Just Gotta Put ‘Em Back Together: 1988 Dodge Ram 50 vs 1993 Mazda B2200

On today’s thrilling episode, we’re looking at two little trucks in remarkably similar condition. Both have had their engines rebuilt, but are still awaiting re-installation. Which one will have you pricing out engine hoists? We’ll see.

Yesterday’s bad ideas had many of you begging for a “Neither” choice, but that’s how this whole thing works. You must choose. Some of you questioned whether or not the BMW was really an Alpina, too, to which I can only reply that I don’t know. Furthermore, I don’t care enough to find out. There are dumb ideas, and then there’s buying a broken BMW from one of those used car dealers operating out of a self-storage lot on Hayden Island. No, and I cannot stress this enough, way in hell. Though the ad is gone now, so it looks like some poor bastard took the chance.

I side with the smallish majority of you who chose the Jaguar, which I suspect at least can move under its own power – even without a radiator installed. I cannot, however, condone the idea of swapping the V12 out for a Chevy V8. What would be the point? The V12 is a big part of what makes it cool.

It’s always a tough call when you have an old car that you love that needs an engine overhaul. Is it worth doing? Is it better to swap in a known-running used engine? Are you better off scrapping it? But I think the worst decision of all is pulling the engine, getting it rebuilt, and then letting it sit there uninstalled. I get it, things happen, life gets in the way, but to spend all that time and money and then not reap any of the benefits must be a tough pill to swallow. Nonetheless, that is the situation today’s two sellers find themselves in, with a pair of little red trucks. Which one is the better deal for a new owner with a little time on their hands? Let’s see.

1988 Dodge Ram 50 – $4,500

Engine/drivetrain: 2.6-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, part-time 4WD

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Odometer reading: unknown

Operational status: Disassembled, rebuilt engine waiting to go in

In the 1970s, all of the Big Three US automakers sold captive import small pickup trucks from their Japanese partners. But while Chevy replaced the LUV with its own S-10 in 1982, and Ford followed suit with the Ranger in 1983, Chrysler kept selling Mitsubishi trucks under the Dodge Ram 50 badge all the way up until 1994, even after introducing its own mid-sized Dakota in 1987. This is a second-generation Ram 50, in short-wheelbase standard-cab trim, with optional four-wheel-drive.

This Ram 50 is powered by Mitsubishi’s 2.6 liter 4G54 engine, the same one used in Chrysler’s early K-cars and minivans, here driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual and a dual-range 4WD transfer case. Or at least, it will do so, once it’s installed back in the truck. It actually includes two complete engines: one freshly rebuilt, and the truck’s original, which has a blown head gasket. Two transmissions and two transfer cases are included, but their exact condition is unknown. You should be able to put together one good driveline from what’s there, though. A new clutch, a freshly machined flywheel, and a new Weber carburetor are also ready to bring this truck back to life. The seller is also including the two engine stands, hoist, and transmission jack you’ll need to put everything back where it belongs.

The rest of the truck is in what I’d call good beater condition. The interior is dirty and mismatched, but functional enough for an old truck, and the floors and sills look solid. The seller says there is some rust in the bed, but includes good doors and fenders from a junkyard truck that you can swap on, as well as some interior parts from the same donor. There is a lot here, and I encourage you to look at the ad before you make a final decision.

The seller has already done a lot of prep work for the new engine, and it looks ready to drop in. Obviously, there’s a lot of work to do, but it looks like a project that’s worth finishing, and that’s not nothing.

1993 Mazda B2200 – $2,995

Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: McKinney, TX

Odometer reading: 262,000 miles

Operational status: Disassembled, rebuilt engine waiting to go in

Mazda and Ford did a bit of a do-si-do with their small trucks: Ford sold the Mazda B-series as its Courier until the introduction of the Ranger, but Mazda kept selling the B-series on its own, even introducing an all-new generation in 1986. That generation lasted until 1993, when this truck was built, after which Mazda slapped a B-series emblem on the Ranger. The fourth-generation B-series trucks like this one have a devoted following to this day, for exceptional durability and pleasant road manners – at least for a truck.

This truck covered 262,000 miles and was used daily until the seller pulled the engine for an overhaul. The rebuild is complete, but the engine was never re-installed. It’s sitting in the truck’s bed on an old tire – not the steadiest platform, but I’ve seen worse. Its reassembly is a little less far along than the Mitsubishi; it still needs the water pump and timing belt installed, and the valve cover put back on. Everything is there, though, including a few upgrades like an aluminum radiator and electric fan and fuel pump. The seller says you’ll still need new engine mounts to complete the installation, but those are cheap.

It’s hard to assess the condition of the interior since it’s full of boxes and parts, but the seller says it’s in good condition under all that. Again, it’s a truck, so as long as it’s intact and functional, that’s good enough. I see what looks like a Weber carb and intake sitting on the passenger footwell, and as a bonus, this truck has air conditioning, upgraded to R134a, and from the looks of it, the lines haven’t been disturbed, so it should still work fine once you get the engine back in.

It has been repainted at some point, and the seller says it looks good from five feet away, again, good enough for a truck. It has a homemade-looking rear bumper and headache rack, and a nice plastic bedliner, so it’s ready to do some real work once it’s reassembled.

I don’t want to downplay the work required for either of these; installing an engine is not a difficult task, but it takes a lot of time and care to do it right. But the hard work of overhauling the engines has been done, and now it’s just a matter of turning a couple hundred bolts and reconnecting a bunch of hoses and wires. Either way, when you’re done, you’ll have a cool little stickshift truck that you’ll know inside and out.

(Image credits: sellers)