jonx4x4
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2012
- Posts
- 7
- Reaction score
- 0
- Ram Year
- 2001
- Engine
- 5.9L Magnum
New to forum, but certainly not to Dodges.
Im Jon and I grew up here in Oklahoma.
I have always liked Dodges. My first vehicle had a Chrysler transmission(86 Jeep Grand Wagoneer).
After that, I had a 70 D200 which was given to me by a buddy. The PO had begun a 4WD conversion. It was cool, but it turned out that the title was from TX(I'm in OK) and the VIN's didnt match. It was severely rusted, and was going to be more work than I had time for. I already had a pretty time-consuming project. So I sold it for parts.
A couple of years later, one of my buddies wanted an S-10 Blazer I had, and wasnt driving. He traded an 82 D150(which was ugly as sin, and cobbled-together) and $300. The truck had been assembled from a pile of parts that were left laying around at a friend's dad's house. The guy who slapped it together took a really nice 318(1990, roller motor, well taken care of, go fast goodies) that his dad took out of his sister's Barricuda. He took a good 727 which had a shift kit, aftermarket clutches, etc. and bolted them together. He put the dip stick in without any type of seal. He threw headers on the motor without plugging the air injection ports or even using gaskets! He bought some cheap 90* bends and welded flanges to them, never used gaskets there either. Welded galvanized fence pipe to the 90's(too bad he didnt inhale). He then cut holes in the bottom of empty 5gal propane tanks, and welded the fence pipes to them. Then he cut a hole in the sides of the tanks and added more 90's. Then some more fence pipe, and some chrome exhaust tips just barely boogered on so that they came out right in front of the rear tires.
I drove the jalopy around for a few months, using it to haul junk until some of the wiring in the dash went screwy. Then I gutted it for the motor and trans and scrapped the truck. We will get back to the engine and trans in a few.
In the mean time, I got a phone call from a buddy one day saying that his girlfriends mom was selling some of her dad's vehicles. He said there was an old Dodge 4x4 Dually out there. I bought it sight unseen.
I got it, and the lady said it ran when it was parked. Right... I got it back to my shop and got to looking at it. It was a 66 W200. The hood was buckled. Looked like a big piece of pipe had fallen on it or something. The front axle was just an open knuckle D44HD with drums. The rear was a D60FF. It had dually wheels and spacers cut from 1/2" plate. The motor obviously hadnt ran in quite some time. It was seized, no spark plugs in the holes. I tore it apart to find it was all rusted. Trash. After trying and trying to get a title, I gave up. I took the axles out from underneath it, and parted the rest of it out.
The reason I never really wanted to start another project is this... I bought a 1969 Nissan Patrol back in 2003, and wheeled the crap out of it. I busted the FJ-40 rear axle I had swapped in, and the old I-6 had low compression. I simply couldnt justify $1000 to rebuild an ancient I-6, which was bolted to a 3-speed with no low gear to speak of. To help the decision, the rear output on the T-case was offset, like a Spicer 18.
Well, it just so happened that I had the old 318 which needed a new home. A NP435 wide ratio/NP208 combo which was taking space in my shop floor. Remember the D44/D60 combo? Well, turns out they had 4.88 gears in them!
As im sure you can imagine, they all found a new home in the Patrol. Ive gotten to drive it a little bit here and there, but Im always working on something. Its a 43-year old vehicle, and none of those parts went in easily. Im only 25, fixing to be 26. I just now finally got settled into a house im buying. My wife is in college. Ya know, I dont have a whole lot of cash to be dumping into the project, so I just chip away at it when I can get away with getting parts here and there.
I just recently bought her an 09 Saturn VUE, and I took over driving her 01 Ford Escape. It wasnt a truck, but I couldnt complain about getting 27mpg out of an SUV. My job is about 19 miles away from my house. All 40-65mph.
Well, last week, I wrecked it. Its totalled, and now Ive found something Ive always wanted... an 01 Ram 1500 Quad cab/short-bed, 5.9L Auto. Im taking a 10mpg hit, but it will make up for it with smiles per gallon haha
Ill post pics soon.
Im Jon and I grew up here in Oklahoma.
I have always liked Dodges. My first vehicle had a Chrysler transmission(86 Jeep Grand Wagoneer).
After that, I had a 70 D200 which was given to me by a buddy. The PO had begun a 4WD conversion. It was cool, but it turned out that the title was from TX(I'm in OK) and the VIN's didnt match. It was severely rusted, and was going to be more work than I had time for. I already had a pretty time-consuming project. So I sold it for parts.
A couple of years later, one of my buddies wanted an S-10 Blazer I had, and wasnt driving. He traded an 82 D150(which was ugly as sin, and cobbled-together) and $300. The truck had been assembled from a pile of parts that were left laying around at a friend's dad's house. The guy who slapped it together took a really nice 318(1990, roller motor, well taken care of, go fast goodies) that his dad took out of his sister's Barricuda. He took a good 727 which had a shift kit, aftermarket clutches, etc. and bolted them together. He put the dip stick in without any type of seal. He threw headers on the motor without plugging the air injection ports or even using gaskets! He bought some cheap 90* bends and welded flanges to them, never used gaskets there either. Welded galvanized fence pipe to the 90's(too bad he didnt inhale). He then cut holes in the bottom of empty 5gal propane tanks, and welded the fence pipes to them. Then he cut a hole in the sides of the tanks and added more 90's. Then some more fence pipe, and some chrome exhaust tips just barely boogered on so that they came out right in front of the rear tires.
I drove the jalopy around for a few months, using it to haul junk until some of the wiring in the dash went screwy. Then I gutted it for the motor and trans and scrapped the truck. We will get back to the engine and trans in a few.
In the mean time, I got a phone call from a buddy one day saying that his girlfriends mom was selling some of her dad's vehicles. He said there was an old Dodge 4x4 Dually out there. I bought it sight unseen.
I got it, and the lady said it ran when it was parked. Right... I got it back to my shop and got to looking at it. It was a 66 W200. The hood was buckled. Looked like a big piece of pipe had fallen on it or something. The front axle was just an open knuckle D44HD with drums. The rear was a D60FF. It had dually wheels and spacers cut from 1/2" plate. The motor obviously hadnt ran in quite some time. It was seized, no spark plugs in the holes. I tore it apart to find it was all rusted. Trash. After trying and trying to get a title, I gave up. I took the axles out from underneath it, and parted the rest of it out.
The reason I never really wanted to start another project is this... I bought a 1969 Nissan Patrol back in 2003, and wheeled the crap out of it. I busted the FJ-40 rear axle I had swapped in, and the old I-6 had low compression. I simply couldnt justify $1000 to rebuild an ancient I-6, which was bolted to a 3-speed with no low gear to speak of. To help the decision, the rear output on the T-case was offset, like a Spicer 18.
Well, it just so happened that I had the old 318 which needed a new home. A NP435 wide ratio/NP208 combo which was taking space in my shop floor. Remember the D44/D60 combo? Well, turns out they had 4.88 gears in them!
As im sure you can imagine, they all found a new home in the Patrol. Ive gotten to drive it a little bit here and there, but Im always working on something. Its a 43-year old vehicle, and none of those parts went in easily. Im only 25, fixing to be 26. I just now finally got settled into a house im buying. My wife is in college. Ya know, I dont have a whole lot of cash to be dumping into the project, so I just chip away at it when I can get away with getting parts here and there.
I just recently bought her an 09 Saturn VUE, and I took over driving her 01 Ford Escape. It wasnt a truck, but I couldnt complain about getting 27mpg out of an SUV. My job is about 19 miles away from my house. All 40-65mph.
Well, last week, I wrecked it. Its totalled, and now Ive found something Ive always wanted... an 01 Ram 1500 Quad cab/short-bed, 5.9L Auto. Im taking a 10mpg hit, but it will make up for it with smiles per gallon haha
Ill post pics soon.
