My 1998 Ram 1500 - "The Green Hornet"

What's up guys!

So, just like the rest of you here, I've reached that time where I am now starting to have to throw parts at my truck from time to time. I decided to start this thread to keep track of the mods I do to the truck and to show off some pictures of the progress.

For starters, I have a 1998 Ram 1500 with the 3.9 Magnum. It's got right at 130,000 miles on the ticker. It's been fairly taken care of during it's life (belonged to my grandfather before it made it to me), and in my time owning it, it's become my baby. I'm 17, and this is my first vehicle, and instead of spending $30,000 on a new one, I'd rather make this one be nice and reliable for at least the foreseeable future. I'm planning to spend around $4,000 and this encompasses aesthetic mods and performance. Obviously, the priority is making the truck as mechanically sound as possible first.

So, let's break down some of the mods to the truck I have currently and what I plan to do.

Current Mods

• Plastidipped Wheels, Rear Bumper, and Plastic Trim
• LEDGlow Floor LED Lights
• LEDGlow Underbody LED Lights
• Herculiner Bed Liner
• Winjet Headlight Assemblies

Now, like any person, the planned mods list is FAR longer than the current mods list. I really can't even list everything on here. To keep it simple, I'll sort it out by engine and performance, interior, and exterior mods.

Engine and Performance

• Plenum Fix
• Replace Valve Cover Gaskets
• Transmission Cooler
• Distributor Cap/Rotor/Taylor Plug Wires/OEM Coil
• 180 degree Thermostat
• Flyin' Ryan Canned Tune
• New Idle Air Control Sensor
• New Coil Springs
• New Rubber Bushings Throughout Suspension
• New Copper Plugs
• New Exhaust System

Exterior

• New Wheels and Tires
• 4th Generation Front Bumper Swap
• '99 Sport Grille Swap
• Sprayed-in Bed Liner
• Repaint Truck
• LED Brake Lights
• LED Third Brake Light
• LED Bumper Pods with Color Halos
• Headlight Bulb Swap for X-treme Visions

Interior

• ABS Dash Cap
• Coverking Leatherette Seat Covers
• Glowshift Tachometer
• Glowshift Oil Pressure Gauge
• Glowshift Transmission Temp Gauge
• Dynomat and Black Carpet
• LED Dash Light Conversion
• Switch to Black Interior
• 3rd Gen Console Swap

And that's all, for now. This is basically one of those deals, we just do what the money allows at the time. Now, who wants to see some pictures?

This was before I really did anything to the truck.


One of my side hobbies is storm chasing, here she is sitting in front of a storm.


These are from when I had her in the shop doing the plastidip and the underglow.






These ones are when she was in to get the headlights changed. Of course, I had to go take some style shots afterwards.








And that's about it for now! I hope you all enjoy the pictures and follow this thread! I'll keep it updated as best as I can!
Brandon

B,
Great looking 2nd gen! Can't wait to see your future mods. If I could have found a quality truck back when I was looking, I'd totally be rocking a 2nd gen right now.

Those headlights and under glow look great. Was the under glow easy to do?

usaf2006 said:

B,
Great looking 2nd gen! Can't wait to see your future mods. If I could have found a quality truck back when I was looking, I'd totally be rocking a 2nd gen right now.

Those headlights and under glow look great. Was the under glow easy to do?

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The underglow was easy enough. The hardest part is finding good mounting places for the tubes and keeping the wires out of the way. The kit would like you to drill into the frame, but I wouldn't because of structural issues. I ended up using big zip ties to keep mine up.

Looks to be in really good condition....good start so far

Rzrman328 said:

Looks to be in really good condition....good start so far

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Thanks! Yeah, the truck is in great shape despite for a dent in the passenger side rear fender... Grandfather backed it into a trailer one afternoon. The clear coat is chipping on the roof and hood but I'm planning on repainting the truck anyways here in the winter so yeah. Virtually no rust anywhere on it, not even underneath.

Gonna roll with the 3.9L or are you planning a swap in the future? Nothing wrong with either, but just curious.

shibby927 said:

Gonna roll with the 3.9L or are you planning a swap in the future? Nothing wrong with either, but just curious.

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Probably just going to stick with the 3.9L. While I'd like the V8, I don't really want to spend all the money associated with swapping it. I thought I had a free 5.9L, neighbor next door had a '99 1500 that was totaled on the rear end, he told me I could have it for parts if I got it out of his yard, but the motor was seized in it. Still tons of other useful goodies though!

Good start man

Just out of curiosity, do any of you guys know where I could pick up a steel hood similar to a Challenger? I've seen them everywhere in fiberglass and carbon fiber, but I really want a steel hood.

Updates

Any new mods? Truck looks great!

Figured now is as good of a time as any to update everyone on the status of the truck. I love my Ram, and while it will always be my baby, for now, it's time to move on. I had the opportunity to pick up my cousin's 2013 Charger R/T for around $8k, so I took it. I do have plans for the truck, but the car is gonna be my daily while I go through college. A few things on the list for the truck is an engine swap, I'd like to go with a 5.7 Hemi or a 6.4 Hemi, maybe even a Hellcat one day, who knows. I want to lower the truck and paint it and basically just build it into a nice show ride. Let me know your thoughts!