5k: Compact Sleeper Cab Dually: 1981 Plymouth Arrow Custom

Imagine a compact pickup truck that is equipped with a large bed, dually tires in the back for hauling, has a sleeper cab, gets great fuel economy from its 2-liter 4-banger, and can be purchased for about $5k.  Great.  Imagine now that it is absolutely worthless for accomplishing any single one of the tasks you want to use it for…but–like a cold french fry at the bottom of a greasy burger bag–you still want it.  Find this 1981 Plymouth Arrow Pickup Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door 2.0L for sale in Conneaut, OH for $5,000 via ebay.  Tip from Andy L.

The Plymouth Arrow pickup was actually a Mitsubishi Forte compact pickup rebadged for the US market and sold at Plymouth dealers from 1979-1982.  The 2.0 liter Mitsubishi 4-banger puts out 96 horsepower and has no business being attached to a dually rear end.  Anything that would require an extra set of tires in the back will also require an extra engine up front to get it up the slightest incline.  Fuel economy is reportedly “good” per the seller, but it is certainly worse than a stock Arrow and makes you wonder what this possibly could offer over the basic version…other than looking like a boss.  Maybe you could sleep in it when the wife kicks you out for buying a tow vehicle that can’t tow.

The extended cab (and frame) to turn this into a sort of proto-crew cab pickup was actually a semi popular sight in the ’80s. This was a third-party type of modification done (in this case) by Sunrader RV. As a kid in the ’80s, editor CFlo remembers bouncing around in the fiberglass cab of a similarly equipped beige Chevy S10 pickup, and wondering why all mini trucks weren’t so spacious back there…

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