loki223
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2012
- Posts
- 746
- Reaction score
- 105
- Location
- Spokane, WA
- Ram Year
- 2018
- Engine
- Cummins 6.7
Alright, well i am a huge fan of build threads, really helps keep things going in the mind. So here is one for my current truck. A little background, i am a die hard chevy guy, but i've never been able to argue against a Cummins, and since Dodge has the Cummins i figured i'd jump ship a while and see how dodge treats me. There are Definitely benefits to the Dodge side of things but being a chevy guy, i've ran into things that i look at and think "why did they do it this way...the way all my other trucks had it done makes more since to me" but that could just be because of my previous experiences with how it was done. lol. anyhow, onto my first mopar....
2002 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT Laramie 24v Cummins with an automatic tranny. 4x4 with a 4" lift and a diablo hockey puck "programmer" and an Eclipse head unit that looks like someone put in when the truck rolled off the lot sitting on the stock rims and a set of well used 285/75/16s....thats how she was when i picked her up a couple months ago....
so first things first, get those stock lights out, and aftermarket lights in....
Next up, get some new shoes and socks...found a deal on craigslist, for a set of nice chromes with some 35" BFGs already mounted with enough tread to last me till winter 2013/2014 pretty easily....
Than i had to do something about the grill. I picked one and went with it, i usually do something with the stock grill to truly customize it, but nothing came to mind. So i went with this and will run it till i find something i like more and within the right price range for a grill...
Since she is my DD and a work truck i had to do something about those half ton mirrors that were on there when i got her...so i upgraded to the OEM style towing mirrors. I prefer the looks of the slide out towing mirrors over the flip out mirrors when they are extended, but for some reason no one makes a good looking set of slide out tow mirrors for the the Dodge....they all look hideous, so i went with something that will actually look good folded in, and be practical folded out....
I also added in a tool box, my dual whips and my CB from my old truck and reminded her that she is a beast a burden, a good looking beast a burden, but a beast of burden nonetheless....
Than i saw a deal I couldn't pass up....heavy duty bumper with full brush guard....how could i say no?
And that gets you close to where i am now. As soon as i have the cash and find the deal i am looking for i am getting a real programmer and ripping out the diablo "power puck" I really don't trust interference programmers like that...But the current project i started i am hoping to have taken care of within the end of the month. But i'm not 100% if i'll be able to finish acquiring everything for it by than.....Sound system....I've got the Hertz speakers to get all around ($200 for a full set for m truck, couldn't pass on that!) JL audio sub (traded a headache rack i had sitting in my garage from a previous truck that i wasn't using to a buddy who had this sub in his Hemi and his Dakota, i think it's a 10" off hand, but i'd have to look at it, its still in his garage but we are going to build a custom box under my rear seat for it, hopefully getting it inside the stock organizer that is already in there) and i have an amp for the speakers, picked up a couple free amps from a buddy the other day that i need to check out and see if they still work, if so will use one for the sub...so hopefully the only thing left that i need to buy is the Head Unit and the cables and wiring...Looking for a flip out touch screen for the dash but trying to keep the budget tight so i have my eyes out for deals on that. I also have a set of KC 6" off road lights that i am gunna mount up here soon ($20 for the set, love it!!)
Since i kinda jumped into the audio side of my truck, i am going to continue with the interior after i get my system set up. Full LED everything everywhere lights...repaint all the panels that aren't black, might redo ALL the panels and do something really custom in there...not sure yet but the possibility is there. Get my seats redone, up front. Love the leather, but its getting kinda tore up, so i'll have it redone and change it from just a heated seat, to a heated and cooled seat on both driver and passenger sides. Eventually make the rear seats match with heated and cooled when the wallet says i can afford it....
as for the exterior, i plan on pocket style fender flares, heavy duty custom rear bumper, rain guards for the windows, change my rear lights (i hate the aftermarket cheapos that i have on there right now) and add lights...tailgate light bar, running lights bumper to bumper along the bottom of the truck, wire up some lights on the tool box to have running lights there too, and some custom cab lights. For my cab lights i am planning on 6 lights, not 5. so it says that it is custom, might do 7 lights, probably gunna use big rig style lights. I forget which brand off hand, but i've got the style i want picked out in my head....and of course as time goes on i am sure something new will pop into my head and tell me i need to do that too. I also plan on putting some amber strip lights behind the grill to use as running lights, that i can run legally while driving.
For performance...I already have full 4" straight pipe running out and dumper behind the rear passenger tire. Previous owner ripped out the stock airbox and stuck a filter on the turbo and called it good....*******....so i will be picking up a true cold air intake or building one as soon as funds are available for it...than i will also get a programmer for the truck when i have the funds and find the right deal. You might be able to guess, i am a deal hunter, and have no problem driving 4 hours to save $400 on something...so i am sure i will find the deals i want...eventually. lol
2002 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT Laramie 24v Cummins with an automatic tranny. 4x4 with a 4" lift and a diablo hockey puck "programmer" and an Eclipse head unit that looks like someone put in when the truck rolled off the lot sitting on the stock rims and a set of well used 285/75/16s....thats how she was when i picked her up a couple months ago....
so first things first, get those stock lights out, and aftermarket lights in....
Next up, get some new shoes and socks...found a deal on craigslist, for a set of nice chromes with some 35" BFGs already mounted with enough tread to last me till winter 2013/2014 pretty easily....
Than i had to do something about the grill. I picked one and went with it, i usually do something with the stock grill to truly customize it, but nothing came to mind. So i went with this and will run it till i find something i like more and within the right price range for a grill...
Since she is my DD and a work truck i had to do something about those half ton mirrors that were on there when i got her...so i upgraded to the OEM style towing mirrors. I prefer the looks of the slide out towing mirrors over the flip out mirrors when they are extended, but for some reason no one makes a good looking set of slide out tow mirrors for the the Dodge....they all look hideous, so i went with something that will actually look good folded in, and be practical folded out....
I also added in a tool box, my dual whips and my CB from my old truck and reminded her that she is a beast a burden, a good looking beast a burden, but a beast of burden nonetheless....
Than i saw a deal I couldn't pass up....heavy duty bumper with full brush guard....how could i say no?
And that gets you close to where i am now. As soon as i have the cash and find the deal i am looking for i am getting a real programmer and ripping out the diablo "power puck" I really don't trust interference programmers like that...But the current project i started i am hoping to have taken care of within the end of the month. But i'm not 100% if i'll be able to finish acquiring everything for it by than.....Sound system....I've got the Hertz speakers to get all around ($200 for a full set for m truck, couldn't pass on that!) JL audio sub (traded a headache rack i had sitting in my garage from a previous truck that i wasn't using to a buddy who had this sub in his Hemi and his Dakota, i think it's a 10" off hand, but i'd have to look at it, its still in his garage but we are going to build a custom box under my rear seat for it, hopefully getting it inside the stock organizer that is already in there) and i have an amp for the speakers, picked up a couple free amps from a buddy the other day that i need to check out and see if they still work, if so will use one for the sub...so hopefully the only thing left that i need to buy is the Head Unit and the cables and wiring...Looking for a flip out touch screen for the dash but trying to keep the budget tight so i have my eyes out for deals on that. I also have a set of KC 6" off road lights that i am gunna mount up here soon ($20 for the set, love it!!)
Since i kinda jumped into the audio side of my truck, i am going to continue with the interior after i get my system set up. Full LED everything everywhere lights...repaint all the panels that aren't black, might redo ALL the panels and do something really custom in there...not sure yet but the possibility is there. Get my seats redone, up front. Love the leather, but its getting kinda tore up, so i'll have it redone and change it from just a heated seat, to a heated and cooled seat on both driver and passenger sides. Eventually make the rear seats match with heated and cooled when the wallet says i can afford it....
as for the exterior, i plan on pocket style fender flares, heavy duty custom rear bumper, rain guards for the windows, change my rear lights (i hate the aftermarket cheapos that i have on there right now) and add lights...tailgate light bar, running lights bumper to bumper along the bottom of the truck, wire up some lights on the tool box to have running lights there too, and some custom cab lights. For my cab lights i am planning on 6 lights, not 5. so it says that it is custom, might do 7 lights, probably gunna use big rig style lights. I forget which brand off hand, but i've got the style i want picked out in my head....and of course as time goes on i am sure something new will pop into my head and tell me i need to do that too. I also plan on putting some amber strip lights behind the grill to use as running lights, that i can run legally while driving.
For performance...I already have full 4" straight pipe running out and dumper behind the rear passenger tire. Previous owner ripped out the stock airbox and stuck a filter on the turbo and called it good....*******....so i will be picking up a true cold air intake or building one as soon as funds are available for it...than i will also get a programmer for the truck when i have the funds and find the right deal. You might be able to guess, i am a deal hunter, and have no problem driving 4 hours to save $400 on something...so i am sure i will find the deals i want...eventually. lol
