Dodge RamCharger Central banner

1987 Dodge Power Ram Project Truck

16K views 40 replies 10 participants last post by  opelgt 
#1 ·
Been seeing a Dodge power ram that has been sitting in a parking lot for years now behind a shopping center. About 2 years of just looking to the back of the lot and saying, hey look at that old dodge truck back there.  So around august of this year I decided to go over and look at it. As I got closer I realized that it wasn't just a 2wd it was a Power Ram! and it was a manual with a creeper gear! So I told my dad that we should try and buy it since he sold his 89 a few years back to one of his friends and miss's it. But he really didn't seen to interested so I forgot about it to. Then about 2 months ago we just happened to be in Hatboro and he was with us so I told him he has to go back and see it up close, Since he didn't believe me that it was the np435 trans.  Well he saw it and was feeling sick at the time so he hardly even looked at it. But I just kept bothering my parents that we should try and buy it. after a few weeks my dad started to like the idea that he could get basically his old truck back and one in better shape. He said the only reason that he would want that truck is because it has that transmission in it, the same one his 89 had. So me, him, and my friend drove over in my Ramcharger to put a note on it. To make a long story short, I told them the guys probably just gonna throw the note away, lets just find the owner. We found him, talked to him, he said he'd sell it for the right price, gotten offers for $1500 for the bed trans and engine, so I thought oh well so much for buying that for a good price to fix up.
But we gave him our # anyway, never thought he would call back, untill he did about 2 weeks ago, he said he wanted to sell it, said some other guy wants the engine and trans for $500, but if I want the whole truck to restore I could have it for $500. So I bought it and now its mine. It should be a fun summer project for me and some friends.
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#2 ·
Got it towed home yesterday. When It got there the tow driver told us it would not come out of 2nd gear, SO HE TOWED IT ONTO THE TRUCK IN GEAR! We thought he messed up the whole trans. But When we tried to get it out of gear it came right out, must had just had strain on it. At least he knew to put the parking brake on so the wheels would just lock up.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Yea it runs great just got it started yesterday, needed a starter and battery. Has a slight miss, so i'm gonna get new plugs wires cap rotor, etc. But my dads friend who works at the shop we got it towed to, he told me what it needed to get running, he said that it sounds great and the trans shifts perfectly. Has 167,000 miles on it but the guy who sold it to us was in the furnature bussiness said that was all highway and commuting miles, and that he rarely took it out in the snow so the undercarrage is clean. I want to put 33's on it and maybe a 4 inch lift, and paint it black like my dads old truck.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Its got a 318 with the Np435.

The Power Ram Sitting next to my dads old, 1982 Dodge D150 custom (Miser?) slant six, 2wd, 3sp manual with OD, shortbed, with no trim or any other options, and white pin stipes. My grandfather has it now for the (past 10 years) I was just driving it around for the week while he was in florida to clean it for him, he's gonna give it to me next year.
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Got the bed off yesterday, tow hitch, back bumper, front bumper, sanded down the frame, and got the interior all taken out, and got floor cleaned up. Painted the floor with chassis saver today and the back of the new junkyard drivers fender.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
yesterday I Painted the frame got it all nice and black again that chassis saver paint is great you can harley scratch the stuff. Also got the old fender off and put the one that I got from the junkyard on it. When I went to start the truck and went to turn the wheel it started making all kinds of noise then just wouldn't work. Got out and saw power stearing fluid all over the drive way. One of the metal pipes coming out of the pipe was shooting fluid out of it. I guess I sat on it when I was putting the fender in and bent it, haha.
 

Attachments

#11 ·
Yea its alot of fun its coming together pretty good now, and I'm fine with him working on the truck.  I'm actually one of the kids watching him ,(kid with grinder) do all the work! I figured since I was the one doing most of the work on his 86 F250 project truck  last summer, I should be allowed to watch him do all the work on mine for awhile. let them do all the dirty work so I can do all the finishing touches. hahaha
 
#12 ·
Does anyone have the larger style mirrors that they could sell to me? I have gotten a lot of people who say they have them put I never hear back from them. Found sets on ebay for cheap, but it says to expect some scuffs and scratches on them and they dont come with the chrome covers for where they mount.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/73-87-CHEVY-GMC-72-93-DODGE-TRUCK-MIRRORS-BLAZER-SUBURBAN-RAM-CHARGER-EU1-/330692616657?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cfed0e1d1&vxp=mtr
Those are the sets on ebay, and that is the style that I would need, If nobody has then then I will just get these and have to deal with the small scratched and scuffs.
 
#13 ·
Engine pictures, found the Magnum cover at the junkyard haha, new fender , some of the door rust I cut out and the finished product of the chassis saver.
 

Attachments

#15 ·
Finally got every bit of the frame from the cab back painted gloss black and got the gas tank put back in and attached all new rubber hoses going to it. I did more work on my Ramcharger last week though then I did on the truck, trying to get it ready to go in the car show at my school on friday.
 

Attachments

#16 ·
so was yours the only student owned vehicle there that was worth a darn? ;D
 
#17 ·
haha, well I guess you could say that, but it was really the only student car there, the other 5... cars there were just teachers cars.
 
#19 ·
Hey, I love what you've done to it! ;)
I'm in the process of cleaning up my back end right now. Sold the bed, getting a flatbed frame welded up soon, then throwing in some nice stained wood.
Anyway, I really want to paint my frame. What I'm wondering is if you did the front half. If so, how was it taking the cab down along with all the things attached?! I don't have any major tools or space, just looking to paint the frame as painlessly as possible.
Any tips?
Thanks!
 
#20 ·
I actually only painted from the cab back, the paint was still pretty much fine under the cab so I am just gonna go over it with a spray can of undercoat. But for the back "under the bed", the only tools that I used were a wallpaper scraper, wire brush for a drill, spiral sander, and some hand sandpaper, and a hand wire brush. The paint I used was "Chassis Saver" then I went over it with black spray paint because it has faded in the sun but still as hard as a rock. But the paint that I used will Not Stick if you get the frame too clean it needs some of the rough rust to stick too.      But I am doing the frame on my Ramcharger too without taking anything off, just sitting under it and using the scraper, and the drill wire brush, lying on my back under the truck.
 
#21 ·
Oh ok, well I think I'll just do the back for now too, see how that goes first.
I'll probably pick up some of that Chassis Saver as well. I have wire brushes for the drill, sander and all that.
I was hoping to get a little done today, woke up to pouring rain.. news says I got 3 days of it to look forward to. so that sucks! Good luck with the RC! I just sold mine, but it was only RWD so I'm glad to have the parking space back. If only I had the space, I'd have kept it for parts :(
 
#23 ·
Yea it should be fine to paint those as well, I did it too mine. And for how much to sand down just look at my pictures of the frame before I painted it to see how much rust you should leave. But all you really should have to do is sand and wire brush it until you get all the loose rust off. But be careful if you are painting with chassis save you have to put it on PAPER thin or else it will start to bubble and not stick right. For the spray on top you can do it but the only reason I did it is because I have not put the bed on yet so it has been fading in the sun. But good luck with it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top