Hi there! My name is Justin and I am new to the forums. I am not, however, new to the Dodge Ram or internet forums.

I used to own a 1990 Dodge Power Ram LE W350 Single Rear Wheel 4WD Cummins Turbo Diesel with the Getrag 5 speed. That thing was nuts. I had 33" BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires on GMC 8 lug rims, with Rancho RS5000 shocks and about $4,000 worth of parts, including a billet grille and a complete aftermarket stereo system. That thing was nuts. It turned me into a Dodge fan. However, while mudding one day I got it stuck in 3 feet of clay and no matter what, it would'nt budge. I had to leave it in the clay pit, and when I returned some scummy punks had lit it on fire and stripped it to the frame rails. I was devastated.

Anyway, on to the good part.

I have the opportunity to purchase a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport. Here are the specs...

5.2L, 318 V8
2WD
Extended Cab Short Bed
150,000 Miles
5 Speed Manual
New Clutch
Rebuilt Transmission
Alloy Wheels
New Tires
Dual Exhaust
Clean, Mostly Rust Free Exterior

$1,000 takes it home.

If I bought this truck the first thing I would do is drop in a K&N filter and my MSD Blaster 2 Ignition coil I have sitting around. After that I was hoping to get a decent sounding cam that would get good low-midrange torque without totally screwing my idle. I've read that the Magnum 5.2L heads have good quench and decent flow, is this true?

I was also thinking about keeping the stock ride height for now, maybe a leveling kit (Rear drop shackles) later on down the road. New shocks would be a must.

I'm very technically inclined, and have been working on cars and engines all my life. There's pretty much nothing I can't do, so hit me with whatever you've got. I would be doing all the work myself, and am extremely well equipped for the task. I'm assuming this engine would be similar to pretty much every other MOPAR small block out there, but when it comes to the specifics of what bottlenecks it's performance and what needs to be improved I think I could use some advice. I've read that the older carb'd versions of this motor had a low compression ratio, and react well to having the block decked, but I don't want to dump this much money and machine time into a $1,000 truck, especially if it runs and drives as is.

Also, how long do you guys think this motor will last without an overhaul? I know my Cummins Turbo Diesel had over 300,000 miles on the odometer before it's life was cut tragically short by punks, but what about the Dodge designed/built 318?

Thanks in advance guys.