I just had my Grandpa's old truck (99' 1500 5.2L 2wd with 60k miles) shipped from FL which was extremely stressful... After they picked up the truck and got it loaded onto the trailer the were finishing up paperwork when a drunk driver lost control of her car and hit the rear of their tow truck. It made for a big scene in small FL town in the middle of the night. Shipping ended up taking a few more days since they had to get another truck to make the run. The Ram finally made it after about a week or so and the project list has been growing ever since.

I've been trying to scratch things off as fast as I can. I would like to eventually get it fixed up and used as a weekend cruiser for the family to be able to take out, but still be able to run to the lumber yard and get a few things for my projects.

I gave it a quick wash and started working on the interior. I pulled the seats out to work on a few stains in the carpet, but that quickly turned into me deep cleaning all of the carpet and the seats. There was some nasty rust stains under the passenger seat that took some time to get up. It's not perfect, but it is a lot better. Still trying to figure out what caused the stains. Oh, I also found a little friend, but he didn't make it...

The interior was put back together after everything got a chance to dry and I started working on the dash. My dashboard appears to be in good shape, but the dash bezel had a couple cracks in it. When I pulled it off it basically fell apart everywhere I touched it. A new one should be here by the end of the week.

So far, besides an oil change that is about it.

More to come. (the wife is going to kill me if I do everything at once)

Delivery Day!


Pulling the seats

Strange stains. Poor little guy...

After a good cleaning.

Drying out

 

Looks like there was a chain laying on the carpet for an extended period of time.

Nice project.

 

I like the 2nd Gen trucks as they still use the old style technology. Even with computers, they are fairly simple to work on. The first generation of Magnums trace their lineage back to the 1953 Red Ram Hemi. I've worked on the second generation of Magnums but they strike me as dainty. Yes, they pull just fine but when they get miles, they tend to have issues.

Is your Grandfather still with us? If he is, I'll bet he'll get a kick out of seeing what you do with it. It may bring back memories. If he has passed on, it'll be a good way to remember him.

It's a sharp looking truck.

 

Very well could have been. it was really strange and a pain to get cleaned up.

Unfortunately he is not. But I think he would've gotten a kick out of us cleaning it up. Hopefully we can hold onto it or a little while and my kids can drive it...

 

I bought a 2003 Ram 1500 at an estate sale one time a friend was having. On the back, stick on letters spelled out "Paw Paw's Truck". As I was loading it up, the Grandkids were crying. Their dad said it was like Paw Paw leaving again. I got some touch up paint and cut a section of body panel from some scrap. Painted it silver like the truck then used a razor blade to remove the letters. Normally I'd toss it but used some mounting tape to add the letters to spell out Paw Paws truck. When I got done, it looked like I cut it out of the tail gate. Dad was a friend of mine so I swung by his work and gave it to him. He later said the kids all wanted it in their rooms.

Being low mles and the way you're cleaning it, it should be around for a long time. Just make sure any beach salt is cleaned off.

 

That's awesome that you were able to provide them with something like that! Still working on the all the beach salt, sand, and leaves. Started cleaning a nest of leaves and straw out of the passenger fender well the other day and not I just want to start pulling everything apart to make sure that I get it all. I should've taken some pictures of the insulation mat that was under the hood. There was a empty wasp nest still attached to it...

I had to pick up a new battery and replace the battery terminals because they had cracked and weren't keeping a solid connection. We'll see how the new connectors hold up over time. Not sure that I am a huge fan of them.

 

I've never used those type of battery cable clamps. They look like what is used for mega sound systems. The covers are actually a good idea to avoid shorts.

Even though I worked with my friend before I retired, I went to school with his father. He was a couple of years ahead of me in high school.