So, I'm thinking 6 months down the line after I get my Dart back and the gremlins sorted. I'm kind of looking for a truck I could either enjoy or tinker on. The truck will not be used as a daily driver, but it must be able to tow an open trailer with a car and haul parts on occasion. When it's not towing, I'd like it to either be a relaxing cruiser (nothing special horsepower wise) or a part-time off-road rig (mud and sand kind of stuff) as I sort of miss the Baja days. I'd prefer it to be a Mopar that can be bought on the cheaper side (less than $5k).

I have two options I was thinking of. Either going with an '81-'94 Ramcharger/D150/W150 or a '75 and older Ramcharger/D100/W100.

So, the pros that I can think of with the '81-'94 vehicles is that they're newer. Parts are abundant in parts stores and junkyards. The Magnum engines are going to output a lot more than the older 318/360's. Fuel injection! Should be safer due to safety regulations. Ramcharger comes with 4-wheel discs. The cons I see with them are that I don't necessarily like the looks of them compared to the older trucks and they have to be smogged. If they fail smog, it could mean big bucks to repair which may not be worth it on a cheap truck.

The pros that I can think of with the '75 and older vehicles are that there is absolutely no smog (huge benefit - no semi-annual inspection and free reign on engine swaps). If I get a small block (318/360) I can throw on my spare Paxton supercharger. If it's an LA engine, I can have a smaller inventory of small block parts as my Dart will have a 408. I like the looks a lot better than the newer vehicles. Besides that, the cons are more along the lines of safety and availability of parts. I am a big advocate of disc brakes and I believe they didn't become standard on trucks till about '73?

Either way, both sets of trucks can be had for less than $5k. I don't really care if it looks pristine or is a beater. What are your thoughts? Any other options?