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Another "what to do" thread

volaredon

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Location
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This is a little different than my last one please bear with me....

I have been wanting to go back to a 3/4 ton truck. (Not just because of the next point but it helps my cause)
My wife has a desire for a bigger camper than we have.

and really don't want a newer truck. My 12 is just kind of so so. No character.
I've had several 70s-80s dodges and they're 10x the truck my 12 1500 is.
The 4.7 is supposed to be 10:1, 310 HP/ most I've ever had. But I've had 2bbl 318s that have felt like they have more balls with a claimed 1/2 the HP....
I work on newer trucks every day at my job. No thanks. The less computer control the better.
I used to have an 83 d250. That truck was a work horse. Only a 318 but after magnum heads, a 360-2bbl cam, a 4bbl top end and a set of hooker full length super comp headers it really woke up.

My son actually bought that truck back from my cousin just for the engine and trans to put into his c body 72 fury wagon. There's over 200k on the bottom end, about 65k on the top end as listed above, still burns no oil and runs like it always has.
My son still has that rolling frame in his backyard. We scrapped that original body earlier this year. We have a solid rust free cab, a solid rust free bed that came from Colorado, just dinged up along the bottom of that bed, I believe from handling... And a couple of sets of clean doors/fenders and core support.
Plus we have a selection of engines between us... 318 magnum, 360 magnum (2 ea, all in pieces)
And a 75 motorhome 440 with 50-some k original miles.

So I could well build a truck from the ground up. Id be replacing the suspension, frame needs a little bit of work ( basically heavy washers welded onto the frame mount brackets and then paint the whole frame) unsure of auto or stick at the moment but want an OD when all is said and done personal preference is a stick.
Has a full floating dana 60 with 3.55s. Perfect for my desired usage which is a tow pig for a better camper than we have now, might even be a 5th wheel
WILL NOT BE LOWERED!!!!! Ain't no way.
Will be parked in salt season in a garage or barn
Thinking about building one of the 318s or 360s into a 390-408 stroker
Will be carbureted. No ands, ifs or buts unless via option below, (find different truck and go from there) I luck into a Cummins. If that plays out, I probably won't turn it up much if at all.

Want a compression boost from stock.
Looking at different cams, no rumpity rump but definitely more than stock.

So I build a truck from these parts or so I find the straightest cleanest West coast truck I can and run with that? I'm sure I'll have to catch that up on maintenance and add the option I want if I go that route as well.

I want a 72-93. DODGE ONLY need apply
I also still have an 85, d150 longbed in the garage with a freshly built/6, have more plans for that truck as well.... Currently apart, adding all the factory AC stuff from a couple of different donor trucks. That will be daily driver in good weather here soon. Don't plan on that truck going anywhere.
 
thats a small part of what I have going thru my mind right now... I wish that was all I had to do....
mainly wondering do I build-a-truck from all my pieces and parts or do I buy one? If i buy one it'll need to be all gone thru anyway even if only for my own piece of mind.
I DONT WANT NEW. Just new to me. I definitely want 02-older, much prefer 93-older.
If I build one from what I have here, I have several engine options. 318 mag, 360 mag, (either would need assembly no matter what) or stroke one of those first 2 choices, and then theres a low mile motorhome 440 in my sons garage....
 
Wonder what that would cost to have sent from Oregon to Illinois.... My wife would kill me
 
Volaredon, honestly , if I were you and that's really the style/year of truck you want then I would search for one like the one MILO posted, maybe closer to home, make it the way you want it, maybe find a LE with power windows/locks, A/C etc so it's comfortable, a hard find in decent condition? Probably, but you will find it and save your self a ton of work not to mention if you build one from parts it will certainly need paint and that is expensive! Now with that being said old trucks are fun for sure, I love my 56, but would I want an old one for my daily driver? Nope, my daily is a 2019 Ram limited it's got all the features I want and need, starts right up, has warranty, honestly I don't even change my own oil on it, just take it to the dealer ( for warranty) I'm getting too damn old to be fixing stuff on the side of the road, I'm not rich but I'm sensible, lol, just my two cents.
 
I have had a few vehicles shipped after a long search finding the right vehicle here is a link that says about 1150.

 
That's the thing . I don't want or need a lot of current "features". I work on newer trucks at work every day and hate the problems I see that I never used to.....
 
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