In the cab added a tilt steering column and dash from a 79 ramcharger. Then get rid of the slippery bench seat for a new refurbished one. U
pholsterter by trade it was an easy job leather and black fabric the bench is so comfy.
Lets see your Dodge trucks! Post some Pic's!
- Thread starter AlleyOop2
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67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
Believe it or not , the 77/78's where my favorite years . I wish I still had the 78 Ramcharger I had . It was flat black , 4" lift , 33' bfg mudders all the way around and a built small block . I got about 17 MPG spinning all four tires and that bad boy would climb trees if I wanted to and if I didn't want to climb them , I could pull them down ! lol
Years ago, I had a '78 Power Wagon that was to become my first truck to drive when I got my licencee to drive..... I worked on that truck from the time I was 14 till just after my 15th birthday, in November that year, before the truck was ready to inspect some woman hit it T-Boned it, and totally it while it was parked outside the garage, in sleet and freezing rain! I NEVER got to drive that truck legally on the road, not that I ever did, as I went playin' in the mud out back of the shop (5-6 acres of land the garage owner, "owned" so..... as long as I didn't hurt myself or destroy anything he was good with that!
It came to him with a 360 in it, and we found that the 360 was toast, who ever had it upon him getting it, found a cracked head, 2 blown head gaskets, and a LOT of metal in the oil upon dropping the oil pan, there WAS NO oil in the engine at all! We scrapped it, was a bummer for me at the time and then about 2 weeks pass and Don, came to me (the owner of the garage) and said hey Johnny, I found you a motor for the' Wagon
, a 440. and it wall went out the window after that! LOL I was all for it.... The engine? came from a '69 Plymouth Fury police car, as we found out later after the woman totally my truck as her insurance would NOT sell it back to us because they pulled the numbering off the engine....
BUT before it was hit, I had Aluminum Slots on it, and 38 inch BFG's about 4 inches of lift in the suspension, and a 440 4 barrel, with a 4 speed Manual..... Was something to play with in the woods let me tell ya! I miss that truck and would buy and build another one JUST LIKE IT got the chance......
Go look at my model builds, and you'll see what that truck looked like! (I ain't even got a picture of that ole truck!) BUT from memory, you'll see what we all did to the real one in the model, I'm building the model EXACTLY how we built the real truck! -My Dad's Adventurer is being built at the same time as thats my "Father & Son Dodge Truck built" posting....
If it helps, I bought this '79 W200 SnoCommander new off the lot. Scan of an old picture sorry for the blur.
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
That bench seat is NIICE! LOVE the embossed in "DODGE" in it!!!!! My ole '78 had buckets in it (The interior of my ole '78 came from a Little Red Express) -Was in better shape then the interior that came with the truck when I got it!
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
See that to me looks like a early model '80.....
Got it after the '78 snow storm. '79 kinda' sucked for plow work around here.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician
To this day I regret not going to work at an upholstery shop when I was 20. Buddy lined it up and I never went, thought it was too far. Few years later I'd drive twice as far to the parts store for less money. Oh well, I have 2 vehicles I'm going to do the seats in, save some money while learning.
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
I too was offered the same thing and never said I would...... I should have.. things may be different today if I had!
kork340
Active Member
77 were clear/white, 78s were amber.
I knew you would know !
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
NICE job 71wagon! That turned out great man! Rims look good on it too!
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
I knew you would know !
Yep he's right, I had to think about it a bit, and yes, my ole '78 had amber lens in it....
sixpactogo
Active Member
Here are some pics of my D150 Club Cab Short box that I bought new in 78. It is one of 74 built in 78 with the 440 engine. It is the Adventurer SE model and if I remember correctly, the only two options I didn't order was the sun roof and tool box on the passenger side of the box. It used regular gas and had no catalytic converters and the 440 trucks were the only ones with that option. All other trucks required un-leaded fuel. In February of 78 Dodge changed from the clear turn signal lenses to the Amber ones. Mine was built in March and delivered in April so mine got the amber lenses. I ordered the sliding rear window so it went out to a vendor to have that installed as Dodge farmed that work out. It was my daily driver until the late 90's when I retired it because of the gas prices and the 10 mpg. It had just over 500,000 miles on the clock at that time.
I started buying parts for the restoration about that time also. I bought a new grille from Dodge for around $300.00 back then. I see they are over a Thousand now if you can find one. I installed a Gear Vendor and 90's style larger mirrors when I did the resto in 2011. Also replaced the rear bumper with a roll pan and put some high back aftermarket seats in. Other than that, it is pretty much stock and the way it was most of its life. I don't drive it much anymore since the gear vendor didn't help the mileage any. I did drive it to the Mopar Nats back in 2012 to have it appraised for insurance purposes.
I started buying parts for the restoration about that time also. I bought a new grille from Dodge for around $300.00 back then. I see they are over a Thousand now if you can find one. I installed a Gear Vendor and 90's style larger mirrors when I did the resto in 2011. Also replaced the rear bumper with a roll pan and put some high back aftermarket seats in. Other than that, it is pretty much stock and the way it was most of its life. I don't drive it much anymore since the gear vendor didn't help the mileage any. I did drive it to the Mopar Nats back in 2012 to have it appraised for insurance purposes.
67 Power Wagon
Well-Known Member
That '78 is NIICE!!!!! Even better with the 440 too! Question on the 440, I see the exhaust manifolds are different on that 440 then say those in a car, any reason as to why? Or simply "emissions" back then? -I've always known they were like those on your truck, I just never understood as to why thy're different then those that were in a car....
LocuMob
Fluid Technician
Room. You have it in the truck but not in a car, so you can dump the exhaust straight down.
sixpactogo
Active Member
LocuMob is right. Plenty of room plus the center dump expels the exhaust more evenly. Almost as good as headers but not quite.
kork340
Active Member
Beautiful 78!! What are the seats and center out of?