Eugene Police are seeking help in identifying (and locating) this pickup that was involved in a likely road rage incident that left a victim severely injured. Apparently the victim got out of his car to talk to the driver of this pickup and was run over.
My first thought was Dodge, from the near-immortal 1971 – 1993 vintage. The two tone paint, with the light lower body and cab seems to support that, but it’s a pretty grainy picture. I’m a bit perplexed by the bright area between the front bumper and front wheel opening. If it is a Dodge, anything to help narrow down the year would of course be helpful, but could be challenging.
If you can help refine this identification, please give specific details; no WAGs, please.
I’m also having a hard time due to the low grade image, and don’t have enough details to make a positive identification (this is probably a disclaimer that precedes me doing the best I can with what’s there, but my best is still going to be a guess).
The general shape of the truck does look like a 1980-93 Dodge Ram, and the ride height suggests that it’s a “3/4 ton” 4wd. Remembering what I saw the most of on the roads when I lived in the Pacific Northwest, this generation of Dodge truck didn’t really hit its stride until they became available with the Cummins diesel starting in 1989… Most of them I saw on the roads then (and now) are the 1989-93 models with a diesel.
Once again due to the low res, I can’t tell if this photo was taken in the day or night. If it was at night, that bright spot ahead of the front tire could be an illuminated front side marker, as that’s exactly where they reside.
I agree the two-tone paint puts it in the ’75-’90 era, as does the standard cab.
It certainly could be Dodge, but to my eye, it’s a ’81 to ’86 Chevy C/K (or a ’87 to ’91 heavy duty R/V model) for the following reasons-
1) Chevy’s two tone paint used a thinner center section (dark color) with more of the upper fender in the lighter color.
2) The tailgate appears to have the bright trim panel used on those trucks
3) The back corner of the box seems to follow the Chevy body line.
I chose ’81 tp ’86 because Chevy replaced the earlier vertical front marker light with a horizontal light that year. It’s in the same position as the mystery light.
I’m am 90% sure it’s not a Ford, but both Dodge and Chevy seem to fit the image.
While it does bear many similarities to an ’81-up GM Squarebody with the Exterior Decor Package Combination “D”, the GM truck has notably more sheetmetal under the front side marker as the fender continues downward and wraps under. The front bumper on the GM’s also wraps further around the side, going directly under and to about the center of the side marker; the hood has slightly more downward slope from cowl to nose than the Dodge, and doesn’t drop off as extremely just before the front facia. The wheelwells on the Chevy/GMC are even squarer-er than the Dodge.
Really looks like a “square body” Chevrolet to me, too. Perhaps the bright area is a reflection of some sort?
Not really related, but kinda: Why are these cameras so incredibly bad? Every phone has am HD camera these days but the camera used for situations like this leave everyone guessing.
We had a similar – only worse – situation in Denmark recently where a woman had gotten in a car in the early hours of a Sunday after a night out. Police suspected (and were eventually proven right) a horrible crime. So they asked the public for help ID’ing a car in a photo like this and there were as many different guesses as there are hatchbacks.
I just don’t get the value of these cameras if this is the best they can come up with.
Someone like Joseph Dennis or Jim Grey could likely answer your question better, but this picture looks like it was shot from someone’s Ring camera. These doorbell security cameras are designed to focus on the porch pirate stealing your Amazon Prime package, and not the car out on the street. This, and the fact that it’s likely a night shot, are the reason the picture is so grainy.
Small digital cameras like this are terrible at night. The back-up camera in my Civic is a prime example. As I back into the driveway at night, I can barely make out my Mustang at the end of the driveway, but as I get closer, the car comes into focus. In the daytime, it is not nearly as grainy.
This location is a commercial area, so the image is almost certainly from a distant security camera, and then zoomed in.
I agree about it looking like a Dodge.
I try to see Chevy in it but the cab keeps bringing me back to Dodge.
I think I see a toolbox.
The bright spot may be a side marker light.
I don’t know this era of Dodge pickups very well but it reminds me of heavier-duty versions I’ve seen that are often “dualies”, though I do not see duals on this one.
The size of the wheel openings in relation to the fenders also say 70s-’93-ish Dodge to me.
Agreed on the 1991 to 1993 Dodge. Here’s why:
1) The illuminated tail lights. At first it appears GM by the amount lit but my eyes detect unlit tail light above what is illuminated. That falls in line with Dodge as they had taller tail lights than did GM.
2) The name plate on the front fender / door area. It is on the fender but what Dodge had, especially if this is a 3/4 ton diesel (which I suspect it is), the “Power Ram 2500 / Cummins Diesel” nameplate simply uses more real estate than a comparable GM. This is a big nameplate.
3) The stance says Dodge as does the curvature at the top rear of the door.
Disregard the two tone; many (most?) pickups have been repainted by age 30. Also Dodge used a bigger chrome insert on tailgates of higher trimmed units; there is a lot of shine here.
Like Mads Jensen, I’m surprised the picture quality is this way but there are also undoubtedly a lot of other factors involved with this picture, particularly lighting.
All good points. The truck was identified as being “jacked up 4 wheel drive” so a Cummins Diesel version is extremely likely.
What specifically point to a ’91 to ’93 vs. pre-’91?
The front changed for 1991 along with the size and font of the fender badges which was a driver for my initial thoughts. Plus, with the proliferation of diesel powered units after its introduction in 1988 or 1989, the odds are greatly higher of it being these later years.
Pull the ping records of the cell towers nearby and match the phone to the vehicle.
Anyone with a phone near those towers and a single-cab pickup is worth talking to. Where I live, the description of high-riding single cab pickup would be considerably more specific than saying it was a white Audi Q5, for example.
I wish I could say with any certainty whether this was a Dodge or a GM truck, but the photograph doesn’t really allow me to make any conclusions. Just look at the roofline of the pickup. Zero trucks look like that.
It looks like it was rolled at one point
I think that’s just the camera slanting the image.
Its probably a cropped part of a faraway image.
Distorted like a funhouse mirror.
Curious if any progress was made by police here.
I’m inclined to agree with Paul. My first impression before reading anything was 1994 Dodge or newer, but a little research implies the 1993 and earlier.
This is definitely one of two common Dodge two-tone paint schemes used both pre and post 1994. Look up images of Ford and Chevy products from the time, and the subject definitely fits Dodge best. In fact, it seems to rule out Ford entirely.
I didn’t readily find single cab photos of the features I wanted, but I think you can get the idea below. The bright spot on the subject in front of the front wheel is either the side marker, glare from the chrome bumper end, or both. Glare from the bumper seems to fit the 1993 better as the 1994 has some matt finish and the side marker doesn’t work as well.
I hope they catch this person, here in L.A. running people over then running away is common .
-Nate
That bright area ahead of the front wheel corresponds exactly (and I think only) to the side marker on a pre-’94 Dodge. The giant emblem just ahead of the door matches the ones put on the “Power Ram” types of variants, and I think I see a notch in the aft rear corner of the emblem which matches that of the ’89-‘91.5 version of the emblem as shown here. The two-tone paint pattern and apparent shape of the front fender further reinforce.
Thanks.
Image link fixed—should now go directly to the one I was trying to point at. Note the notch.
Essentially this truck….
More specifically, this one:
I really think that is a 3/4 ton 4wd Dodge. Post ‘80.
Great to see observant individuals, with smarts working together.
Well done gentlemen. Look forward to results.
Anybody else feel it’s white with a red middle section? It was such a common color on these by me back when they were common that I have trouble seeing it as something else.
Edit: I wrote that before seeing the above picture of the white and red one.
Recently I’ve been getting ads for AI-based software to focus out-of-focus photos. I wonder if one of those might help,.or if this image is too far gone.
The latest version of Adobe Photoshop has a feature that can basically sharpen the out-of-focus images to a certain degree, yet I don’t know if this blurry image is “salvageable” or not.
I think Jason Schafer is spot on about it being a Dodge for all the reasons that he listed. Even if it isn’t though, I think that the elephant in the room is that regardless of the make, we are looking for a 30 year old regular cab heavy duty truck. There can’t be that many still around in any given area.
This is Eugene. The CC capital of the world. There is probably a zillion of these there. Hope they find, and convict, the driver.
ID’ing this is way beyond my expertise but reading the posts has been illuminating. True Agatha Christie level.