rust and some of it is pitted. There's a bit of invasive rust on a floor pan and the exhaust has some deep pitting. The single pipe goes from a stock style muffler to a Y-section that splits the tailpipes and creates the illusion of a V8 via large chrome tips. Coil struts are used in the front and leaf springs, which vary from the Omni on which the car is based, are found out back.
Drive-Ability
Flash Gordon looks with Snailman speed, this little rampage definitely has Subaru Brat vibes inside and out and would absolutely be the only one at the car show. It shifts well, tracks straight, and stops when it needs to. We do note a high idle, around 3,500 rpm, and the A/C is cool but not cold. All other functions needed to hit the road work on this little red rocker. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
I showed my buddy this car when it came in and he flipped out. We were in high school in 1984 and the Rampage was considered a very cool, unique ride and they weren't all that uncommon. So we expect this one to touch a nerve with someone our age, and maybe others, because they simply don't come up for sale that often. And just so you know, Hot Wheels did in fact make a miniature Rampage in various configurations over the years, so it's not completely obscure, just rare 40 years later.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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