- fca's mopar started with a 1968 dodge d200 camper special found in ohio, welded in the bed floor from a current ram 1500, and turned it into this lowrider concept for the sema show.
- the mopar lowliner has three suspension modes: low, driving height, and driving height plus.
- a turbocharged 5.9-liter inline-six cummins diesel is hidden under the power-tilt hood.
like so many restoration stories, this one started with a lucky find in some outpost of the midwest. in this case, mopar found a 1968 dodge d200 camper special in ohio earlier this year and immediately started to transform it into a cummins-powered manual transmission lowrider with air suspension for sema.
the fca specialty division started by taking off all the camper's original summer trim pieces; some were there, some weren't. the front axle was moved three inches forward on the frame because mopar liked the way it changed the proportions. we like it, too. we also like the way the classic check-mark design spreads across the bed behind the rear wheels.
mopar welded the bed floor from a modern ram 1500 into the existing bed and raised it by six inches to help incorporate the air suspension system and new fuel cell. mopar also moved the stock fuel door that sits just behind the cab to the surface of the bedside, just a few inches away from its original spot. the body was sprayed candied delmonico red, while the wheels, grille, and bumpers are painted dairy cream.
shaved door handles and a tailgate handle that sits flush on the inside of the bed are all details that help accentuate this classically simple design. to bring the truck into this century, two seven-inch led headlamps sit flush in the front grille, which is a part of the power-tilt front end that opens forward.
the wheels are so huge that, to fit the 325/35-22 rear tires, mopar had to widen the rear wheel wells by five inches on either side. the front tires are 285/35-22, mounted to custom wheels that complete the 1960s look.
inside the cab, the original bench seat is covered in blazing saddle tan leather, while the roof also features more leather with a stitched mopar omega m logo. a glass shift-knob that reads "cummins dependable diesel. since 1919" sits atop a floor-mounted shifter. mopar said it chose a shorter daimlerchrysler–era six-speed manual transmission to prevent the shifter from rubbing against the front of the bench seat.
the mopar lowliner concept will be on display at next week at the las vegas convention center for sema.