Alright...

So I am young and love the thrill of speed so I have been saving a lot of money so I would be able to do this...(I posted before and made the decision to go with the turbo)

I want to make my truck a casual driver/race on the weekends type truck. I want to buy a crate engine, turbo, and new tranny.

I really can't find a turbo for my 96 dodge ram 1500 5.2 or a good crate engine but part of that is because I am paranoid on who to buy it from? Now, I am not very good with trucks but I am casual with the whole changing oil, brakes, and stuff like that...not very good with everything else. So the real question is...can anyone point me out in the right direction? I will definitely keep the project updated and it won't happen till about May but I want to start purchasing the stuff now. If you could help me or point me out to some places that would be awesome!

I looked at Eddies crate engines...anyone ever buy or have a friend buy from them?

My budget is $10,000 max. I am not rich nor are my parents helping me...just been saving a lot of money.

Thanks in advance.

Chad

 

Seems like if you are wanting to do something like this you should sell your truck, and take that money, and your $10,000 budget, and go buy a Ford Lightning.

 

How could you say such a thing?

 

Factory sport truck that will be faster, handles better, and overall drives better than your Ram ever will.

Nobody makes a crate engine for our Magnum engines. Crate engines are for pussies anyway, build yer own! You might learn something!
Turbo: again, nobody makes a direct fit turbo. You have to build your own.

My advice would be to sell the Ram and buy a car that was made to go fast from the start, like a Mustang, Camaro, F-150 SVT Lightning, Dakota R/T, S-10 ZQ8 with 4.3 W motor, Durango R/T, etc...Would be great platforms for a daily driver that you could take racing on the weekends (whether that be drag or autocross). They are also better platforms for modding and have better aftermarket support. Or you could take that money and invest it in a house.

 

um not a ford lightning but maybe a Ram SRT10

 

This is my first vehicle and I want to keep it...plus I have only driven a dodge and want to keep it that way. I brought it from 214,000 to 260,000 miles and I love every bit of it

 

Go get you a junkyard motor, 5.2 / 5.9. Build it up. then get a procharger. Plenty of power.

 

Go to www.ststurbo.com, they have a remote mounted kit for trucks. They don't have a bolt on for 2nd Gen Rams (although they do for 3rd Gen), but they have a universal kit that would be close, you never know, they might have a bolt on kit in the works. As far as crate engines, there are plenty of crate engines based on the 5.2/5.9 magnum, Mopar Performance has plenty of them. True they aren't a "bolt in" in the fact that they don't come with everything you need, but they will bolt in the truck and use any and all components for your truck. If I were you I would take a look at www.hughesengines.com and talk with them. For what you want to do, $10,000 will get eaten up fast, as it sounds like you have limited experience with mechanical work. With a turbo system it will likely require alot of fabrication, and with labour costs averaging $75.00 it won't take long to eat your money. I know you have your heart set on a turbo but a supercharger would be more cost effective. Plus the superchargers available for your truck (Paxton etc) are centrifigal blowers that are basically a belt driver turbocharger. Go to hughes engines, get a stroker kit for your 5.2 (uping it to 390 cu in or a 6.4 litre), some of their Iron Ram or RHS X heads (which are cost effective replacement heads that flow better that Edelbrocks) and a supercharger and your dollar will take you farther.
BTW, the earlier posters advised you to sell your truck and buy a lightning. True, they have a valid point but this hobby we have isn't always about doing what makes sense. You're wanting to hot rod your Ram because you like and and prefer a Dodge, so do it. The Ford Lightning is a pretty sweet peice of machinery but I would never buy a Ford. I would do the same thing you are planning because I like Dodge and would get satisfaction out of doing the work, that 's what this hobby is about.

 

if you have around i would say $10k to spend, then you have a start, but then again you will need some mad fabrication skills and mechanical know how with aftermarket and custom made parts to make that money stretch. personally, id ditch the 5.2/5.9, computer, and go with a built 440 and 727 TF, box the frame, drop in a 14 bolt chevy, or ford 9'' and get you sport suspension that could handle that weight, more than likely a custom made suspension. its a lot more than just welding, theres a science to it to do things right. of course this is a project that would require another car as a daily driver.

 

this is becoming more and more harder to make a decision =\