Full Bore

[Gary]

Well, I’ve made up my mind. While I have the truck apart I will be doing a full bore body restoration(mechanicals have already been restored). Brand new two tone paint job, dent removal, polish and refurbish all original chrome/mouldings etc. I will bring this truck to the condition it rolled off the showroom floor in 1974 in. Alas, I cannot get real lead paint and I will never be able to truly emulate the original for that reason. Lead was a superior metal in paints. I’ve checked all date codes, bolt by bolt, searched hours for original parts and in the end, I will truly have a show truck.

That’s just it though, the truck will be retired to show duty and pleasure driving only after I’m done with it.
Need a truck, so I’m looking at a few 90s dodge ram gassers. Why a dodge ram? Because despite my username, I am also a MOPAR fan and I love the look of the 2nd gen rams. Payne and Iaccoca had a real winner in the 90s.

This way, the Chevy will be a proper resto, rather than a 10 footer and will stay that way.

Look forward to sharing the adventures I’m sure to have with the Ram. Dodge transmissions…yehawww lol

Topic

[Mike]

Gotta say, I’m really surprised to hear a Chev fan admit to being a MOPAR fan as well. Good man. Hope you find what you’re looking for.

When it comes to older Dodge/Ram trucks, I have a soft spot for the earlier “squared off” generation of body style. There’s something down to earth and utilitarian about it that is lost in the newer body styles. And the Cummins diesel was available in the last few years of that generation, making some of those trucks rare beasts. I’d love to find one, and I have a blue-sky plan of dropping a Cummins into an old Ramcharger.

[Gary]

[quote=”Evil-i” post=141299]Gotta say, I’m really surprised to hear a Chev fan admit to being a MOPAR fan as well. Good man. Hope you find what you’re looking for.

When it comes to older Dodge/Ram trucks, I have a soft spot for the earlier “squared off” generation of body style. There’s something down to earth and utilitarian about it that is lost in the newer body styles. And the Cummins diesel was available in the last few years of that generation, making some of those trucks rare beasts. I’d love to find one, and I have a blue-sky plan of dropping a Cummins into an old Ramcharger.[/quote] Hey, why be a fan of just one American brand when you can be a fan of two? Chevrolet will always be my first love but MOPAR is a close second. Back in the day, my dad had an early 70s big block Plymouth fury as well as all the Chevies he owned. Can’t stand Ford though.

In any case I do agree, the early truck bodies did have that vibe. I drove a 3500 Cummins of that style before and it was impressive as well as good looking. Unfortunately, Cummins is not in my budget so most likely I’ll be getting a 318 gasser. I have a classic already (the Chevy C30), otherwise I’d probably get a 1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express. Need a daily driver so the 2nd gen seems like the most logical.

[James O’Hara]

If you do get the Cummins and need any advice on symptoms let me know though its not really that different then a gas just might need some stronger tools here and there.

Regardless I want pics, diag talk, and issues you fixed.

[Gary]

Thanks man, I actually just pulled the trigger on a deal yesterday. Gonna take delivery when I get back from vacation. Couldn’t afford a Cummins so I ended up getting a 98′ Ram 1500 with the 5.2(318). Pics to come!

[Bluesnut]

I’ve always been a Mopar nut myself. The first one I ever owned was way back when while I was in CA. It was a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker fin car with the 413; bought for a total price tagged and running for 10 bucks. Drove it across the country with no issues other than the normal one; getting stopped by the Albuquerque police for no reason at all. Again.

Eventually I had a ’68 Roadrunner stripper with the 383 Magnum, 4 speed, and 3.23 rear gears. A few years later there was a ’69 Superbee with the same running gear but it had the Sure Grip rear end. That could explain why I twisted a few U-joints out of the ‘Bee.

[Gary]

Back from vacation and took delivery of the truck. Pics to come tomorrow. The only apparent issue the truck has which I had noticed during the initial test drive was an annoying squealing when on the throttle consistent with RPMS. It’s either a bearing/pulley issue or the accessory drivebelt itself. Gonna dig into that tomorrow. The upper radiator hose also needs replacement as it is old and fatigued. Prob gonna just do an entire tuneup while I’m at it to establish baseline.

[Author]

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