WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

New Ride

Backlash

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Good morning Folks,

I have been in the market for a full-size truck for several years and I finally had the opportunity to purchase a "New to me" truck.

Some of the things I really wanted in a vehicle were: At least a 3/4 ton chassis; seating for 6; and the capability to haul anything that I would ever have the funds to purchase.

While I have always been a fan of the "Bowtie," I couldn't pass up this opportunity.

That being said, I am now the owner of a 1996 Dodge 3500 with a Cummins 12 valve. 4WD. :D

There are several words that can describe this vehicle......words such as "Large, loud, etc."

My beautiful girlfriend has referred to it as "Obnoxious" which is both cute and creative.

I will stick with "Sturdy."

Anyways, I just wanted to share the new addition with you guys and will post up some pics later this weekend.

Please feel free to provide opinions, recommendations and pro's and con's!

Thank you!

Henry
 

Backlash

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Here are two pictures I had on my cell phone. These pictures were taken the day I bought the truck before I washed and detailed it.

The previous two owners are both friends of mine and those are some of the reasons I was interested in buying this particular truck. I knew the type of parts that had been installed along the way. For the price, it was a steal. (By the way, the mileage is considerably low for this year of vehicle and there isn't ONE dent on this truck!)

Now comes the fun part of scrubbing all the dirt and water stains off, cleaning up the interior, changing all the fluids and assessing/replacing the parts that need to be replaced.

If you've seen this thing cruising around SoCal and the driver was rude, cut you off, blew a TON of black smoke your way or gave you the finger, it wasn't me! :D



Dodge Day 1.jpg



Dodge Cab.jpg



I will do my best to add some updates and pictures of any work completed.

Thank you for following along!

Henry
 

h2o225

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Good deal you will not have to smog it. It looks clean
 

025

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Nice! It's the truck that got its motor from heavy equipment. Should run till the doors fall off. I started with one, then had all the others and now am back to a cummins. Enjoy
 

Backlash

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Thank you for the kind words I really appreciate it.

Although the truck was dirty when I purchased it (I told the seller not to wash it for me), it really is pretty clean. There is the typical wear and tear of a used vehicle but nothing that cant easily be repaired or replaced. It needs a few interior trim pieces, a few loose wires underneath the dash need to be secured, I need to degrease the front of the engine where the old valve cover gaskets have leaked and I need to replace some suspension bushings and such.

Both of the previous owners are mechanically savvy and they have done quite a bit to this truck to keep the reliability while improving performance. There are quite a few goodies underneath the hood from the larger "Aurora" turbo and numerous miscellaneous parts from "ATS" (Transmission, intake plenum, three-piece header, 5" exhaust, larger rear diff. cover, etc. etc.). There are other additions such as a "Line-X" spray-in bedliner, a front receiver hitch and a 20,000lb Curt hitch sitting in the bed.

Knowing the people who have owned this and knowing how well it was taken care of, this was a GREAT deal and it will definitely suit our needs.

If you can't tell, I am excited! I wonder how hard it will be for this truck to tow the "Schiaward" around?? :D We most likely wont even know it's back there!
 

Backlash

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Good morning Folks!

While I am a HUGE fan of creative thinking and one of those who sometimes "Thinks outside of the box," there has to be a limit! :D

Sometimes things happen and we as humans have to be creative to deal with said emergencies. How would you fix a broken exhaust hanger on your exhaust system if you were on the road? Bailing wire is the first thing that comes to mind!

Dodge Muffler Hanger.jpg


Now once you made it home safely, shook off the cobwebs and regained your senses, you would obviously want to correctly repair the previously mentioned bandaid. Or, you could drive around with your expensive and HEAVY "ATS 5-inch" exhaust system suspended precariously with the previously mentioned bailing wire.

(For the record, this was not MY temporary fix to the broken hangers.) Just saying........ :cool

And yes, for those of you who are paying attention, those two rear tires ARE different. Again, not my dealio! That too has been written down on the ever-growing list of upcoming repairs. Priorities my friends, priorities!

So, off to a friends shop to repair the broken hangers correctly.

While underneath the oil-soaked chassis, we welded up each of the seams in the exhaust system and replaced the broken hangers. Off with the bailing wire! :)

Dodge Exhaust Repaired.jpg


With that rattle eliminated and the exhaust system repaired correctly, I found another rattle! :D

Save that for the next weekend off!

Have a great day and thank you for following along!

Henry
 

Backlash

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Good afternoon!

I just wanted to share some update pictures with you guys. I realized after I spent a few days working on this truck, I never uploaded any pictures to share. So here you go!

The first two pictures show the finish I was able to restore to the body. The exterior wasn't in terrible shape but the passenger side was covered in hard water spots and the truck had not been washed in some time. The rear passenger side of the bed was pretty dirty with soot and it had several scratches where the truck had been parked against a sago palm. The pictures aren't great and were taken with a cell phone so go easy on me!

I'm happy with the way the finish turned out.



Dodge Day 1 After Wash Clay Polish and Wax.jpg



Dodge Day 1 After Wash Clay Polish and Wax 2.jpg



The following pictures are of the interior carpet, seats and door panels before and after they were cleaned up. While there is a little bit of dirt and staining, the interior isn't too bad for a truck that is almost 20 years old.

Needless to say, I am really happy with the end results.

Again, sorry for the low-quality pictures. I was snapping these with a cell phone on the fly.



Dodge Interior Driver's Side Carpet Before Cleaning.jpg



Dodge Interior Passenger Carpet Before Cleaning.jpg



Dodge Interior Carpet After Cleaning.jpg



Dodge Interior Passenger Door Before Cleaning.jpg



Dodge Interior Carpet Rear Seat Area after Cleaning.jpg



Dodge Passenger Door After Cleaning.jpg



I uploaded a few of the pictures out of order but you get the idea.


As always, thank you for checking in!


Henry
 

Backlash

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Hey Guys!

It's been some time since I added anything to this thread..... Well, that's because I haven't had the time to mess around with this thing! :D

I knew when I purchased this beast that I would need a set of tires in about 3-5K miles. So, I have been shopping for different wheels for several months now and could only settle on two styles that I liked. I was looking for a wheel that was simple, classic, "Old school" and simple. But I didn't want anything that was going to go out of style next week. The new wheels also had to be black because that is how the original owner built the truck (He and I work together). Anyways, one of the problems I ran into it this.... Most of the aftermarket dually wheels are 17" or 20" wheels which would mean a HUGE increase in the cost of new tires. And a lot of the wheels just don't look "Right" on this truck.

As much as I like this truck and for as long as I plan to keep it, I still couldn't stomach paying $2500 for a set of six tires each time I had to replace them. (Ouch!)

So here is my "Redneck" approach. :D

Keep the same boring factory steel wheels and have them redone to look better.

And I want to spread this project out over the next few months because I am funneling all of my money towards our house remodel. You know how THAT usually goes!

So here are the wheels as they currently look. The ghetto black spray paint is peeling off and the beauty rings do not show much beauty.... Trying to get all of the water spots off courtesy of the person I purchased the truck from, will only remove the rest of the black Krylon. No bueno.


Dodge wheel on truck currently.jpg



My plan started with this purchase. I ordered an extra factory steel wheel on Ebay. It was used and the price was great! $75 shipped to my door from South Florida.

This is what it looked like when it arrived at the love shack....


Dodge wheel from Ebay.jpg



Dodge wheel close-up.jpg



I stopped by the local guy's shop and asked his recommendation regarding surface prep for the powdercoat. Basically, the more time I spent prepping the wheels, the better the finished product would look.

Out came the high-speed angle grinder with some different wire wheels! After about 15 minutes, this is what it looked like.


Dodge wheel after stripping.jpg



There are a few areas that need a little bit of sanding, but I'm happy with the results thus far. I will drop this first wheel off on Monday or Tuesday and he will dip them to clean the rest of the crud off that I cant reach with the grinder.

The new tires should arrive by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week.

Then it's the task of repeating this process several more times! :D

Thanks for checking in and following along. I will post up some pictures next week.

Henry
 

Quicksilver

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Nice find. That truck should last for many more years with the right care. I've been driving Dodge Cummins trucks since 2002 and I wouldn't trade my current 2005 for any of the new trucks.
 

Backlash

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Quick, thanks for the kind words. Yes, I definitely plan to keep this one as it has been put together with some nice goodies and was well cared for by the builder (Not so much by the person I bought it from, but nothing serious). I have a long list of things I plan to correct/address over a period of time with the intent of keeping it. First I have to start off with some new shoes though. ;)

RB, this is my first Cummins and I have to admit I am thoroughly impressed. My Dad has a '99 Powerstroke and that engine has been bulletproof and he has only performed routine maintenance since he purchased it. He has really had no issues with his and he is nearing 380,000 miles. I plan to follow in his steps. :D

You have a nice truck too Sir. It should tow that little water-rod your rebuilding just fine. :D
 

Backlash

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I picked up the first of many wheels from C&S Powder Coat in Mentone. :D I think it turned out pretty nice!



Dodge Factory Wheel After Power Coat.jpg



Even with a cruddy cell phone picture, you can see how bad the current wheels/tires look.


Dodge Factory Wheel After Powder Coat Next to Old Dog.jpg



I am considering replacing the center cap underneath the lug nuts when I install the new wheels and tires......but I am skeptical about the trim rings on the outer portion of the wheel. I am not sure I will like the way it looks. And the retainer rings on the trim ring are pretty tight. I'm scared they will scratch the newly finished surface of the wheel. Then, if I don't like the way they look with the rings, I'll have a rim with a bunch of scratches in it. I think I'll wait until the tires get mounted up to see how everything looks.....

Thanks for following along!

Henry
 

Quicksilver

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I think the trim rings will definately scratch your wheels. I'm curious to see how they will look with the tires mounted up.
 
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Welcome to the dodge clan, I also drive a 1-ton except single axle. 2003 with 30,000 miles so far. Had plenty of offers to sell but how can a person part with such a tree trunk puller? Power is always there. Yours looks so tuff with the older body style! You know its a real truck when you fire it up. Keep the updates cummin. Always fun to follow along
 

Backlash

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Thanks MDW! Yes, there is no sneaking up on anyone in this thing! I haven't been to the local hardware store once without someone asking me a question or offering to buy it from me. It's a good feeling considering it's older than most other trucks in the parking lot. I've enjoyed this truck since I purchased it and am looking forward to making lots of improvements down the road. Since I've been funneling majority of my funds to a house remodel, this truck will have to wait (Along with the other projects I am working on!). :D
 

Backlash

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It seems like it's been forever since I did any work on THIS truck! Well, it hasn't really needed any so.....

Got some goodies delivered this week. :D



Dodge Tires Delivered.jpg



I just have to pick up the other front wheel and then I can get these babies mounted and thrown on the truck!

More updates to follow as time/money permits.....

Henry
 

Backlash

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Good morning Guys!

I FINALLY got the tires mounted up on the powdercoated wheels. I think it looks a helluva lot better!



Dodge Tire Finally Mounted.jpg



Here is a comparison to how the wheels and tires currently look.



Dodge Tires and Wheels Old vs. New.jpg



I just need to order new lug nuts and center caps and it will be time to mount these puppies up!

As always, thanks for following along!

Henry
 

Backlash

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Good afternoon Folks! :D

It's been awhile since I updated this thread as I've been swamped with a few other projects. I had a helluva time getting one of the front wheels off this truck. And yes, I removed all 8 lug nuts. ;)

The passenger side front wheel had actually started to rust to the hub. I beat on that tire/wheel for hours, tried different jacking/blocking methods, different pry bars, a torch and spraying everything down with PB Blaster. I even drove it back and forth down the driveway without any lug nuts on it. After more soaking, a few choice words and some "Pressure," it finally gave up the ghost and released the old wheel from the hub. I wont bore you with the details but lets just say, the previous owner hadn't removed or rotated the wheels/tires in quite a while as evidenced by the amount of rust that had formed on the hub.

Thankfully, I discovered this problem at home and we didn't run into this problem while on a road trip. Everything got hit with the wire wheel and a liberal coating of anti-seize before the wheels went on.

Here is a picture of the newly powder coated wheel and tire installed (Still waiting on new lug nuts though).



Dodge Tires and Wheels Installed.jpg



I removed the nonfunctioning "Train horn" because I would never use it and it simply rattled on the side of the frame. Bye Felicia.

I pulled off the side steps from underneath the cab of the truck too. While I didn't really like the way they looked, they did provide a bit of protection to the bottom of the truck. This is how they looked once I pulled them off.

I've scrubbed these several times and used different chemicals to try and remove the water spots and mineral deposits without ruining the finish. Final decision was to have them blasted and re-powder coated the same color as the wheels.



Dodge Side Steps Prior to Powder Coat.jpg



These steps should be finished up this week and I'll install the new step pads from "Westin" prior to putting them back on the truck.

I also found a great deal on a McWelco truck box compliments of CL. I haven't decided what color to repaint the box so for now, it will have to do "As is."

I got a smoking deal on this box and it came with the external lock for the lid along with a full set of keys. Thanks Rob! ;)



Dodge McWelco Truck Box.jpg



I should have some more update pictures in the next week or so.

As always, thank you for following along!

Henry
 

RitcheyRch

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Looking better and better each time. :tbi
 

Backlash

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Good afternoon Folks!! :D

Just a small update on this trusty sled.

I pulled the old nerf bars off and had them stripped and a new layer of powdercoat applied. It's the same gloss black as what I've been putting on the wheels. I also ordered a new set of step pads from Westin. At the time, those pads were back-ordered and they just came in yesterday. So I picked them up and installed them on the bars. I'm really happy with the way they turned out.



20160416_102356.jpg



I'll try and get these re-installed this week. I still need to drop off another pair of wheels to have them powdercoated and new tires installed. Slowly but surely we are getting there. :D

As always, thank you for checking in. Stay safe!!

Henry
 
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