Future Mods/Advice

wildcatcamaro

wildcatcamaro

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Just had a few questions/updates for my truck. I'm thinking it might be where I can start doing some stuff to my truck or at least do a couple of mods to it by the end of the summer. Here goes:

Engine/drivetrain: it's got the stock 5.2L with a throttle-body spacer. My plans have always been to swap either a 5.7L, 6.1L Hemi or the Viper motor in whenever the 318 gives out. The truck has got about 140k on it right now, but I don't see the little V8 giving up anytime soon (and I hope I"m not jinksing myself). Is it worth it to mod the 318 (headers, cold air kit, tune) if I plan on upgrading motors? (maybe after I get a reliable daily driver as the Ram is my DD right now)
When I upgrade motors, which would be better? I know on the 5.7 Hemi, I can get Dodge's version of Displacement on Demand where it'll get around 20 mpg, which I'd like, but if I have a DD that gets decent mileage, that might not be a major concern.
What type of headers are the best? I keep hearing everybody say go with long tube headers, but what's the advantage of them over shortys?

Body/Accessories:
I finally found a hood I like at http://carhoods.com/, I'm going to go with the Deep Throat STS Hood (it's pretty much the SRT-10 hood for a Gen 2 Ram!) Since I'm going with the SRT-10 hood and possible SRT-10 motor, I'd like to put SRT-10 seats in it. Anyone know a good place to find some?
Also, does anyone know of a good place to get LED taillights, I've looked on eBay, but I'd like it if the whole tailight was LED instead of just the upper half (something more like what's available for newer trucks)
Which bedliner is the best? Line-X, Rhinoliner, or Herculiner?
And lastly (I hope) does anyone know of a tonneau cover that will work with a toolbox chest that's flush with the bedrails? I think I've seen soft tonneau covers that work, but are there hard tonneau covers like what the '02-08 Rams had available from the factory?

I think that's all for now, but I'd appreciate any help/adivce offered.
 
Basically you have to make one decision, do you want a strong high hp daily driver?

or do you want nothing but power period and quarter mile times?

as far as stock SRT ram parts, I will soon have a couple of vehicles with parts for sale
 
Listen to Stinker for he knows what he is talking about.:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:
 
Have you thought about selling your truck and just buying an SRT10. The '04's can be had for a godd price if you shop around..
 
the amount your about to pay putting all these srt parts not to mention time, you would have paid for a actual SRT truck.....
 
Stinker: I'd probably lean more to the strong hp daily driver right now. Lemme know if you get some seats in.

As far as selling my truck and buying a SRT-10, I'd love to, but a quick browse of eBay showed that the lowest buy it now SRT-10 was a $17k quad cab. If I were to upgrade trucks, it would be to a quad cab, but I'd be lucky to get $5-6k for my truck (which is already paid for)... And as far as the total cost, I figured about $3-5k for a hemi motor, $7+ for a SRT-10 motor; $700 for the seats, and about $2-3k for hood, rollpan, bodywork, and paint. So if I went with SRT-10 parts, I'd be looking at about roughly half of what I'd have to pay for a SRT-10. And I'm not gonna be doing this all at once, I'll gather parts over time to spread the costs out. Besides, I'm not going to be able to buy a vehicle for awhile since I'm trying to finish up college and get a job, I was manly wondering if the opportunity came if it would be worth it to mod the 318. Besides, nobody hardly modifies these 2nd gen Rams except for the few I've seen on here.
 
wildcatcamaro said:
Stinker: I'd probably lean more to the strong hp daily driver right now. Lemme know if you get some seats in.

As far as selling my truck and buying a SRT-10, I'd love to, but a quick browse of eBay showed that the lowest buy it now SRT-10 was a $17k quad cab. If I were to upgrade trucks, it would be to a quad cab, but I'd be lucky to get $5-6k for my truck (which is already paid for)... And as far as the total cost, I figured about $3-5k for a hemi motor, $7+ for a SRT-10 motor; $700 for the seats, and about $2-3k for hood, rollpan, bodywork, and paint. So if I went with SRT-10 parts, I'd be looking at about roughly half of what I'd have to pay for a SRT-10. And I'm not gonna be doing this all at once, I'll gather parts over time to spread the costs out. Besides, I'm not going to be able to buy a vehicle for awhile since I'm trying to finish up college and get a job, I was manly wondering if the opportunity came if it would be worth it to mod the 318. Besides, nobody hardly modifies these 2nd gen Rams except for the few I've seen on here.
Click to expand...



save ur money and finish school :rock: :rock:
 
Troy's QC SRT said:
check again friend if you think thats $700 for SRT seats....
Click to expand...

Yeah, about that...I started checking prices after I posted, oh well, guess I spoke too soon.
 
what about suspension and brakes? Those are important.
 
You'd be better off getting the actual truck, building that 01 ram you will run into alot of $ things not planned on for sure. You can find good deals on these trucks now, ive seen one go as low as $13K around here. If not just spray some laughing gas on that ole 318 and ride out :rock:
 
Psycho Mythic said:
You'd be better off getting the actual truck, building that 01 ram you will run into alot of $ things not planned on for sure. You can find good deals on these trucks now, ive seen one go as low as $13K around here. If not just spray some laughing gas on that ole 318 and ride out :rock:
Click to expand...


ahahahahahahhahahaha ahhahahaha hahahahahahaha



edit - oppz i read it wrong i thought it said " spay some Lightning Gas "
 
Just so y'all know, this ain't my first rodeo. I've swapped a '99 LS1/4L60E in my '84 Camaro with just me and dad. Only reason it's not quite finished yet is school. Just gotta get the electronics sorted out, but it runs.

As far as suspension, I plan on putting a 2/4 drop, preferrably Beltech if I can find one, and I'll upgrade the brakes later on. But yeah, I would like to own a SRT-10 one day, but I just can't do something like that right now, so I figure might as well mod what I got.
 
wildcatcamaro said:
Just had a few questions/updates for my truck. I'm thinking it might be where I can start doing some stuff to my truck or at least do a couple of mods to it by the end of the summer. Here goes:

Engine/drivetrain: it's got the stock 5.2L with a throttle-body spacer. My plans have always been to swap either a 5.7L, 6.1L Hemi or the Viper motor in whenever the 318 gives out. The truck has got about 140k on it right now, but I don't see the little V8 giving up anytime soon (and I hope I"m not jinksing myself). Is it worth it to mod the 318 (headers, cold air kit, tune) if I plan on upgrading motors? (maybe after I get a reliable daily driver as the Ram is my DD right now)
When I upgrade motors, which would be better? I know on the 5.7 Hemi, I can get Dodge's version of Displacement on Demand where it'll get around 20 mpg, which I'd like, but if I have a DD that gets decent mileage, that might not be a major concern.
What type of headers are the best? I keep hearing everybody say go with long tube headers, but what's the advantage of them over shortys?

Body/Accessories:
I finally found a hood I like at http://carhoods.com/, I'm going to go with the Deep Throat STS Hood (it's pretty much the SRT-10 hood for a Gen 2 Ram!) Since I'm going with the SRT-10 hood and possible SRT-10 motor, I'd like to put SRT-10 seats in it. Anyone know a good place to find some?
Also, does anyone know of a good place to get LED taillights, I've looked on eBay, but I'd like it if the whole tailight was LED instead of just the upper half (something more like what's available for newer trucks)
Which bedliner is the best? Line-X, Rhinoliner, or Herculiner?
And lastly (I hope) does anyone know of a tonneau cover that will work with a toolbox chest that's flush with the bedrails? I think I've seen soft tonneau covers that work, but are there hard tonneau covers like what the '02-08 Rams had available from the factory?

I think that's all for now, but I'd appreciate any help/adivce offered.
Click to expand...
ok , here goes,
now I am fixing to do a sorta build on my 67 chevy, transplanting a fuel injected v-8 and a overdrive tranny to bring it to daily driver, good fuel mileage status.

but my suggestion to you is to drop by a couple local junk yards, find a nice low mileage 5.7 hemi, do some mild upgrads, cam, and springs do wonders for them, some exhaust and add a 100 shot of giggle juice,
then upgrade the looks, and suspension.
yyou will end up with a nice daily driver, and capable of runing well within the reach of good quarter mile times, and you want sink a ton of money into it.

if you go the ten route its gonna cost a ton, and be alot of heartache, plus you will never get the dinero back out of it,

with a used 5.7 and keeping in the theme you will at least not sink tons of dinero into it, plus when you get ready to sale it, you want loose your ass.
 
^^ yeah, I think that's probably the route I'm gonna go. Do y'all know how to tell if a 5.7 has the Multi-Displacement System? I think I might try and put a 5.7 Hemi that has MDS on it to have both power and economy at the same time. Thanks for the help guys!
 
wildcatcamaro said:
^^ yeah, I think that's probably the route I'm gonna go. Do y'all know how to tell if a 5.7 has the Multi-Displacement System? I think I might try and put a 5.7 Hemi that has MDS on it to have both power and economy at the same time. Thanks for the help guys!
Click to expand...
You dont want MDS. It really dont make a huge difference. WHen I had my '06 Hemi, I diasbled the MDS and I noticed a slight differnce.
 
I can tell you that I have a already Built (heads/cam) hemi plus tranny (has a 3k billet edge stall) that i would give to you for a good deal. Wire harness and everything else included......I ran a 13.8 with no track prep and that was on a week tune.....Motor is still in truck now and it runs just fine.....
 
Oh and you'll get not only the engine but tranny with EVERTHING you need well within the price you previously said you were expecting to pay for just a hemi...... And I'm on the DT forums if you're on there and want to look me up....my Hemi was well maintained!
 
troy--PM sent

sateen--was the difference in performance or mileage? is the MDS system just to complicated for a swap like this?
 
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