1978 Dodge Ramcharger Convertible Cummins 5.9 6bt Conversion on 2040-cars
Blaine, Washington, United States
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1978 Dodge Ramcharger with removable hardtop, Cummins 6BTA 5.9 Diesel conversion from ultra low mile 1992 Dodge W250, including the Dana 60 front axle, Dana 70 rear axle, NP205 cast iron transfer case & new A518OD auto transmission with fancy torque converter.
This is a great truck, starts instantly & drives like a First Gen Dodge Cummins! I had this project in mind for many years but finding a convertible Ramcharger that's not rusting into the ground is a difficult task & so the project never started until last year. The truck came new with a 400ci Mopar big block & a Mopar collector in Eugene, OR had it when I found it. He'd installed 3/4 ton axles & a 440 & it was his daily driver but I knew when I bought it that the big gas guzzler was coming out of there! :) The truck was a real solid truck that had been repainted once many years ago in its original Bright Tan Metallic factory color. Must have been done in the early 90's when they hadn't quite figured out how to get clear to stay attached to the color because it has areas where the clear is beginning to peel. The only rust was the size of a quarter in the passenger side dog leg, behind the door & rocker panel...exactly what I'd been looking for! So after hauling the truck back to Vancouver, BC, I went about looking for a complete 89-93 Dodge W250-W350 First Gen with a Cummins/auto to supply the necessary parts for the conversion. I found a 1992 W250 that had been hit in the front but still ran & drove with under 90k miles on it & so it was a perfect candidate except it had a Getrag 5 speed & I wanted to keep the Ramcharger auto, so I bought a rebuilt A518OD transmission that had been done properly. I could spend hours typing a description of exactly what was done to install the Cummins but I'm going to spare you all & just say that you should really email me & I can send you my telephone number so I can give you all the details because to install one properly, get the intercooler behind the factory 1978 grill, keep the 1978 dash & gauges & have the conversion look like it was done at the factory...well...it's a big job & there's a lot to it & so feel free to email & if you're a serious bidder, or even just looking for info for your own conversion, give me a call & I can let you know all the details. The interior, I had the seats restored, the front rubber flooring is a new NOS Mopar matt that was very expensive, the rear carpeting is original & I have an original rollbar for it, just that I'm not really a fan of the rollbar look but it will come with the truck. I installed a heavy duty AFE transmission cooler underneath the truck with huge steel transmission lines & it's own electric fan that works incredible. The truck has new 4" exhaust from the turbo back & it has a muffler...this just isn't the kind of truck to be driving around with a straight pipe, me thinks :) The tires are new 36" 9.00 x 16 Radials. They are a replica of the Michelin XZL's & they're excellent! The truck has a RARE, perfect working Factory Mopar AM/CB radio! The driveshafts have been professionally built at Pat's Driveline, balanced & she runs & drives smooth...4x4 works excellent. What more can I say? It's a nice old Ramcharger that's not been all overdone...it looks like it came this way from Dodge & that was the goal. I did nothing to the body other than clean polish. My original plan was a complete strip & I was even contemplating a color change but a fellow Mopar collector talked me out of it. If I put new paint on it...it looks like every Ramcharger out there that's been beat on & filled with bondo. This body hasn't been touched in 25 years & what you see is what she is...a nice old unit that brings smiles every time it's out! I vowed I'd never put the roof back on once it was finished but decided that for the benefit of Ebay & the prospective buyers...it had to go back on & so I was forced to break my vow :) As I said, I'm in Vancouver, BC & I've been restoring Dodges & specifically Dodge Power Wagon's for many year & am likely way more familiar with bringing vehicles between Canada & the US than most folks looking at this auction & so to simplify these issues, included in the high bid, I will pay to have the truck brokered into Blaine, WA & it will be safe & sound in Blaine, WA with all the paperwork that you need to title it in your State. I know folks that haul trucks & may be able to put you in contact with reliable transporters as well. Against my better judgement, I'm listing this truck with no reserve! Yes...it's crazy & so be nice...hundreds of hours have gone into this project & it's the ultimate cruiser for out in the sunshine! I'm going to add a Buy It Now option, as useless as they are because they just disappear once a few folks bid but if it's gone, just email me & we can discuss it. My original plan for this truck was I thought it would be fantastic to have an SUV that got better than 20mpg & could be driven up & down the West Coast hauling my 14K lb car trailer I use to haul my Powerwagons. The truck is capable & I'd love to keep it but I've got big changes going on here right now & I'm losing my storage & so this truck & in fact all my Powerwagons are going on the block so keep an eye out...there will be more great truck being sold soon! I was going to post a link to a Forum called Ramcharger Central where this project was discussed as it progressed but Ebay won't allow me to post the link for some reason so just go to google, if you're so interested, & type in "ramchargercentral 1978 cummins-Project" ...it will be the first site. Not many of these converted to diesel...I've only ever seen a hand full of them & it really is a natural...everything bolts right in like it was made for it. Also, in the pics you'll notice the clock is missing its screws...that's because I have a factory tach that goes in its place. Both will be included in the sale. The factory gauges...there's also a vacuum gauge I intended to modify & run a boost gauge but I just never bothered. This 6BT has never been turned up, never had bigger injectors or been played with. The injection pump is bone stock with the caps still in place from new & so I just decided a boost gauge was just kind of a wasted effort but it would be easy to do if one was so inclined. Good Luck Bidding & thanks so much for your interest! |
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