95’ Dodge Ram 1500.. because I didn’t hate life

[Soundline]

My life is going incredibly well.  Which; cannot be allowed.

 

i decided to f**k it up and I bought this treasure.  We all know the best treasure is “that which is buried” and that dodge literally means “to avoid”.  As you can tell I’m taking this build VERY seriously and will expect you to trash it in the comments.

 

So far the tires on it scare the shit outta me.  They’re bald and cracked.  I think the date code on them is 1992, older than the truck.  Totally safe.  After all, expiration dates are for cowards.

If you’re still reading, it’s a 5.9 MAGNUM.  For the record I can only yell that word.  Has the 4 spd auto, 4wd, 231 transfer case.  It’s a tow package, mainly to hall the balls I’d need to trust these tires.  Has a mere 150k mi on it, and it’s pretty clean inside.

 

The good:

It’s paid for.  Which hopefully means I can afford the medical bills when I crash and die.

The PO decided to put limo tint on the side windows. I get it.  I don’t want anybody seeing me driving it either. 

 

The bad:

How much time do you have?

"Death Wobble”

its “lifted”…

someone cut HOLES in the perfectly good door panels to put wal-mart 6x9’s they ran with house speaker wire that broke in the door seam…

it included empty Marlboro hard packs in all the bed stake pockets

there was a condom under the seat

definitely smoked in

there was a near dead Nissan battery in it held in place with a bungee cord

paint is faded

its a dodge, the most appropriately named car maker in history 

it has an “exhaust” on it that I think was welded together by a drunk porpoise 

someone painted the chrome bumpers black after attempting and failing to sand off the chrome 

the headlights…

the electrical…

there are monster energy drink stickers on the interior…. 
the Kenwood detachable face cd player…

the hood mounted light bar.  That’s not attached to anything.  Looks only.

No rear LSD.

the brakes…. No, not like standard dodge brakes, they’re worse.  
 

worst of all, I love it.  It’s so f**king obnoxious it suits me.  It’ll definitely haul my S13, Toyota Pickup, and 620 once I’m done.  This is the Soundline of crummy 90’s pickups.

[Soundline]

For instance; do not do this.

[KELMO]

^^^THAT is totally awesome.

 

If you are looking for names for this truck, let me submit "Trailer Park Queen"

[datzenmike]

Sanding the chrome was an attempt to make the black stick.

 

Is it the new Blues Mobile?.... Get rid of the light bar.

[Soundline]

It kinda feels like the blues brothers made this bitch. Normally I’d blackout the license plates but this fees strangely appropriate.  I put new tires on it and before you say “doughnuts” I’m taking that red shit off and depositing it in a local landfill, because I hate polar bears.

 

As I was driving back from discount tire a piece of clear coat the size of my hand flew off it; then it started snowing clear coat chips.  Had to use the windscreen wipers to keep them from obstructing my view.

 

As you can see the door panel is in PRISTINE condition.  Very “one owner”.  
 

Also, I did the ball joints, couple u-joints, track bar, sway bar endlinks, and some other bits. It’s not 100% steering wise but it’s 1,000x better than it was.

 

I’ll take some close ups of that light bar for you Mike.

[Thomas Perkins]

Cool rims,get some Meguiar's tire shine...

Edited January 22, 2023 by Thomas Perkins

[datzenmike]

 

21 minutes ago, Soundline said:

 

 

I’ll take some close ups of that light bar for you Mike.

 

 

 

 

[Soundline]

7 hours ago, Thomas Perkins said:

Cool rims,get some Meguiar's tire shine...

It’s supposed to be 7 F this week, so I’ll clean’em up this spring.  I live in the Washington Desert, so it’ll have to wait.  I like that 720 though, and I have those same tires on my Jeep and another style of BFG’s on my Toyota.

 

7 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

It’s incredible…. There’s nothing hooked to it, absolutely nothing. 
 

Wait were you asking me to remove it because you want it?  PM me your address and I’ll mail it to ya’.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Soundline
Forgot the picture

[datzenmike]

I need it like I need another hole in the head. But thanks for the offer.

 

[Soundline]

We’ve decided to call her Skeeter.

 

I just ordered a set of door cards for her out of a nearby junk yard. Got a few speakers coming as well, unfortunately the one Hertz 6x9 isn’t properly wired.  It will be an easy run.  I’m not doing things the way that’s the ‘top shelf’ however it will be wonderfully average.  
 

This will be a usable project, and I actually used it today to haul a bed load of items to my storage unit.  Clearly out my shop to begin getting serious about getting my Jeep and WRX finished.  After that I’ll finish the Toyota, S13, and finally finishing the 620.  Before wandering into VWs

 

You’re looking at exactly the lamest of all of my average builds.

[bilzbobaggins]

Burning gallons to the mile.  Hope your steering suspension parts stopped your death wobble.  I just bought a qx4 that has a bad case of it.  I thought I was going to fall over the edge of the expressway here when it first hit.  Almost shit myself.  I was not warned of it before my test drive.

[Soundline]

4 hours ago, bilzbobaggins said:

Burning gallons to the mile.  Hope your steering suspension parts stopped your death wobble.  I just bought a qx4 that has a bad case of it.  I thought I was going to fall over the edge of the expressway here when it first hit.  Almost shit myself.  I was not warned of it before my test drive.

First off mate, I’m glad you’re ok.

 

Im from an area that’s so small the seller was friends with my Godfather.  He absolutely gave me the heads up, and I’d observed the terrible condition of the ball joints so I expected it.  I’m an old hand at Jeep’s so I’m experienced with the death wobbles and keeping a kung fu grip on the steering wheel.  
 

I’m also a punk bitch when it comes to my gf’s safety. I’m expendable, but her and the motorists around me are not.  The death wobble is in fact gone.  A LOT of it for me specifically was the terrible tires, blown ball joints, and the steering stabilizer that’s blown. After the tires, track bar, and ball joints were replaced, I had the alignment done.  Just alignment can cause some of the death wobble issues.  This is precisely why people sell death wobble rigs. They’re dangerous as fuck and can be tricky/expensive to dial in and fix.  Fortunately I have a great support network here to assist in rapidly dialing this in.

 

Yesterday I used the dodge to move things, maybe 1,000 lbs.  It worked very well, the steering dampener should be here Wed to get this wrapped up.  Today I dumped 47 cardboard boxes into the bed… Don’t tell anyone but I recycle.  
 

Fuck it, tell whomever you want, no one will believe you.

[EDM620]

I totally understand the death wobble, I (briefly) had a 75 F100 390 4spd 4x that had a one-year one model only steering setup that incorporated a steering ram in series with the PS gear. Since it developed a leak, PO figured the solution was to weld the cylinder (yup) to seal the leaks.

The stained road is from all the PS fluid the sucker would leak out - you could watch it leak it was that bad.

Ended up making the PO take it back and give me back my money. Sad, I wanted to push bush with that pig.

[Soundline]

I’m glad you got a refund on that mess EDM.  There’s always those one year gaps where things get cocked up.  I had an 84’ Corvette that was an utter piece of goat shit.  The cross port injection system was a nightmare.  I learned to despise that car…. If I could have gotten my money back from the thieving prick I got it from I’d have done that in a gnats heartbeat.

 

Steering dampener, door panels, deck/speakers, and a tune up kit came in today.  Hopefully next week will be an update with me doing shit.

[Soundline]

Replaced the oddly modified front bumper with a repop chrome one from LMC.  It’s cocked because I’m not going to tighten it down until I put the plastic on. Really makes me hate these headlights that much more. 

[Soundline]

Because I’m a moron who’s impatient I put the bumper on before the bezels for the fog lights showed up, which means I have some additional work to do.  Nothing makes you love a job more, than doing it twice.

 

Next, a bit of electrical.  I’m doing a bit of preventative maintenance here to hopefully make things easier for later.

[Soundline]

Finally was able to get the dash sorted out. Having a working drink holder, clean ash tray, functional Bluetooth player, and shit is wired in. The under panel is still off waiting on the trailer brake controller.

[Soundline]

I figured I’d update the battery pic to show I’m not actually keeping the good ol’ bungie strap battery holder.

 

Finished this mess in the doors today. The PO cut these holes in both door panels to stuff Hertz 6x9s in the door. I was able to find new door panels in a junk yard, and got it all swapped in.  Terrible tint still needs to go though.

[Soundline]

It’s nice to have a cup holder that works, an ashtray that exists, and a functional stereo. I removed the Wal-Mart special steering wheel wrap.  
 

Unfortunately it ripped apart, or I was gonna give it to the King Rat himself.  Hopefully that light bar survives disassembly so Mike can have a souvenir.

[EDM620]

I recently drove a truck with the limo tint. Gawd that shit is terrible, drove with the windows open so I could see traffic.

[Soundline]

On 5/7/2023 at 7:32 AM, EDM620 said:

I recently drove a truck with the limo tint. Gawd that shit is terrible, drove with the windows open so I could see traffic.

Dude, that tint is terrible… I have so many other things to fix first. For instance, I’m leaking fuel.

 

There’s going to come a day where that meets a heat gun and a steamer.  

[Soundline]

Well, I did this.

[Soundline]

Had to merc that tint.

[frankendat]

Just saw this thread, I recently acquired a 96 exta cab Dodge 1500 2wd auto with the Magnum tow package. First, thing I did was a full tune and service, because I was only getting 13mpg. Then, I looked up the specs, it only lists 14mpg when new!

[EDM620]

The Grey is definitely trending and looks much better than the tired blue. A few months ago I drove an F350 with Limo tint and my gawd it was awful to drive, could hardly see shit outside - and that was in daylight! IMHO I'd rather see traffic moving outside than hide inside, simply too many poor excuses for "drivers" out there.

👍