Thread: Shop Truck (True Spirit) Project

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Originally Posted by Mike P

Thanks Dave. Now all I've got to do is get them stored out of the way wihtout scratching them until it's time for assembly. Right now the darn old truck is taking up 4 bays

I think one of the reasons I'm glad I closed the shop and went to work for someone else NOT swinging a wrench is that I CAN have time and ambition to work on my own stuff. One of the last thing I wanted to do after I closed the shop for the day was do the same things on my own stuff. It was kind of one of the reasons I got back into motorcycles, it was just different engouh to be fun.

Oh, I just like to complain!!!!! My stuff can wait.... I'm supposed to be retired anyway.... When everything else is used up and gone, about all you have left is your friends anyway.....

Originally Posted by Mike P

I appreciate that, but the TSB appears to only apply to the 94-01 bodies.

The TSB is for the 1st gen Cummins Ram, 89-93. If you look at your cab compared to the 89-93 the Cowl is Identical. I did this mod on a 79 Ramcharger, a 78 Lil Red Express, and a 85 Crewcab. It is definately worth the extra 10 minutes while the truck is apart. Look into it. Murf

Thanks, I'll see what the dealer says about availability tomorrow.

Well, some more of the paint job that doesn’t seem to end. I got the inside of the cab and the inside of the doors and bottom of the hood painted this weekend.

I want to paint the cab with the doors on so those were put on after the paint dried (I hate aligning panels ).

There is a guy in the process of reproducing the rubber bumpers/door stops, but doesn’t have them done yet. I wanted something to prevent metal to metal contact and I had a brain storm (ok is was more like a squall ) and figured as a temp measure I could use rubber backing plate plugs. They actually fit well enough I’ll probably leave them in.

With any luck the last of the painting will be completed weekend. Then I can start the stuff I really like……putting it all together.

Looks good, Mike. It isn't easy to rebuild to this degree....takes persistance....but it doesn't look like that is any problem for you. :-)

Yeah I just keep plugin along (I have to just so I can find my garage again someday )

GOD I love UPS................I ordered a pair of rear wheels about a month ago from Stockton Wheel. I get home today and ONE of them is there. I figure the other one will be in tomorrow, but i figure that since I have the tracking number now I'll just check.

The tracking system shows the one wheel as delivered and the other out for delivery............IN A TOWN 400 miles away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got to love the UPS guys!!!!! I've had the same guy for about 10 years now and he does a great job.... But man, when he's on vacation things sure do get weird!!!! The other day I told him to let me know when he was taking vacation this summer so I could be sure to not have anything being delivered while he was gone!!!!!

I'll be getting a hold of UPS today and find out what's going on. I'm getting close to the time when I need to get the wheels painted and tires on them.

Stockton take about 4 weeks to get the wheels built and shipped and I really don't want to wait another month if UPS loses this one.

The wheel came in the next day (yup more to sandblast and paint)

In between getting the cooler on the house going (sorry Dave) and putting a PS hose on the mustang I got the last of the body painting is done (I think). I’ve been looking at the hood all weekend trying to decide if I want to leave it all white with the True Spirit pin striping, paint the outer edges of the indents red, or paint the whole indent red, all with the pin striping of course.

Looks great Mike.... Think the red indents would be nice.... or just do the angled area between the flats with a narrow stripe on either side?????

I decided to go ahead and paint the walls of the indents……..although I’m not sure I’d like it if that was the only red on the truck I think it will look good once the hood is pin striped.

I got the chassis back in the shop this morning and although I kind of wanted to get the cab on today there are some things like running the fuel, vent and tranny cooler lines that are a lot easier to do now than on a creeper from underneath. I did get a chance to test fit the radiator I bought at the beginning of the project. If I remember correctly it was listed for a late 60’s B (Mopar) body big block. 3 of the 4 holes line up and all I need to do is drill one additional one. I still need to fit the shroud (I have both a metal and fiberglass one so it’s just see what one fits best.


The core support is “supposed” to be painted body color front and back (yeah like originality is high on my priority list ) but after seeing some pictures of how much you see thru the grill I decided I wanted the front blacked out. Speaking of the grill……that and the rest of the chrome MAY be done this week (of course that’s the same thing I’ve heard for the last 2 weeks)

I like the hood accents.

Thanks Jay. The hood will also have pin striping around the outer edge.. I'm reserving final judgment on the stripes until the rest of the pin striping is on (which will also be in red). It’s one of those things I can kind of picture and think it will look good but the only real way to tell will be when it’s actually done.

This is a picture of style of stripes that it will have.