Here lie the chronicles of the Wartrukks, my two side-projects of greater and lesser functionality, to be worked on alongside with and after the Knightmobile.
First off, Project Nemesis Prime: A 1990 Dodge Ram D250 longbed 3/4ton pickup with a MOPAR 360 V8 and a four speed NV something-or-other transmission. Nemesis Prime exists primarily for me to haul stuff and learn how do drive stick, both tasks it accomplishes with aplomb aplenty; For one, the rear gear is so high that second gear is basically first gear and first gear is the burnout gear, and it transfers enough torque that the damn thing could drive up a wall. For two, the transmission is kind of crufty and finicky, so when I master this stubborn b*st*rd a clean WC T5 or a shiny new TKO shouldn't be any kind of problem.
Of course, it currently looks like
complete sh*t, rocking a tri-color scheme of Minty Green, Primer Gray, and Rust Converter Black. Not to mention the red and black tailgate, which was pulled off an entirely different truck on account of the original suffering a Volkswagen related incident(on the plus side, I now know that it's entirely possible to fit a Beetle in the back of a Ram).
As such, my ultimate cosmetic goal is to model it in the image of the glorious Nemesis Prime, which means stripping the trim to a minimum and dishing out the glorious satiny flat black, then finding a nice big Decepticon emblem for the tailgate and hood. Fortunately, I already have several gallons of Eastwood's satin black rat rod single stage urethane paint, so all I need to do is strip, sand, and spray it.
Mechanically, I already had to replace the shocks, on account of my suspicion that they were the stock shocks and haven't been replaced... ever. I put in some KYB Exel-G twin tubes, and now it rides quite a lot smoother. Otherwise, the truck only has 100k on it and runs pretty damn well, so aside from tune-up stuff there isn't much I really need to do to it aside from finding a more appropriately geared rear end. As much as I appreciate the ability to haul two Volkswagons, three transmissions, two engines, and five hundred pounds of lead on a bigass car hauler up a hill at seventy miles an hour, I'd appreciate not running out of gears to shift to at twenty five miles an hour a lot more.
Overall, for a truck I got from my uncle for 750$, I'm quite happy with it. Plus, I grew up riding in my dad's 1985 Dodge Ram, so I'm partial to them.
Second up, Project Most Beautiful Truck. A 1950 Chevrolet Advance Design(the most beautiful truck ever made, fact not opinion deal with it) 1/2ton pickup with a 235 straight six. This project is for after the completion of the Knightmobile, on account of the list of things which don't need work being significantly shorter than the list of things that do. Pretty much the only thing that isn't going to need a shitload of dollars thrown at it is the engine(maybe), on account of it supposedly being rebuilt by the previous owner about a decade ago. Otherwise, transmission's bad, rear end is gone, brakes don't work, wiring harness is still 6-volt, needs some body work, and was apparently primed with cake batter. On the plus side, it has all its glass and isn't very rusty!
I'm still contemplating where to go with this one, on account of there being so many possibilities. If I can actually find parts for it I strongly desire to keep the iconic Stovebolt straight six, but I get the feeling it'd be a lot easier, cheaper, and ultimately better to swap in a more modern engine. While the Chevy 350 is a completely doable option, I'm definitely more inclined towards keeping it an inline engine. I'm also considering putting in a diesel, though as I desire the MBT to be a classy comfort cruiser the loud-*ss knock and absurd torque of a diesel are less than desirable. Transmission wise, a truck T5 strikes me as the way to go. Lots of gears for economy, smooth shifting, likely more than strong enough for a six-banger(as compared to a built Olds 350. Poor doomed WC T5).
Paint wise, I'm inspired by the adorable warm colored orange and white Sym Mio scooter:
Which I think would make a classic yet pleasant coloration for the glorious curves of the MBT. Undent and polish up the original chrome and it promises to be one classy ride.
Mmm, that hood, that glorious split windshield. So much character!
Those sleek, sexy curves!
Even the tailgate is classy as all get-out.
First off, Project Nemesis Prime: A 1990 Dodge Ram D250 longbed 3/4ton pickup with a MOPAR 360 V8 and a four speed NV something-or-other transmission. Nemesis Prime exists primarily for me to haul stuff and learn how do drive stick, both tasks it accomplishes with aplomb aplenty; For one, the rear gear is so high that second gear is basically first gear and first gear is the burnout gear, and it transfers enough torque that the damn thing could drive up a wall. For two, the transmission is kind of crufty and finicky, so when I master this stubborn b*st*rd a clean WC T5 or a shiny new TKO shouldn't be any kind of problem.
Of course, it currently looks like
complete sh*t, rocking a tri-color scheme of Minty Green, Primer Gray, and Rust Converter Black. Not to mention the red and black tailgate, which was pulled off an entirely different truck on account of the original suffering a Volkswagen related incident(on the plus side, I now know that it's entirely possible to fit a Beetle in the back of a Ram).
As such, my ultimate cosmetic goal is to model it in the image of the glorious Nemesis Prime, which means stripping the trim to a minimum and dishing out the glorious satiny flat black, then finding a nice big Decepticon emblem for the tailgate and hood. Fortunately, I already have several gallons of Eastwood's satin black rat rod single stage urethane paint, so all I need to do is strip, sand, and spray it.
Mechanically, I already had to replace the shocks, on account of my suspicion that they were the stock shocks and haven't been replaced... ever. I put in some KYB Exel-G twin tubes, and now it rides quite a lot smoother. Otherwise, the truck only has 100k on it and runs pretty damn well, so aside from tune-up stuff there isn't much I really need to do to it aside from finding a more appropriately geared rear end. As much as I appreciate the ability to haul two Volkswagons, three transmissions, two engines, and five hundred pounds of lead on a bigass car hauler up a hill at seventy miles an hour, I'd appreciate not running out of gears to shift to at twenty five miles an hour a lot more.
Overall, for a truck I got from my uncle for 750$, I'm quite happy with it. Plus, I grew up riding in my dad's 1985 Dodge Ram, so I'm partial to them.
Second up, Project Most Beautiful Truck. A 1950 Chevrolet Advance Design(the most beautiful truck ever made, fact not opinion deal with it) 1/2ton pickup with a 235 straight six. This project is for after the completion of the Knightmobile, on account of the list of things which don't need work being significantly shorter than the list of things that do. Pretty much the only thing that isn't going to need a shitload of dollars thrown at it is the engine(maybe), on account of it supposedly being rebuilt by the previous owner about a decade ago. Otherwise, transmission's bad, rear end is gone, brakes don't work, wiring harness is still 6-volt, needs some body work, and was apparently primed with cake batter. On the plus side, it has all its glass and isn't very rusty!
I'm still contemplating where to go with this one, on account of there being so many possibilities. If I can actually find parts for it I strongly desire to keep the iconic Stovebolt straight six, but I get the feeling it'd be a lot easier, cheaper, and ultimately better to swap in a more modern engine. While the Chevy 350 is a completely doable option, I'm definitely more inclined towards keeping it an inline engine. I'm also considering putting in a diesel, though as I desire the MBT to be a classy comfort cruiser the loud-*ss knock and absurd torque of a diesel are less than desirable. Transmission wise, a truck T5 strikes me as the way to go. Lots of gears for economy, smooth shifting, likely more than strong enough for a six-banger(as compared to a built Olds 350. Poor doomed WC T5).
Paint wise, I'm inspired by the adorable warm colored orange and white Sym Mio scooter:
Which I think would make a classic yet pleasant coloration for the glorious curves of the MBT. Undent and polish up the original chrome and it promises to be one classy ride.
Mmm, that hood, that glorious split windshield. So much character!
Those sleek, sexy curves!
Even the tailgate is classy as all get-out.
