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Silver's build thread (2002 Ram 1500)

18K views 152 replies 18 participants last post by  KelseytheDodgeGirl 
#1 ·
Okay, Pulling the trigger and starting a genuine build thread. :smileup:

I got Silver back in January, ran into trouble and sought help here.
With the help of the Z and all it's knowledge, Silver's running great now.

Here's some stock photos of him.






Okay, so they're not all 'initial stock', I didn't get him with the dented bumper.
Guy in a Dakota in front of me got cut off by a BMW, I smashed into his hitch.
Honestly, I'm glad he had the hitch, it limited the damage to my truck...



I'll post some of the Plasti-dipping process pictures here when I get a chance, but this is the 'build' thread of Silver's plasti-dip.

:D Current mods:
-Plasti-dip, all over
-Thrush Turbo muffler w/ Walker tail pipe
-new front bumper

Definitely more to come! :LOL:

I'll be back!
 
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#2 ·
You need to address the rust issues before you do more. In Maine, they will flunk you for an inspection sticker unless that is fixed. My dad's 06 Sierra flunked with a perfect body, but some rust in the frame around spare tire holder. Friggin salt.:smiledown:
 
#3 ·
We don't have any inspection... at all around here. I've got it lined up when I get the funds to replace the cab corners, but it's gonna be awhile--need a new job. I've got them coated with Rust Stop from Rustoleum right now and that's all that it's gonna get for now. The only other way that I'd be able to do it is if I filled the holes with expanding foam and went from there... I'd really prefer to do it right, so it'll wait.
I do have to agree though, the salt sucks!
 
#5 ·

I'm at it again with stickers. This one has been a long time coming, and joins my "thrush" muffler sticker. I've wanted this one for a very long time. :D

More pictures once I get home of the whole truck (yes, I do put the PRO in procrastinate.)
 
#9 ·
Hey thanks Brandon! :)
I loved that one way too much not to get it. I don't want to put too many stickers on though, at the risk of making it look tacky. :p

Voonderbar! Finally, a build thread for Silver. You've only been talking about doing it for the last 9 years... OK, a couple of weeks. Doesn't matter how long, because it's up now and Silver is looking awesome! Keep up the great work, Kelsey!
Thanks Roger! :D
Yeah, I procrastinate too much, I'm sorry! :LOL:
More to come, though probably won't be too active for the next week or so. We'll see!

Should be fun!
 
#7 ·
Voonderbar! Finally, a build thread for Silver. You've only been talking about doing it for the last 9 years... OK, a couple of weeks. Doesn't matter how long, because it's up now and Silver is looking awesome! Keep up the great work, Kelsey!
 
#15 ·
Hey thanks for the rep points! :)

Looks really good Kelsey.:smiley_thumbs_up:
Thanks man :D

:smileup: It is looking good, I love Bright Silver on the 2002-2005 3rd gens. :D
The color is definitely growing on me! Right at first I thought I wanted to fix up the rust and repaint a different color-- thoughts of Detonator yellow or Go ManGo danced through-- but I really like the Silver now-- may see about two-toning him down the road when I get the $$$ big bucks to do rust repair and paint. Already found the needed pieces at Rock Auto and the shipping isn't bad...
My autobody guy laughed at me when I asked for a price on repair (that sort of ticked me off), so I may look for someone else.
Then again, the same thing happened when my mom got a hold of the White '06 hemi. :LOL: Guess I just like Rams!
 
#16 ·
While you are waiting to afford to buy the parts, make friends with someone who works at a body shop. By the time you get the parts you could be good friends and they will do the work for you for a case a beer and a BBQ steak. Best place to get to know people like this are the small Mom and Pop shops. I did this a few years ago with two brothers that ran a custom suspension shop. When I got the parts to bag my 91 Toyota, I BBQ some steaks and bought the beer and they bagged my truck for free on a Sunday. I like free but it was also really fun too. Just a thought?
 
#18 ·
Great idea, if only I didn't live in the middle of nowhere. The closest town has two mechanics (no dealers, either) One mechanic charges through the nose and usually lucks out with insurance claim type work, while the other is motivated only when he needs to pay the bills, some of the time (the one that I work part time for). The body shops? also two. One has been there forever, and does a lot of good work, but is too much of a 'business' guy to loosen up enough for that. The other one... he screwed up my moms Concorde's paint so badly I wouldn't even dream of letting him near silver (Paint was smooth, but hood was a different shade of color. Glue was used instead of new parts, and the headlights were screwy). In short? I have some major research ahead of me! :doh:

I am with you on the silver. Was not my first colour choice, but when my dad said I could buy the company truck that sat in the lot all day and towed tent trailers or he was getting rid of it, I suddenly liked silver :LOL:
I can see where that would happen! :57: Silver is a cool color-- pretty versatile!

Meanwhile, not much has happened with silver. (Unless you count the oil change that is scheduled...) Put the tailgate back on to do some hauling, and now that it's back on there, the rust and... lack of plastidip is really getting to me.

That's proooobably on hold though, as I've managed to injure myself and have a limited range of movement and a "no heavy lifting" lift limit for awhile. (Combine that with a new, hyper 8 month old puppy that weighs 40 lbs and you have an interesting time) :smiledown: Though... If I can figure out how to work on the tailgate, it will most certainly happen! Yee haw!

We'll see! Keep ya posted!
 
#19 ·
Nice job on fixing up the truck! One thing I did when I lived in Maine with a very rusted Bronco II was to stray the rusted body work with a primer to rust spray paint I found at the auto store. I then pushed and all the rusty edges inward and cover my panel holes with aluminum ducting tape. We didn't have Plasti Dip then, but did have under coating that sprayed on and harden, so I did that to all my lower panels and fender holes. The texture hid the tape lines very well and most people never knew my repair was so easy. Something to look into for those panel holes you have.
 
#21 ·
I definitely have played around with similar ideas, as well as contemplated trying my hand at fiberglass patches and bondo. Not sure what I'll end up doing. Silver wasn't a high end purchase to begin with, so I've been told to not invest too much in him. I'd like him to not fall apart, so I'm not sure I agree completely. We'll see.

What? Do we have to start calling you gimp now? Wha'd you do?
Dang if I know, Rog! Sharp, electrical pain through my back. They tried telling me it was because I redid Silver's bumper without help. That was too long ago, I don't buy it. My opinion? Give me a day, some motrin and I'll be fine. :p Besides that, I'm bored. :LOL: Definitely not Gimp material. :57:
 
#22 ·
Back pain, eh? You're too young to have back problems. Cervical, Thoracic or Lumbar area? Um, upper, middle or lower area? Shooting up or down. Does it go in to your butt and/or down your legs and/or arms?

The paramedic in me is coming out. Just curious, and I have some personal experience with back issues.
 
#23 ·
Lumbar and thoracic, though more thoracic and generally downward shooting. I speak doctor and chiropractor, Uncle Rog. Was-- and am-- pondering Chiropractic college.
:4-dontknow:

Hope to be starting a build thread for the white ram at some point soon, I have too many ideas for Dipping that RAM!!

We'll see!
 
#25 ·
update.

If y'all recall, I was gonna try plastidipping my embroidered RAM mats. As a tsp, I sprayed the embroidery on my bedbug. Looks like frosted glass….not a fan. But I did it hastily. I may work if I section off the embroidery.

but that said, I bought the rubber RAM mats and dig that for now.

Then I get a part of RAM stirrup steps for our kids….See my attached first legit plastidip JOB>

 
#26 ·
Stirrup step looks Good, DieselD! thanks for the follow up.




So. Today I looked up Silver's build sheet from Ram. I'll be darned if it doesn't say that this truck has a fuel capacity of 35 gallons, with a 7 gallon addition listed under options. Unless there's some simple math that I don't know about, that's 42 gallons of gas that Silver should hold. I've gone from the low fuel light dinging, well under 1/8th of a tank, all the way to almost pegged, past full. I've never gotten anything past 26 or 27 gallons. :box2: This is a bummer to say the least. Yes, I did double check that I have the right VIN typed in and everything.
There's a few other key things that Silver is supposedly equipped with, that I'll swear that he doesn't have.
Blah. Okay, that was my little rant of the day, now I really want to look up the carfax, see what else happened to Silver. :doh:

Anyway, yesterday was a big day for Silver.
I washed and waxed, then realized how stupid that was because I wanted to Plasti-dip, so I clayed the areas to be dipped, and then started the tape off.






See, I KNEW that table cloth from Christmas would come in handy!






This is probably my favorite part. Got the idea from IFellOver on Silver's Plasti-Dip thread. Figured I may as well try it. I love it! :D

I did the 'cap' on the bed sides because of how badly the paint was rubbed away by the ill-fitting drop-in bed liner he came with. It was rubbed all the way through the clear, color and the primer in places. :smiledown: I also had to attack it with Goo Gone because they evidently knew the liner wasn't going to fit, so they used some Foam tape (too thin to do anything) in an attempt to cushion the bed... THAT was fun.

Anybody know someone in Northwest Indiana with a "2002-C 8FT. Dodge Ram" that 'needs' a drop in? It's trying to become a mosquito breeding grounds in my front yard and I want it gone. :LOL:

Next? The dealer sticker is probably gonna go. I don't mind it, really, but it bugs me now because an edge of one of the letters is peeling away. I covered up his name with Plasti-dip anyway...
I'm hoping today or tomorrow holds plasti-dip time for the white ram, I sketched some Ideas out for mom and she's picked a few that she really likes... Yee Haw! :D
 
#29 ·
Thanks Uncle Rog! :D
Now... to tackle that rust that I uncovered on that tailgate... :box:

NICE!! That made a huge improvement!:smileup:
Thanks a ton man! I was definitely happy with the switch as well as proud as a mother hen that I did it myself.
You should see the looks on some guys faces when I tell them that I did it myself, no bodyshop involved. Quite satisfying, I must say. :)
 
#30 · (Edited)
Whoops, I must have slipped, because I just stopped in the middle of the road and ended up taking pictures.

Crazy, I know.





I couldn't help it though. Silver wanted to pose. I simply had to. I knew he was jealous, so I had to make up.
Why was he jealous?
I may or may not have taken a 2014 Ram 2500 Laramie with the 6.4L V8 Hemi for a test drive, because I was in a bad mood-- Parts dept. ordered the wrong part for Silver[after telling me the part was in, and they closed in 30 minutes... and they're about 25 minutes away.... Silver made the trip in much less...], so no A/C and it was hot in town.
Rushed into town for part only to have no part waiting that would work.
Unhappy camper turned happy camper by playing with the new toys.
Cherry Red 2014 Ram 2500 Laramie, Quad cab, short bed with Rambox (not a fan, as I haul a lot of hay...), loaded, heated and cooled seats, touch screen radio... awesome EVIC (threw the salesman for a loop when I called it an EVIC... :doh:).... just... this truck was loa-ded. Still... Still not sure how to feel about push button start though, or those electronic gear selectors some new ones have... maybe I'm old fashioned.

WOAH
HEY
I REALLY LIKE THAT TRUCK
for it's size and weight, it really... really goes.
Especially when the salesman tells you that they didn't think you were gonna be shy and encourages you to floor it.
I then did so, happily, then embarrassed him because I knew more about most of trucks on the lot than he did. Thanks guys! :D

I shouldn't have done that. I really shouldn't have. Because there's no way that I'd be able to afford the gas for it, let alone the $55K window sticker. :sad:

Theeeeen I took a new Chrysler 200C 9-speed V6 for a run.
Again.
Dangerous, but not nearly as much as the truck... because it's a car.
but.... Seeing as I drive to school... gas mileage... eh...

EITHER WAY. They're brand new, and all I'll ever do is test drive them.
Girl can dream though!

Wait. Stop.
Silver.
Silver.
SILVER.
I gotta stay THIRD GEN STRONG!
Which, honestly, isn't that hard I love both our third gens. The salesman made the mistake of insulting my Silver, saying he couldn't ever compete with a new one because of how poor the HP, blah blah blah. Hey bud, I like my truck, back off.

Anywho, I'm rambling because it's somehow 2:30 am.

Sorry Silver, I jacked the end of your post. Enjoy the pictures, and maybe the ramblings of a sleep deprived me if you're brave enough to read all this. If so... cookie for you. :wavey:
 
#32 · (Edited)
I was confused for a second, seeing as I've just baked cookies, then saw this post... I really had to go back a page to see if I'd said something about cookies. I have CRS--can't remember shit. :LOL:
Well... Uncle Roger...
Mailing a cookie seems out of the question here, so how about this for a treat?

I did promise pictures of the white ram once I started dipping...

MEANWHILE!!! I got a new sign. :D

(and of course I have to show off my Dodge/Ram/Mopar paraphernalia)


Edit: Yee haw, check out that post count. 310! :D
 
#35 · (Edited)
Thinking time

OKAY.
So, I've recently earned enough money to buy headlights for silver, if I so choose. I've been chewing on a few different styles, including OE-style, made and sold by the same manufacturer I got my bumper and brackets from.



Obviously, #1 is OE style. I really like the price, and I know what they look like on Silver.

#2 was thrown in by a whim, as when I went to go get the pic of the smokey housing ones I liked, I found they're no longer available. I found another pair, but I didn't like the $180 per piece price tag, at all. These... I'm not actually sure I like, but hey, what do you guys think? :4-dontknow:

#3 is a favorite, thus of course, the most expensive of this bunch. I realize that these aren't the big-name lights a lot of the Z uses, but even if they wear out in a few years, the price wasn't HUGE, so I could replace... y'know?

IF there wasn't anything wrong with Silver's lights, I wouldn't replace. but lately, the passenger light has taken to filling with water. On top of that the plastic... lens (?) is clouded, and I've tried polishing it out, without much success minus taking the yellowing out of the haze. I can now usually cruise around with brights on and not piss people off. I like light. I don't like not having it. :bur2:

I was also throwing around the idea of going with the OE style, then seeing if I can squeeze in some fog lights, depending on this--
How hard would install be? (I'd have help with the wiring I believe)
I really don't know, thus why I'm asking. Is it worth the trouble?

Basically at this point, I'm rambling. No set in stone plans-- though I will be checking around for OEM Headlight prices, see what I can find. Ya never know...

What do you guys think? :smileup:

EDIT: I can get OE style from rock auto for $93.07 shipped, in case anyone was wondering..

EDIT 2:

These... these I also like, from auto anything. ~$102
GAH TOO MANY OPTIONS
 
#37 ·
I dunno man, it sort of sucks sometimes!

I really love the look of number three, but know nothing of the brand "SPPC" :4-dontknow:
At least with the autoanything version, it's a better known brand. I DON'T KNOW D:

RAH

There again, I've never had too many issues with the 'off brand things' category. *knock on wood*

Okay, so apparently rambling at 3 am is hard to resist, so I'll try not to. :shy2:

I also would really like to put some LED's under the hood, as well as inside... I'm gonna be talking to a couple small-shop body guys and see what sort of pricing they'll give me for silver's repair.
Buuut... right now the number one things are lights--visibility, and an alignment--drive-ability.

Anywhooooo....
Silver was workin' hard earning his keep today :)



This, boys, is how you stack and haul hay.
40 bales, which would equal out to somewhere around 1800-2000 pounds of fresh cut grass hay.

Did we ignore how much weight You're supposed to put in the bed? yes.
Did Silver haul it like a champ anyway? YES, yes he did.

As a reward, he got a bath. Perhaps a coat of wax tomorrow.
 
#38 · (Edited)
I like the Autoanything ones you added under edit #2. Does your price from them reflect getting the Ramformz discount? I know the 16% usually needs a higher purchase value, but I've put $30-$40 items in my basket, goto checkout and wait a bit and get a pop up from someone to help me. I then says the RamformZ discount isn't working and they usually give me a 15% off price. Nice little discount I've used on mud flaps and chrome mirror covers.

Also I read you can use tooth past to clean up and polish headlights that are worn. I've never tried it but might be worth it to see if you can improve them and then paint the inside with that PlastiDip you have done.

Have you seen this?
http://www.fixmyrust.com/Category/02-08_Dodge_PickUp
 
#39 ·
Hm.. no, there is no discount applied to the AutoAnything price...

I've also heard the tooth paste thing, and I tried it. It seems to have improved it slightly, but more along the lines of taking the yellowing out of the haze. I mean, it certainly helped, but not as much as I was hoping. I'll probably try again. And, if I get new lights, I'll probably try my hand at doing more intense work on the headlights and probably try cracking them open and painting as you suggested.

I haven't seen that website, but I did see that Rock Auto offers the bed inserts and the cab corners. Not sure about the rocker panels, I'm actually pretty excited about that! :smileup: Thanks for the link, that'll come in handy, for sure!
 
#40 · (Edited)
#41 ·
Thanks for the info, reps for that! :) I'll be looking into that product, as well as thinking real hard about ordering the replacement pieces and seeing about making friends with a body shop guy...
 
#43 ·
Alright, just throwing this up to get some feedback.


I know, My photoshop-- or perhaps photoCHOP-- skills amaze me as well, but I didn't feel like going and getting just the right angle pics of Silver to do this... so I blame my laziness.

AT THE MOMENT I'm now leaning towards OEM, then OEM style fog install as well, but I change my mind a lot...
Just had to pay some college tuition, so, ha, the lights might have to wait a little while longer... ouchie. :wow:

Ah well, lemme know what you guys think.:smileup:
 
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