98 Ram 1500 Project

[KurtzJ]

This thread will be tracking the progress of my build. The platform is a 98 Ram 1500 Regular Cab. I have quite a few ideas and plenty of places I want to go. Below is a list of my mileage at repairs and a list of additions to the truck. Due to the age and type of platform, most of my items will have to be custom made. Below will be a starting photo and a current photo.

Purchased at Mileage: 185,000

Mileage: 229,000

Repairs:

Rebuilt Transmission (around 200k Miles)
Fuel Pump
Rear drive shaft U-Joint
Drivers side window motor
Exhaust replacement (cat back)
Spark Plugs/Wires
Distributor Cap/Rotor

Mileage: 242,712

Repairs:

Replaced the throttle position sensor.
Patched exhaust pipe leak

____________________________________________________________________

Additions:

Cobra CB Radio
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RO3RBE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2x 96 watt 9in Cree LED Spot Lights
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017L9MF0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bed/Stoarge system: Hand Made

Camper shell: bought it used.

Future Additions:

Cargo Rack
Front bumper
Rear bumper
Rear tire/fuel mount
Cargo Rack Spotlights
Winch
Power management system/electrical panel
Navigation system

Places Visited:

Rocky Mountain National Forest: Colorado
Green Ridge State Forest: West Virginia
Crabtree Falls: Virginia

 

[KurtzJ]

Picked the shell up on Sunday and got the tires today. In the future I plan to put a rack on top of the shell. Should I bolt the shell to the bed of the truck? Right now I have four clamps holding the shell on. I've never put a load on a shell before so I'm not sure if the clamps will be enough. Thoughts?

 

[GoinBoardin]

The only shell I've worked with was held down with 4 bolt on clamps. I liked that bc they were low profile and didn't use up any interior space.

I don't know much about those Dodges but solid axles, v8, and a short wheelbase should make for a good rig offroad. I'm interested to see where this thread goes.

 

[bdp1978]

Man I loved these trucks when I was younger. My boss had a '97 (?) Green "Sport" RCSB that he would let me borrow. I thought I was the ******** driving that thing around at 18yrs old, felt like a truck version of a sports car at the time.

Looking forward to following along.

 

[KurtzJ]

Yeah, this truck seems like it will be a cool project. As stated, I like that it feels like a full sized truck but with that small cab and 6'6" bed it fits plenty of places. The only gripe I have is the rusted parts that come with it being so old. I'm sitting at 229k miles on this bad boy. After getting the tires changed now I have this crazy noise coming from the rear of the truck. It sounds like a small piece of metal gets knocked around from time to time. Just today at a light I felt the truck pull left when I applied the brake, 100% did not do that before. I also suspect the metal noise (it's intermittent) is coming from the rear left of the truck. I crawled up under there and didn't see anything out of the norm. I'll just have to pull the wheel off and see what's what.

Long term I want a cargo rack, front and rear bumper. I might have to fabricate the bumper myself as this truck doesn't exactly have a ton of aftermarket support. In any case, I look forward to posting updates as I put some time into the truck. I'm just curious how that topper will hold up with a load on it while off roading.

bdp1978: With the custom exhaust it sounds like a race car too!

 

[KurtzJ]

Not so much a build update as much as a regular update. I should be building that storage system soon. It seems like every weekend I plan to work on it something comes up with the truck. After we got the new tires I could hear a metal noise. It turns out it was a bad U-joint. I'm also going to attempt to build a center console for the truck as the old one is broken. I have an old CB that I want to install and I think it would look great in the custom console. Had to order new locks for the camper shell but other than that the shell is great. I'm also looking at putting some material down on the shell between it and the bed. This should keep the shell insulated a tad better. Hopefuly I will get some major work done this upcoming Saturday. We leave for Colorado on the 30th, so much to do!

 

[KurtzJ]

I got some work done on the bed/storage box. I'll be adding carpet and drawers later. For now here is the work I got done. While visiting my father he had a Kenwood TM-G707, in our kubelwagen, that he no longer uses. So I ended up getting the Kenwoood for free. I just have to clean it up and get it mounted.


Base of the storage box/bed before the top. The dead space on the sides will be used to store quick access gear.

Base with the top on it. This is were I stopped for the weekend. Unfortunately I only seem to have Saturdays to really work on anything so it limits what all I can get done. The center board has a slight bow in it but it works.

A picture of the stop bar that will keep the drawer at a depth of 4'. The bed/box is 6' but I wanted a 2' space near the head where I can potentially add items for longer trips.

Threw in two shims to keep the box in the center of the bed so it can't shift. Or rather just to keep the whole thing stable.

Had an issue with the measurements of the wood. Forgot that the tongue was included in length so I was short about 1/2". So I added a piece of trim so the face would be flush.

 

[KurtzJ]

Last update before our Colorado road trip (starting in Virginia).

I got the CB all wired up and running. I was even donated a TM-G707 Kenwood HAM radio that I will probably set up when we return. Carpet still needs to be put in the bed but for now the truck is set. Below is the Cobra 29 LX that I have hooked up. When we return I'll be putting up some photos for the trip. We have 7 days to drive out, hit the mountains, and return. Should be an epic trip!

 

[chilliwak]

Nice looking truck Kurtz with lots of potential. Can I suggest that you paint both sides of the osb that you used for your storage system!!?? Plywood can stand up to a certain amount of moisture but osb does not like it. I am looking forward to seeing what you do with your truck. Keep us updated with lots of pics. Cheers, Chilli..

 

[KurtzJ]

Well we just got back from our Colorado trip. The best advice I've ever heard was "take your vehicle out and see what you need instead of spending thousands to make it look like everyone else's rig." From our trip I know that I need a cargo rack and lights at the least. I will be uploading photos later along with some numbers but yeah, what a trip. It felt great to take the truck out and see how it does on long (6 day long) trips. With all that driving I only burnt 2 quarts of oil but found that my truck hates 10,000+ ft -.-

Stand by for updates and photos!

NOTE: That CB paid for itself during an accident on I-70 in Kansas during a snow storm.

 

[KurtzJ]

Soooooo it's been a while. Changed jobs and life is crazy as we all know. Wish I took photos of the trip to West Virginia. I'm now working hard to get more done on the truck. It's been a mix of repairs and new items. One of the best additions has got to be the twin 92watt 11k lumen 9in Cre LED lights. They have made driving at night so easy. I had issues with the trails at night because I couldn't see, problem solved! I also finished the base of the drawers. I still plan to do more to them. I then got started on some overhead toggle switches. There was a small storage area up there that I never use.

PS: Don't mind the thumb. I crushed it with a splitter maul......