Car of the Week: 1982 Dodge Rampage

[dodgechargerfan]

Harvey Retzack figures that sooner or later the rest of the world might realize that Chrysler Corp. was on to something good back in 1982.

That was the year the company went against the grain and launched its funky Rampage pickup — a little front-wheel-drive hauler that was just a blip on the automotive landscape and fuzzy memory to many car folks. Retzack has one of the few that you’ll see on the road these days, and the longer he owns it, the more he is convinced the featherweight Rampage was a rock star that just never got discovered.

“People say, ‘Did you cut that down from a station wagon?’” laughs Retzack. “Most people have never heard of it or seen it. Dodge did not do a good job of impressing it on the market or impressing it on the world. People didn’t know these were [available], unfortunately. That’s the sad thing — in 1982, ’83, ’84, a vehicle for under $4,000 that would haul a half-ton of stuff and still get 30 mpg. I don’t know why they didn’t sell like hot cakes. I’m sure Chrysler was scratching their heads, too. They just didn’t sell.”

Read more.

 

[68R/T]

I had an '84 w/5-speed for a summer. Yea, it was handy having the open bed in a small vehicle. And every one of the Omni/Horizons lost their radiators to rot. Ones with AC only worked about 3-4 years. The hoses were so cheap that the freon seeped thru the hoses. But this guy tries to make them sound more rare than they actually were. But, just like the rest of the "tin cans" from that era, they rotted away and were crushed. :huh:

 

[dodgechargerfan]

 

[71ChargerRT]

It was $7,200 in 1982 not $4,000 and $8,300 was the average new car price. For comparison an '82 Dodge D150 with a slanty and air was about $6900. I'm surprised they sold any Rampages at all.

 

[Stretch]

Why didn't they ever put the 2.2 turbo engines in them?

 

[thrashingcows]

Why didn't they ever put the 2.2 turbo engines in them?

There is a guy at a (used to be local to me) mopar show who has one I believe. It's red with black stripes/graphics. Sure I have a pic of it somewhere on the old hard drive. Maybe he built it to look OEM?

 

[Stretch]

He had to have. There is a guy here who has one too. He transplanted Shelby Daytona parts into his. Its white and red.

 

[Dr.Jass]

They never installed the Turbo engine because it debuted in the Rampage's twilight year of '84. That first year, the Turbo engine was limited to midsize (K-based) cars, the Shelby GLH being the only L-body available with it. Few GLH Omnis were turbocharged in '84, and the Charger Shelby didn't get forced induction at all until '85. Most '84 Shelby-badged cars were carbureted 2.2s with increased compression and a Crane cam. The increased compression was accomplished via heavy deck milling; those engines used a 1-tooth-shorter timing belt.

Someone around here has a turbocharged Rampage? I've never seen it. Considering the state of the 1984 L-body suspension art, it sounds like a scary package.

Back then, I thought there should've been a version using the Shelby Charger body kit. I've seen pictures of it done since then.

 

[Stretch]

Someone around here has a turbocharged Rampage? I've never seen it. Considering the state of the 1984 L-body suspension art, it sounds like a scary package.

.

Yes. I worked on it a few times when I worked for Mr.Tire. He was probably in his mid to late 20's when I worked on it. Now that I think about it, I think Swampers dad ended up with it.

 

[Jester]

I used to want one of these in my teens... was too busy locking myself in the bathroom for 3 minutes at a time, 5 times per day. Couldn't find the energy to search through the buy & sell newspaper... Thank Odin for the Internet and multitasking