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Luxury Laramie Edition

90K views 745 replies 57 participants last post by  Arth 
#1 ·
Hello all! Welcome to my build page (well, building page). LOL

My goal with my new rig is to chrome it out to be the best damn looking Laramie in the Basin (live just south of SLC).

This is her window sticker:
Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4x4
Mineral Gray Metallic
Dark Slate Gray
Leather Trimmed Bucket Seats
Floor-Mounted Shift Lever
Heated Second Row Seats

5.7L V8 HEMI (Love this part!!)
6 Speed Automatic

Standard Equipment
Power Adjustable Pedals w/Memory
Security Alarm
Trailer Tow Wiring w/4 pin Connector
7-Pin Harness
HD Engine Cooling
Advanced Multistage Front Airbags
Supplemental Side-Curtain Front & Rear Airbags
TPMS Display
Remote Entry
Electric Shift on Demand Transfer Case
Parkview Back up Camera

Interior
Second-Row In-Floor Storage
AC w/Dual Zone Control
730N SAT/CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV
Alpine Surround w/9 Speakers & Subwoof
Heated Front Seats
10-way Pwr Driver w/Memory & 6-Way Pwr Pass
Front Center Seat Cushion Storage
Memory for Radio, Driver's Seat, Mirrors & Pedals
Heated Steering Wheel (very nice feature! no more gloves!)
Wood Grain Instrument Panel Accent
Deluxe Door Trim Panel
SiriusXM Travel Link/1Yr Sub
SiriusXM Sat Radio/1Yr Sub
Uconnect Voice Command w/Bluetooth
40GB Hard Drive with 20GB Available
Steering Wheel-Mounted Audio Controls (a must have)
Rear 60/40 Split Folding Seat (This is NOT true.. they only flip up.. they DO NOT fold down! :4-angermax:)
Power Lumbar Adjust
115V Aux Power Outlet
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel
Sun Visors w/Illuminated Mirrors
Rear Power Sliding Window

Exterior
20inx9in Aluminum Chrome-Clad Wheels
Dual Rear Exhaust
Lower Two Tone Paint
Bright Grille
Body Color/Chrome Door Handles
Accent Fender Flares
Halogen Quad Headlamps
Fog Lamps
Chrome Exterior Mirrors
Power Multi-Function Mirrors w/Manual Fold-Away
Exterior Mirrors w/Heating Element
Auto-Dimming Exterior Mirrors
P275/60R20 BSW All Season Tires

Optional Equipment (the fun starts here!)
Leather-Trimmed Bucket Seats
Floor-Mounted Auto Shift Lever
Heated Second-Row Seats
Ventilated Front Seats (woo baby.. up the neder regions! :SHOCKED:)
Customer Preferred Package 25H
Protection Group
Tow Hooks
Transfer Case Skid Plate Shield
Front Suspension Skid Plate
Monotone Paint (had to have this.. trade in was two tone..not a fan anymore)
Body-Color Fender Flares
Front and Rear Rubber/Slush Floor Mats
3.92 Rear Axle Ratio
Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle
Power Chrome Trailer Tow Mirrors w/Manual Fold-Away
Power Sunroof
Chrome Tubular Side Steps by Mopar
P275/60R20 OWL All Season Tires
Remote Start System (omg.. the best!)
Class IV Receiver Hitch
Trailer Brake Control

More pictures to come!
 

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#597 ·
Hmm.. I think I can do that! Looks great!

Just need VHT, tape and some time.. yes?
Besides the obvious cleaning for prep, is primer required or do I just put a few coats of VHT on and call it good?
 
#598 · (Edited)
Yep, that should do it. You should be fine skipping the primer, just might take a couple extra coats to cover well. Also, I suggest an Xacto knife to help make nice clean lines with the tape. My last suggestion (and something I would do if I were to do it again or redo it) would be to tape off and not paint the bottom section of the air box lid. Its a little more difficult to get all the edges of all the ridges covered AND the big problem is that the clips that hold the top on are pretty tight and will just damage the paint there anyways.
 
#599 ·
Kai I have really enjoyed reading through your build thread.
It has inspired me to do one for my new Ram.
The greatness of these is they do two things:
1. Document for ourselves the progress of our work
2. Give insight to others on what can be done

You asked for ideas on what else to do....dang I can't think of anything cool that you haven't already done.

How about this (and it's FREE)
Do a full walk around video of your truck inside and out of all that you have done. Do it at that special time of day when it's light enough to see everything but dark enough so your awesome light show is on display.
Talk us through all the before and after. I bet it will put a smile on your face remembering all the good times (and the occasional band-aid).


I know, you could call it.....:thk:
............A "KAIded" tour of the Luxury Laramie (aka Millennium Falcon)
 
#600 ·
Wow. Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you enjoyed my thread and didn't feel as though it was a waste of time (which I sometimes do, lol).

As for the walk around video.. at first thought, it sounds like a great idea (the upload time would probably take forever!). However, I do what I do because I want to do it. I am not one to seek attention or a spotlight. I simply wish to share my trials and tribulations with others who may, or may not, appreciate them as well. As outgoing as I am, I am also quite humble when I feel as though all eyes are on me.

So, I may do the video for my own enjoyment and to use as a footnote in what has become my Ram's transformation. Yet, I do not think I would publicly share such a thing for reasons previously mentioned. I may come to my senses and change my mind on this when the hour is not so late and I am no longer the influence of pain medication (had oral surgery a few days ago).. however, for now, this is how I feel and my first reaction is usually trustworthy.

I do thank you for the idea though. Perhaps when she is next polished and buffed up and not appearing as battered as her namesake, I shall take this on and see what happens.

For the record.. I did laugh my bananas off @ Kaided tour! :gy:

Kai I have really enjoyed reading through your build thread.
It has inspired me to do one for my new Ram.
The greatness of these is they do two things:
1. Document for ourselves the progress of our work
2. Give insight to others on what can be done

You asked for ideas on what else to do....dang I can't think of anything cool that you haven't already done.

How about this (and it's FREE)
Do a full walk around video of your truck inside and out of all that you have done. Do it at that special time of day when it's light enough to see everything but dark enough so your awesome light show is on display.
Talk us through all the before and after. I bet it will put a smile on your face remembering all the good times (and the occasional band-aid).


I know, you could call it.....:thk:
............A "KAIded" tour of the Luxury Laramie (aka Millennium Falcon)
 
#605 ·
:LOL:
Indeed! I have already thought about that aspect of this project and have also made *myself* dizzy.
I must admit that my OCD does drive me insane sometimes, not just those around me.
 
#609 ·
#608 ·
Well... I finally got some grommets in the lower grille air dam filler thingy!
I know, I know.. took me long enough.. :gy:

KCs installed and rough hole showing


And now with the rubber grommet in place. Much cleaner appearance.. not that anyone other than myself would ever notice or think to look.. but just in case.. wouldn't want a mechanic thinking any less of me LOL
 
#612 · (Edited)
Oooookay. I was going to wait to do this huge unveiling once it was completely and utterly finished and ready to put back on the truck.. but.. I just can't keep this to myself! I'll toss up my progress here as I go and make a big revealing thread in the engine bay section later :D

Here's pics up to now...

Still in the truck.. doesn't know what treatment is in store for it.. mwaaahaahaahaaaa!!


Let the preparations commence!!


Lettering sanded down using 600 grit to get them baby butt smooth...


About 30 minutes of taping later (yes, seriously, 30min just on tape.. I'm OCD, you all should know that by now)


Ran into some oddball snafoo the painting gods decided to bestow upon yours truly...


But it was nothing a little brake cleaner, elbow grease, and adhesion promoter couldn't fix! (And, of course, another 45 minutes of taping. Hey! I wanted to absolutely ensure it was right this time!)

This is how it sits now. Curing, settling for the night hours. I am contemplating playing it some Beethoven in order to promote a pleasant settling experience...

 
#614 ·
Just curious about the Hunter Bull Bar...why does the manufacturer say to loose the tow hooks? I want to mount mine the same way you did and retain the tow hooks, but I'm just wondering why they say that. Is it supposed to mount through the tow hook holes or something? :4-dontknow:
 
#616 · (Edited)
Not sure why they claim that installing their bar will force the customer to lose the use of their tow hooks. The bar can obviously be installed by removing the OEM tow hook anchor bolts, positioning the bar brackets into place and then tightening everything back up by reusing the OEM anchor bolts.

For a complete write-up and pictures of how I went about with installing my Hunter bull bar, click the link in my signature. ;)

Perhaps the company makes this claim due to the loss of the tow hooks on other makes/models.. but it works perfectly on the 4th Gen Rams. I have had no issues with it since installation April of 2013.
 
#615 ·
Nice touch on the grommets, looks much better. I guess am OCD too because am the one who noticed. Like what I see so far with the under hood paint work.
 
#617 ·
Update!

Round 1: Silver (actually the second attempt at round 1 lol) went on at 5pm.
Round 2: Black went on around 11pm
I did a tape integrity test on the silver around 10pm and found that it would take the tape without causing any lifting issues on the paint.
I waited an hour and then began taping and finished the black section around 12:30am.

Now.. I am about to start taping for Round 3: Red.

But here's some update pictures of where it stands right now...





 
#618 · (Edited)
Red is now done! :D
It doesn't appear very red in the picture.. but it is quite red in person.. maybe I'll play with lighting and see if I can't get a picture that better represents its actual colors..

I'm now finding myself in a conundrum.. :thk:
do I paint the letters silver or red?

My plan from the start was to do them in red.. but now that I'm seeing the big picture.. I'm not so sure if that would be *too* much red.. :4-dontknow:

(And, yes, I know the little arrows aren't visible when the cover is on the truck.. but I got so much glee out of painting those little buggars! It's the little things that matter in life.)
:)

Suggestions?
I've got awhile to wait until I can tape them up.

Here's current pics...



 
#622 ·
Thanks! I thought so too. :shy:

Damn, Kai!!! Nice job, girl!! :)
Personally, I would do the "HEMI" in red, and the "5.7L V8 in silver.
Thanks Paul!
I like your idea.. though it would take longer to tape.. lol!
Decisions, decisions...

Looks great. My vote is for red.
Thanks! Red was my original plan.. but wouldn't it be like red overload? I want to accent but just not sure... :4-dontknow:


So the votes so far are:
1 Red
1 "Hemi" in red / "5.7L V8" in silver

Ugh.. no idea...
 
#623 ·
And yet another obstacle on my journey to the finish line..
taping off the lettering. :smiledown:

How in the heck do people get theirs to look so blasted sharp?!
Am I going about it the wrong way?

Never done anything like this before, but my common sense told me to lay tape and then use my precision knife set to cut out the "stencils" to remove them. But MAN! This is tough work, even for an OCDer with steady hands, good lighting and a ton of patience.

This here took me nearly an hour and it looks like CRAP! The nooks and crannies are driving me BONKERS! I caught myself about to make the cover a permanent lawn ornament by way of the back room window so I figured it was time for a break! :nunu:

Any help here would be awfully kind... :sad:



 
#624 ·
x acto knife would br your friend right about now, slightly tape over the lettering and cut around it with the knife. keep doing what you are doing I know its a PITA but you will get it and dont freak out if some of the red/silver(whatever you chose) may bleed around the tape, a small paint brush or a fingernail polish brush well cleaned and spray some of the black paint into the cap so you will have paint to dip the brush in touch up the edges as needed before you spray the clear coat
 
#628 ·
Good info.. I would obviously prefer to not have to do any touch-up work.. but in case I do, thanks for the tip! I'm sure I could find a nail polish bottle somewhere.

And I am using a precision knife (a.k.a. Xacto knife) ;)

 
#625 ·
Yeah I remember it being a pain with those letters. I laid the tape over it and cut out where it needed to be covered. Just takes time really and a bit of patience.

So for example lay a small piece of tape over the bottom of the H. Cut out what you need to fill that gap and gently press it in with your finger. Takes a lot of time.

Ask me how I know...




 
#627 ·
Perfect! Yes. Doug! That is exactly what I want!
When can you get here?
I have steaks, a grill and beer... :beerchug:

OK. seriously. What is the trick to getting the little sticks between the H, E, M and I?
And also the wickedness that is the tip within the 5 and the circles of the 8?

If I can figure those out, I may be onto something..
 
#626 ·
This stress-free break is brought to you by Kai's Fish Tank.. a wonderful way to wash your cares away (even if temporarily).

I had to remove that aforementioned temptation of seeing if maybe, just maybe my engine cover could sprout wings.. so I replanted my fish tank with a few new java fern mats that arrived today. I now have the rear wall lined as I have been wanting and envisioning for quite some time.

It's a simple thing.. but extremely therapeutic. :)






We know return you to whatever is going wrong in your life.. you poor sap.
 
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