As part of Custom Classic Trucks' ongoing effort to bring an equal balance to our editorial format, we have spared no expense to bring our valued readers a tasty selection of popular brand trucks to feature in tech stories, such as this '86 Dodge D-150. Did we happen to mention we paid a whopping $501 plus a stack of old motorcycle magazines for the truck?
When I spotted the Dodge parked on a street near our office, I pleaded with Dakota Wentz, my associate editor, to buy it so I wouldn't have to drag home my third old truck in less than a month. But no, Dakota has his heart set on finding a '72 Chevy to build as his ultimate dream truck, so I haggled with the Dodge's second owner and drove the old Mopar home. It wasn't too long before I figured out that we had the perfect makings of a super cool low-buck high school custom right here in Custom Classic Trucks' own stable. Since a lot of the custom classic trucks that grace our pages started out decades ago as the owner's trusty high school ride, the idea of showing today's kids that you can still build a unique vintage truck for way less money than buying a mass-produced Japanese import sounded like it would be a lot of fun.
The first thing to consider when buying a used vehicle is that condition is everything. But this doesn't mean everything about the vehicle has to be perfect. In the case of our '86 Dodge, there were a few obvious problems right off the bat, but part of someone learning how to buy the right old truck is being able to spot a diamond in the rough. When the Dodge was first spotted on the street, the rear window was made out of tattered Visqueen and silver duct tape, and in plain view on the driver's side was a smashed-in bed. In the January issue of Custom Classic Trucks, our friend Steve Bentley showed readers how to install a $25 rear window and rubber seal from the junkyard at home with a length of electrical wire. In the February issue, we had Jerry and Mike over at Paint 'N' Place in Placentia, California, instruct readers how to use a Spitzenagel along with a Porta-Power to cherry out the bedside.
Since then, we have gone after some of the Dodge's mechanical and creature comforts with a bent toward the high-performance side of things. Since we initially paid so little for the truck, we have been able to buy the highest-quality parts we can get our hands on and still keep the projected costs of our high school custom well under $5,000. Not having to settle for inferior parts that might be a little cheaper will definitely pay off big time in the end.
In upcoming issues, we will get into a lot more detail about everything we did to the Dodge, but in the meantime, we thought you all might like a quick update on what we have done to our high school custom so far.
We were inspired by earlier...
We were inspired by earlier mid-'60s Dodge pickups with the industry's first sport bucket seats as an option, so we latched onto a pair of Corbeau bucket seats with their optional wider seat base covered in top-quality black vinyl.
We opted for Corbeau's inflatable...
We opted for Corbeau's inflatable lumbar support to fill in that lower back area that always starts to hurt like a champ on those long miles to the custom truck shows.
And yet another truly useful...
And yet another truly useful addition for the Dodge from Corbeau's list of accessories was their three-point retractable safety harness-the key word is retractable.
One of the reasons we went...
One of the reasons we went with Corbeau is their extensive catalog of seat bracket applications. We initially started with '85-91 Dodge Ramcharger brackets, but discovered the Ramcharger's floor isn't even close to the '86 D-150. A quick measurement of the D-150's floor and we'll fire it off to Corbeau for a better match.
Here's a shot of the Dodge's...
Here's a shot of the Dodge's cab before we touched anything.
With the stock bench seat...
With the stock bench seat removed, we had to vacuum out years of crud before we could try the Corbeau seat brackets for fit. Our guess the Ramcharger brackets would fit turned out to be wrong.
Replacing the stock Dodge...
Replacing the stock Dodge seatbelts and harness with Corbeau's three-point retractable safety harness was necessary because the Dodge harness would no longer retract, proving to be quite inconvenient...dangerous, actually.
Handily, Corbeau's three-point...
Handily, Corbeau's three-point retractable harness utilized the stock Dodge pickup points for mounting.
Mechanically, the Dodge 727...
Mechanically, the Dodge 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission slipped like a champ and leaked ATF like a stuck pig. Our friend Hoss at STP Performance along with transmission guru Scott were able to return the 727 to almost better than new operating condition.
Scott installed a kit that...
Scott installed a kit that improved the TorqueFlite's shifting, along with modifying it to circulate ATF through the transmission cooler in park.
For a complete selection of...
For a complete selection of automatic transmission parts, we discovered Caltrans in Santa Ana, California.
With everything buttoned up,...
With everything buttoned up, Scott topped up the TorqueFlite with a quality automatic transmission fluid. The three-speed transmission should last us long enough until we have the money to get a four-speed overdrive lockup unit into the Dodge.
After 20-plus years of service,...
After 20-plus years of service, the Dodge still had its original exhaust system. In preparation to lower the truck and pass emissions testing, the folks at Magnaflow installed one of their high-flow catalytic converters along with a Magnaflow polished stainless steel muffler. Notice what a beautiful job Jim Gose did routing the all mandrel-bent Magnaflow stainless steel exhaust pipes.