1976 Dodge Sportsman SWB window van; AC; power steering; orig paint; auto trans

Dodge Other 1976 Description

This is a 1976 Dodge short wheel base Sportsman window van in all original condition including original paint. This rare van is highly optioned for the year including factory AC, 318 V8 engine with automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes with front disc brakes. It is rust-free and in excellent condition for the year. I will outline more about the van below:
HISTORY: The van was purchased in Highland Indiana at Highland Dodge in 1976. The original owner purchased the van to drive out to his retirement home in Payson, Arizona where the van spent most of it's life. The original owner passed away many years ago and the family parked the van in an old garage where it sat for years. It was bought by a young mechanic who worked for a used car dealership in Mesa, AZ as their lead mechanic and he brought the van back to life mechanically and even got the AC blowing cold again. He used the van as his daily driver and even had a car seat strapped in the rear seat when I went to check out the van when he advertised it for sale. He had to sell the van due to an unexpected pregnancy and his wife wanted to get a more modern van for their growing family. I purchased the van from them and drove it home (about 120 miles) with no issues.
EXTERIOR: The body on the van has some scrapes and dents consistent with it's age but generally it is in very good condition. There is no significant rust on the van either on the body or undercarriage. The original owner's place in Payson was on a gravel road and so on the bottom of the rocker panels along the length of the van the paint has numerous chips and surface rust has formed where the paint had chipped away but there is no heavy or scale type rust anywhere on the van. Though the original paint is getting thin in places it is in incredible shape for a 40 year old paint job and, as you can see from the pictures, still shines nicely. All the exterior lights work as they should including reverse lights and running lights. All the glass is nearly perfect and all still have the Chrylser emblem on them indicating all original glass. The front windshield has two small pits in it but otherwise no issues with any of the glass. All doors lock as they should with the single original key. All doors open and close with ease but the passenger's door has a slight mal-alignment and doesn't shut quite as crisp as the other doors do. There is a slight dent in the rear bumper. Front bumper is perfect. When I got the van there was some non-original glue on type moldings along the bottom half of the van that were old and faded with some missing pieces. I removed these molding strips but you will notice some residual adhesive along the bottom third of the van. I got most of it off but some of it seemed embedded into the paint and I didn't want to risk damaging the paint. Like I said before, there are multiple scrapes, scratches and very minor dings/dents in the body of the van but nothing major at all and most, if not all of the dings/dents could be removed by a paintless body service. High beams, turn signals, emergency flashers all work with all lenses being bright and clear. The hubcaps are not original to the van but are from a Dodge Dart I believe. I have three of the four original ones that will go with the van but it was missing the fourth.
INTERIOR: The interior was wood paneled with lime green carpet throughout the floors and sides. I'm not sure if this was done at the dealership when purchased new or if it was an aftermarket addition. In either case it was done many years ago as the carpet was badly deteriorated and some of the wood paneling was also deteriorated. It was designed with the overhead console with a vintage 8-track player still in place (not sure if it works, I don't have any 8-tracks). The carpet was mostly removed and you can see where there was adhesive was used on the floor of the van and on the inner wheel covers. I removed most of the adhesive and a little more work would result in complete removal of the adhesive. The interior paint really shines well and the carpet did a good job of preserving the interior. The rear seat and the front seat backs still retain the original upholstery with the two front seat bottoms being replaced at some time. Original spare and tools are in place. Original radio still works with the front speakers, rear speakers are non-op as they are very old. All dash lighting and overhead lighting still work as they should. The AC currently is not working and there seems to be a leak in the system somewhere. The second owner did have it working but since then it has failed. Heater seems to work well. Fuel gauge does not work but a new sending unit was installed with a new gas tank by the second owner so it must be the actual gauge itself that is not working. Speedo is also WAY off and jumps around quite a bit. All other gauges and lights work as they should. All windows roll up and down as they should and the cargo windows all pop out with ease. It has a cool factory two-way vent on the top that can open forwards to scoop in fresh air or facing the rear to just let air flow out of the van and it operates as it should. The front arm rests were replaced with a cream color one as one of the original green ones was damaged but I do have the originals and they will go with the van. Pretty much an unmolested interior in good shape.
MECHANICAL: The van runs and drives nicely but there are a few issues. First of all it does have some leaks. I think most of the leakage is from the valve cover gaskets and this was also the belief of the second owner who was the mechanic. The leaks are not terrible but they are there. Secondly, the carb has a flat spot when the van is cold. This goes away completely when the van is warmed up or if it is driven several days in a row. If it sits for a few days then the flat spot is there. It's not huge but there is a hesitation there at early throttle. Other than those two issues the van seems very sound mechanically. It does not overheat. It drives straight down the road and stops nicely. The tires are almost new so there is plenty of tread on them. Shifts through the gears perfectly and has plenty of power with the trusty 318 engine. The engine looks to be dirty and all original. The mileage on the van shows 22,500. Obviously with a five digit odometer it's anyone's guess as to how many times it's rolled over and there is no supporting documentation that goes with the van to give us an idea just how many miles are really on the van. My guess is 122,500 based on knowing the van set for many years and the overall condition of the van. When I sell a car on eBay I always get asked if I think it will make a long drive if someone was to fly in and drive it home. I will say here that I do think it would make a long drive but I would carry some oil due to the leaks and keep a close eye on the dipstick. The second owner put in a new gas tank and filler hose, new brake master cylinder and new brakes on the van in the past year.
SUMMARY: This is a hard to find SWB window van that is nicely optioned for the year. It is in excellent unmolested condition and would make a great daily driver or a blank canvas for a hippie van retro restoration. It would also make a great advertisement for business by wrapping the van with your business logo (which was my intent when I bought it). If you are into old cars you know that vanning is making a huge comeback and if you are considering a vintage van I think you would be pleased with this Dodge Sportsman. The van is sold "as is" with no warranties expressed or implied. I do reserve the right to end the auction at anytime as the van may be advertised in other media and could sell at any time outside of eBay. There is a non-refundable $500 deposit due via Paypal within 24 hours of the auctions end with the balance due within 7 days of the auctions end. Ask any questions before bidding. Zero feedback bidders contact me before bidding or your bids will be deleted. Check my feedback and check the pictures and bid with confidence. Good luck!