The majority of the interior is for sale - all or part.

- Entire custom dash; three sections, bolt-in to any 72-80 era RC or PW, includes the subframe:
     -- $350 for whole combo (includes shipping)
 
- 12 Autometer Sport Comp gauges: (each are at least $15 off Summit's price)
     -- Speedo (5"), #3989 - $190
     -- Oil Pressure (2-5/8"), #3421 - $33
     -- Water temp (2-5/8"), #3432 - $55
     -- Volts (2-5/8"), #3592 - $30
     -- Fuel level (Mopar - 2-5/8"), #3516 - $30
     -- Vacuum (2-5/8"), #3484 - $33
     -- Trans temp (2-5/8"), #3552 - $37
     -- Trans temp (2-1/16"), #3351 - $60
     -- Boost (2-1/16"), #3304 - $37
     -- Pyro (2-1/16"), #3344 - $120
     -- Air/Fuel (2-1/16"), #3375 - $45
     -- Clock (2-5/8"), #3585 - $55

     --- New all of those would be $918 from Summit (plus s&h), my price is $700 total for all of 'em (and shipping is included) - steal of a lifetime!











hidden trash can - a real trash can that'll hold several soda cans, etc

- Center console, both sections, w/out Hurst V-Matic shifter - $250; w/ shifter add $150 (includes shipping)





Wiring and switches, heater controls, column/wheel, seat belts, stereo, CB, and altimiter not for sale.

MEGA-SUPER DEAL!! - Entire dash and console, with gauges - $1100 (includes shipping!)

Also, seats are for sale - $120 for all three

Roll bar - $100

The rear is from a '97 grand caravan as are the fronts.  Quite comfy   I'd make ya a heck of a deal on the whole body - all of it ...o'course there ain't much of the front clip that'll bolt up to anything 'normally' anymore

as far as I know the dashes interchange but this one doesn't have the a/c ports along the front.  So yer wanting the mega super dealieo?  I'd definitely like to see it go to someone on RCC.  Send me a PM -

...well yeah...hence the "Mad" thing......you don't think I got my call sign by doing things the easy way do ya?

yea, i still love that paint. i hear the simon&simon theme every time i see it. 

You should seriously think about donating the whole thing to the RCC hall of fame museum. That way it would be kept intact for future generations to enjoy. 

Ahh! but think about the pride you will have, knowing that something you built is in a museum.  Even if it is a 1 truck museum in my garage. 

so i guess that run a couple of weeks ago was nacho's last hurah? is your friend buying the body?

looking forward to seeing it. later dude.,

wish I did - my only good grille is going with the truck

oh I gotta say that is seriously friggin' cool as hell Joe.  I don't know how to thank you but for sure when we meet you drink for fu-ree. 

    ...that's just awesome dude

- Sam

AWESOME video Joe!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are the man!

That would be cool. It would be great to see Nacho live on.

Joe- Hats off to ya on  a great vid and pics of THE Machine!! Everyone hates to see it go but behind it will be a bigger and better one as Sam has learned a lot from this build. I'm sad that I never got to see Nacho as a whole let alone wheeling but as long as the "pieces" are going to a good home that's all that matters. I feel like I've been able to watch this rig gor up and am a proud "uncle" or something. To see it wheel and flex and drive as well as Sam says it does after all that has been done to it and with it, the only thing I can say is -Sam, do you have room for another RC project? If so mine is available whenever you are ready! Thanks again for the buildand all the info you've given all of us and I hope to meet you some day!! FYI-where are you in relation to Boulder? I have a buddy out there who I've been wanting to go out and see for a while. It'd be nice to hook up whenever I do make it out.

So are you selling the truck or parting it out?  If you are selling the truck hopefully it will go to a member of RamchargerCenteral.com 

Hey guys.  Just thought I would drop a line. I am the LUCKY dude getting the Nacho body   You have done such a great job with this project.  Im not sure how anyone else felt when they found out you were parting it out but I was pretty sad. I am glad we are able to keep everything together as one piece.  I am really looking forward to having it in its new home   By the way that video was AWESOME

I am planning on doing a similar build as Sam but not near as extreme.  I have a rusted 78 ramcharger and a worn 97 2500 I will be mixing and matching with the Nacho body.  My wife and I love to travel and camp and that is what we are looking to accomplish with this project AND just to have a KICK *SS diesel rig.  Also, with all of the pics the RCC members have posted and trips that were taken we cant wait for it to be road worthy, so we can start participating!!  I have been following Sam's build for a long time and I am looking forward to getting started.  I am pretty new to the forum gig but am loving RCC!!  I have no idea where I have been for the past few years to have been missing this site!!!  I can't wait to get a thread started!!

Sounds COOL!
When you start your build thread let us all know so we can watch.

sounds like its going to a good home...hope to see it around RCC soon.....

Pirate be sure to post pics of your progress with Nacho I will need them for part four of the build my final video. It will be nice to retire my video making on the nacho in its new form.

well, today marked the beginning of the teardown...again... .  But before we broke out the wrenches we got the rigs lined up for one last photo shoot -

Nacho, Red, and Big Mack



Let the wrenchin' begin!....again...           I mean c'mon...they're never really done are they....

- Sam

nice family... 

Sorry BigRam for not replying back on this  - yeah Bolder is just up the road about an hour and a half - just outside of Denver, so if you come out definitely drop us a line and we'll grab a cold one or two .

- Sam

It's just going into a different garage .  It'll be around, and I for one am VERY much looking forward to having Bud meet the 'new' Nacho for some Texas wheelin' .

I thought I'd take a moment to post up some of the 'pro's and 'cons' from this whole project.  Going from a big block to a diesel, from linked suspension on bags to leafs, from standard t-case to a doubler, from no overdrive to overdrive.....lots of stuff I've gleaned.

Here's some of the big ticket items I'd like to pass on - again, these are 'my' version of recommendations - these are not 'must-do's, but I feel they are significant.

First, frame strength.  One of the single biggest changes I'm making with Bud is a much, much stronger frame, especially the front half.  The important factor with Nacho...was the tilt front end.  I absolutely recommend a very strong frame for any truck being modified with a tilt front clip.  The 'detached' nature of the front clip adds up affecting chassis flex.  The front strut rods I used on Nacho to eliminate the front flex worked, but it takes a toll on the mount points on the body.  They need to be beefed up significantly, and I'd go so far as to highly recommend a full or partial cage inside the cab to tie into the front support struts.  Nacho's cowl didn't 'like' the stress from the intense wheeling.  If I hadn't reinforced the cowl thee would have been issues.

With Bud I will be using a newer '90-up style frame - one of the newer '1st' gen frames that were produced about the same time as the Cummins engines were introduced into these trucks, ~ 1989.  I will start with the basic frame and I will be boxing it in (much like the 2nd gen frames...for I'm sure the same reason) from the front tip back to just after the rear leaf spring front hanger mount.  The rear can flex all it wants.  So, I would very confidently say, if anyone out there is planning to do a Cummins swap into your truck, it will be better, not essential, but better to have a newer, beefier frame.  If you don't do a tilt front end then there will be a lot less twist, and that is also greatly affected by the style of front leaf spring.  Nacho's front leafs were WAY too stiff, and most of my off-road flex came fro mthe back end trying to make up for the front.  Next go round on Bud should cure all that.

Next - gears.  With enough torque...and a 6BT has it...highway (3.54) gears feel fantastic with 35" tires.  My 93 tug boat has that combo, and it is 100% glorious.  More gear (4.10, 4.56) will of course feel better and get the truck rolling much easier...but they aren't essential, BUT, highway speeds will suffer without an overdrive.  So, if you're planning a diesel swap, and you're building a truck that will be street driven, you'll love 3.54 gears.  Cummins torque will eventually tear stuff up if it isn't from a Cummins chassis.  You will really want a full Cummins donor chassis.  It can be done piecemeal, just be sure the hardware is Grade-6BT;).

The 3.07 geared trucks also feel great, but tire size needs to remain a nice streetable 31-32" size - GREAT on the street.  Most of those don't have an overdrive...but the od would make the top end highway driving fantastic.  "Red" is going there soon .

Going to 38's, 40's, and running a 6BT, you'll want at least 4.10s, and 4.56's would be even better...but 4.88's would be overkill.  There is so much low end torque that you'll be quite happy off-roading with 'street' gears.

Brakes.  A 6bt likes to 'go'.  Not great at 'woah'.  If I'm cruising downhill, I pretty much always use the gears to slow down, and the brakes to stop.  I manually shift my autos routinely, especially the overdrives - never under big boost (10 psi +).  Coming to the top of 3rd gear...I always lift a bit, engage the o-d, then roll on the coal.  It'll do it under full boost, but when I have the choice I always try to be 'nice' to the od.  I also routinely shift into neutral when I'm on a steep hill when coming to a stop, and almost always when stopped.  The Cummins wants to go...and applying the brakes hard ehough to hold back the torque adds up fast.  Shift into neutral and your leg will thank you (same principal as leaving a maual tranny in neutral).  All that said, Mopar brakes are adequate, but they could be better.  Removing the anti-lock valve at the back end of the chassis helps.  As I understand (and Bud will have it) hydroboost rocks.  All three of my rigs will have HB as soon as I can get it installed.

Transmissions.  Sticks are pretty great, even the Getrag, tho some benefit from some voodoo, discussed in other threads.  But the autos, behind a Cummins....they ALL benefit from a good converter.  Anything other than stock is good.  Anything over $600 is way better.  Auto's don't like heat, and diesels ask a lot from an auto, so reducing the heat will add up fast.  The converter is the #1 heat source, and the better the quality, the lower the heat.  More fluid is also very good, so I always recommend a 4-quart deep pan.  Also, tranny temp gauges don't suck none neither.

Speaking of gauges - gauges are good, especially for the stuff that matters.  Going Cummins? - get gauges.  In order of value:  Pyro, tranny temp, boost.  I've come to find a tach is just about worthless on a Cummins - Bud may not even have one.  Nice to know what rpm yer turning...but what difference does it really make?  It'll turn whatever it needs to do the job, and it'll only go as fast as the governer spring will let it.  But the exhaust temperature...the kind of temperature that really can melt pistons - THAT kind of heat...you want a pyro.  Keep it below 1200* and you'll be fine.  Sprint to 1400-1500 for a short while, okaaay.  More than that....bad.  When that'll happen?...eventually.

Doublers (dual transfer cases).  Awesome.  100% awesome.  Whichever way they're done, doublers rock.  Worth every penny.  Nothing else to say.....except to re-read the part about brakes above

Linked suspension.  Very complicated, very fancy, not really 'expensive' per se, but the bags are spendy.  While it did 'work', and it was personally very cool to build and have it work...it was a HUGE amount of fabrication time - H-U-G-E - and IMO no where near worth the effort.  If I were ever to build a serious competition buggy - something like Dibble's ASM buggie, I'd go linked and coiled, but that'd be the only application.  Leaf spring tech has come a long way, and if you can build/make the mounts all you'll need to do in the future is order another set of leafs, and then it's just 6 bolts - bam - done (...7 if you actually have shocks ).  Way more bueno.

okay I'm going to post this up before I inadvertantly hit the wrong key stroke and blow all this away...

nice read max. in your profesional opnion do you think 4.10 and 35 be ok for towing and highway?