I Bought The SLOWEST Truck I've Ever Driven | Project Royal Ram Ep.1

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#Dodge #Ram

[@davewinter8949]

If you guys have not already, I hope you put Brendan on staff. He has really brought a lot of content to the channel. Keep up the great work.

[@stern12akachris32]

Those slant 6's were bullet proof. I am talking forget to put oil in them Bullet proof . They lasted forever

[@215rwg]

I seem to recall them refusing to die when oil intentionally replaced with water.

[@jonathoncouchey7151]

I don't think you realize how good the slant 6 is. Literally my favorite engine.

[@bldontmatter5319]

Pretty much any i6 engine is indestructible.

[@txshirle]

I had a a Dodge Dart with a slant 6 with push button auto. I can't tell you how many times I hit the starter with the engine already running. It was that quiet. The slant six was right up there with the Ford 300 straight six.

[@peterjahn2596]

Slant 6 is a great engine

[@BillLaBrie]

It’s a wonderful engine, though by modern standards it’s slow as molasses.

[@joeystrains.9316]

My favorite engine also.

[@wushock92]

The 225 CID slant six was near bulletproof. I was delivering a tv in a Dodge van with that engine in it and threw a rod. Drove it (carefully) 20 miles back to town and my boss had that engine rebuilt. Didn't hurt the block at all.

[@caryw0210]

Clean it up, fix exterior imperfections, re-upholster seats, and keep as original as possible

[@reaper-sz5tm]

That would become a money pit really quick. It’s not a show truck, mechanically restore it and drive it as such. Not everything needs to be perfect.

[@paulmadkow9143]

I would: Reupholster the seat. New shocks, all terrain tires. Spray in bed liner. Put back stock steering wheel and shift knob. Love the patina.

[@heavyearly2232]

I kinda like the steering wheel and shift knob. I was thinking a 4-barrel intake, and/or fuel injection, but it runs too good for that.

[@lamplighter5545]

Agree with every suggestion. I'll only add -- Upgrade that slant for more power.

[@jonbrown1018]

@@lamplighter5545 It only works if in my memory we worked them but cleaned them up for Sunday. Dirty truck is like dirty underwear. And always stock...

[@lamplighter5545]

@@jonbrown1018 -- You can get more horsepower out of a slant 6 without going crazy. This engine, before emissions, originally put out about 145 horses.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

@@lamplighter5545 leaning tower of power! Lots of low end torque!

[@zulubravo5733]

Even though I’m a Ford truck guy if I had stumbled across that old Dodge it would be like winning the lottery!

[@steinwaymodelb]

This thing just needs a little love. Reupholster the bench seat, give it to someone who's good at dent removal for a few days. Give the engine a proper tuneup and service, and maybe Linex the bed.

[@AndrewAMartin]

Replace the rear bumper and get some OEM sideview mirrors as well.

[@Nikephorus]

Have Toby take a look at it and make sure everything is good. Get the bench seat re-done. Maybe remove the rust and paint that rear bumper. Try to remove as many of the dents as possible (do it yourself) and replace the missing trim. After that I would just leave it as is. It's a nice stock example of an 80's RAM.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Agreed.

[@AndrewAMartin]

My only other suggestions would be to replace the rear bumper (I don't think they have anyone who can weld that one back together), and to find some original mirrors.

[@jamieshields9521]

Even base model n done up it would look nice, maybe black RAM box in bed behind window for extra storage?

[@michaelbenardo5695]

When they were Dodges.

[@fritty9927]

I had to chuckle a little bit when he wasn’t sure how to find reverse. I’m 70 and grew up on a farm. All we ever had mostly were 4 speed manuals. Finding reverse was as natural as blinking your eyes. PS: Sold my 53 Chevy short bed a couple years ago. Straight six with 100 hp, three on the tree and drum brakes, yeah it was sketchy in traffic but wold purr like a kitten(well maybe one with a pulled tail) at 60 mph: 1982 sounds like newer tech to me😄

[@michaelbenardo5695]

My truck is a 73, and my car is a 54. No smog checks, no catalytic converters to be stolen, no smog checks. And my 54 has a HEMI.

[@davidtennyson4908]

I had a very similar truck. Bought new May, 1982. D150 Royal SWB, loaded, with 318 4bbl. It was a hoss. Wish I had kept it. The same color scheme as the one in the video. But I needed 4x4. Traded it in December 1982 for a D50 4x4. Put 32,000 miles on it in less than 8 months. Still smile when I think about it.

[@kerryrwac]

The rectangular hole under the radio is probably an 8-track player. I had the 225 slant six in a 79 Dodge van. The ballast resistor on the firewall was their weak spot. They did not like to get wet. A previous owner cut a 10 X 10 square out of a mudflap, drilled a hole in the corner and screwed it to the firewall. It ran lawlessly in the rain.

[@danr4197]

Lifetime slant 6! Mine Had a 3 speed "torque flight" automatic with lock up torque converter. Slow as hell but did the job SUPER RELIABLY! Cool to see one with 4 on the floor! I used mine for lawn care/mowing lawns around town. Until they rust out the just keep running! These where the BEST Dodge trucks ever made! You could get a 318 V8 also. You kept saying you hope it doesn't break down. I KNEW it wasn't going too! These where so simple and basic yet SUPER RELIABLE!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Most traditional American-made vehicles didn't break down, until CAFE.

[@lazydadsgarage]

Refresh the slant 6 with some performance and reliability mods, restore the interior. Leave the rest.

[@TheREALOC1972]

Or better yet.... take the slant 6 out and manual transmission out and put a 318 and auto trans in it and then sell that slant six and 3 speed manual trans to someone who's rebuilding a Valiant or Dart who's looking to put one into their classic car. It's a win-win-win, 318's are like the Ford 302 and the Chevy 350, they are EVERYWHERE and you can buy them and a 3 speed auto trans dirt cheap and the rebuild kits are cheap also, the classic Dart/Valiant will pay NICE money for a 82 slant six and 3 speed manual trans to update their classic because they give them an increase of 27% HP plus parts for them are more plentiful, by the time you sell that slat six and trans and buy and rebuild a 318 and an auto trans you'll at bare minimum break even but probally make a little bit of money. I would also find some period correct Horizon/Omni/Conquest/Charger buckets and either build or find a period correct center consol. repaint the body the original colors and lower it just a little, not slam it to the ground but drop it 2" in the front and 3" or 4" in the rear, just enough to tell it's been lowered then paint the original steel wheels white again and build a cheap but nice daily driver/cruise-in/local car show truck out of it.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@TheREALOC1972 A manual is better in a truck. What's wrong with a 318 with a manual?

[@TheREALOC1972]

@@michaelbenardo5695 Nothing is wrong with them but Automatics are easier to sell. Idk if you've ever been in the car business but I have been for years and you build vehicles to get the most money you can out of it and build it so the most amount of people people want it. It's not a big jacked up 4wd, It's a 2 wd drive long bed truck presently with a manual trans, that right cuts out 3/4 of people and it has a slant six, that cuts that 25% down to 1% or 2% of people that can drive and will even come look at it much less buy it. So your looking for a unicorn, your looking for the guy or girl who specifically wants a 1982 Dodge Ram 1500 with a slant six and a manual transmission. Plus the upgrades are going to make you more money. Instead of a slant six with a granny geared manual transmission worth 4k or 5k that you "don't have anything in" you have a truck that has a factory correct performance upgrades that is a proper street that's worth 15k to 20k that you have 3k-4k into. why is it worth for much more? because it's a street truck that's all ready all they have to do is put some wheels on it and drive it. It's worth twice as already done and done right then it is for the new buyer to do it.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@TheREALOC1972 I know about all of that - a manual trans is almost unsalable today. I was thinking about a truck he will be keeping, not selling.

[@TheREALOC1972]

@@michaelbenardo5695 but he's not keeping it, he's reselling it. to get the most bang for your buck you yank the slant six and the manual transmission and put in a 318 with an auntomtic. besides like I said in my original comment, you can sell that slant six and manual transmission to someone who's building a Valiant or Dart because the newer engine and trans gives them a factory upgrade, now your atleast breaking even or maybe even making a lil money off the engine swap.

[@scottyellis3442]

That's a nice truck, that's back when Ram was actually good. And that's back when a truck wasn't a family vehicle, it's a truck built to work only.

[@samholdsworth420]

Wait, when was dodge good? Lol

[@scottyellis3442]

I'm not a Dodge man at all but back in the 70's & early 80's they were a lot better than the junk of today.

[@chargermaster586]

@@samholdsworth420 there trucks were Decent

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@samholdsworth420 Yes it was.

[@rjs2005]

When it comes to Dodge/Ram pickups, the 1st gen will always have a special place in my heart- it's just such a cool old truck. Beyond being a long bed, that one's spec'd out exactly as I'd want it. Fix the issues, leave the patina, recover the seat, ditch the steering wheel and shift knob in favor of stock parts (if you can find them), that would be perfect.

[@mrsteve4313]

Our 1987 d100 slant 6 could only hit about 83 mph top speed, bad aerodynamics on the 1972-1993 Dodge Rams, and with the anemic 1 barrel carburetor it took a bit to get to 60...and all of that was when it was new...not 40 years later. Now we also put 187k miles on ours with almost no maintenance! 1 hvac blower motor(fan) and oil, tires(Michelins got about 75k miles out of them...even until cords were showing. Lol) and brakes.

[@cummins1980]

My first set of wheels was an 84 D100. It had the venerable leaning tower of power as well and the 4 speed manual in blue. I traded it in on an 88, 4x4 Ramcharger, 2 weeks after 9/11. I’ve also had and 85 D150 and an 86 W150. Even with the slant 6 I could lay 90’ one leggers. Not many 80s vehicles could lay a foot of rubber per horsepower. My current project is a 93, v8 4x4 Dakota that I bought from my grandfather. I love my pre 94 dodge trucks

[@moparg3499]

Wow does that bring back memories! My grandfather had a '82, yellow, slant six auto. I ended up owning it and loved every minute of it! First thing to go bad was the high beam controller on the floor (as with any truck back then). Great find guys!

[@joetech4054]

My first truck was an ‘80 Dodge ram with the 225 slant six and the 4sp OD trans which my dad gave me. A few years later I got a job with ma bell and my first van was an old dodge with the same setup. The “leaning tower of power” was a great motor but surely not fast! Good luck with it!

[@insaneflamey2k]

Brendan is a great addition to the team and obviously knows his stuff. Hopefully he can become a permanent regular on TFL.

[@shitloveaduck]

Nice purchase!!! The 3.7 slant 6 always ran well. I like it about as much as the 300 6 in the Fords. Those that have argued with me know I am not a fan of the lack of hp and torque in these motors and prefer 8 cylinders. Again, this is another very long lived motor. Possibly more than the Ford, but the old dodge trucks had a tendency to disintegrate. 😄 What would I do……. If you are happy with the old 318 power numbers, carb, intake, cam and header or headers (3 cylinders per header and true dual exhaust). You should get around 140-150 hp & about 220-230 lb ft of torque. Motor done. Change all fluids motor, transmission, rear differential. It looks like you have a limited slip rear differential as when you were spinning up the hill both tires were spinning at the same time. Bonus!! The interior only needs a new bottom cushion and full bottom and back cover. You probably can order them and do that yourselves. Just need a good hog ring pliers and some patience. When you have the seat out the interior can be fully cleaned. You may want carpet back in there as well, another DIY project. The installation could be a video in itself and we can laugh at the learning process. The body dents should be fixed. The box left alone inside. The patina on the tailgate letters is perfect!!!! Leave it alone and maybe just a satin clear coat. The body should be touched up with the paint, but not a full respray. Keep some of the patina. I have seen these Dodges with the trim intact at the wreckers so you can probably get that and a new set of clips. Body done. Get a set of steel 15x8 wheels that will take a dodge centre cap. Put a set of 60 series to match closely to the original stock tire height. If they were 237/75r15s you could even just do some 255/70-15s as well instead of a set of 275/60-15s. It will look really nice, keep its patina, generally and be a great base for the next level or be a nice show n shine truck with a very unique power train!! I would keep the steering wheel and shift knob. This is probably $4k in the US. In Canada, if I do a lot myself, I could do it for $5k to $6k Canadian. That may blow the budget. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I would keep the power train intact!!! 😳😳🤪🤪

[@HabLoxFla]

Missing the most important part....The RAM hood ornament...Good score. I'm gonna try and bid on it.

[@alwaysfixingsomething2855]

A random fun fact: That large box on the side of the air cleaner is a computer. It, in combination with something on the carb, and distributor are known as "Lean Burn". The problem is, these air cleaner ecus are known to freak out randomly( due to heat, and age). Then making the truck back fire, and run like hot garbage. Thats why a lot of these are sitting. The fix is to use a distributor from a earlier slant six, with the fender mounted ignition box. Or a gm pick up & coil on a heat sink. Of course the simplest is to get a even older points dizzy. Our Dodge was bought new by the county school system. It was the "Miser" package. Am radio, 4 speed, slant six. First gear was good for 5 MPH..... An absolute gutless wonder....

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

I have owned no less than 13 of that body style truck, and my favorite was my 76 long bed 2wd with the slant sic, three on the tree. Truck was awesome.

[@bldontmatter5319]

13? How many pieces of history did you destroy dude...

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

@@bldontmatter5319 Not all of them were worth saving, and for a while I would take 2 (or more) trucks and combine them and sell them on as functioning vehicles. The ones that just needed mechanicals I would fix and resell. There wasn't much of a market for them in middle TN at the time for 70's dodges, so I could get them cheap, fix them up, and resell them (often up north, but Texas was also popular too). Awfully bold of you to assume that someone destroys something because they owned it.

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

@@bldontmatter5319 The only things that got destroyed were frames too rusted or bent to be saved, body panels that were too far gone, and "ventilated" engine blocks.

[@bldontmatter5319]

@@stuffandjunkandthings364 eh, even a junked out body can still be saved today. Obviously taking two trucks and making one was profitable, but that still halves the number of trucks left... And if tons of people do what you did, there won't be anything left. It is what it is though

[@emmittmatthews8636]

@@bldontmatter5319 Lol, not every old truck or car needs saved. Nothing wrong with combining them or just using them. I've bought trucks and just worked them to death and went and grabbed another. That's life. They're a tool to make me money.

[@cameronbear5808]

I love old vehicles, especially when they’re mostly original. I think it gives them a lot of character. I’d say give it a tune up, new tires/suspension, go over brakes, etc. Fix the window, and reupholster the seat. Otherwise keep it mostly as is. Looks like a solid truck that is both useful and nostalgic, plus it’s a manual. I like it a lot.

[@FLDakota4x4]

Give that Slant 6 a refresh. It might surprise you!

[@chev500l8]

3,497 pounds with the 6cyl engine, the 360 ones are about 3,600 and change 2wd, still a neat 40 year old truck, probably has 3.54 gears and a 9 1/4 rear axle most 6’s did.

[@bella36109]

I love it. I’d love to have that truck. I remember looking and driving them around back in the day. The slant 6 was bullet proof and would last forever.

[@jonbrown1018]

He talked kinda down about that slant six and 4 speed. But remember , back then all trucks had emission poisoning.. That was a great low speed pulling truck and economical driver.. Perfect truck !!

[@Welcometofacsistube]

The slant is all about torque

[@bldontmatter5319]

For only 4 speeds and a CLOGGED emissions nightmare small engine with r3tarded timing, it did OK

[@shitloveaduck]

@@bldontmatter5319 - agreed!!! It did what it was designed to do, no more. I don’t think it was a great pulling truck compared to any other motor dodge offered then. It was adequate.

[@chrisgill7824]

That's the Leaning Tower of POWER!!!...

[@timothykeith1367]

@@shitloveaduck Towing capacity depends upon the gearing. The slant six got the 8 1/4 rear axle, probably a 3:55:1 . In the 1950s the power would have been average. These were a farm truck for chore duty. I have a '85 D150 with a slant six that I believe is rated to only tow 1,500 pounds. They are okay if you're not in a hurry.

[@bryceslavik6730]

Besides the usual fix em’ up things you need to do. But for more power, I wouldn’t put a V-8 in it because the rear end probably won’t be able to handle it unless you put 318 in it. But they make hopup kits for slant sixes. Offenhauser four barrel intake manifold , headers for it. That would pick some power and still be reliable! Fun truck!

[@PapiDoesIt]

The rear end is the same one used in all half tons of that body style, regardless of engine option.

[@danatkinson6698]

Slant six and a 4sp is an indestructible combo, it doesn't have the np435 but the a833 is decent

[@nlpnt]

"Royal" was a trim level, fancier than the base model but not as fancy as the "Royal S.E."

[@JasonExplainsThings]

I love those trucks. I have a 1987 D150 2WD with the 360 V8... 129k miles. I've been fixing it up the past 5 years. It runs great, super simple, easy to work on. I absolutely love it.

[@atatton9892]

So Royal was the second highest trim level, with oil pressure and engine temperature gauges. The leather wrapping on the stock steering wheel likely failed. This was a nicely optioned vehicle and was likely the "Sunday" vehicle for many many years.

[@stevefjordan]

Had an 89 with the 318. Came with the "wood grain", message center and a cargo light. Too bad the ram is missing on the hood. What I wouldn't give to go back to those days.

[@mozzberg590]

Perfect going to town rig.

[@vancejohnson4395]

That really is a bad ass combo in a truck, about as bullet proof as can be. Awesome score guys.

[@wadetyler5056]

Hey, when I was still single I had a 69 step side slant 6 with the granny gear, it wasn’t fast but it was extremely bulletproof. I could go most places we should go albeit slowly, remember, many of the dirt roads you drive on were built by trucks with rear wheel drive and granny gear!

[@rightlanehog3151]

How did we survive all those years without the 'benefit' 400 hp, 4X4 pickups?

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@rightlanehog3151 We did fine, as 400 horsepower might be thrilling, it isn't a necessity. People nowadays are too hung up on speed. That's why are accident rate has skyrocketed.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@michaelbenardo5695 Thank you for saying it! Horsepower is way, way up, driving skill is about the same while levels of distraction and impairment are threw the roof. This is the recipe for the increasing destruction we are experiencing on American and Canadian roads today.

[@ryansheard8092]

My first vehicle was a short bed '79 Dodge Ram with the slant 6 and automatic transmission. Slower than slow but a cool truck since it was my first vehicle.

[@dennisleonard2137]

Hot rod the Slant 6 - carb, headers, cam. It'll be a blast.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

IF he doesn't live in a smog-check state.

[@bostonareapilot3911]

I owned an '85 with the exact same drivetrain. I loved it. This video takes me back.

[@krisw8597]

Once you own and drive an “old” truck… you get it……. I own a 69 c10 and love it more then my 21 Colorado ZR2…..

[@michaelnault5905]

I had one way back. Same engine and drivetrain. It did the job. Climbed like a goat in the slow first gear. Got totalled in a wreck. Someone drove from another state in answer to my classified to buy it for the engine and transmission. No surprise really.

[@NickTarterOKC]

My first car was one of these trucks, a 91 with the 318. It was a super good pickup and I really enjoyed it.

[@intrepid5684]

You should service it. Oil, filter, lube, maybe plugs and wires. Don't mess with the patina. I looks great the way it is. Please replace the steering wheel with an original if you can find one and the shift knob as well. Plus, and this is key! Get the Ram back on the hood.

[@ryanmartinage]

OEM style steering wheel, redo the bench seat, fix the window, do some odds and ends. Let it be a nice driver.

[@JohnBtons]

My College roommate drove one of those 20 years ago. It had the smaller V8 with a 4 speed and it was SLOOOW can't imagine with the 6 in there!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

They were geared too high. With a V8 and a manual trans, it should have been pretty snappy.

[@handymanhawkins]

Fix only what's broken (hood ornament lol) put holly efi, header and exhaust on it. Inline 6 low HP but high torque minor engine upgrades maybe help.

[@frederickjeremy]

I have daily driven the 3/4 ton version of this truck for 7 years now. Same paint scheme even. Mine has the automatic transmission and the 360. I grew up on those trucks. These trucks have a dang solid history with me of getting me home. Generally without a problem. Love these trucks. Never had a slant six one. But i have read that one of the most durable engines dodge ever made.

[@rcwanderlust757]

I so appreciate Brendan’s mentality of buying cars so cheap that he’s not too worried about their condition. I’d love to do that

[@stevejohnson5837]

Fix it up as part of your junkyard series - go find a similar model in the junkyard and see if you can score a straight front bumper, a rear bumper that is in better condition, hubcaps and a used passenger side window regulator. If you want to go further, look for a better condition bench seat that matches and see if you can find the exterior body side trim that's missing. As for under hood, have Toby give it a good checkup, perhaps a tune up and call it good. You can score a lot of good used parts in the junkyard for cheap. It's like treasure hunting for car people. That would make a good video as well.

[@jasonlovell3934]

The first thing I do when looking at old vehicles is crawl under it and look for rust and shoddy repairs. That’s a great truck!

[@smallfact0ry921]

Nice find guys! I’d put the money into where it counts: reupholster the seat, get rid of the horrific steering wheel and shift knob (maybe a nice condition original’s or original style), refresh all fluids, steam clean engine bay, have a professional try a buff out/refresh the paint to bring some life back to it, have said professional try and fix some of the dents without a repaint, replace any leaking gaskets, all new steering and suspension bushings, new shocks, new carpet, new powder coat on wheels and track down some original hub caps wish some fresh white letter tires. So, basically, don’t ruin it.

[@gregc9220]

Install the OEM steering wheel and shift knob, knew center caps with beauty rings, find someone that can try and remove some of the dents and drive it!

[@billybodacious2337]

I appreciate your love for this old truck. It makes me a little nostalgic.

[@BYLRPhil]

Perfect truck for doing proper truck stuff

[@NostalgiaKing]

I have a 1989 Dodge Ram D100 that I absolutely love. It has so much character. I'm wanting to put a more powerful engine in it at some point. Great video!

[@tony-lc9sc]

Got the same ram , 85 shortbox . Love the looks of it and simple . 20 years ago I started with new wheels n tires , shocks and new rear custom bumper. Now it's far from stock with a 408 from a 360. So much you can do with those d series

[@humbertogonzalez7505]

All this truck needs is a little tlc. Back in the early 80’s, my uncle had a short bed 2 tone version of this truck with a 4 barrel carb 360 v8. I loved running errands for him and taking it for a spin. It was an awesome truck.

[@davidfirth1]

225 slant six will run forever. Had a 1974 as my college beater.

[@yodawg3469]

I love the solidness of the doors closing,old school right there

[@wentfishing]

I would like to see original with chrome bumper and accessories restored.

[@kidcrash82]

Those old rams have a bad habit of the body seam in the drip rail drying out and cracking. This allows the roof to leak and subsequently rot out. Fresh seam sealer would be a great idea. A borgenson steering shaft is a good thing to do on those as well.

[@arlenenolte8475]

That thing has great visibility, look at those big ole windows. I am in love!

[@rogerwarden724]

Motor been rebuilt, for every number that sits higher then the five ,the mileage has turned over. I had one and give it to my son for graduation. That motor is built proof. Drive like a grandmother,perfect truck for anyone that can drive manual.

[@frh-freerangehuman]

Loved the leaning tower of power!! I had a 225 slant six in my 68 valiant. It had a fair bit more power for sure but what a great bulletproof motor. Loved this episode

[@chadbrown7648]

As a mopar guy I love 1st gen rams I’ve owned them all except a 1st one day

[@70stastic]

I have an '81 D150 exactly like that, even in the same Mocha Tan and Dark Coffee Brown Metallic. Love it. Mine's got the 318/727 and it's been a great daily driver. That '82 would look great with the factory rubber clad trim reinstalled on the lower half and a reupholstered seat and vinyl floor mat

[@radseven89]

Building it out into a camper on a budget would be pretty cool. I know it's not an offroad truck but would still be cool just to see the stuff used.

[@afastcuda1970]

Pull the cylinder head and shave .100 thousands off for more compression. Recurve the distributor and install 2 1/4 exhaust system. If it still has the lean burn, eliminate it and put in an hei ignition. You can also still get the "Ram's head" off amazon.

[@VARITHMS]

The leaning tower of power! 😂 They do make a few go fast goodies to liven in those things up.

[@charlesharnois3684]

Slant 6 is reliable as hell, I've owned several I'll take this truck over a new one anytime! That's my personal choice, drive what you like!

[@genehart261]

A simple basic truck, something you can't get anymore. Get the seat rebuilt, new floor MAT, (no carpet), correct mirrors, modest wheels and tires, fix the little stuff, sell it!

[@DeChache]

Ole leaning tower of power.... Grandpa had that truck in red and white when I was younger... I would love one.. (It would have a Gen III hem swapped in but I want one)

[@_CAT-lg4sr]

Got an '82 D150 Custom w/ 225cid & the NP435 trans. Bought it in '86 for $2500 w/ 48,520 mi. on the clock. No rust or dents. First thing I did was put on a Clifford intake, Holley 4bbl, Clifford headers and some other mods because the slants had issues with the exhaust manifolds getting cracks throughout the plenum and a piece actually fell out of mine. Dyno'd @ 178hp / 4200 RPM Still runs like a champ and gets 18mpg @ 70mph. Will keep it forever.

[@kerryrwac]

I'd recover the seat and replace the factory radio with a modern but period correct looking radio with blue tooth. Sort it out mechanically, do any needed services, then move it along as is. LMC Truck or Rock Auto probably sell the seat kits.

[@kuhndog-1196]

Sweet! Love me an old dodge. Still waiting for parts to swap my brakes and then I'll get ahold of you Tommy.

[@bertpryor1158]

Mine is 83 4x4 stepside royal se. 318 with 10 to 1 pistons rv cam n 340 intake n 4 bbl. Rockcrawler rims n maxxus tires. Love it.

[@cmcb7230]

No AC truck so the vents are blanked over on the black plastic fake wood dash, there would’ve been two other vents on either side of the glove box too. The small square was for the 4x4 indicator light, the larger on was quasi storage compartment/open box and the other blanked over area was for the cargo light. This truck should have a vent near the drivers left leg for fresh air that everyone always misses and you can also open a door on the passenger side.

[@fredkemp1444]

Looking forward to watching this project.

[@Mechanix360]

What a beautiful old school dodge! Just bought myself a 96 real bronco!

[@andrewkillen677]

Gorgeous truck

[@ox236]

I've got an 85 W100 with the 5.9 and prospector package love driving it around!!

[@glengardner5477]

had a slant 6 in a 66 Dodge Step-Side pick up. When it died, my dad and I estimated it had about 350,000 miles on it. It was my high school ride. so much fun. I miss that pick up!

[@jasonbyrne6312]

Keep it as original as possible, fix the seat, change the steering wheel & knob. Make it mechanically sound and find a replacement rear bumper. The dents and scratches just give it character. Maybe a set of whitewall tires or Bridestone T/A's. That truck would be an awesome 1st truck for my kid but all the good old ones are rusted out around here.

[@dmegahan]

“Such a fun video for you guys.” Love you Tommy.

[@031683naf]

Remove the emissions equipment, fix the body,, fix the window, and recover the seat. Maybe find an original shifter handle but otherwise leave it as the time capsule it is.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The first thing I would disable is the accursed EGR valve. Just stick a BB in the vacuum line. Then I would experiment with more advanced timing, maybe a pre-emmions carb. Remove the Air pump as well. Less heat build up in the engine compartment.

[@jessekuchinski1172]

I'm a sucker for brown and tan. Looks awesome.

[@michelbrouillette490]

I would definitely use this as my work truck. I don't care if it's slow, I'm hauling stuff, not drag racing. Find OE steering wheel and shifter knob, make sure everything is mechanically in good order and sell as-is. A long, low bed where it's easy to load and unload your stuff, now that's a feature that has been missing from modern trucks for over a decade. For a name, how about Roy ?

[@martinzilvers5927]

Did you check for frame rust? Especially around the rear spring shackles....

[@rightlanehog3151]

TFL, The Chrysler Slant 6 was probably the most reliable gasoline engine ever built by an American company. PLEASE don't screw this truck up. 😁

[@burtronomaniac]

I had a shorty full size window van from that era with the six and an automatic , it was sooooooooo slow , it was hard to even get on the highway , it was very cool looking but gutless

[@carportchronicles1943]

I would definitely keep the drivetrain. You can add a little horsepower with an aftermarket intake, carb and header. On the interior, fix the passenger window, recover the bench seat, replace the carpet and the shifter boot. Install a spray-on bed liner. Replace the bent front bumper and repaint the rear bumper. Try to source and replace the missing exterior trim, then buff out the paint as best as you can. The wheels have nice trim rings, so just add some baby moon hubcaps. That should make for reasonably good looking "survivor" truck which can be use reliably without having to worry about dings and other minor damage.

[@jonathoncouchey7151]

Need to.convert the slant 6 to a 2 barrel I take get a new distributor, and headers. That will wake it up about 30 hp, and will be much more responsive. The slant isx have been known to run 500,000 miles without a major rebuild.

[@ColJonSquall1]

The blank voids in the dash are for basic little info displays for the diesel versions of the truck. They tended to use the same parts for many versions, and in the Diesels, the cummins info readout is typically in the bigger of the 3 plastic voids.

[@selfcarefordudes]

What a beauty🔥I’d love to own that Ram.

[@richardnottelmann58]

I like Royal Ram. It has a nice ring to it.

[@jnmaher1967]

Love the regular cab, 8ft bed.

[@nicknelson6229]

People think because it is slow it’s bad. This (in automatic) was the car I learned to drive on, and grew to love. The torque was great and the mileage ok too for a truck. Bone reliable and always started, even in -40 C.