New old W200 Owner

[SMS1968]

Hi folks,

Just picked up a 1980 W200. Looks to have been an old U.S. Navy vehicle (US government data plate with contract # and "Truck Cargo 4x4" on it as well as some Naval Warfare Center China Lake decals) before it started it's life in the forest service and eventually a volunteer fire department here in Oklahoma. The body is rough but the motor is strong!

Bought her mostly for a chore truck and something to tinker with....glad I found this forum.

Greg sends....

[Ron in Indiana]

Welcome you've come to the right place. Don't be afraid to ask questions there is plenty of knowledge here so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

[SMS1968]

Thank you Ron.

I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions. The p.o. did a lot of work and the truck is currently in decent shape for a daily driver. Some immediate issues I need to address:

Badly cracked windshield, local shop quoted around $209 including tax, mobile installation, new windshield, new gasket and lock ring...for that price I think I'll let them do it! I think I'm ok as far as rust on the roof and around the window opening. I'm tempted to take the old windshield out before the installers do their thing so I can wire brush and re-prime/paint the metal around the window opening and get some new sealer around the drip rail.

Need to source a front bumper...sometime during it's life it had something else mounted to the front. The brackets for the mystery mod were welded over the existing bumber brackets and then cut off with a torch sometime later. Original mounting holes are there if I can cut off the rest of the mod bracket.

Front suspension work. She travels great on a smooth road, but drifts and surges laterally when going over bumps or rough roads. Tie rod ends, ball joints?

Some rust on the floor near tranny tunnel. Have to rip out the old rubber mat and jute to get at it. Probably just cut, brush, seal and patch at this point...not big enough to justify new floor pans.

Bracing for the ride. The last time I took on a project was almost 15 years ago when I restored a '68 Charger...that became an addiction and I had to step away!

[75Crew]

front bumper

If you aren't looking for show quality, I have a decent front chrome bumper with "bumperettes" off of a 1978 Power Wagon that I'd sell for $75. I'm located in southern IL. Don't know where you are located but if you are not too far away, you could stop by and pick it up or I could meet you somewhere (I travel a lot with my job.)

[SMS1968]

Great offer 75Crew...I'm in central Oklahoma but travel a lot for work as well. Next project is taking me to Northern Virginia (Dulles)...if we ever synch up I might take you up.

[Don Williams]

Do pull the windshield and prep and paint. You will be glad you did down the road.

[SMS1968]

I did just that. Looked very good under the gasket. Quick hit with a wire brush and some prime/paint and ready to go.

Glad I hired out the install. The crew cracked the corner of the new glass going in....back tomorrow with a new one, on their dime.

[KRB64]

Welcome. Does the '80 have the vacuum activated 4X4?

[SMS1968]

She has manual hubs....

[KRB64]

Good deal on the manual hubs.

For the drifting I'd have somebody move the steering wheel back and forth while you look for the slop.

Could be the shaft itself, tie rods loose box etc. If you don't see anything it could be the king Pins. How does she behave when braking? Can you feel anything then?

[SMS1968]

Thanks for the tips. Braking feels fine, no noticable pull or drift.

Getting under the truck today to fix the parking brake...I'll poke around with the steering too.

Still have a cracked windshield. The installer broke the second one! Not sure what's up with that...he's an experienced guy with a good reputation around town. Perhaps he's just having a string of bad luck.

[KRB64]

Probably not the king pins then.

Thats not an 80 grill is it?

[SMS1968]

Probably not the king pins then.

Thats not an 80 grill is it?

I don't know. Is it? I've read that the 1980 models were an odd batch...this one is further complicated by having been first a Navy vehicle, a forest service vehicle and then a local fire department vehicle.

The bed/rear fenders has M880 camo under the red paint, but the rest is Navy gray...Frankenstein.

[USN78W150]

W200

SMS, Greetings from here in China Lake, California. Your truck came from here. A friend of mine has one, as well. He bought it from the Government auction in 2003. Let me guess, 360, 4 speed, 4.10 gears? That is a correct grille for the '79 and '80 trucks. '80 is the first year that Dodge returned to part time 4wd, as the '75-'79 trucks were full time. Some of our trucks had a winch bumper/winch setup, yours might be one of them. The fire dept. must have kept it for another truck when they got ready to sell yours.

[SMS1968]

Wow, small world.

Yes sir, 360 4bbl and 4 speed manual....geared low. The cab/front end still have the haze gray underneath. The bed/rear quarters look to have M880 camo underneath. She's been rode hard, but not put up yet.

What did these trucks get used for out there at China Lake?