It’s been stated that imitation is the sincerest type of flattery. It’s additionally been stated that the whole lot is best topless.
For each of those causes, you’re now studying in regards to the newest addition to the Bangshift mission automobile fleet: Venture Beachcomber, my 1979 Dodge Ramcharger. We’ll begin first with the imitation half after which get to the topless half, I promise.
Oh, and why the identify “Beachcomber”? All stated and carried out, the plan is to show the truck into one thing dependable that I can cruise to the seashore to with my household, not a hardcore 4×4 construct. That is additionally my first classic Mopar and first construct that requires quantity of bodywork, so be ready to come back alongside as I discover ways to weld.
Setting expectations now, I’m going to aim to maintain a operating tally of what this mission is costing me, for higher or for worse. As a Chevy proprietor that’s now compelled to supply components for a 40+ 12 months previous Mopar, I really feel like that is penance for years of straightforward components availability and low costs. Is that this why Mopar homeowners homeowners are all so cranky? (Fueling the hearth for the feedback part…).
In any case, let’s start with how I even discovered the Beachcomber, adopted by the present situation of the truck and subsequent steps on the journey to placing it again on the highway.
Discovering the truck
Our personal Tony Sestito’s “Energy Laggin’” is one cool truck, so once I realized that as a accountable house owner it might make sense to purchase a truck for myself I in fact calmly went searching for probably the most dependable one I may discover instantly began looking out Craigslist for the good factor I may discover inside my price range of $5000 or much less. Lightnings, SS454s, Squarebody Chevys, all have been honest recreation, but additionally exterior of my worth vary in respectable situation. Simply as I used to be about to resign myself to purchasing an early 2000s F150 or Silverado to dump my leaves into like all regular human being, I noticed this advert on Craigslist:
Let’s undergo the guidelines once more of what I truly wanted from a truck:
- It runs
- Isn’t rotted out
- It’s a truck
Now, let’s undergo the guidelines of what was now madly flashing away in my mind like 4th of July fireworks
- It’s a ‘70s truck, in my worth vary
- Higher but, it’s a pop-top 2 door SUV, which is past cool
- Even higher, it’s IN MY TOWN
Certain, the advert might have utterly lacked photographs and talked about such trivial purple flags reminiscent of, “drove into my storage 5 years in the past haven’t began it since”, “wants [insert bodywork here, meaning that it needs a lot more]”, and “used as storage”, however once more, it’s a truck…and the roof comes off!
Now, right here comes the tough half: The unique craigslist advert (Which I didn’t take a screenshot of) didn’t record a telephone quantity, simply “no e-mail, name Paul”.
Given this minor roadblock, which of the next doubtlessly stalkerish actions do you suppose I took half in?
A) Put a publish within the native city Fb group, asking if anybody knew the proprietor
B) Drive round city for a number of days, in search of a truck I’d by no means seen a photograph of
C) E-mail the Reply To hyperlink, regardless of the assertion of “No e-mail”, asking for a telephone quantity to be added
D) Refresh the Craigslist advert a number of occasions a day, hoping that it might magically be up to date?
In the event you answered “E) All the above”, congrats, your prize is within the mail!
After virtually every week of this completely regular conduct I had all however given up, solely to be rewarded when my early-morning refresh of the Craigslist advert rewarded me with a brand new title that included “Up to date itemizing!” and at last, a telephone quantity to name. Drawback is, it was 6 AM. Patiently ready till 9 AM to name in order that I didn’t seem completely nuts, I arrange a time to have a look at the truck in a while that day. From right here, let’s inform the remainder of this story with photographs…
Factors awarded for reality in promoting when it was written that the truck had been used for storage for the previous few years. Appears like half of Residence Depot was in, on, or underneath the truck. I used to be instructed {that a} set of entrance and rear seats have been additionally in there, however needed to take the vendor’s phrase for it.
Total, the driving force’s facet and body seemed stable, which was good.
Arduous to get a view of the passenger facet resulting from how the truck was parked, however I may see sufficient to confirm that it might positively want bodywork on that facet, which I anticipated from the advert.
Right here’s the place the occasion is: The truck got here outfitted with full-time 4 wheel drive, a 360 which “ran when parked”, and an Edelbrock carb perched upon an aftermarket consumption. Rats nest of wiring was a “Day 2” modification. Spoilers: It solely will get higher as soon as I get the truck residence. Keep tuned…
Speaking to the vendor, I came upon that the truck additionally got here with two exhausting tops (One was rotted alongside the rails, the opposite stable however with a customized “peeling black spray paint over blue” paint scheme), a full set of badges, and another odds and ends. I additionally came upon that I used to be fortunate to have referred to as that morning, because the vendor’s telephone had been ringing all day with individuals seeking to purchase the truck, together with throughout the time that I used to be giving it a as soon as over.
$3000 in money later, I had the title signed over and organized for a tow truck to come back a number of days later to trailer it the whopping two miles again to my home.
Present State
Now that it’s lastly residence, I figured a shower was so as so I may see what I used to be working with.
All cleaned up. Mmmm, 70’s two-tone brown. It truly has a metallic flake to the darker brown, a minimum of the components that weren’t touched up with a rattle can.
By this level Tony got here by within the Energy Laggin’ to get a glimpse of the New Truck On The Block. So in fact we determined to do an impromptu set of photographs of the 2 side-by-side.
Now that the household reunion is over, let’s take a deeper dive into the situation of the truck. WARNING: Graphic photographs of rusty Mopar forward. Viewer discretion suggested.
Exterior
We’ll check out the driving force’s facet of the truck in a future article to see how good the rust repairs have been, however getting the worst over with, right here’s a better take a look at the passenger facet of the truck. …Yeah, that ain’t fairly.
The rear quarter is blistered entrance and rear of the tire, so all of that can have to be lower out and new metallic welded in. Identical with the rocker panel, decrease door, and rear of the entrance fender. Fortunately, all of those components are reproduced, though phrase is that fitment might differ.
The body itself has floor rust, however seems to be stable (Now let me go discover some wooden to knock on…)
Quad headlights have been a “love ‘em or hate ‘em” possibility for ‘79 and ‘80. My plan is to swap over to the grille and light-weight setup from the ‘77-78 vans, which arguably was one of the best look.
Ram’s head hood decoration was added on from an ‘80s Ramcharger. Neat dialog piece, however that and the hood will likely be changed for the early 70’s “chook bathtub” hood.
Tailgate has some nice patina, but additionally a number of holes rusted via so I could also be on the hunt for a substitute.
Manufacturing unit wheels have been changed with a set of black aftermarket steels wheels and a few Basic Grabbers. Undecided as to what I’ll finally run, however “wagon wheels” look nice on these vans, so I could attempt to observe down a set of aftermarket 15s or 16s with that look.
Inside
On our second cease of the Tour De Rusty Mopar, the driving force’s facet flooring and passenger cab close to the rollbar will even want some patching. In any other case, the ground is comparatively stable. Like the outside, patch panels can be found; I’ll almost certainly try these first earlier than the outside in my Adventures in Newbie’s Welding.
Metallic door panels are neat, however there’s a number of different manufacturing facility choices that I’ll be making an attempt to supply.
Digging the steering wheel, though I don’t know sufficient about Mopars to know if it’s manufacturing facility or not.
Taking a better take a look at the fake wooden grain sprint there’s a full set of gauges, though no phrase on if any of them work.
Unattainable to inform what number of occasions the odometer has rolled over, however I’m guessing the 102k said within the advert is extra plausible than 202k given how horrible the gas consumption of those vans is reported to be with the Full Time 4×4.
Ammeter has been changed with an inexpensive Chinese language gauge, which on this case is definitely for one of the best given how vans with manufacturing facility ammeters have been vulnerable to self-immolation.
Rounding out the non-factory gauge package deal is the venerable Sunpro Tremendous Tach II.
Tunes are provided by an aftermarket Sony deck manufactured someday within the final 20 years. Properly, in principle, since I haven’t truly seen any audio system but on this truck…
Oh hey, a thriller swap! I like these! Seems that this one activates the blower for the heater field. I’ll almost certainly be diagnosing and fixing that together with changing the Mopar glass fuses, which I feel will look neater as a storage piece than truly within the truck.
A manufacturing facility console was additionally included, though the door was changed with a wood one. Opening it up revealed a set of entrance seat belts in okay situation together with some manufacturing facility exterior badges and a rear-view mirror.
How the facility of the almighty LA 360 meets the highway is set by the Full Time 4×4 shifter. Undecided on my finish as to if I’ll need to preserve it full-time or convert it to part-time. You probably have any recommendation on this, be happy to depart a remark!
Right here’s a better take a look at the entrance high-back seats. They’re in respectable situation other than a number of rips.
These armrests…mould or many years of ash burns from chain-smoking drivers? Both manner, these have to be cleaned up and the froth inside them changed. We’ll have a separate article detailing my makes an attempt at saving these seats since i’m digging the 70’s cloth.
Loving the directions on the visors
“Verify the glovebox for components for roof removing”…let’s go look…
Two small screws, a number of black plugs, and a few extra glass fuses. Sounds about proper…
Final however not least, a shot out the rear. The mattress seems to be total stable, however as you’ll be able to see the manufacturing facility carry again is lacking the inside latch. No massive deal as I’m planning on operating a delicate high or going topless.
Engine Bay
Somebody was an Edelbrock fan, having outfitted the manufacturing facility 360 with an Edelbrock carb, consumption manifold, and air cleaner.
The carb is in want of a rebuild because the floats have been caught. Fortunately, that’s straightforward sufficient and we’ll cowl it in a future replace.
Inventory manifolds loudly exhaust leak their manner into a real twin exhaust setup that exists simply entrance of the rear wheels. Evidently that’s a standard exhaust routing versus exiting by the tailgate to keep away from gassing out passengers, however all the exhaust system will almost certainly have to be changed sooner or later.
Mockingly, I partly was excited to purchase an older truck to keep away from having to cope with a ton of wiring. In fact, meaning I might buy one thing that had a rats nest underneath the hood.
Most of it seems to be for a headlight relay setup that somebody hacked collectively, which needs to be straightforward sufficient to type out (I’m going to want some extra wooden to knock on…)
Environment friendly wiring routing or “Crap, I don’t have sufficient wire, simply run it straight throughout the brake reservoir”?
Hey, keep in mind that thriller swap on the sprint? This alligator clip is the opposite finish of that puzzle, which is somebody’s answer to needing a floor for the blower motor.
We’ll finish on this “first startup” video I took with a number of pals of mine, which ended as quickly as we noticed the aforementioned Edelbrock pouring gas all over the place. If that is any indication of how this construct goes to go, it’s going to be an journey, people!
So, there we’ve it, our introduction to Venture Beachcruiser! Find it irresistible? Hate it? Tell us within the feedback, and count on extra quickly!
Venture Price
Buy of truck: $3000
Tow: $100
Grand Whole: $3100
