Sam-PSBS
Junior Member
Hello everyone... I have no idea as to what to do (or even HOW) with my 2nd gen 2000 ram 1500.
Here is a little history on it and what has happened. I bought the truck for my spouse from my neighbor when he decided to upgrade to a new (generation 4) ram 1500. He always took really good care of his vehicles and I knew it was well maintained. We continued taking good care of it and it took good care of us.
Well, after about 5 years and only minor maintenance, the rear transmission seal needed replacing. So, I took it to someone to fix it and that's when my world started crumbling all around me.
This was in the fall of 2020 which was just about the time everyone was hearing about Covid-19 and what was happening. Starting with one of my best friends, continuing with several other friends, my grandfather, my mom, my Uncle, my childhood sweetheart, cousins, my dad, a few others and at the end of 9 months from the start, I lost my spouse. (22 loves ones in total!) I felt like I was losing my mind and felt so lost and all alone.
Fast forward a year of confusion, grief, and chaos along with losing 12 more loved ones. In the middle of that year I went to pick up the truck at the mechanic's shop located an hour from my house, only to find it was not even close to being done. After 2 more weeks of being put off and lied to, I decided to just go get the truck and take it somewhere else. What I found (or actually DIDN'T find) when I got there was what was left of my truck after apparently somebody decided to rob whatever they wanted to off if it.
The headlights, taillights, windshield wiper arms, several engine parts, all of my stuff from inside the truck, the custom mossy oak seat covers (with matching floor mats, dash cover, stearing wheel cover and interior trim), my diamond plated toolbox full of about 10K worth of tools, the bed rails, the tow hitch, and even the mossy oak air freshener was gone. Of course the mechanic was "clueless" as to what happened to my truck. The tranny was laying in the bed of my truck along with a flat tire. The spare had been put on the truck.
So, I hooked it up to a friend's Tahoe and towed it to my friend's house about 15 miles away. Wrong thing to do as not only did it get dented, it was also relieved of it's catalytic converters.
I then proceeded to get a car trailer and go get it so I could finally get it fixed. I took it to a guy on the edge of the town where I live along with a parts truck i purchased. A month later, that guy went to jail. Of course, when I found out, I immediately went to check on my truck and once again --- yep --- you guessed it, someone helped themselves to whatever they wanted. This time they took the bumper, the wheel rims/tires worth about 2K, the tailgate, the front driver's side ball joints/A-arm, broke into the stearing column/ignition, and ripped out the dash while tearing up the interior.
Now, at this point, I'm about to just throw my hands in the air and give up. BUT, this truck holds a lot of memories and meant so much to my spouse and it's practically all I've got left of what was once my happy married life.
I need help!!! I'm so overwhelmed emotionally and drained financially after so many funerals and debts to settle not to mention the fact that I went from two incomes to just one. I don't know what to do, where to go, who to trust or anything!!!
I'm a 54yr old woman (now a widow) In Texas with absolutely nothing but the desire to restore this truck and maybe some of myself along with it.
Here is a little history on it and what has happened. I bought the truck for my spouse from my neighbor when he decided to upgrade to a new (generation 4) ram 1500. He always took really good care of his vehicles and I knew it was well maintained. We continued taking good care of it and it took good care of us.
Well, after about 5 years and only minor maintenance, the rear transmission seal needed replacing. So, I took it to someone to fix it and that's when my world started crumbling all around me.
This was in the fall of 2020 which was just about the time everyone was hearing about Covid-19 and what was happening. Starting with one of my best friends, continuing with several other friends, my grandfather, my mom, my Uncle, my childhood sweetheart, cousins, my dad, a few others and at the end of 9 months from the start, I lost my spouse. (22 loves ones in total!) I felt like I was losing my mind and felt so lost and all alone.
Fast forward a year of confusion, grief, and chaos along with losing 12 more loved ones. In the middle of that year I went to pick up the truck at the mechanic's shop located an hour from my house, only to find it was not even close to being done. After 2 more weeks of being put off and lied to, I decided to just go get the truck and take it somewhere else. What I found (or actually DIDN'T find) when I got there was what was left of my truck after apparently somebody decided to rob whatever they wanted to off if it.
The headlights, taillights, windshield wiper arms, several engine parts, all of my stuff from inside the truck, the custom mossy oak seat covers (with matching floor mats, dash cover, stearing wheel cover and interior trim), my diamond plated toolbox full of about 10K worth of tools, the bed rails, the tow hitch, and even the mossy oak air freshener was gone. Of course the mechanic was "clueless" as to what happened to my truck. The tranny was laying in the bed of my truck along with a flat tire. The spare had been put on the truck.
So, I hooked it up to a friend's Tahoe and towed it to my friend's house about 15 miles away. Wrong thing to do as not only did it get dented, it was also relieved of it's catalytic converters.
I then proceeded to get a car trailer and go get it so I could finally get it fixed. I took it to a guy on the edge of the town where I live along with a parts truck i purchased. A month later, that guy went to jail. Of course, when I found out, I immediately went to check on my truck and once again --- yep --- you guessed it, someone helped themselves to whatever they wanted. This time they took the bumper, the wheel rims/tires worth about 2K, the tailgate, the front driver's side ball joints/A-arm, broke into the stearing column/ignition, and ripped out the dash while tearing up the interior.
Now, at this point, I'm about to just throw my hands in the air and give up. BUT, this truck holds a lot of memories and meant so much to my spouse and it's practically all I've got left of what was once my happy married life.
I need help!!! I'm so overwhelmed emotionally and drained financially after so many funerals and debts to settle not to mention the fact that I went from two incomes to just one. I don't know what to do, where to go, who to trust or anything!!!
I'm a 54yr old woman (now a widow) In Texas with absolutely nothing but the desire to restore this truck and maybe some of myself along with it.
