1989 Dodge Ramcharger AW-100

- Texas Truck
- 5.2L V8
- Automatic Transmission
- White Over Red Interior

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1989 Dodge Ramcharger AW-100 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the truck due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to its accident and damage-free Carfax history, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“Unlike many of its modern counterparts, the 4x4 Ramcharger was not tamed for soccer-mom use.” – Off-Road.com, November 2005

As the authority, dodgeramcharger.com, explains: “The Dodge Ramcharger was a large sport utility vehicle built by Dodge from 1974-1993, and based on a shortened-wheelbase version of the Dodge D Series/Ram pickup truck chassis. The Ramcharger was primarily produced as a two-door, four-wheel-drive vehicle…. As a full-size sport-utility, it competed with the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and the full-size Ford Bronco.”

These days, a good number of classic four-wheel-drive enthusiasts are opting for these Ramchargers either out of a general MOPAR affinity, or because the Ramcharger stands out as a bit more “untamed” than those more widely available Blazers and Broncos. Hagerty not long ago noted: “Dodge Ramchargers are riding the two-door SUV wave.”

The '89 Ramcharger AW-100 offered here in white over red has been properly maintained through the years. The SUV's odometer has rolled (and a “not actual mileage/exceeds mechanical limits”—of the odometer—notation is included in the Carfax history) and now shows only 22 miles. Paint flaws (including clear-coat delamination) are noted primarily on the doors and the back half of the body. A moderate lift kit and performance additions have been properly installed and the truck's interior shows very well. An original Texas vehicle, the Ramcharger is still absolutely capable of doing “five days in the trenches, and then becoming a 'weekend warrior,'" as one Ram period advertisement put it.

This Ramcharger's original-color white exterior paint is good but imperfect. The rear quarter panels and tailgate show some fading and compromised-finish areas. Doors exhibit clearcoat delamination. Paint on the hood, front fenders, and roof are in better condition. (To best assess the quality of the paint and chrome finish, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Sheet-metal body panels show no significant dings, dents, or other damage. The truck's chrome bumpers and trim, mirrors, front grille, and black beltline trim are all in excellent condition. A visor roof with marker lights is mounted above the windshield. Aftermarket 15-hole, West Coast style, 15-inch polished alloy wheels are mounted with Dick Cepek® Extreme Country 35x12.5 LT outline-white-letter tires. Factory badging is original and properly mounted, including the “D-o-d-g-e” letters on the hood just beneath the impressive Mountain Ram ornament (still used as an icon for the brand today), and the "Ram Charger" front-fender emblems.

The interior surfaces are generally in very good condition with noted minor flaws. Seat upholstery (on the front bucket seats with armrests and the removable rear bench) features attractive red tweed-style fabric (with red vinyl trim) in excellent condition. Only the driver's seat shows light wear indications. Door panels, front-row carpeting, cargo-area walls, headliner, and the padded dashboard are dark red. The driver's door panel shows light damage to the armrest, and the carpet in the driver's footwell exhibits staining. The cargo-area floor is black with signs of regular use, but not abuse. A Grant® 3-spoke, brushed-metal-trimmed sport steering wheel frames three large openings for the white-faced analog instruments set in woodgrain trim. An added Bosch® tachometer is mounted on the A pillar. The automatic transmission shifter is mounted on the steering column, while the 4-wheel-drive transfer-case shifter is floor-mounted. The factory audio head unit is installed beneath the controls for the heating and air-conditioning. The stock storage box between the front bucket seats has been removed.

Under the hood, the 5.2-liter V8 has been refreshed with a black, finned, open-sided air-cleaner cover and matching “MOPAR Performance”-branded black, finned valve covers. All components—including air conditioning—are properly mounted, and the surfaces throughout the engine bay are all very clean. Viewed from below, the entire undercarriage is neatly laid out, extremely clean, and free of damage or signs of abuse. Rust-inhibiting treatment has been applied so surface rust is virtually non-existent. The lifted suspension components, custom performance-dual-exhaust system with chrome exhaust tips, and the very clean lower sides of the engine, transmission, and transfer case all compete for attention here.

All factory-applied identification and build tags remain in place.

While the more than 150 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '89 Dodge Ramcharger in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

The period Ramcharger advertisement mentioned earlier advised readers considering one to “Head for the high ground. And take it all, the valleys and the peaks.” That still seems like pretty good advice for this lifted '89 Ramcharger's next owner.