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I’ve never had a nice truck in my life. Many capable and enjoyable ones, but never a nice one. So I picked up this 2018 Ram 1500 crewcab with the 240HP Ecodiesel. Man...what an awesome truck guys. I absolutely love it! Anyone else here have one with an Ecodiesel?

What a week this is. Spent yesterday with the Montana Dodge Boys at their Speedweek party, then today caravaned with them to the salt. Tomorrow starts the next level of fun. Firing them up, cars running for records. How's this for a young boy's start. The engine builder's son turned 15 about a week ago. Got his driver's license last week. He makes the first record attempt run in the Fast Four car! Holy cow, at 15 I was lucky if I could ride a moped in the yard! I did bring my 24 Dodge Brothers roadster to drive to the various pits. Figured I'd have more credibility than if I showed up in a Prius! a few pictures of the parking at the party.

I just bought a pair of pedal shaft seals from DCM Classics and they are nice thick rubber . To stretch them over my non-removable pedals I warmed them up in the weather and coated them inside and outside with plumbers grease , the grease that is used for o-rings . I also greased the pedal itself , top and bottom , and made sure that there were no sharp edges on the pedal to tear the rubber . I had to use a putty knife to help slide the first one over the pedal , it provided some leverage and the putty knife was also without sharp edges . The second seal I was able to put on without the putty knife for some reason . I half expected the seals to tear during this struggle but they went on O K . At some point during assembly the seals were at least partially inside out so greasing both the inside and the outside is necessary .

My son has one for a daily commuter (about 100 miles a day) - avg about 26 mpg. A friend has a 4-wheel drive version he uses around construction - 21 mpg. That's two different guys with lead feet in full size trucks, running the AC and carrying loads. Both love 'em.

My neighbor has the 2015 Ecodiesel, drove him down to Houston and back in May last year when it was steamy af down there, had to load some equipment for him so we were good and sweaty...that truck rode great, plenty of power, and AC seats?!? HOLY MOLY SWEET RELIEF

My health hasnt gotten an iotta better. I feel my timeclock ticking. I WANT to drive it before I die. I dont have a garage to work in, SOOOOOO today researched a bit and found what I consider a good resto shop. I emailed and he called right back. Not seeing it he was making a SWAG guess but said easy to get to $125,000 with 60-70K of that parts. Anything can and will take it much higher. Maybe he was talking 'perfect' 'show winner' and I was talking good driver. IDK. But one thing for sure is if any shop says they can do that for 50K total run dont walk. Was watching Velocity Sunday and there was a guy who had a painted car go shop to shop 3 times (Why painted first, dont know) and a truck load of parts bins out of this car and a parts car . When that new shop (Velocity subject) unpacked all the parts there was only enough parts for about a 30% of 1 car. Stuff like seats, suspension,gauge innards were ALL gone. Like the shops needed a part or sold some off and used this guys over 5 year time AND charged him 80K to do it to him. He loaded up the car and parts and said it will have to wait. What a deal killer that would be. I guess I am house hunting some harder. I was thinking of buying a cheap house and fixing some as well as build a 3 or 4 car garage. Where I am moving is real small lots, close together so cant drive past house to backyard makes it tough. And steep up and down hills dont either. We will see,

There is a long bolt that goes in that top OD housing. The bolt hole also has a beveled recess for a rubber O-Ring to help seal the bolt so it does not leak oil. here is a couple pics of an original OD showing that bolt and external toothed lock washer. You can just see part of the rubber O-ring poking out as I un-screwed the bolt...

Thanks for the info. I hope it works out for you and your dog.

The truck is a beauty. Enjoy it!

So lets say you invested the $125000 as a full restoration. The next question is this really worth the investment, is the car a 4 door or two door or a convertble. So if a 4dr then you will never get your money out of the car convertible maybe and some for a 2 door. So now you put 125K into the car then you will be afraid to drive the car becasue you will get paint nicks and sand and dirt on the frame. The car will then either sit inthe garage and then be a trailer queen. So now you need an inclised trailer maybe 5-10K and then a truck with a V8 to pull the trailor and car So another $30-40K. and figure gas mileage will be low so the other gas costs. So now you have 125K + 5K + 30K total maybe of 160K for a 1950 Cornet. Really think about this proposal. Just get the car running in good mechanical condition and have alot of fun and then you do not have to worry about every little ding or dent or scratch when driving down the road. I see all the trailor queens at Hershey yes they are beautiful but they never are driven on the road on any tours. Might as well just have a picture hanging on your wall of your car. Just my 25cents worth. Rich Hartung

I had a cousin that married a young man that was a paratrooper in the 101st. He ended the war as a platoon sgt. One of my neighbors as a kid was a draftee that got a battlefield commission to 1st Lt Platoon Leader of Armor with Patton in Africa. Never saw him mad in my life until somebody mentioned Patton to him. I thought his head was going to explode.

You have to have hydraulics for suspension if you are going to use those wheels. It's the law!! ? DJ

Sweet stance!!!

Good place to buy from. Drop shipments from multiple warehouses can increase shipping costs though.

Nothing I would like better than doing it all myself. Thats why I am looking for a house near to my kids and grandkids and LOOKING for a 3 or 4 car garage or bigger. My kids think I am nuts, just get RID of all that old junk. I wish to be nearer so I can make all their ball games and recitals etc. I was thinking that working in the garage every day would be the best therapy and increase my endurance some. Right now I cant walk a block with either my hips burning or back says sit down or fall down. FIRST thing going in any new to me garage is going to be a big screen TV and a good stereo. Second thing in the door is Grandpa's 50 Dodge. I guess I was just struck with sticker shock on the 125-150 K number he was throwing. In my mind, uneducated as it is, thinking 50K was going to get me along way, but I guess I am too old school. Better get started I guess, first is getting off a film of sand kicked up from a sand road in the spring when its really soft. It is stuck like iron on the firewall engine compartment. Also paint color was that deep dark blue. Was that Midnight Blue or did I imagine that??? Is that available in a rattle can for engine bay? This car has 54 or 58K miles on it first time around so not quite junk yet or doesnt need frame off to be a good driver yet. From what I have seen is it does NOT have any issues with rust on floor pans or trunk floor. My biggest hang up is going to be minor body work and painting the outside that it will really need. Engine just had fresh rebuild and ready to go in. What would clean the sand off and where to get rattle can color for engine bay?

Before I had my seat reupholstered, I took the bottom frame off of the springs and replaced the cardboard with 3/16" Masonite. It makes a big difference.

for what it's worth, I took my first manifolds and head to have them "resurfaced" at a local head cylinder shop they checked and they didn't need any work done but, they charged me $45. to tell me that and clean them up. the next three I did, I cleaned up myself, check them with a straight edge and just replaced the gaskets as for the cooling system, three of my motors were still in the trucks so I pulled the freeze plugs and flushed the block with fresh water...... but, my objective was just to get them running. not saying it is the right thing to do, it's just what I did/do (on "George" I pulled the motor and had the whole thing dipped and gone threw by an engine rebuilder) for the cover, put a add out on the "wanted section"

Looking at all the rusty gunk at the freezplugs and the front of the block,I suspect you had some "hot spots" in the block. You are doing yourself a major favor by just cleaning that crap out so the water will flow like it's supposed to flow.