85 Ramchargher Royal S.E. 318 2bbl carb

Hey guys I'm looking for some help from anyone who is familiar with "later" model SMOG engine Mopars. I have a chance to buy a one-owner 1985 Dodge Ramcharger, 318 Small Block with a 2bbl carb, California SMOG motor. The truck is in pretty good shape cosmetically with 164,000 miles, no rust and been in SoCal its whole life. Nothing to write home about other than that a Ramcharger is pretty are to begin with, and a PERFECT project for my soon to be 16 year old son.

More important, the Ramcharger is a Prospector 150, Royal S.E. model - the "top of the line" with all of the options, and the owner has every single piece of paper including the build sheet, factory invoice, window sticker, dealership "sale" tag, and EVERYTHING else. Not that these are worth "restoring" (from the $ perspective) but if they were, this would be the one. I mean it has every piece of documentation ever and is totally stock but for the tires, shocks and radiator (replaced with an aluminum one when the original cracked on a road trip and the aluminum was available to get them on down the road).

The problem is it's the dog SMOG motor and it won't even pass the CA SMOG test. I can probably get it to pass, but am I crazy to even consider a 1985 CA vehicle? Will the SMOG equipment make it impossible to get it to run right? Can I even get the parts to get it running right? Can we save it? Should we save it?

Greg

Correct me if I'm wrong but if you change a motor doesn't it get to slide on smog? I am unsure I heard this from someone. Living in FL we don't worry about that stuff . But if you do pass let me know I'll ship it on down to FL and rip that garbage off of it ! I'm sure you can get the needed parts from the parts store . I'd go for it prospectors are hard to get ! It's well worth the effort I'd say . Post some pictures for us please!!!

I had my hands on one a while back got excited till I got there . $1000 bucks the add said
No rust threw out, I thought the wording was odd but he was old I ignored it . Come to find some how NO accidentally got in there!!!! I said a prayer for it and left it there to finish it's rusting!

You have tough emission laws there in CA. Not sure what it would take to get it through emissions.
Sounds like a nice RamCharger worth saving, but maybe in another state?
I had a '84 RamCharger Prospector like your '85, but it had been converted to 4-bbl with a performer intake, and the ignition was also converted. I think there is a ignition and emissions computer, or Engine Control Module (ECM) near the battery on those trucks and I don't know if you can get a replacement if it goes out? My truck did not have all the emissions and the ECM was bypassed as mentioned earlier.

Looked up the Ramcharger on rockauto seems there are a bunch of emissions related parts available for that truck. https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,1985,ramcharger,5.2l+318cid+v8,1097052,exhaust+&+emission

And if it turns out you need an ECM just find one of the following vehicles at a pull a part. They, according to Rockauto all use the same ECM. However it says manual transmission. Nothing mentioned about a auto.

DODGE B150 1986-1987
DODGE B250 1986-1987
DODGE B350 1986-1987
DODGE D100 PICKUP 1986-1987
DODGE D150 PICKUP 1985-1987
DODGE D250 PICKUP 1985-1987
DODGE D350 PICKUP 1985
DODGE RAMCHARGER 1985-1987
DODGE W100 PICKUP 1985-1987
DODGE W150 PICKUP 1985-1987
DODGE W250 PICKUP 1985-1987
DODGE W350 PICKUP 1985

And apparently you can also use an ECM from a dodge diplomat.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-ECM...ash=item362ad7b063:g:T~MAAOSweLBabrt-&vxp=mtr

You guys are awesome. I’ll get some pix.