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Another "what to do" thread

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volaredon

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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.
 
Get a rv cam for it and it will work good Just google search rv cam for your engine size
 
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.

www.roadrunnerautotransport.com

Oregon to Illinois Car Shipping

Ship a car from Oregon to Illinois with the Car Shipping experts. Calculate your Oregon to Illinois Car Shipping quote instantly and view carrier availability for your route.
www.roadrunnerautotransport.com www.roadrunnerautotransport.com
 
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.....
 
Still debating, getting closer to deciding.
Looking at an 88 4wd, also in Oregon, last year for factory carbureted 360. Don't need 4wd but not seeing enough difference in prices between 2wd and 4wd "not to" go 4wd if I buy a runner....
 
This one looks nice with low miles but probably going to high

www.ebay.com

1990 Dodge Other Pickups | eBay

This may be the last low mileage Dodge D150 4x4 in existence and is nearly museum quality. This is truly a rare find that would be a great addition to any collector in a market where these trucks are increasing in value year after year.
www.ebay.com
 
I've looked at that one. Yes. Too high for me anyway. There's 2 closer, 1 on (I think it's) auto trader, a single wheel 1 ton w350 around St Louis with 22k original, and they want $22k. Former fire department brush truck, very nice but not $22k worth of nice.
And there's a 2wd with a supposed 50k original miles around Bloomington IL for the same money. That one is shown with some hideous spoken wheels. All gassers. I AIN'T PAYING THAT MUCH. If those are my only choices I'm definitely putting mine back together.
It's an 83 frame, I have a 90 cab, 91 fenders, core support I have is from an 88, fenders and doors are a mix of those years and I may put one of my 70s birdbath hoods on it for good measure.
We have the titles for the frame (and I do have the original dash pad with that vin on it as well) and my son has the title that goes with the 90 cab. Not sure at this point what I'd register it as ..
One consideration is the vin with the 90 does show it as being a Cummins truck, that can came from my son's buddies truck that was totaled, back when they were still in HS my son and his buddies were at their homecoming game, that truck was parked at the end of the parking lot while they were in the bleachers and some drunk jumped the ditch and that truck were the drunk's "brakes". Wreck didn't hurt the cab.
I wish the 83 title was still in my name as that would help me decide. In between I had sold it to my cousin who obviously had to register it himself to get plates so technically if I go as an 83 I ll be both the 2nd and the 4th owner of it...
 
Many of those are 1/2 tonners which do me no better than what I have now..... Most are crazily overpriced, see how many are smoking crack thinking they can get upwards of 20 grand...
I can put mine back together AND get the one from Oregon and have money left over besides.
But thanks for looking and thank for thinking of me...
 
I called a couple of sandblast guys today and they must have taken the long weekend. .. I can't blame them. There are 2-3 that are within an hour or so of me, one's about 10 miles away.
To do the one I have in pieces "the way I want to", I'd love to find an NV4500 stick trans (5 speed with OD) to swap in. Maybe a 46RH (518) as a plan B. My son used the 727 out of it for his car but I know a guy who has 6-7 of them in his barn collecting dust he's mentioned to me before... A couple I believe freshly overhauled.
Maybe I could do the 727 and find a gear vendor's to hang onto it? I have time to figure that out.
For power I have 2ea magnum 318s and magnum 360s in hand already. I have a couple of build ideas in mind already.

If I do this a major part of the idea in building it would be to use up as much of my in hand stash as possible to keep cost down, and clean up around here/ gain back some storage and work space at the same time.
Once I truck the body off to blast and then to paint and get it back my son and I can have that all bolted back together in a weekend or a weekend plus a week of nights after work....
I'd like to have the engine and "some" trans bolted in before I set the cab down......
Once I "buy out" what my kid says he has in the bed and cab, even after blast and paint and put an engine together I will have essentially a brand new 80s truck for less than what most of these guys are thinking they can get for their trucks even with what this one will be, a 2wd gasser.....
I've been pigeon hole-ing parts for a while because of the 85 1/2 ton anyway.... Any time I find a deal on new old American or Canadian made parts .... I have lots of new stuff here still in original packaging from the 80s-90s....
I am thinking of doing the previously unthinkable (at least in my mind) and sell off the volare I tore down to pieces years ago along the way..... Thinking about.... Doesn't mean I'm gonna any time soon haha
 
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That sounds good I have rebuilt many in the past and have mechanical parts for my next winter project I find. We have a good blast shop about 8 miles away and a few good fabricators around so I can get things done at a good price I could not find a good project last year so I did a antique tractor and sold it to fund another interesting project
Good luck with your rebuild Its better than a `New overcomplicated overpriced problematic truck`
 
Ok my decision has been helped... The 88 w250 sold that I was so "hot" for out in Oregon. I refuse to pay more than double for it's twin in Michigan. Much closer than Oregon, coincidentally another truck that came from there, another us forest service truck, but $9k vs 4k for the one in Oregon plus around $1500 to either ship or go on a road trip to bring that one home...... Between those Oregon is still a better deal.
A few days ago my son got a call from his wife's uncle saying that a mutual friend, and former co worker, who let us store a couple of garden tractors and the rust free 80s Dodge truck body parts in one of his barns basically in exchange for me keeping the property mowed, has died.ive been mowing that 5 ish acres regularly, for probably 10 years now.
And the farmette owners sister, contacted the uncle to let him know, so the uncle called my son, for same reason.because the uncle knew we had a stash out there.
The family is being super cool, I talked to John (property owner)'s cousin around the corner who has farmed John's ground for years, and to John's nephew yesterday and they're saying they have more fish to fry, my stuff in that one barn is the least of their issues right now.
I was told "no hurry" to clear my stuff out, and was asked if I'd be willing to keep up on the yard work in exchange for continued storage privileges. No problem with me.
I maintain his mowers anyway.

So by putting my old truck back together, I clean out the barn, clean out my shed, and get a better truck than I could have bought as anything I'd have bought would need gone thru anyway.
Considering the pile of parts I have at hand, that have already been bought over the years, I don't have to spend that money. And for what $my son has tied up in "his half" of the parts (mostly the cab and bed, fenders core support and doors were mine already anyway I don't think I could have made it to Oregon and back just in gas money , (actually diesel as we would have taken his truck and trailer) besides eating and a couple of nights of motels, for what it'll cost me to "buy him out". Though he's saying that this will end up my grandsons truck down the road.... A grand son who's a couple of weeks away from being all of 4..... Definitely will do that one up as well as the 85 d150, can't say which one might wind up as "his"... 12 years is a long time. I'm hoping he loses interest at least in these 2 particular trucks. Alot of them have been popping up lately.... Which works in my favor haha...

Sorry for the long "war and peace" threads....
I have one at FABO that's a few years buried about my /6 build for the 85, and a similar one on the /6 forum on that engine largely for my records on the project in the future

On the 83, I have been talking to "dustless sandblast" guys about stripping the body for it as I don't think I have more than 2 pieces in any one color, and was told to call in late March/ early April when winter is close to ending to get on the list to get that done. We're looking around $750 and "done in a day" to have the entire truck reduced to new, bare metal. Definitely seems worth it for the work it will save me..... And much of what I have has 2+ layers of different color paint on each panel.
That will save alot of time, plus gas for my compressor, , sandpaper and sweat haha ..
 
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volaredon said:
Ok my decision has been helped... The 88 w250 sold that I was so "hot" for out in Oregon. I refuse to pay more than double for it's twin in Michigan. Much closer than Oregon, coincidentally another truck that came from there, another us forest service truck, but $9k vs 4k for the one in Oregon plus around $1500 to either ship or go on a road trip to bring that one home...... Between those Oregon is still a better deal.
A few days ago my son got a call from his wife's uncle saying that a mutual friend, and former co worker, who let us store a couple of garden tractors and the rust free 80s Dodge truck body parts in one of his barns basically in exchange for me keeping the property mowed, has died.ive been mowing that 5 ish acres regularly, for probably 10 years now.
And the farmette owners sister, contacted the uncle to let him know, so the uncle called my son, for same reason.because the uncle knew we had a stash out there.
The family is being super cool, I talked to John (property owner)'s cousin around the corner who has farmed John's ground for years, and to John's nephew yesterday and they're saying they have more fish to fry, my stuff in that one barn is the least of their issues right now.
I was told "no hurry" to clear my stuff out, and was asked if I'd be willing to keep up on the yard work in exchange for continued storage privileges. No problem with me.
I maintain his mowers anyway.

So by putting my old truck back together, I clean out the barn, clean out my shed, and get a better truck than I could have bought as anything I'd have bought would need gone thru anyway.
Considering the pile of parts I have at hand, that have already been bought over the years, I don't have to spend that money. And for what $my son has tied up in "his half" of the parts (mostly the cab and bed, fenders core support and doors were mine already anyway I don't think I could have made it to Oregon and back just in gas money , (actually diesel as we would have taken his truck and trailer) besides eating and a couple of nights of motels, for what it'll cost me to "buy him out". Though he's saying that this will end up my grandsons truck down the road.... A grand son who's a couple of weeks away from being all of 4..... Definitely will do that one up as well as the 85 d150, can't say which one might wind up as "his"... 12 years is a long time. I'm hoping he loses interest at least in these 2 particular trucks. Alot of them have been popping up lately.... Which works in my favor haha...

Sorry for the long "war and peace" threads....
I have one at FABO that's a few years buried about my /6 build for the 85, and a similar one on the /6 forum on that engine largely for my records on the project in the future

On the 83, I have been talking to "dustless sandblast" guys about stripping the body for it as I don't think I have more than 2 pieces in any one color, and was told to call in late March/ early April when winter is close to ending to get on the list to get that done. We're looking around $750 and "done in a day" to have the entire truck reduced to new, bare metal. Definitely seems worth it for the work it will save me..... And much of what I have has 2+ layers of different color paint on each panel.
That will save alot of time, plus gas for my compressor, , sandpaper and sweat haha ..
Click to expand...
After reading your posts, I think I may keep the 86 D-250 I was talking to you about that has been in a warehouse since 2000, fixing it, & using it. I feel the same way about newer vehicles, sure they are loaded with standard features compared to older trucks, but I don't need OR want most of that stuff, it'll be a working truck not a daily driver. Less stuff to go wrong & when 7 if it does, I can fix it myself.
 
The goofy part is I probably have enough except for a 2nd core support to put that one and mine back together

And you definitely have the part about the "less that can go wrong" right....a BIG part of the reason I was interested in your truck.... Or one from that approximate time...
 
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