Knock Knock... 1978 Dodge Ramcharger Revival, Drivetrain Tech, Common Rust Spots, And Much More

If I'm counting right, this is the fourth "pop top" Dodge Ramcharger (or Plymouth Trail Duster) from the first generation of the venerable full size Dodge SUV which has been featured on the channel. The Ramcharger model would continue in the US through the end of D/W truck production in 1993, but unlike the full size Chevy Blazer and the Ford Bronco Dodge sought to emulate, it lost its removable roof entirely in favor of a solid one-piece body design for 1981. This change led to these first run 1974-1980 Ramchargers (and the nearly identical Plymouth offering) being particularly desirable today. My friend Mitchell recently purchased this fine example of the breed, and it seemed like quite the deal at the time. After a somewhat harrowing journey to procure the truck and drag it home across the state, we're now taking a much closer look and realizing that things are not as great as they first seemed. But hey, it's a cool rig, it's not completely full of holes, and the price was right. So let's dig in and see what's what.