What I've been wasting my time with lately (Ramcharger rebuild) Pt.1

[1USMC]

Congrats !!!

And we will need more photos ......

[The_War_Wagon]

Congrats !!!

And we will need more photos ......

If work would stop intruding, I could spend more time taking pictures!!!

I have a couple, from outside the shop - the day I dropped it off. I've been so busy since, I haven't been able to drop by and look at it. HOPE to get by maybe Monday or Tuesday...

[The_War_Wagon]

So here's the LATEST batch of pics, from the latest foray to the shop!

It's at Gibbs Automotive here in Pittsburgh now - these guys are probably the closest 4WD shop to the city proper - about 4 miles from downtown - and they're GOOD! They don't even advertise, or have a listing in the phone book, but it took me 6 weeks to get a spot in their garage, from the time I told 'em I was ready to go! They're ALWAYS busy.

Here was the passenger seat, LOADED with goodies for the trip over!




Leavin' 'er out back!




Took me over a week to get back there - DMG was working on the front axle when I came in today.





That's DMG!

The new carrier & ring & pinion are now in up front, as well as my SOLID diff cover.





#3 son is in the background - he had the day off, since his school is a polling place.

Turns out, DMG has a better plan for shocks - looks like Bilstein 5125's at all four corners, since shock technology has come quite a ways, since I bought this lift kit 6 years ago! We can ditch the dual shock setup, and make sure they're not bottomed out - as they are with the current setup!!!

[The_War_Wagon]

Don't know if I EVER showed THESE off or not - JEGS Hi-Po cats!




And here's ANOTHER real PITA - the spare tire mount.



Dodge 15" 5 lug 5.5 x 5 wheel - should be a simple enough pattern to make a mount for, right? Wrong.

Kennesaw Mountain Products (yeah, I know about their spotty track record - discovered that fact about 6 years AFTER I had the multicarrier made... D'OH!) mounted the studs at a 6 x 5 inch pattern in reality, so EZaccessories is gonna custom build me a billett aluminum adaptor. I thought about heating it up with a torch and re-positioning it... or just hammering the shiite out of it... but both will leave an extraordinarily HEAVY wheel and tire, dangling precariously back there - most likely working loose eventually, and creating havoc on the road, sooooo... custom adaptor it is.

More pictures to come - DMG is doing it RIGHT, so I'll try to limit myself to picture snapping, and staying OUT of the way of the working people!

[The_War_Wagon]

Not MUCH going on with the RC of late - it's still at Gibbs!




Outside of the shop.




Just accumulating a few odds and ends on the side - got the stereo/cd unit from oldblue27 (it's en route - should arrive today!), so I have a stereo for it now!



Already have an amp and speakers for it, so that's good to go.


The cb rig will be the main thing in this build though.

[The_War_Wagon]

Woot - woot! Things are finally moving again!!! Crappy cell phone pics to follow!


Stopped by the shop today, to check on progress. Dave was outside with a customer, so I parked in my usual spot. My RC's been outside for 6 mos. now, but THIS was parked in its spot today!





I said, "HEY! You SHRANK my Ramcharger!!!" (Neat little project, this '71 Cornbinder - has an automatic transmission and FACTORY A/C!)


Sure enough, there in the garage, is THE War Wagon!





The axles are now done, and Dave says it DEFINITELY has more giddy-yap, with 4.56 gears!





Transmission hangs in low sometimes, which we already knew. The B&M Transpak goes in next, with the new armored transmission pan, filter, and all new fluid. We think, with the forthcoming flush & new filter, the transmission will be good as new when done. Borgeson steering still to go in, too, but it's STARTING to get there!

[The_War_Wagon]

Nothing REALLY new to report - truck is STILL at Gibbs.

Here's a great article, on the guy who did the paint & bodywork on my Ramcharger, though. Big rigs is his SPECIALTY.

Old School Is “Cool”

Everyone at Reinsfelder, Inc. of Pittsburgh is into trucks. In fact, they practically eat, sleep and breathe trucks. They also love the old school look of trucks from days gone by, especially since the company has been hauling freight for 95 years. Luckily for them, Reinsfelder owner Ed Haser is a friend of Jimmy Davis, owner of Ol Skool Stainless Customs of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. For Jimmy it is a passion and a labor of love. What is most impressive is that Jimmy does all of his fabrication by hand, cutting and bending each piece without the help of automation or computers.

That's how he fabbed up that crusher bumper for my Ramcharger!

[Matt]

This things coming along great man!

[The_War_Wagon]

Ramcharger comes HOME tomorrow, bayyyyyyyyyyyy-beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

It's got a few issues to be resolved, but Dave needs the space in the shop, and it's roadworthy, so here goes!

A couple items of interest:

- The B&M Transpak is NOT installed yet. Even though Dave adjusted the bands, flushed out the transmission, & installed the new armored pan & filter, the tranny still doesn't seem to be responding 'quite right' yet. COULD be, because it sat for 6 years. COULD be, a torque converter going bad. Dave say the Transpak will "kill it" at this point, so he wants me to tool around in it a bit - see if that loosens it up, and we can revisit the Transpak in the fall.

- My SPANKIN' NEW fuel lines (custom ordered from MI!!!) had a couple minor leaks. I asked Dave if that was the lines, or my fuel pump, which I can't REMEMBER off the top of my head, whether I replaced or not (I'm PRETTY sure I did, but I don't have my records/receipts in front of me here at the office!). He caught it, so whatever it was, I know it's fixed.

- He hasn't done the plenum fix, but as that's an issue with COLD engines, and the sun has actually made an appearance this month, hopefully it will hold together through spring, summer, and fall, and we can revisit THAT this fall, along with;

- Rock rails/sliders. Dave is still bending tube, but again, he needs the space, so we shall eschew those for the time being. Moreover, I have a NEW idea on what those should look like anyways, so we'll tackle THAT subject later this year as well. As I told him, I'll TRY and resist the urge, to wedge it between a couple of boulders... :tongue3:

Nonetheless, it's re-geared and the Borgeson steering is in place, so no more death wobble from hell, and it SHOULD be able to get out of its own way. There are a couple of other items I want to check on as well, and will report back accordingly. Lots of pictures will follow as well - maybe even a stack of the mad money I'm taking over there for this tomorrow as well.

I'm about to poop myself delirious!

[The_War_Wagon]

I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head.
I think it's the excitement only a Ramcharger man can feel;
a Ramcharger man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
I hope I can make it to the shop today.
I hope to see my truck, and drive it away.
I hope the Borgeson steers as straight as it has in my dreams.

I hope.