Classic on the outside, modern on the inside. Fooled again! Never saw it comin' until you opened the truck door. The idea of slipping a classic body over a modern drivetrain isn't new, but it never gets old. The example here mates a first-generation (1961-1965) Dodge D200 body with a "brand new" (it's all relative) four-wheel drive 2010 Ram 2500 Laramie pickup truck, resulting in nostalgic D200 vibes underpinned by modern technology and amenities. It's the best of all worlds—except for all the work involved and essentially devouring two different trucks. Let's just say, if it landed in the driveway, we wouldn't kick it out.
Since this Dodge D200 is a 2010 Ram 2500 at heart, it's powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins I-6 backed by a rebuilt Jasper 68RFE automatic transmission. A 1965 with a Cummins would have pre-dated the first prototype Cummins-powered Dodge truck by 20 years, and a factory Cummins-powered Dodge truck wouldn't roam city streets until four years later in 1989. And obviously it wasn't the same Cummins as this 6.7-liter, which was cleaned, inspected, resealed, and painted Cummins beige. The 2010 Ram HD's Cummins, rated at 350 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, would be quite a surprise upon popping the hood of the D200.
The outside of this Oxford Gray Dodge D-Series looks smooth and straight, showing off the beautiful lines of that classic Sweptline bed, which was cut down and modified to fit its new chassis. Likewise, the front fenders were extended, while a taller intercooler and radiator necessitated a 500 Series truck grille filler panel for proper clearance. The modified and re-chromed 1965 bumper has chrome tow hooks.
The side mirrors, door handles, rear bumper, and tailgate tout modern functionality despite their old-fashioned looks. The vintage-looking stainless power mirrors are compatible with the factory Laramie controls, and the polished original stainless "refrigerator" door handles were modified to work with the 2010 door latches, retaining power locks and door switches. The rear bumper houses factory 2010 backup sensors, and an aftermarket backup camera hides in the tailgate. Lastly, a flip-down license plate covers the hitch receiver.
A 3-inch lift, suspended by Rancho shocks, looks correct atop 37x13.50 BF Goodrich KM3 mud-terrain tires. The white Black Rhino Armory wheels are highlighted by 96 polished stainless flange-head bolts. Custom clips mount the polished OEM vintage Mopar hubcaps. (Side note: We feel back for whoever's responsible for keeping these wheels clean.) RBP power steps with LED lighting help passengers get in and out, and German Hella headlights and fog lights help light the road, as do LED taillights.
While the outside looks like a 1965 Dodge D200, the inside does not, at all. From dashboard to front seats to all the wiring and modules, the brown interior is mostly 2010 Ram Laramie. That mean dual zone climate control, Laramie power heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, and so on. That also means the factory installed trailer brake controller, exhaust brake, and TPMS and ABS systems all work. Not bad for a '65.
The inside's not all factory, though. Custom door panels were created to accommodate the D200's doors. Custom 40/40 rear seats are separated by a custom rear console. There's also an Ultrasuede headliner.
As for the audio, well, there's plenty thanks to a 5,000-watt 18-sepaker audio system. The Alpine head unit supports Apple CarPlay and navigation, and a 10-inch subwoofer is nestled in the rear console.
The meticulous rotisserie restoration wouldn't be complete without one final touch secured in the bed—a matching ice chest straight outta the 60s, with a Dodge badge secured to the side. If you're in love—aren't we all—with this classic Dodge mashup that reminds us of Icon's project trucks, it's up for grabs at Mecum Auctions' Kissimmee 2023 event at the start of January.