Going to be fixing up the ram

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Well I've made posts about this old truck before. And since there is a baby on the way. It is now a priority to have one vehicle that can haul 6 seats. I have my son full-time and my fiance's son full time. We have my daughter every other weekend now this a pretty new development. So we only need a 6 passenger vehicle 4 days a month. So we are taking a step back from the minivan isle. And going to put some money into the Dodge to make it road Worthy.
Things it needs to pass inspection
Front cab mounts they are rusted out. But I can buy them both for $220 .
Windshield is cracked
Needs new tires. They'll pass inspection but they are still not up to par
Needs a belt tensioner. Needs the passenger seat cable fixed so you can slide it back and forth.
Needs new door panel clips and window switches replaced. Roof needs sanded down and re painted.
Needs shocks
Driver seat needs re done or replaced huge hole in the side and the foam is torn as well.
Both bumpers as they're bent.
Headliner and the front dome light map holder thing replaced top of dash replaced it's cracked. Some rust holes in the bed repaired
All the fluids changed the rear axle speed sensor replaced and then it would be good to go through the whole underneath and undercoat stuff.
The rest of the cab mounts are like new just the front are trash. The drivetrain is terrific no leaks smoke no harsh shifts. Nothing. I may replaced the transmission lines to the have the gooey build up on the rubber portions of the lines. It's been that way for years. Battery is good but it needing one in the near future wouldn't be a surprise.
So I figured around $1500 to make it decent it does have some clear coat failure does have some scratches ect but even if it cost 2,000 I couldn't replace it for that and it's sentimental being my grandpas truck.
The thing that most led me to this decision besides the financial aspect of it. I can not start it for 4 months 6 months whatever I walk out side turn the key and it always just fires right up. It's hard to quit on something that hasn't ever quit on you. Darn thing has always been reliable always been there when you needed it it's just hard to argue with that level dependability. So yes I may be crazy but I believe this is the oath forward for the family hauler and the truck . Kill two birds with one stone so to say.
 
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Frame is totally fine surface rust but nothing to worry about. The body isn't awful the roof is the worst it sat under a tree for four years and the sap ate the paint . Other than that there is a scrape in the passenger door that I could clean up and touch up and make it look better a dent in the lower driver side rocker the bed has some small rust holes and a rust hole where it meets the fender well. The bumpers are solid but the rear has some rust and the front is bent from when my uncle put it in a ditch years ago. So it's not going to win any awards. But a truck in similar condition is worth around 2,000 probably and if I put the money into it it'll be worth probably 3-3500 just going off what I've seen .I got the truck for free and have maybe $300 in it I've owned it for almost 7 years. So it isn't worth much monetarily but to make it road road Worthy and half way decent wouldn't cost that much in comparison to a newer truck or even one the same age . And it was my Papa's so if keeping it and fixing it isn't financial suicide I'd like to keep it around.
 
Just a few observations that I wanted to point out.

- It's going to get maybe 13 MPG, keep that in mind as you budget for gas.
- It's reliable now when you drive it rarely, once it get's into DD mode, that could quickly change.
- Once you put that money into it you'll never get it back.
- If you're hauling your kiddo's around in it keep crash ratings in mind. I believe Ram's of that era do very poor in a crash.

That being said, I completely get the sentimental aspect and that would be a fun project to see a tuck with history restored back to working condition. Since you have very little into it, it's not insane to me to want to put some money into it. you couldn't find something else for $1500 and if you don't want payments on something newer it may be your only choice. Just keep in mind that with any older vehicle, it's a gamble putting money into it. If you don't care and are going to hang onto it forever then it's probably not as much of a concern to you.

Good luck!
 
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IMO it's worn out and not worth the effort. But maybe it'll work out just fine--you seem to know what is wrong with it, and are going in eyes wide open.

Good luck to you.

Might want to skip on anything cosmetic until after it's on the road, and has pulled its weight for a few months. Let it prove itself again, as it were. If it's working great, then fix the cosmetics.
 
I typically let it run about once a month and drive it around the neighborhood . It's only not been used much this past year. Up until then I used it often . The drivetrain is in good shape. That being said my order of attack is cab mounts windshield then door panel and switches fluids and tires. Then get it legal and do the rest as I drive. That's the plan .
 
How's the Saturn running?

Pretty sure that would get you much better fuel economy (save gas) over the truck.
Could be more reliable as well.
 
Originally Posted by Donald


A 1995 truck is not worth much. Even if it brings you fond memories or never let you down.


I understand weighing the value of a vehicle against repair costs, but when you really like a vehicle and can afford to keep it going, I think that overrides getting rid of it based on a highly variable, constantly changing "book" value. No car is really an investment unless you can see into the future and see what unremarkable vehicles will grow in value for whatever stupid reason. Who could have foreseen things like the Mopar muscle car frenzy of 10-15 or so years ago? Or goofy looking "bubble era" Japanese minivans now (while people in Japan go nuts for Ram Vans)? The risk is that it will be hard to be made whole if something like a wreck happens, or some natural disaster, but the vast majority of cars lose their value over time anyway, especially if driven.
 
Saturn is doing great but doesn't hold 6 people. The truck can haul six so that of great importance with our growing family
 
If it were me I would spend cautiously on it and focus on the mechanical aspects as opposed to the cosmetic. Keep in mind that what people are asking for these trucks does not necessarily equal the amount of money they are truly able to sell them for. When something big does inevitably fail the truck will be worth roughly the same amount whether or not you fix it up cosmetically and any money spent to make it look a little nicer will just be lost. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Good luck! I do like that generation of trucks.
 
I get the sentimental thing. My Jeep was my grandpa's. I'll cherish it forever.

I'd be interested in a build thread where you can update with pics your progress
 
I am getting a 98 Ram on the road that family member thought was a good buy. So far 900 in parts alone. She spent 1k on the price and afterwards still will not have AC. Frt end, brakes, water pump etc. Truck is shot mechanically with 235k. Some never learn
 
Mine is really mechanically sound. The body isn't even that rusty except these mounts. I'm guessing they get alot of debris thrown right there from the front tire and they Rot out. Truck has 187,000 I trust the drivetrain can do quite a bit more . The engine doesn't leak smoke tick nothing. The compression is good a vacuum test yielded great results. Axles is great no leaks ring gear and pinion look great. Ball joints are only 3 years old. Front end is tight. The transmission shifts perfect as well but it's a known weak point it's the original never been opened except to be maintenanced. When the trans does go it's nothing to rebuild them I've rebuilt a couple of them or replace it with a used unit in a couple hours. The truck mechanically doesn't scare me. I have decided I will actively seek out a Dodge with a bad engine or something and I'll swap the bed off of it since mine has rust holes. When my uncle had it he piled random crap in the bed and let it sit and hold all the water for 4 years. So swapping the bed is the easiest solution.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
So what is the condition of the body and frame?

A 1995 truck is not worth much. Even if it brings you fond memories or never let you down.
I disagree 100%, sentimental value is real. My Dad just gave me his old rusty truck that I've been driving since I was 17 (30 now). I wouldn't trade it for a brand new one.

It is a 1997 truck though.
 
Knocked the other cab mount off today have to get some metal to patch the floor pan. It's not rustt really but getting the cab mount off caused some holes. I'd share pictures but the thing on the forum to post them isn't working.
 
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