Here's a photo of my 1985 D350 Custom Crew Cab...my dad had it for 10 years and decided to give it to me. I just flew down to Arizona last week and drove it back to North Dakota. It is very clean---no rust. Only body damage is the tailgate--my dad left the gate up and pulled out from the fifth wheel once---and only once. It is one long rig!

I have a sign and custom paint business and am making the sign end of it completely mobile---I'm purchasing a trailer. The trailer will be painted to match the truck.

Almost 200K on it now. Currently has a 360 and four speed...plans include a 92-93 4x4 CTD Donor rig. Give me a year and it should be 4WD with the B5.9. Whether or not it stays SRW will be a gametime decision---depends on what donor rig is. Same with transmission, although I'd prefer to use the 5-spd. The wheels are nice--but they're 16.5"s...so I may change that.

I plan to finish the body work and paint by this fall. The leading color now is Go Man Go orange exterior (from the new Dodge Ram Daytona). I will use the 91-93 painted grille (painted body color with matte black inserts). I'll opt for the concealed mount mirrors--pull the extended setup my dad made off. He pulled a 32 ft Holiday Rambler fifth wheel trailer. I'll remove all current badges and emblems, fill any holes and use the "RAM 3500," "HEAVY DUTY," ram shields, "CUMMINS," and "4 x 4" emblems from the current 3500---but I'll likely leave off the one zero from "RAM 3500" to get "350". I also plan to replace the slider with fixed glass and tint everything to max allowable by law.

I'd like to use the 99-2002 Quad Cab leather benches (2 of them) with the integrated seatbelts...but they are spendy and hard to find. I may just use the 2004-2005 benches. I want to use the 92-93 steering column. I am doing much to sound and heat insulate the firewall, cab cab and doors. I'll have a headliner made (as far as I can tell, none were ever offered from the factory--same with carpet...or at least full carpet.) And I'll fab some door panels---don't know if anyone ever noticed--but on these crews, the front panels are the 81-90 panels, but the rear are the previous generation panels--72-80.(funny thing the older type seem to be a higher quality panel)Same with the exterior of the door skins behind the handles. The front have the dish around the handle, the rears do not.

Now Crew cabs are luxury vehicles---not when this was made! Only reason you bought one of these was ranching or as a work truck. Will be nice when I complete it.

Anyway, love to hear what you guys think. I'll keep progress posted!

Speachless I am. Want your truck I do. Manual make your truck cool as can be...

i think it's the exact same color as my truck, check out my thread its called "Truck 100% lifted!", yeah i believe their the same color..cool dude, your trucks a beast

I think it sounds like a great project.  As long as you understand the money you'll have to spend, you won't regret it.  I was lucky and only had to do the Cummins swap on mine.  The previous owner did all of the other work.


Good luck with it.

Jobratedjeb----Very nice truck!!

I love those crew cabs too. that thing looks to be a mile long!

You're right.  The srw looks a lot longer than the drw.  I drew a crowd today when I went to the local Dodge dealership to buy a new sidemarker light.  The mechanics were all over the Dodge asking questions.  The salesmen, not so much.

Here are some more photos of the crew...

Very nicely done.  I like the blacked-out grill.

Wow, thats is a VERY cool truck man!  Good luck witht he plans also.

Here's a photo of the wheel I'd like to use (Budnik Magnum8)...but at $500+ per wheel in 20"...I may try the Ultras that look similar. 

Thanks Mad Max..I checked out your thread on TDR--sounds like I'll have some poeple to bounce ideas off...can't wait to get cracking on it.

Your project sounds like fun also.

looks sweet 85redcrew...

did you swap the grille?  I heard that the headlights sit in a slightly different location and they are recessed about 1/2" farther in the older support...what did you run into?
Eventually, when I do the CTD swap, I'll use the core support from the 92-93 diesel, so it will not be an issue, but I'd like use the 91-93 grille when I do the paint this summer.

do you live in WA, redcrew?

Yup sure do!  Down in the central pierce county area of Lake Tapps.

Fargo! BURRR,North Dakota I take it?! I go with a hunting group for pheasants every fall,to SouthDakota(Winner). We've been hit&miss on the weather.A couple of years,snow up to my earlobes.A couple of years,bring out the sunscreen! We go the last week of october-1st week of Nov.
  So are you still in town (Seattle-Portland) ?

I here that!The wind sounds like Ellenberg , without The 70-80 below! Sounds like you were pretty busy this weekend.Maybe next time we can arrange a chapter wheelin meet out in the cascades.Stay in touch, our  Chapter Leader(aka Fearless leader) is Raminator(James Woods)
My name is Brian Holdener,85 redcrewcab.Cant say we get out a lot,but with a little planning and alot of luck we probably canwork something out.

cool truck. good to see I'm not the only one from the FM area on here. those one pictures almost look like they were taken at hwy75 salvage, but i might be wrong.

Some shots of my dash and instruments and the plans for them as my CTD repower project continues:

Here's the set-up my Dad had (and is how it is set-up now) in my 1985 D350 (he owned it before me) It's functional. but not great, especially with the tach located down low.




As I complete my CTD conversion...I have other plans for the panel. I have purchased some instruments (tach and 4-1, and additional temp guages) from a hurricane-damaged diesel boat. They are made by Faria. I will buy a matching speedo. I plan to create a new surface that overlays the existing plastic trim to mount the new instruments. I'll have to make a provision for an odometer, as boats usually do not have them.
Here's a picture of my tach--complete with digital hourmeter:

Here's the 4-1


here's my additional temp guage---(I will run oil temp or diff temp..)

That cab spoiler is on the list of things to do on my crew,along with the sunvisor 

The truck came with them attached.  The sunvisor I could live without, but the windbreak attached to the cab + bed I really like.  It breaks up the body lines.  The truck is a complete package and in person looks "right".   

thanks MunK...
I just measured the seat from an 2004 Ram (it was a CTD 3500) Nice leather, heated power bench with the sweet flip down center compartment....it will just fit in my cab...really close to being too wide. My seat is broken down on the driver side...plus I want to make my interior very nice...like today's cabs. I want to buy a pair for my crew. Have to start saving some money for them...I also like the benches from the 99-02 Quad Cabs with the integrated seatbelts--but they are spendy in leather...$600-$1000 used... I have seen the 2003-current cheaper than that...

Great! Welcome to RCC and welcome home! Thanks for your service.
That truck rocks. Interested to find out more about it.
You live in Yuma? My family is in Chandler, AZ. My brother and I are parterning up and I am moving my business down there next year.


Jeremy

That would be great!
Say 1st question...I know you don't have it yet..but is it black or dark blue? I had assumed it was black, but in one of the ebay photos it almost looked dark blue.

Driving it...it is about the longest thing on the road, outside of a super-stretch limo or truck or tractor/trailer....That long wheelbase makes for a smooth ride. Corners are no problem...you just need to remember to get a little farther into the intersection before cutting right. The turning radius is quite large---no flipping u-turns in the street without stopping, reversing, and turning some more. And your  turning radius is probably a little worse than mine with your 4x4 and solid front axle. It takes about 1 and 1/3 normal parking spots if you do not want to hang out in the lane of traffic. Means I am generally hunting for two back-to-back spots--farther out in the Wal-Mart parking lot...but hey, I can use the extra exercise anyway. Angled spots are not bad--your back bumper just hangs out as far as either vehicle on both sides of you. It won't fit in most garages...
Lot of fun to drive...especially with the manual.

Be prepared for envious thumbs ups from other Dodge (and some brand x) owners all the way back to Yuma...

i may be interested in the roll pan for my 85 crew dually.
Let me know when ya pull it off.