1982 Dodge Ram 440 ( REAL SLEEPER )
"Dare To Be Different"
I just finished up this really cool 1982 Dodge Ram 150 short bed.Please keep in mind that I wanted this Ram to look factory original & I used all Momma Mopar parts to do it.
I started off with an extremely solid Arkansas body. Painted it in the original Manila Cream color in base/clear.
I added a Gold pin stripe & a Ram Charger rear chrome step bumper. A brand new Draw-Tight class 3 hitch was installed after I beefed up the rear suspension with coil-over shocks. Great tow vehicle to take your hot rod to the track.
The Ram originally was born with a slant six-floor mounted 3 speed w/overdrive & A/c.
Sitting in the engine bay now is a 1972-440 out of a 38ft mobile home. Purchased from an estate sale with only 39,000 miles showing. I treated the 440 to a complete rebuild using Seal power file fit rings,clveite 77 bearings,cloyes timing chain & melding oil pump. This baby even has a date code Mamma Mopar oil filter. Premium valve job. The only upgrades to the engine was a slightly more aggressive cam shaft & aluminum dual-plane intake. Final compression ratio after squaring the block & a slight mill of the heads was just over 9.5.1 Very pump gas friendly.
I didn't want headers,so I used 383 Commando exhaust manifolds from a 64 Sport Fury. I did find exhaust manifolds from a 78 Ram Charger with a 440,but the guy wanted $900 big ones. "NOT"
I custom built a Y-pipe,added one Flowmaster muffler & used the original 6 cylinder tail pipe.
The 727 transmission is also out of the mobile home. I didn't know then,but I know now,that the RV trannys are special. They use a lower 1st gear planetary (sun-gear) & have an extra clutch in the high gear drum. I also treated the tranny to a complete rebuild with the addition of a shift kit. Man this baby really pulls hard off the line.
The rear end is the original 8-1/4 with 3.55 up-grading to an 8-3/4 was my next step if I were going to keep it.
The interior was up-graded using color matched Ram Charger bucket seats & console. Oil & water gauges I mounted in-dash along with a period correct tach. Yes a automatic steering column was installed,but I left the clutch peddle there just in case.LOL
It has power steering & I just added a recondition brake booster (from you guessed it-a Ram Charger) to the factory disc brakes. New master cylinder. STOPS on a Dime!
Some other new parts are: Distributor,Alternator,Radiator,high torque Mopar mini starter,Belt,hoses etc.
New white wall tires on 8" Cop rallies with trim rings.
You get all this,plus the "Real Sleeper" look for a very reasonable $7,900.00 !!!
PS: Has fooled more then one Hemi Ram at a red light LOL
Contact Dan 845-795-5600 days 845-546-5523 nights & weekends. I can also be reached at [email protected] More pictures available to serious buyers.