I Found Several HIDDEN Issues on My '90 RAM Charger

[@CarWizard]

Shop Beam early cyber access for up to 50% off sitewide when you click shopbeam.com/CarWizard for a limited time only.

[@buzzshavinutts8898]

Don't paint it purple....if you feel motivated to sell it ...I may want it lol

[@justinstiff5641]

That thing's got some seriously big dirt dauber nest 😊😊😊

[@justinstiff5641]

​@@buzzshavinutts8898please no purple

[@MetaView7]

I can't believe you gave away the Z3.

[@originaljackofhearts]

Why not do some upgrades to the engine? Nothing internal but like an exhaust and intake and maybe the ignition.

[@raymond_sycamore]

FINALLY somebody talking about those AWFUL LED HIGHBEAMS

[@petercollingwood522]

Yep. Damned well aughta be illegal.

[@glennbeadshaw727]

They blind you even when they're not on high beam

[@pre1980cars]

@@glennbeadshaw727 They also can damage your eyes retinas

[@dougfisher1813]

Nothing says neck tattoos and meth like these eBay LED aftermarket headlights.

[@shootisttx15]

​@@dougfisher1813Hey...no neck tats here, and I only smoke weed lol.

[@garrettsc]

Agreed on the headlamps wizard !!!!! PREACH ! I keep getting blinded on my daily drive home.

[@SuperBigdanno]

Bump the timing up on that thing and you will be happier with both power and fuel mileage. Dont bother with a timing light just turn the timing up till it pings and back it off a bit till it doesn't. Factory timing specs are terrible on those.

[@johnboykin3128]

Agreed give it as much advance as it will take and some quick advance springs

[@jamesplotkin4674]

A set of new wires and AC Delco plugs will wake this guy up.

[@dddevildogg]

One must also take into account the sound at startup- and make less advance if it gets odd cranking

[@seanbutler2291]

Yeah I was saying something similar to this, these engines respond very well to even the most basic of performance upgrades.

[@scott640925]

These engines love cold air intake and lots of timing

[@JDMHaze]

watching this as I lay on the passenger side floorboard changing a AC servo on my car, while occasionally taking a glance over to see the wizard’s exquisite hand gestures

[@pfsantos007]

That's some serious multitasking. I'd end up replacing the wrong part.

[@briandesrocher6882]

Glad I’m not the only one that gets lost in other peoples car problems haba

[@taelorwatson9822]

I believe he worked under Scotty for a while

[@gsmith207]

😂 haaa! wrenchin and listen/watchin the Wiz. me too!

[@KennethGalanius-ss3wn]

You said exquisite had gestures Xclnt

[@DoctorHemi]

I love that era's Dodge Ram Charger, Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco. They get horrible gas mileage (like 10-14 mpg depending on year/engine) and aren't nearly as practical as a 4-dr SUV, but they look awesome!

[@jeepinintexas6215]

It would be sweet if Wizard swapped in a 5.7 or 6.4 hemi into it

[@jasonnelson6624]

I'm now scared to see what my 440 ramcharger will get mpg wise.

[@yayinternets]

It's hard to understand how much better riding around in modern cars are these days are too until you've owned and lived with something like this as well. Very smelly, loud, uncomfortable, etc. Like it's much easier to understand if you can drive different vehicles back to back. These older vehicles are fun to have for nostalgia but living with them day to day would suck. Especially living in a metro area where everyone is in a rush.

[@jasonnelson6624]

@@yayinternets I always owned muscle cars 1965-1973 specifically. But I remember my first Japanese car a 1985 Nissan sentra I remember thinking why am I checking oil every day it hasn't moved yet. 🤣🤣

[@yayinternets]

@ Lol, I never even thought about how much oil older cars used to go through. Like back then people thought you were an idiot if you weren't frequently checking your oil and the water level in your battery. I was still a kid in the 80s but remember it for sure. Especially since my first vehicles were from the 70s and 80s.

[@bgjobass]

Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one, he kept it garaged, gave it frequent oil changes, and lots of waxings to the paint. Alas, Bob went home to God, and no one kept track of his beautiful old truck.

[@Nightrunnergunner]

i'll say, disappointed in some of his family members for not caring about what he cared about

[@renj6531]

When I look at the front of these trucks, I see the grand Wagoneer. I know they shared a lot of common parts like the engine, but are they built off the same chassis?

[@VQSeries]

Excellent question! ​@@renj6531

[@johnd5398]

@@renj6531 They were completely different vehicles. Even the 5.9 in the Jeep was an AMC engine, not Chrysler... at least until Chrysler bought AMC in 1987. The Chrysler LA engines (5.2, 5.9) would be ruined a few years later when Chrysler allowed the Jeep division to redesign them. Ramchargers had completely different track widths and wheelbase than the Jeeps, as well.

[@johnkendrick7304]

I totally agree with you. I cannot stand the way those LED lights look. Right on man

[@Spokaneexploration]

I totally agree with him as well except for he's talking about the really cheap eBay LEDs! Holly makes a really nice retro bright light that is glass bulb and looks exactly like the OEM factory classic headlight bulbs

[@shadowthesi]

@@Spokaneexploration +1 for Holley Retrobright. I rebuilt a 1982 CB750C, and as a finishing touch I threw in a 3000K Retrobright bulb. It works fantastic and has modern performance, but it still looks period. My friends told me they had no idea it was an LED until I told them.

[@yayinternets]

Unless the LEDs are built for halogen reflectors, they totally suck. Most are just cheap imported garbage.

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

Depends on what its on, But most if not all, classic things, its complete trash.

[@bwofficial1776]

I replaced the incandescent sealed beams on my classic with vintage Cibie ECE H4 headlights. Still look original but put light down like projector headlights, especially since I put a beefy wiring harness in.

[@mrdanforth3744]

Lots of problems (no surprise on a non running 30 year old vehicle) but all the parts are cheap and easily available, and not too hard to replace. The advantage of an old school domestic vehicle. Should be good for many more years of service.

[@slicedbread9003]

Good for you for keeping the sealed beam headlight. I'm with you.

[@BobNob1]

even though your ram has so much wrong with it, I would take it over a brand new truck, I was so in love with them

[@johnkendrick7304]

Can't wait to see more videos on that ramcharger. One thing I have to say is that I do not think those replacement Chinese motors will last as long as the Chrysler ones wood if you just rebuilt them

[@raven4k998]

so it's broken💀💀

[@Krisemann]

Friend of mine bought a BMW X5, '00 model as a non-runner recently, brought it to me to be fixed. Got it running after CCV/spark plug replacements, but the car had about 15 other issues with it. After rebuilding the brake system, diagnosing and replacing high beam wires, replacing several sensors, fixing a coolant leak etc etc... the car is finally back on the road. If you're planning on buying a non-runner, take the price you've got in your head and double it.

[@raven4k998]

you need to get a great nights sleep with dream!!

[@45flydalton]

Agree with you wizard on the headlights

[@Spokaneexploration]

I totally agree with him on the cheap LED headlights but Holly retrobrites I don't know if you've ever seen those They look exactly like factory OEM glass bulb lights and they are glass too they're the one LED that I would use on a classic vehicle

[@TheLionAndTheLamb777]

@@Spokaneexploration You can also increase the light output with some easy mods. I've done these before on older vehicles like a heavy thick gauge ground from Chassis, to Engine, to Battery Ground. Then you can also clean and improve lighting grounds as they corrode. You would be surprised how these small things actually help. If you are still having issues you can get a high output alternator, charge wire, and a high capacity battery. There are also people who replace the harness that runs to and from the lighting switch with a relay set up and this prevents a lot of voltage drop but I've never bothered to do this personally.

[@Spokaneexploration]

@TheLionAndTheLamb777 You are very correct I did that with my Crown Victoria p71 I did the relay mod! And I do like the factory headlights and I would do that on a p71! I'm just saying the Holly retro brights are good and I'm not a Holly dealer like some people say lol

[@stephenholland5930]

​@@Spokaneexploration*Holley

[@prezzzrock]

Get the dirt dobbers nest out of the pully...... ----->> 9:29

[@GizmoBeach]

There’s more wasp nests under that Dodge than Dodge parts.

[@prezzzrock]

@@GizmoBeach Lol! Truth!

[@ajvot71]

I had a 1989 Ramcharger with a 360 in it. If I ran it to empty, it would take 33 gallons to fill up and it got 11 mpg. I loved that truck. If you open the roof vent, remember to close it. It’s easy to forget and let the rain in. They are underpowered and slow, but great in the snow and on light trails. Great camping vehicle.

[@snoproblem]

Thirsty AND slow/underpowered. There's no doubt that engine tech has come a long way. BTW, regarding that 33 gallon tank, I could fill the tank on my vehicle twice and a little more, then travel close to 1000 miles. Mine's a compact SUV so not actually a fair comparison, but still.

[@seanbutler2291]

​​@@snoproblemreally depends on your definition of "come a long way". I'd rather have an under powered pump sucker that lasts forever then something that is good on gas that I have to replace every few years. There's no savings to be had there. People only think about how much money they're spending at the pump they don't think about how it equals out if their vehicle lasts a quarter as long. It is the same thing with EVs yeah you save some immediate money but in the long run you didn't save a damn thing.

[@snoproblem]

@@seanbutler2291 You're also not handing your firstborn to Saudi. There's any number of ways to generate electricity, only one way to generate oil... and I swear there's something in crude oil that is very harmful to mental health. Greed, probably. Wouldn't trade what I got for a malaisemobile for anything.

[@simonj2]

I completely agree with you about headlight conversions. They're not legal in the UK, but sadly that doesn't stop them.

[@Subeebles]

Respect to Señor Cerna from my old shop. He was a natural genius that could attack anything. He did a lot of work kneeling low to the ground with his tools and parts all splayed out, much like Jr. Mint. After observing for a while, I noticed that the chaos was always sectioned off in such a way that he could just reach and grab without looking. He was still faster and busier than anyone else in the franchise. Maybe 1-2 comebacks per year. The repair industry could use me, I guess. But it absolutely needs him. I hope it always treats him well, because he really deserves it.

[@ExUSSailor]

My grandmother used to have Jetzon tires on her Caddillac. I think she always got them installed at the K-Mart Auto Center.

[@ericpowers2469]

From experience, replace the windshield and seal, very common to fail and the windshield will leak across the top. On my ‘81, I pulled the rear panels, replaced the the cardboard with 1/4” plywood and custom vinyl covering, while apart I also glued foam insulation in the cavity to reduce road noise and improve interior comfort.

[@TheOnespeedbiker]

3 years ago I was gifted a 94 GMC Jimmy, everything worked and it had less than 100,000 mile. After a Trans service, new shocks, tires, lower ball joints/alignment, rear brake cylinders and an AC service, my free truck cost me $2000. 😂😂 Since then I've done a lot of PM; its a CA vehicle that has been garaged most its life, so it looks and runs great, but nothing is free, especially when it comes to cars.

[@stevew270]

That's definitely going to be a sweet rig when you get her all back up to snuff again!

[@terraxg1217]

i am shocked as everyone that The Jetzon Revenger A/T Tire did not stand the test of time, especially for such a trusted Household name when it comes to tires

[@keniacobelli1618]

I agree with you about the HID headl... I see and deal with that all the time, ESPECIALLY with Tesla owners... really sucks

[@IrishViking1973]

Halogens suck. People just don't know how to adjust HIDs.

[@leghumper1574]

Yeah I put hids on my truck then adjusted for it and installed projectors on my Silverado and it's been fine haven't had anyone flash me.

[@grimm-1]

If you have a car that's a bit of a junker or you just want a quick temporary fix, drop three 5/16" or 3/8" hex nuts into the window motor, in place of the rollers and it will work like new. Does not provide the safety of the plastic rollers though. Those hex nuts will not crush if the window meets an obstacle. Keep that in mind.

[@merrillschaps2325]

I used to have a 1990 Dodge Ram 2500 two tone gray with the 360. Great truck!

[@leonardoamezcua8659]

I have a 88 with a 5.2 you need to eliminate the pollution pump the ones in the front just take the thing off and you gonna to get more power

[@bgjobass]

Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one Kept it garaged, frequent oil changes and waxings to the paint. Full tread, sidewalks cracking, no fun

[@gregpaszt4671]

Man their is a huge mud dauber nest in the crank pulley.

[@cozzoli39]

I was thinking the same thing

[@jasonnelson6624]

I was wondering what that was. 😂😂

[@jeffbingham5930]

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one e that saw that one lol

[@glennbeadshaw727]

It's big enough to throw the balance off I think

[@curtishorton6163]

Lmao I saw that

[@barrya.6212]

It's THIRTY-FOUR YEARS old ....the fact that the engine still PURRS is enough to be thankful.

[@Spokaneexploration]

Holly retrofit LEDs look exactly classic They don't have that stupid look just FYI I also hate the cheap LED lights but Holly has their retrobrite and it looks completely classic You would never know

[@someplacespecial]

Nope, still annoying on the road, nobody listen to the Holly rep.

[@Spokaneexploration]

@someplacespecial I'm far from a Holly rep you dumb 💩🤦‍♂️ sorry I state facts You're a dip 💩 And you probably are a boomer by your profile picture Time to check out soon there bud

[@Spudz76]

@@someplacespecial What's annoying is not seeing that deer. Sorry but I'll protect my classic vehicle before I care about someone else's eyes.

[@someplacespecial]

@@Spudz76 youre whats wrong with the world. Also, Nissan Altimas arent classic.

[@gilbertwashburn7095]

Weird tire brands I got some n50 15s the name on them is Big Boppers I'm pretty sure they're from the late '60s early '70s how crazy is that have a great day

[@davidskinner7150]

The Car Wizard says "I HATE square LED bulbs with the rows of LEDs!" I say REPRESENT Wizard! Fact check true.

[@johnelshaw3549]

I had an 84 Ramcharger 2WD with a 318. I loved that beast. My girls named it Bob. The only modification I did to it was I put in an air horn under the hood. I used it to pull my 17 foot boat and lived in upstate NY for 3 winters. No trouble whatsoever. Not efficient or fast but it was bullet proof and easy to work on.

[@universalassociates6857]

I bought a salvage mini for $300 and once it was running, there were so many things wrong with it I junked it, including coolant leaking from the steering rack, believe it or not!

[@ericpowers2469]

Hella makes a replacement headlight assembly for these that uses Euro style housing and cutoff pattern. Used to have them on my ‘81 RC, worked 100% better than anything else. You’ll probably find that the front outboard U-joints need replaced.

[@will89687]

The dream is to upgrade to LED but keep the cutoff in line with OEM. Nice to hear that Hella thought of that.

[@jeepinintexas6215]

Ford had that problem with the window motors too. I had a 95 Tbird that I had to buy new rollers for because the originals were crumbs also lol. Luckily NAPA had them.

[@kevinmaher6725]

Underpowered is an understatement! My dad bought one of those new in '89 with the 360, not 318. It was incredibly slow and had a lot of squeaks and rattles. He only had it 2 years before he was so fed up with it and traded it in.

[@ralphabreu5022]

Car wizard, the bright LED lights burn out quicker than the right Sylvania headlights are perfect for that truck

[@heiner71]

I expect there is a reason that the window motor assembly only costs $2 more than just the rollers. The original ones lasted 30 years. The Amazon ones, made from Chinesium will last about 3. I would rather fix the original ones, as it is a PITA to take apart all the doors again. At least keep the original assemblies around for the next attempt.

[@grumpykingtiger4593]

This brought back a lot of memories! My first Ramcharger was a 1979 with a 360 and constant 4 wheel drive. I bought it used in the mid 1980's. It was a gas guzzler but it didn't have all of that horsepower choking pollution crap on it. That thing was a beast! The next Ramcharger I owned was a 1986 and it had the 2 to 4 wheel drive system. They were both great vehicles. If I had the money and the space, I'd love to get one as a project vehicle. I'll be following your progress on yours Car Wizard, as well as your other videos.

[@sleepyhollow783]

Nice to see about the RC's headlights. Get the same questions on my 93 Celica. "Don't you want to upgrade?" I like the historically accurate look & experience of cars. If i want a modern car I'd buy it.

[@Steve8587]

Yep, new window motors for that price. I got a 93 Crown Vic for $300 back in 2002. Back window broke and trunk full of water but got it running and drove it 70 miles home sloshing all the way. AC was dead and all 4 windows had stripped window motors. I remember getting 4 roller inserts off eBay for less than $20 delivered. That car was gifted to a great person and was driven for 5 more years at least.

[@charlie_nolan]

In terms of bulbs, what I like is that there are LED ones that come with a housing, looking like original factory sealed beam bulbs. If you can find ones with the right color temperature and a good beam pattern, they look like OEM but much brighter and never need replacement again

[@blackericdenice]

You are not going to try cold air intake headers and a larger throttle body? You could get 30 more hp. If you believe PowerNation.

[@danlargent3806]

I agree with you completely when it comes to things like the headlights on your truck. But wizard, what would you think about putting the LED upgrades in something like a 1989 Acura Integra with the flip up headlights? I feel like it would match that car better plus you wouldn't really see that much. Also when I originally picked up that car it had all brand new tires that were 20 some years old and completely dry rotted as well 😅

[@Alfadragon17]

Upholstery work is not cheap! I got quoted $1500 to reupholster by 71 LTD front bench seat. And that's if I brought them the covers! They didn't even have to disassemble the bench! I'm rebuilding my engine and I'm going to be in that rebuild less than the cost to redo my bench seat.

[@RustyZipper]

Probably re-using the old foam too!

[@jamesford2942]

I like the less complex cars and trucks of this era and earlier. I have a 2000 Jaguar s-type V8 that I just got a few months ago. It sat on decent looking tires but they are all flat spotted like yours. The nice thing is that it smoothes out at 80 MP H. I have had it up to 135 MPH. It has an intermittent missfire that I haven't been able to diagnose yet.

[@brandonmulford5524]

Great comment on the proper order to refresh an older vehicle.

[@davidparker1508]

I agree 100% with the wizard. I bought a cheap but running 98 TA I’ve focused on safety and maintenance first. many people pull the engine and disassemble the entire car. Then they can’t fix it and sell it as buckets of parts and bolts.

[@99dsm1]

You will need that tank, my 87 ramcharger averaged 11 to the gallon when I got it in 92 with 2 thousand miles on it. It was a pig, very little pick up when accelerating. I did throw a built carberated pre smog 360 into it when the original engine got very tired at around 140K miles which helped with gas mileage and acceleration.

[@christopherw6309]

Just normal stuff for an older vehicle. I remember Jetzon Revengers in the 80s. They weren't a high end tire and had a pretty hard compound. So they were good in the teenage burnout years lol. They lasted a while, had white lettering and a cool name.

[@jrpadgett726]

I really hope you don't give up on this truck. My first four wheel drive was a 76 Ramcharger , 360 , auto , bright red with white interior. Only vehicle I've ever owned that I still have a framed picture of on the wall.

[@dwiktoworship]

I had a 75 D -ramcharger absolutely loved it. I miss it such a great vehicle. You have a total classic!! Great find look forward to the upcoming vids!!

[@awegner6465]

The underside of your truck is calling out for a good coating of Fluid Film. The stuff works great to keep your Ramcharger from rusting even worse. I've used it on my '74 beetle and '22 Crosstrek. It's good stuff.

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

I will say this about incandescent bulbs the quality of the bulbs have gone WAY down. They are not as bright as they were in the past also they don't last as long. I have composite headlights on my 95 Dakota oh what a difference switching LED lamps. Needs some dry ice blasting on the running gear. 11:07 This is why the introduction of the Magnum line of engines was so popular. HP went up to 235 on the 360.

[@gloryholdofficial]

My grandfather had one of these 5 years ago he restored it and did an ls swap with over 400 hp made a massive difference it all worked too ac all the gauges the 4wd everything worked like stock you would never know it was swapped until you drive it and look under the hood

[@inspiration2284]

4:54 this made me chucked out loud, like 4-5 years ago my brother had a rotten tire on a trailer, after inflating it, we poked around the split and it DID indeed explode

[@TTTTTTTTztttttttt]

I replaced the window gear "rollers" in my 70 charger and 74 newport with cut down spent rifle brass in the 80's. Always wondered if that ever was noticed by the later owners. lol Great vids Wizard! Thank you.

[@davidfalk-k5y]

Im really glad you were on hoovies garage ,like watching your videos ,very interesting to watch ive been a gear head my hole life im 62 never gets dull keep up the great job brother

[@patricstevens8371]

Hey Wizard. I bought a 96 Ford Ranger about a year ago. I owned it for about ; months. It ran good and drove with about 170,000 miles. I put twice the money to it than what I paid for it. It needed so much more work. I sold it for a big loss. I will not do that again.

[@aaronberga8803]

Several years ago I bought a snowblower from a scrap guy for 25 bucks. Figured out the carb was gummed up and needed rebuilt. Searched for a rebuild kit, it was 30 bucks plus shipping. Kept digging, and found a completely new carb for 25 bucks shipped. Turned out to be a great snow blower. Ariens 555 IIRC.

[@andremauboussin2705]

Like the Ramcharger wizard. I had an 89 Ram with the 5.2 TBI and it ran quite well. Others have mentioned to advance the timing some and Im also sure adding a less restrictive exhaust would help. I had to replace yhe evap. Core in mine as the A/C started leaking. Should be a fun, capable beast when finished.

[@PetrEse76]

I have '78 for 15 yrs. My complaint about it is the lack of depth in the replacement parts market. Ive enjoyed driving it over the yrs.

[@Fireandiceautok9v]

I work on a lot of these trucks up in Alaska. The first thing I do is 4 barrel intake manifold. Then a gm ignition module with a 73 up stock distributor. And you could get 220 horses easy.

[@JesseMcNeil-r2q]

Do you know if that works on a 77' 318?

[@Fireandiceautok9v]

@JesseMcNeil-r2q yes I have done many of them. Jamie at dead dodge garage has a video detailing the job as far as the ignition goes. Switching to a 4 brl will give better fuel economy and a power gain. Oh and I normally delete all the emissions. Smog pump ,cat ,egr.I leave the pcv in place it good for the engine.

[@Fireandiceautok9v]

@JesseMcNeil-r2q oh and you can reuse the 77 distributor.

[@JesseMcNeil-r2q]

@@Fireandiceautok9v great appreciate the knowledge, I'm new to these older trucks.

[@SUMTlNGW0NG]

IIRC date codes started in the early 2000s, so those tires could be 20+ years old. It's no wonder they're splitting. On another note, a local guy here did a 5.9 cummins and 5 speed swap on his RamCharger. I see it all over town, tows like a beast. They're great old trucks.

[@umad42]

Reminds me of my adventures with my 92 4Runner. It runs and drives now, I'm just running down all the issues. Needs new speakers, like yours does, needed new tires like yours does, little driveability problems caused by dry rotted rubber bushings and boots letting grease leak out over time.

[@randallrussell3842]

Hay Wizard you can get a little better performance from these TBI engines by advancing the base ignition timing to around 16 deg. Just watch out for detonation and tune accordingly. At least that's what I do.

[@wyattwunderlin4445]

As far as the window motor, some people update the stock motors with Delrin rollers. They last much longer and work great. I rebuilt the headlights on my 3rd gen firebird, which uses a similar motor/roller setup.

[@shadowdog500]

Buy a few extra ram hood ornaments! I owned a ram charger in the 90s and kids would steal the hood ornament once or twice a year.

[@rmduda1]

None of the new stuff impresses me, I just see nightmares down the road. My newest ride is a 2015 Ram 1500, I've had a lot of maintenance taken care of and thoroughly enjoy this truck. Hopefully it'll take me to the end of my days.

[@extreme1143]

i had an 86 2wd Ramcharger and loved it. i enjoyed your video very much. you simply don't see these in that condition any more. a couple things i saw in the video that should be addressed. #1 the rear hatch is cracked at the hinges. you can fiberglass it but it will break again. these hatches are 2 pieces consisting of inside and outside design. they are glued together. this glue fails and then they crack. i actually re glued mine together using 3m body panel glue and a series of small stainless steel bolts across the top to hold it together. after 10 plus years it still looked great with no further issues. #2 the seat frames will break. they are difficult to repair and not worth the time it takes. the good news is the frames are the same as found in the older mini vans and some full size vans. so finding replacements is not hard. it looks like the rockers on this truck are in great shape. i would remove the rubber plugs from underneath and wash them out and spray the inside with an oil based rust prevention liquid. just some thoughts from a former owner of one of these great trucks.

[@wesgann2109]

@Carwizzard I have a 93 ram charger with the exact same engine and tbi set up. What holds those engines back is the factory intakes. You can put an aftermarket intake on and it will totally wake up that 318. But they are a little salty on the price but worth it.

[@gridjockey]

Best options for that platform was a 360 cubic inch with a four barrel thermal quad then it would get out of its way for itself and a four-speed manual

[@wesinbama]

2:02 that’s why I wear yellow glasses at night. (AKA: ‘Shooting glasses’)

[@RustyZipper]

Walter

[@andyossie]

in Australia, it's illegal to have HID or LED lights put into the standard halogen lamps set up even though people were still doing it anyway and the brightness bleeds above the cut off when on low beam which is what the issue is. Half the vehicles are now factory LED headlights around here where I live (including me) and you barely get that bright light in the eyes at all from factory.

[@joelwolfe]

I have a 1990 K5 Blazer I bought two years ago and this man speaks truth on every word

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

Nice headlights and the truck will last a long time after your done working on it 👍 😀. Those are bad tires, get some BFGs

[@jasonnelson6624]

Just don't let the BFGs get as old. Ironically I bought a ramcharger with BFG that had no wear. But was old enough to buy a beer. No cracking at all but one day one just exploited while it has been sitting in my driveway. Maybe age is more important than brand of course both would be preferred.

[@merrillfrank5428]

Interesting factoid about these later Ram Chargers. The first generation Ram Charger and Trail Duster (both are names that should be revived) had the removable roof similar to the K-5 Blazer. The suits are Chrysler surveyed owners to see if they were removing them for open air motoring and found that few even bothered to since it was laborious to unbolt and removed the roof, plus you needed two or more people to do it. So for the refreshed version they went with the fixed roof, fiberglass hatchback and the funky roof vent in the rear section.

[@jeffwilliams8990]

Heads up silver star lights are great but keep an extra bulb in glove box. They do burn out a bit quicker than normal lights. Not a big deal still good lights just be prepared to swap out at any time.

[@dsteele27]

I had an '81 Ramcharger from December 1980 to February 1990. One problem it developed, around 1985, that i'm glad you don't have was that the rear hatch cracked around both hinges. It got so bad that i had to replace the hatch around 1987. 35 gallon tank, btw, if it's the same as in '81.

[@phazerboy]

The only problem with Silverstar headlights is they don't last as long. The brighter bulb it due to a thinner tungsten filament and they don't handle vibration as well. I had some in a Camaro and they were only lasting about a year or two. After the third one in two years I changed back to stock as they are about $50 a piece.

[@1crustyoldmsgtretired870]

Daniel Stern has a LOT to say about vehicle headlights. One of the things you can do with your older cars is to run the switch to a relay and and power the headlights with larger gauge wire from the battery (add a fuse on the headlight side of course) thru the relay. You eliminate the voltage drop in the circuit and get brighter headlights. Not a bad truck, really. Just seems to have typical 30+yr old truck problems. It won't be complete until you get an equally scruffy sparkly purple bass boat to tow behind it. Oh! And yes, 318s of that era were doggy. Along with most cars of the time. To quote Jeremy Clarkson on American cars of the era: "How do they get such a small amount of horsepower from a car?"

[@bwofficial1776]

He's why I run Cibie ECE headlights on my classic. Brightest and most efficient halogen headlights I've ever seen but no glare to oncoming traffic.

[@kevinrogan9871]

In NZ it has been made illegal to fit LED bulbs into a vehicle that did not have LED bulbs fitted from the factory. The mismatch between the bulbs and reflectors was causing too many safety issues to oncoming vehicles at night.

[@bwofficial1776]

Wizard, if you're going to drive this truck at night a lot look into vintage Cibie or Hella E-code headlights. They look like sealed beams but take an H4 bulb and will put out light like a modern car. Combine that with a thick wiring harness run to the battery and they'll be the best halogen lights you've ever seen.

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

As a Mopar guy, i was saying. Needs at least a 360 Magnum swap. They are very under powered...or Cam it and swap intake manifold and put a carburetor on the 318. But other than that. Its cool 👍🏻

[@curtishorton6163]

Needs better flowing heads as well. Really wakes those 318's up after all those mods

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

@curtishorton6163 agreed. That's right

[@Coker-Time]

It’s a old classic car. Not really surprised. At least you have the RAM on the hood. Glass is nice for headlights, so adding additional off-road lights is that it needs. A pare of classics fog lights would look good. Need to steam out the hvac system to get it clean. I do think you need to put a hemi in it. It’s the one car I wish they would have brought back.

[@50TBRD]

Similar story to the 94 2dr Blazer I've been working on for the last several months. Ran and drove when I bought it but interior needed work, lots of missing pieces, lots of little things didn't work and even needed new supports for the rear hatch too.

[@moparfan4388]

I had an 83 Ram that I bought brand new. It had a 318 2BBL feedback carb with a 727 trans, what a gutless piece. Being a Mopar lover I just put up with it. At about 90K miles I swapped in a 360 with Holley Pro Injection. The Holley injection was horrible unlike the modern stuff. It was up to you to adjust dashpots to try and I mean try to make it work. After a short amount of time I found a 5.2 Magnum complete with fuel tank and wiring. I studied the wiring and came up with the courage to put it in. It transformed the truck into a absolute dream to drive. Power and fuel economy was unbelievable and that was only the 5.2. I had plans to put a 518 trans in but sold it before I could. I truly miss that truck (it ended up getting destroyed in a tornado). My point being that a Magnum install would be a fairly easy install because of the Ramcharger already being injected.

[@b-rad578]

I have a ramcharge myself that I needs tlc and I'm glad you posted about these . They're so cool

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

I know that you want to keep it original,but I would find a 360 cid for the Ramcharger to move that heavy truck down the road

[@nickwarner8158]

Those aren't much better and the ones available are going to be needing overhaul. He's better off putting an Edelbrock top end into it with a Performer cam, roller rockers and headers. The old heads, cam and manifolds were the smog-era crap and couldn't make much power.

[@jrhunt414]

Definitely want those rear brakes working. The rear idle power will over power the front braking force in the snow if your rear brakes go. Still stops great in dry and you’ll never know until it snows and you go through a red light at idle speed.

[@alacharger]

I had a mid 80s full size K-5 Blazer that came from the factory with a 305 engine. It would hardly pull itself and got around 10 mpg. I replaced it with a 400 small block, and the power and mpg both went up.

[@frankbradleyjr]

The rear brakes on my 2006 Chevy Silverado WT series last for 185,000 miles. I know this because I'm the original owner and one weekend I heard some grinding took it in and had new drums, shoes, wheel cylinders,and hardware kit done. Mech told me it even still had the factory clips that sold the drum on. This truck has been the best with everything that's still original to the truck. Some of it you wouldn't believe till you see it.

[@ToomasTelling]

like Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage says. dont worry about it being pretty or shiney just get your rig going and enjoy it and that will keep you motivated to work on your project.

[@jmc88480]

Those mud dobber nests in the balancer pulley @ 9:29. Very cool truck. You could always do a magnum head conversion to wake it up a bit.

[@Retrorob3]

I have a 91 Ive drivenn for 15 years and stilll drrive daily ..passes smog looks like new w. 150k miles ..interior like new . I have an award winninng 89 4x4 in better condition .. great fixible dependable trucks

[@barrythomas6429]

Funny how the tone of our voice changes when we try to make an advertisement sound like general conversation..

[@AfternoonProductions]

It’s kinda similar to a customer service voice. If you were getting paid to read something I’d probably assume you’d do it too. Just skip past it who cares

[@themaddendynasty5099]

Wizard where are you getting your parts for this ramcharger? I have a Cummins from the same generation and I need a good parts shop.

[@HR-wd6cw]

Unless you know you're doing an engine rebuild or swap, you're right, don't do the small stuff. Start with the mechanical (engine and transmission) if it needs it. Once that's sorted out, THEN do the small stuff. Of course little things like AC may not be a huge issue and could probably be omitted or delayed (in terms of repair) but a vehicle needs to at least drive and stop to be worth throwing any more money into for the most part.