Ram Truck Lover Finds Dream Rig, Makes It Even Cooler

Once man made his dream of Ram 2500 with Cummins diesel and manual gearbox come true, he added 35s and more power.

Some people dream of getting a cherry 1969 Dodge Charger. Others fantasize about putting a Hellcat under the hood of their Durango. Then there are guys like Conor, the featured guest in one of the latest installments of The Fast Lane Truck‘s series “Dude, I Love or Hate My New Ride.” He wanted a diesel Ram 2500 with a six-speed stick.

It took some searching, but Conor eventually found one up in Washington state. It was completely stock and nicely loaded, too. Not only did it have the Cummins turbo diesel and the six-speed manual gearbox he was looking for, but the 2500 Laramie 4X4 also had heated and cooled leather front seats, navigation and the Off-Road Package. Even better, it was dark gray just like his beloved 2002 Dodge Ram 2500.

That was just the beginning. Conor had even more dreams he wanted to turn into reality. He made subtle, attractive cosmetic changes to the exterior. One of those was leveling out the front end. Doing that allowed him to throw on some hoss 35-inch mud-terrain tires.

Conor focused on freeing up the mighty Cummins diesel’s breathing. He had a shop give it the tune and delete special. He tells host Andre Smirnov, “The EGR valve is gone and then on the other side, the entire EGR cooler is gone as well, including the entire exhaust, which is a four-inch all the way back.” Conor also had the diesel particulate filter tossed out.

The tune is a four-stage setup. Its first level adds 20 horsepower. The second gives the Cummins a 75-horsepower boost for towing. The third setting is a street tune that bumps output up by 120 horsepower. The fourth profile is a “hot” tune that puts 180 more horses under the hood. Overall, Conor estimates his truck now generates “just over 500-plus wheel” horsepower and as much as 1,200 lb-ft of torque.

That long shifter for the six-speed gearbox is connected to an aftermarket ceramic clutch. Smirnov says, “The clutch feeling is pretty nice and easy. Conor tells me the clutch feels about like factory would, but the engagement is very positive.” What makes the stick even more eye-catching is the fact that it juts out from behind the middle of the front bench seat.

Some people just say they’re “living the dream.” Conor really is. After wanting this rig for so long and putting so much time and money into it, Conor has no intention of parting ways with it and waking up. He plans to keep his truck for the next 20-30 years, at least.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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