Some have seen it in various stages.
Well, that project has pretty much been assembled, except for some minor interior assembly, installation of a driveshaft and having the rear wheel arches modified for the DUALLY fenders.
Yes, that's right, PROJECT DAMNCHARGER is to be a 1992 Dodge Ramcharger (Formerly a "Canyon Sport" edition) with a Cummins, 5 speed, sitting on 1 ton suspension and a 4 wheel drive chassis.
DamnCharger started life as a 318 Magnum, automatic 2wd, and is a transplant from D/FW, Texas, so it had quite literally ZERO rust and by miracle of happenstance, it still has nearly all of it's original body metal (minus the grille, core and lower support).
I originally bought DamnCharger back in '09, but then promptly sold it, then just recently traded back for it.
All the while I had/have owned it, I was determined that it WOULD indeed be a Cummins powered Ramcharger, but seeing as how I had the pieces, why not make it a 5 speed dually?
THEN I recently lucked into a really rotted out '91 Ramcharger that was a 4x4, which I stripped, gutted and parted, literally to a running gear and fuel tank.
Then began the task of removing and replacing first the front, then the rear axles, which actually went quite smoothly, as did the sending unit, rear wiring harness, plumbing the fuel lines and brake lines.
Then it came time to swap in a 205 and Getrag, which is where the biggest snag in the whole project came to light.
Dropping the trans/transfer case was even a pain, tried to drop it by the "remove-the-last-bolts-and-it'll-drop" method.
Didn't work, how surprising.
Had to jack the truck up and muscle it out. Aggravating.
Even more aggravating was to find out that the mainshaft-to-input bearing had come apart and locked the mainshaft to the input. Yep. Rebuild time. Great.
Got the trans rebuilt (my own doings, Thank You!), checked the 205 over and was gearing up to pull an engine, when a buddy calls saying there's a '92 or '93 (was a '92) Cummins at a swap meet, that he wants to acquire it and swap me some parts he needs for it.
How opportune!! Just what I needed, WHEN I needed it!
So the DamnCharger, bare rolling frame at his point, got a rebuilt 'Raggey, and a bullet of it's same vintage, installed in short order.
Then came the body transfer!!!
Just let me say this much, if you have an 'A' frame, if you have forklifts, if you have a hoist, by all means use any simple options you can, BECAUSE BLOCKING AND JACKSTANDING A BODY OFF AND BACK ON A FRAME SUCKS!!!
I was just glad I was fortuitous enough to buy a 12 foot long 4x4 to help me in the project.
Body on, heart attack chances averted, now comes the heart and soul of what I LIKE to do, which is figuring out what goes where, which wires fit which switches, what screws are CORRECT for the part being affixed, most of it I know by memory.
Next was to remove the dash. "Why?" you might ask.
Because, as complicated as removing/installing a windshield and dash may be, nothing is more irritating, more frustrating than laying on a floor, or dis-assembling a dash,in-frame to install a complete dash wiring.
Besides, this windshield was badly cracked and I'm pretty adept at windshield installs with a screwdriver and soap.
Sometimes no soap.
Seriously.
Most of you fellows know what putting on a front clip, assembling knick knacks in an engine bay are all about and it all was pretty much basic blah-blah stuff from there on out, hooking up the powersteering, vacuum, hydros for the clutch, throttle cable, etc.
Some of the amenities and liberties, some not yet complete, taken on DamnCharger are:
Installed a BENCH seat.
LE front and STEP rear bumpers.
Tall (gasser auto) 4wd shifter.
Bent Getrag handle.
Dually Suspension (incomplete).
Factory tach (needs installed).
All '92-'93 "NEW takeoff" wiring in dash and engine bay.
Factory painted grille.
Factory "Tow Mirrors", as optioned (not installed).
Later "Infinity" AM-FM-CD player.
Power widows.
Power Locks.
A/C (All there, needs charged).
Cruise (needs finished installed.
Tilt.
3" rear lift blocks, still need installed.
Here are a few general pics;
Mark.
