1988 Dodge Ram B250 Cargo Van With 17k Original Miles: Bank Vault On Wheels on 2040-cars
Tucson, Arizona, United States
Vehicle Title:Clear
Engine:5.9L
Fuel Type:Gasoline
For Sale By:Private Seller
Interior Color: Tan
Make: Dodge
Number of Cylinders: 8
Model: Ram Van
Trim: Cargo Van
Power Options: Air Conditioning, Power Locks
Drive Type: RWD
Mileage: 17,500
Exterior Color: Cream
Number of Doors: 5
This is a very unusual find. This is a 1988 Dodge Ram B250 Cargo Van that was purchased new by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and was used until the 2008 for surveillance in drug cases here in southern Arizona. It was retired due to the newer technology coming in to play making this van obsolete by government standards. It was sold at auction to a retired gentleman who sold the van to me. I needed a van to move exercise equipment from one location to another as I have two physical therapy clinics in the area. I needed the van for the move and after that I have kept it just in case I would need to haul any other equipment but it has just been sitting at my office and I worry that someone may vandalize it during a weekend or something so I have decided to sell it. This is a really cool find with most of the original surveillance equipment still in place. The van is in remarkable shape for it's age and due to the fact that it was usually only driven to local locations and parked to do it's job, the mileage is extremely low and is shows on the van. All of the paint is the original paint on the van. There are a few scratches and small dents, but the body is in extremely good condition with zero rust anywhere on the van. The chrome on the van is in perfect condition (mirrors, door handles) with no pitting. All doors open and close like new. All lenses and light markers look new. Front and rear bumpers were painted white from the factory and are in great shape. All four factory hub caps are mint condition. There is one tiny chip in the windshield but other than that the glass is all in great shape. The interior is also in great shape with no rips or tears and very little wear inside. The grain on the stearing wheel is still very prominant and the pedals show little to no wear, both consistent with a very low mile vehicle. All guages work perfectly and are clear and bright. Original radio still works fine. The speakers on the ceiling that you see in the pictures are dummy speakers and were tied to a intercom system that allowed the people in the back to communicate with the driver. Front door and rear cargo speakers are in the original locations and are used for the stereo. The van is equipped with power door locks and power windows which work flawlessly. There is a very nice Viper alarm system installed in the van that locks/unlocks ALL doors including the cargo door with the touch of a button. The van is equipped with AC but will need a new compressor. I had my AC guys look at it when I first got it and the said the compressor seals were leaking. I did not have it fixed because I just didn't drive it enough to make it a big deal. But the system works very well as they were able to check it when they had it in the shop. The fan for both the heat and AC blows hard. The heater will cook you in just a few minutes. All lights and blinkers work perfectly although there is a switch on the dash that will disable the blinkers and horn for some reason. I hit the switch once on accident and realized I didn't have blinkers so that's the way I found out about it. The van has a very heavy duty dividing wall with a sliding and locking door with a sliding "peep hole and peep door" so you can see in the back or from the back to the front. The cargo area on the van is just incredible and I really don't know how to describe it other than say look at the pictures. There is so much intricate wiring and surveillance equipment with track lighting overhead and many plug outlets throughout the van. There is even an ignition switch where they could start or shut off the van from inside the cargo area. The wood paneling is in great shape and everything that was done on this van was done professionally and it shows. Let me just say right up front that I don't pretend to know what works and what doesn't as far as all the surveillance equipment. A lot of the wiring has been cut when the government sold the van but it looks like most everything is in very good condition so I think they just wanted it disabled when they sold it but I think it could be enabled again with someone who has some knowledge of electrical systems (which is not me!). Under the bench seat there is a compressor and gauges for an airbag system to lower or raise the rear of the van probably to make the van look like it was empty when there were people working in there. Again, all the wiring for all this equipment was done very nicely and you can tell it was all professionally installed. I could spend all day describing all of the little interesting things on this van. It's just a neat find and would make an excellent work van. The cargo door has a dead bolt system that locks from the inside. The drivers door has a dead bolt system that locks with the same key as the door/ignition key. The passenger's door did have a dead bolt system but it was removed by the previous owner as was the rear cargo door dead bolt system. The rear cargo glass has custom made shutters so no one can see in the van but from inside the van you can lift them up and see outside. I even left one surveillance camera in the left rear door. There are some cut outs on the floor on the drivers side in the cargo area. Not sure if this was for a toilet/sink or what but I just left it because I didn't know what the new owner would want to do with it. It could easily be covered or used as you see fit. The surveillance chair in the cargo area is in great shape and swivels and slides. As far as mechanical condition, this thing runs great!. It has the big V8 5.9 L with a smooth shifting auto trans. It has the quadrajet four barrel carb. No hesitation (except if it is cold first few minutes) and drives beautifully with no shimmies or shakes and tracks straight. Stops perfectly. It is very comfortable to drive and I would be confident that you could fly in and drive this van anywhere in the country. The only bad things I can think of on the van are: the transmission will leak a little out of the rear seal. The seat in the back of the van seems to make a lot of rattling and squeeking noise when you drive the van as you go over bumps or make turns. It only takes four allen screws to remove the seat. I have just put in new plugs, cap, air filter, oil change with filter. I kept all the original parts as they were genuine Mopar and the originals I believe. I will give them to you if you want them. Tires are in excellent condition. Comes with the original spare tire holder that mounted on the rear cargo door but I removed it as it restricted the opening of the rear door by about one half. The original spare tire has never been used and the original jack looks brand new. The original spare tire holder can be remounted in about 5 minutes, very easy.
In summary: This is basically a new van that could be used for work right now or turned into a custom rig with a little work. It is in fantastic condition and with the security features on the van it would give peace of mind if you were hauling high dollar items or if you had a lot of tools or other valuables inside the cargo area. I have priced this van knowing the AC will need to be fixed. Even so, this is an exceptional value when you look at what you are getting for the money. I know I have probably forgot some things, so please ask questions. Check out the pictures and my feedback and bid with confidence. There is a $500 deposit due via paypal within 48 hours of the end of the auction. As always, I will be more than happy to pick anyone up at the airport in the van if you wish to fly in and drive it home. I do reserve the right to end the auction early as this vehicle may be advertised in other local media as well and could sell at any time.
Dodge Ram Van for Sale
- 1989 dodge camper van for parts or restore vin#2kb31z1kk329924 body/ great shape
- No reserve hightop conversion van tow package tv clean runs drives great
- No reserve hightop conversion van tv cold a/c extra clean runs drives great
- Beautiful 2000 dodge ram 1500 van conversion at land rover las vegas
- Dodge ram handicap van no reserve!!
- Government surplus vehicle!!! - 2001 dodge ram 3500 van!!
Auto Services in Arizona
Vince`s Automotive Repair ★★★★★
Ultimate Imports ★★★★★
Tire & Auto Service Center ★★★★★
The Ding Doctor ★★★★★
Team Ramco ★★★★★
Stockton Hill Tire ★★★★★
Auto blog
1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express in Generation Gap showdown with 1933 Ford Pickup
Fri, 18 Jul 2014Auto enthusiasts love a good debate, whether it's Mustang versus Camaro or Ferrari against Lamborghini. But how about a battle between two very different vintages of classic pickup trucks? In this case, the fight is between a 1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express and a 1933 Ford Model 46 truck with a flathead V8.
The shootout comes courtesy of the internet series Generation Gap, and its concept is super-simple. One guy prefers classics, and the other likes newer rides. They choose a category, pick two vehicles and put them head to head. In this case, neither is exactly modern, though. The Ford is more than old enough to receive Social Security checks, and the Dodge is hardly a young whippersnapper.
Other than both being pickups, these two models were made to serve very different functions. The Li'l Red Express was basically the progenitor of today's muscle trucks, with a big V8 that made it one of the quickest new models in its day (admittedly, 1979 was a rough time for automotive performance). On the other hand, the '33 Ford was just meant to work, with little pretense for anything else. One of the hosts describes it as "the simplest, most difficult" vehicle he's driven because of the tricky double clutchwork necessary to shift gears. Scroll down to watch the video and try to decide which of these two American classics you would rather have in your garage.
Roadkill builds crazy-cheap 1968 Dodge Charger rat rod using an old motorhome
Tue, 24 Dec 2013Certain requests for description simply cannot be fulfilled, like if someone asked you to describe Picasso's Guernica or Gilliam's Brazil. There is only one appropriate answer to such entreaties, and that is: "You just gotta see it." That's where we are with the latest episode of Roadkill, wherein Messr's Freiburger and Finnegan dig out a 1968 Dodge Charger that Freiburger acquired in exchange for a set of cylinder heads, and intend to stuff it with the big-block motor from a long-bed, three-quarter ton Dodge pickup.
Only the pickup is too nice to tear apart, and the Charger needs a whole lot more lovin' - and parts - than initially expected. Enter, stage right, the Class A Dodge Pace Arrow motorhome with a 440 big-block purchased for $1,000, and a retired Plymouth Fury from a previous episode.
What ensues over the course of the 40-minute installment is more cuttin', yankin', leakin', stallin', hammerin' and smokin' action than you've seen in a long time, and some techniques that would have made even Cooter wonder, "I'm not sure if we should do that." By the end, though, the payoff is good enough to make you think about perusing AutoTrader for a '68 Charger just to see if maybe...
The Chrysler brand could be axed under Stellantis management
Sun, Jan 3 2021MILAN — While running NissanÂ’s North American operations from 2009 to 2011, Carlos Tavares had a reputation for closely watching costs with little tolerance for vehicles or ventures that didnÂ’t make money. Experts say that means Tavares, currently the head of PSA Group, is likely to follow that blueprint when he becomes leader of a merged PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The low-performing Chrysler brand might get the axe as could slow-selling cars, SUVs or trucks that lack potential. Already the companies are talking about consolidating vehicle platforms — the underpinnings and powertrains — to save billions in engineering and manufacturing costs. That could mean job losses in Italy, Germany and Michigan as PSA Peugeot technology is integrated into North American and Italian vehicles. “You canÂ’t be cost efficient if you keep the entire scale of both companies,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst for the iSeeCars.com auto website. “WeÂ’ve seen this show before, and weÂ’re going to see it again where they economize these platforms across continents, across multiple markets.” Shareholders of both companies are to meet Monday to vote on the merger to form the worldÂ’s fourth-largest automaker, to be called Stellantis. The deal received EU regulatory approval just before Christmas. Tavares, who for years has wanted to sell PSA vehicles in the U.S., wonÂ’t take full control of the merged companies until the end of January at the earliest. He likely will target Europe for consolidation first, because thatÂ’s where Fiat vehicles overlap extensively with PSAÂ’s, said IHS Markit Principal Auto Analyst Stephanie Brinley. Europe has been a money-loser for FCA, and factories in Italy are operating way below capacity — a concern for unions, given FiatÂ’s role as the largest private sector employer in the country. “We are at a crossroads,Â’Â’ said Michele De Palma of the FIOM CGIL metalworkersÂ’ union. “Either there is a relaunch, or there is a slow agonizing closure of industry, in particular the auto industry, in Italy.” ItalyÂ’s hopes lie with the luxury Maserati and sporty Alfa Romeo brands, but De Palma said investments are needed to bring hybrid and electric technology up to speed. FiatÂ’s Italian capacity stands at 1.5 million vehicles, but only a few hundred thousand are being produced each year. Most factories were on rolling short-term layoffs due to lack of demand, even before the pandemic.