2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport V8 Manual!
Discussion
I have wanted a second gen Dodge Ram since I was about 4. The only DVD at my grandma's house was 'Twister', and I watched it every Thursday for about 15 years. The whole thing is basically a Chrysler advert which is why most of the screen time is given over to a 1995 Dodge Ram Club Cab SLT Laramie 4x4 with the 8.0 V10.
Well, it must have worked, because 18 years later I've bought this!
It's 'only' the 5.2 V8, but much more important to me is the manual gearbox (I'm allergic to automatics). The gearstick is about 40 feet long. Only managed a quick test drive but the phrase shyte off a shovel comes to mind, and wrong-hand-drive was much easier than I thought.
It's in good shape overall but I'm not a fan of the wheels. They're from the generation after this one which is a pet hate of mine, so I'll see if I can find a factory set somewhere.
I'm picking it up Friday and I don't think I'll be sleeping much til then. I'll post some better pictures when I've given it a wash. I haven't been this excited about a car since I got my XJR. Over the damn moon to be honest.
Well, it must have worked, because 18 years later I've bought this!
It's 'only' the 5.2 V8, but much more important to me is the manual gearbox (I'm allergic to automatics). The gearstick is about 40 feet long. Only managed a quick test drive but the phrase shyte off a shovel comes to mind, and wrong-hand-drive was much easier than I thought.
It's in good shape overall but I'm not a fan of the wheels. They're from the generation after this one which is a pet hate of mine, so I'll see if I can find a factory set somewhere.
I'm picking it up Friday and I don't think I'll be sleeping much til then. I'll post some better pictures when I've given it a wash. I haven't been this excited about a car since I got my XJR. Over the damn moon to be honest.
v8notbrave said:
Yeeeeehaaa! Pls keep us updated, fortunately trump is helping to keep petrol pumps lowish!
Not lowish enough! And I'm sure they put that sign on the bottom just to piss me off.By the way, I misspoke earlier, it's a 2000. Picked it up Friday night. Just as it started throwing it down on the M6, my window fell into the door and I got soaked! I taped it back up and in the morning I saw that the crappy plastic rollers at the bottom of the regulator mechanism have broken.
As a 22-year-old who is allergic to small engines I'm used to paying through the nose for insurance but I thought £600 was very reasonable, even less than my Volvo.
It came with a decent stack of history including the original manuals and warranty information. It was delivered on the 30th of March, 2000 by Werner Dodge of Belford New Jersey. I'd like to do one of those Carfax things to see what else I can find out.
Spent the weekend going over the truck and seeing what else I need to replace. To make the dashboard, Chrysler developed a special type of plastic that breaks into hundreds of very sharp pieces as soon as the sun hits it. Someone has made a soft cover out of carpet and put it over the top, which looks fine to me. The glovebox is broken too, but overall the interior is quite nice for an American car. Sorry, can't let you see it until I've cleaned it though. It has electric mirrors, electric windows (well...), and the kind of amazing air con you used to be able to get in hotels. But best of all, unlike my Volvo and Boxster, it has cup holders!
It's put in some hard graft so the bed liner is pretty destroyed. When we get some dry weather I'll strip it all off and spray in another one. I would ultimately like to get a camper shell but its hard to find one that fits because the bed tapers towards to cab.
The heater is a bit weak but I've read that you can flush the core out with a garden hose. I always do an oil and filter service when buying a 'new' car if there's no record of when it was last done. The only major design flaw on the Magnum V8 is that the plenum gasket can fail, letting oil seep into the intake from the lifter galley. If it ever stops raining I need to get in there with my borescope and see if it's full of oil.
None of these parts are hugely expensive but shipping isn't looking too cheap.
On the plus side it's an absolute joy to drive, can't beat the sound of that V8. At some point I will probably do an exhaust mod.
I intend to get this truck as close to original as finances will allow. In 2000 it would have looked like this, but obviously with the extended cab and 2WD (lower suspension):
In my opinion it is by far the most attractively styled pickup ever made, especially when unmolested. A brighter colour would have showed the lines off better but it looks brilliant in black too. It puts me in mind of a 1996 Impala SS for some reason.
Anyway, I'm dead pleased with it and looking forward to taking it back to grandad spec and going to as many shows as possible. If you know of any please do let me know.
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