I totally agree with him as well except for he's talking about the really cheap eBay LEDs! Holly makes a really nice retro bright light that is glass bulb and looks exactly like the OEM factory classic headlight bulbs
@@Spokaneexploration +1 for Holley Retrobright. I rebuilt a 1982 CB750C, and as a finishing touch I threw in a 3000K Retrobright bulb. It works fantastic and has modern performance, but it still looks period. My friends told me they had no idea it was an LED until I told them.
I replaced the incandescent sealed beams on my classic with vintage Cibie ECE H4 headlights. Still look original but put light down like projector headlights, especially since I put a beefy wiring harness in.
watching this as I lay on the passenger side floorboard changing a AC servo on my car, while occasionally taking a glance over to see the wizard’s exquisite hand gestures
Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one, he kept it garaged, gave it frequent oil changes, and lots of waxings to the paint. Alas, Bob went home to God, and no one kept track of his beautiful old truck.
When I look at the front of these trucks, I see the grand Wagoneer. I know they shared a lot of common parts like the engine, but are they built off the same chassis?
Bump the timing up on that thing and you will be happier with both power and fuel mileage. Dont bother with a timing light just turn the timing up till it pings and back it off a bit till it doesn't. Factory timing specs are terrible on those.
Friend of mine bought a BMW X5, '00 model as a non-runner recently, brought it to me to be fixed. Got it running after CCV/spark plug replacements, but the car had about 15 other issues with it. After rebuilding the brake system, diagnosing and replacing high beam wires, replacing several sensors, fixing a coolant leak etc etc... the car is finally back on the road. If you're planning on buying a non-runner, take the price you've got in your head and double it.
Lots of problems (no surprise on a non running 30 year old vehicle) but all the parts are cheap and easily available, and not too hard to replace. The advantage of an old school domestic vehicle. Should be good for many more years of service.
I love that era's Dodge Ram Charger, Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco. They get horrible gas mileage (like 10-14 mpg depending on year/engine) and aren't nearly as practical as a 4-dr SUV, but they look awesome!
It's hard to understand how much better riding around in modern cars are these days are too until you've owned and lived with something like this as well. Very smelly, loud, uncomfortable, etc. Like it's much easier to understand if you can drive different vehicles back to back. These older vehicles are fun to have for nostalgia but living with them day to day would suck. Especially living in a metro area where everyone is in a rush.
@@yayinternets I always owned muscle cars 1965-1973 specifically. But I remember my first Japanese car a 1985 Nissan sentra I remember thinking why am I checking oil every day it hasn't moved yet. 🤣🤣
@ Lol, I never even thought about how much oil older cars used to go through. Like back then people thought you were an idiot if you weren't frequently checking your oil and the water level in your battery. I was still a kid in the 80s but remember it for sure. Especially since my first vehicles were from the 70s and 80s.
Can't wait to see more videos on that ramcharger. One thing I have to say is that I do not think those replacement Chinese motors will last as long as the Chrysler ones wood if you just rebuilt them
I had a 1989 Ramcharger with a 360 in it. If I ran it to empty, it would take 33 gallons to fill up and it got 11 mpg. I loved that truck. If you open the roof vent, remember to close it. It’s easy to forget and let the rain in. They are underpowered and slow, but great in the snow and on light trails. Great camping vehicle.
Thirsty AND slow/underpowered. There's no doubt that engine tech has come a long way. BTW, regarding that 33 gallon tank, I could fill the tank on my vehicle twice and a little more, then travel close to 1000 miles. Mine's a compact SUV so not actually a fair comparison, but still.
Respect to Señor Cerna from my old shop. He was a natural genius that could attack anything. He did a lot of work kneeling low to the ground with his tools and parts all splayed out, much like Jr. Mint. After observing for a while, I noticed that the chaos was always sectioned off in such a way that he could just reach and grab without looking. He was still faster and busier than anyone else in the franchise. Maybe 1-2 comebacks per year. The repair industry could use me, I guess. But it absolutely needs him. I hope it always treats him well, because he really deserves it.
I totally agree with him on the cheap LED headlights but Holly retrobrites I don't know if you've ever seen those They look exactly like factory OEM glass bulb lights and they are glass too they're the one LED that I would use on a classic vehicle
@@Spokaneexploration You can also increase the light output with some easy mods. I've done these before on older vehicles like a heavy thick gauge ground from Chassis, to Engine, to Battery Ground. Then you can also clean and improve lighting grounds as they corrode. You would be surprised how these small things actually help. If you are still having issues you can get a high output alternator, charge wire, and a high capacity battery. There are also people who replace the harness that runs to and from the lighting switch with a relay set up and this prevents a lot of voltage drop but I've never bothered to do this personally.
@TheLionAndTheLamb777 You are very correct I did that with my Crown Victoria p71 I did the relay mod! And I do like the factory headlights and I would do that on a p71! I'm just saying the Holly retro brights are good and I'm not a Holly dealer like some people say lol
From experience, replace the windshield and seal, very common to fail and the windshield will leak across the top. On my ‘81, I pulled the rear panels, replaced the the cardboard with 1/4” plywood and custom vinyl covering, while apart I also glued foam insulation in the cavity to reduce road noise and improve interior comfort.
Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one Kept it garaged, frequent oil changes and waxings to the paint. Full tread, sidewalks cracking, no fun
i am shocked as everyone that The Jetzon Revenger A/T Tire did not stand the test of time, especially for such a trusted Household name when it comes to tires
I bought a salvage mini for $300 and once it was running, there were so many things wrong with it I junked it, including coolant leaking from the steering rack, believe it or not!
Holly retrofit LEDs look exactly classic They don't have that stupid look just FYI I also hate the cheap LED lights but Holly has their retrobrite and it looks completely classic You would never know
@someplacespecial I'm far from a Holly rep you dumb 💩🤦♂️ sorry I state facts You're a dip 💩 And you probably are a boomer by your profile picture Time to check out soon there bud
Hella makes a replacement headlight assembly for these that uses Euro style housing and cutoff pattern. Used to have them on my ‘81 RC, worked 100% better than anything else. You’ll probably find that the front outboard U-joints need replaced.
i remember fixing one of those with an aftermarket amp gauge with a 10 gauge wire running from the alternator to the cab amp gauge, and back out to the battery, replaced it with a 4-gauge batt cable from the alt to the battery positive. and a voltage gauge. awesome vehicle .
Ford had that problem with the window motors too. I had a 95 Tbird that I had to buy new rollers for because the originals were crumbs also lol. Luckily NAPA had them.
3 years ago I was gifted a 94 GMC Jimmy, everything worked and it had less than 100,000 mile. After a Trans service, new shocks, tires, lower ball joints/alignment, rear brake cylinders and an AC service, my free truck cost me $2000. 😂😂 Since then I've done a lot of PM; its a CA vehicle that has been garaged most its life, so it looks and runs great, but nothing is free, especially when it comes to cars.
If you have a car that's a bit of a junker or you just want a quick temporary fix, drop three 5/16" or 3/8" hex nuts into the window motor, in place of the rollers and it will work like new. Does not provide the safety of the plastic rollers though. Those hex nuts will not crush if the window meets an obstacle. Keep that in mind.
I had an 84 Ramcharger 2WD with a 318. I loved that beast. My girls named it Bob. The only modification I did to it was I put in an air horn under the hood. I used it to pull my 17 foot boat and lived in upstate NY for 3 winters. No trouble whatsoever. Not efficient or fast but it was bullet proof and easy to work on.
Nice to see about the RC's headlights. Get the same questions on my 93 Celica. "Don't you want to upgrade?" I like the historically accurate look & experience of cars. If i want a modern car I'd buy it.
I agree 100% with the wizard. I bought a cheap but running 98 TA I’ve focused on safety and maintenance first. many people pull the engine and disassemble the entire car. Then they can’t fix it and sell it as buckets of parts and bolts.
I agree with you completely when it comes to things like the headlights on your truck. But wizard, what would you think about putting the LED upgrades in something like a 1989 Acura Integra with the flip up headlights? I feel like it would match that car better plus you wouldn't really see that much. Also when I originally picked up that car it had all brand new tires that were 20 some years old and completely dry rotted as well 😅
Underpowered is an understatement! My dad bought one of those new in '89 with the 360, not 318. It was incredibly slow and had a lot of squeaks and rattles. He only had it 2 years before he was so fed up with it and traded it in.
Weird tire brands I got some n50 15s the name on them is Big Boppers I'm pretty sure they're from the late '60s early '70s how crazy is that have a great day
I will say this about incandescent bulbs the quality of the bulbs have gone WAY down. They are not as bright as they were in the past also they don't last as long. I have composite headlights on my 95 Dakota oh what a difference switching LED lamps. Needs some dry ice blasting on the running gear. 11:07 This is why the introduction of the Magnum line of engines was so popular. HP went up to 235 on the 360.
Just normal stuff for an older vehicle. I remember Jetzon Revengers in the 80s. They weren't a high end tire and had a pretty hard compound. So they were good in the teenage burnout years lol. They lasted a while, had white lettering and a cool name.
The underside of your truck is calling out for a good coating of Fluid Film. The stuff works great to keep your Ramcharger from rusting even worse. I've used it on my '74 beetle and '22 Crosstrek. It's good stuff.
It’s kinda similar to a customer service voice. If you were getting paid to read something I’d probably assume you’d do it too. Just skip past it who cares
I really hope you don't give up on this truck. My first four wheel drive was a 76 Ramcharger , 360 , auto , bright red with white interior. Only vehicle I've ever owned that I still have a framed picture of on the wall.
4:54 this made me chucked out loud, like 4-5 years ago my brother had a rotten tire on a trailer, after inflating it, we poked around the split and it DID indeed explode
This brought back a lot of memories! My first Ramcharger was a 1979 with a 360 and constant 4 wheel drive. I bought it used in the mid 1980's. It was a gas guzzler but it didn't have all of that horsepower choking pollution crap on it. That thing was a beast! The next Ramcharger I owned was a 1986 and it had the 2 to 4 wheel drive system. They were both great vehicles. If I had the money and the space, I'd love to get one as a project vehicle. I'll be following your progress on yours Car Wizard, as well as your other videos.
In terms of bulbs, what I like is that there are LED ones that come with a housing, looking like original factory sealed beam bulbs. If you can find ones with the right color temperature and a good beam pattern, they look like OEM but much brighter and never need replacement again
Upholstery work is not cheap! I got quoted $1500 to reupholster by 71 LTD front bench seat. And that's if I brought them the covers! They didn't even have to disassemble the bench! I'm rebuilding my engine and I'm going to be in that rebuild less than the cost to redo my bench seat.
Best options for that platform was a 360 cubic inch with a four barrel thermal quad then it would get out of its way for itself and a four-speed manual
I replaced the window gear "rollers" in my 70 charger and 74 newport with cut down spent rifle brass in the 80's. Always wondered if that ever was noticed by the later owners. lol Great vids Wizard! Thank you.
I expect there is a reason that the window motor assembly only costs $2 more than just the rollers. The original ones lasted 30 years. The Amazon ones, made from Chinesium will last about 3. I would rather fix the original ones, as it is a PITA to take apart all the doors again. At least keep the original assemblies around for the next attempt.
i had an 86 2wd Ramcharger and loved it. i enjoyed your video very much. you simply don't see these in that condition any more. a couple things i saw in the video that should be addressed. #1 the rear hatch is cracked at the hinges. you can fiberglass it but it will break again. these hatches are 2 pieces consisting of inside and outside design. they are glued together. this glue fails and then they crack. i actually re glued mine together using 3m body panel glue and a series of small stainless steel bolts across the top to hold it together. after 10 plus years it still looked great with no further issues. #2 the seat frames will break. they are difficult to repair and not worth the time it takes. the good news is the frames are the same as found in the older mini vans and some full size vans. so finding replacements is not hard. it looks like the rockers on this truck are in great shape. i would remove the rubber plugs from underneath and wash them out and spray the inside with an oil based rust prevention liquid. just some thoughts from a former owner of one of these great trucks.
My grandfather had one of these 5 years ago he restored it and did an ls swap with over 400 hp made a massive difference it all worked too ac all the gauges the 4wd everything worked like stock you would never know it was swapped until you drive it and look under the hood
Those aren't much better and the ones available are going to be needing overhaul. He's better off putting an Edelbrock top end into it with a Performer cam, roller rockers and headers. The old heads, cam and manifolds were the smog-era crap and couldn't make much power.
I had a 75 D -ramcharger absolutely loved it. I miss it such a great vehicle. You have a total classic!! Great find look forward to the upcoming vids!!
Im really glad you were on hoovies garage ,like watching your videos ,very interesting to watch ive been a gear head my hole life im 62 never gets dull keep up the great job brother
You will need that tank, my 87 ramcharger averaged 11 to the gallon when I got it in 92 with 2 thousand miles on it. It was a pig, very little pick up when accelerating. I did throw a built carberated pre smog 360 into it when the original engine got very tired at around 140K miles which helped with gas mileage and acceleration.
I always wanted one of these trucks cause of movies like Lone Wolf mccade and other movies. In chain reaction, the main characters find on in a barn in Wisconsin and fix it up for their journey
Reminds me of my adventures with my 92 4Runner. It runs and drives now, I'm just running down all the issues. Needs new speakers, like yours does, needed new tires like yours does, little driveability problems caused by dry rotted rubber bushings and boots letting grease leak out over time.
I like the less complex cars and trucks of this era and earlier. I have a 2000 Jaguar s-type V8 that I just got a few months ago. It sat on decent looking tires but they are all flat spotted like yours. The nice thing is that it smoothes out at 80 MP H. I have had it up to 135 MPH. It has an intermittent missfire that I haven't been able to diagnose yet.
As far as the window motor, some people update the stock motors with Delrin rollers. They last much longer and work great. I rebuilt the headlights on my 3rd gen firebird, which uses a similar motor/roller setup.
Like the Ramcharger wizard. I had an 89 Ram with the 5.2 TBI and it ran quite well. Others have mentioned to advance the timing some and Im also sure adding a less restrictive exhaust would help. I had to replace yhe evap. Core in mine as the A/C started leaking. Should be a fun, capable beast when finished.
Just don't let the BFGs get as old. Ironically I bought a ramcharger with BFG that had no wear. But was old enough to buy a beer. No cracking at all but one day one just exploited while it has been sitting in my driveway. Maybe age is more important than brand of course both would be preferred.
Several years ago I bought a snowblower from a scrap guy for 25 bucks. Figured out the carb was gummed up and needed rebuilt. Searched for a rebuild kit, it was 30 bucks plus shipping. Kept digging, and found a completely new carb for 25 bucks shipped. Turned out to be a great snow blower. Ariens 555 IIRC.
like Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage says. dont worry about it being pretty or shiney just get your rig going and enjoy it and that will keep you motivated to work on your project.
Back in the day I drove both a Ramcharger and a 5.0 Bronco and for whatever reason the Bronco felt much peppier and stronger. The Bronco probably wasn't stronger or barely was,, but it felt a lot better...
@@curtishorton6163 No it was a 5.0 and the Ramcharger was a 318,, I don't know why the Ford felt so much better but it did. I had another buddy who had an 85' 5.8 4bbl and it was VERY strong. I drove it a couple times and LOVED it,,, but he totaled it in 87' or 88',, not sure anymore said the old guy.... lol
Looks great! Beware, those fiberglass hatches were prone to cracking around the hinges. So go easy on it. Almost looks like yours is cracked but I couldn't get a good look at it.
Similar story to the 94 2dr Blazer I've been working on for the last several months. Ran and drove when I bought it but interior needed work, lots of missing pieces, lots of little things didn't work and even needed new supports for the rear hatch too.
I work on a lot of these trucks up in Alaska. The first thing I do is 4 barrel intake manifold. Then a gm ignition module with a 73 up stock distributor. And you could get 220 horses easy.
@JesseMcNeil-r2q yes I have done many of them. Jamie at dead dodge garage has a video detailing the job as far as the ignition goes. Switching to a 4 brl will give better fuel economy and a power gain. Oh and I normally delete all the emissions. Smog pump ,cat ,egr.I leave the pcv in place it good for the engine.
Definitely want those rear brakes working. The rear idle power will over power the front braking force in the snow if your rear brakes go. Still stops great in dry and you’ll never know until it snows and you go through a red light at idle speed.
None of the new stuff impresses me, I just see nightmares down the road. My newest ride is a 2015 Ram 1500, I've had a lot of maintenance taken care of and thoroughly enjoy this truck. Hopefully it'll take me to the end of my days.
I had a 87 ram charger just out of high school this was in 2002. Brings back a lot of memories and nightmares. Biggest POS I ever had. I remember exactly what he means about them being under powered. I’ve never owned a Chrysler product since.
Wizard, if you're going to drive this truck at night a lot look into vintage Cibie or Hella E-code headlights. They look like sealed beams but take an H4 bulb and will put out light like a modern car. Combine that with a thick wiring harness run to the battery and they'll be the best halogen lights you've ever seen.
THANK YOU for using sealed beam headlights back in the truck instead of "upgrading" to those gawd-awful looking plastic LED replacements with the rows of big "dots" in them...those ugly things look horrible on an old vehicle....
Shop Beam early cyber access for up to 50% off sitewide when you click shopbeam.com/CarWizard for a limited time only.
Don't paint it purple....if you feel motivated to sell it ...I may want it lol
That thing's got some seriously big dirt dauber nest 😊😊😊
@@buzzshavinutts8898please no purple
I can't believe you gave away the Z3.
Why not do some upgrades to the engine? Nothing internal but like an exhaust and intake and maybe the ignition.
FINALLY somebody talking about those AWFUL LED HIGHBEAMS
Yep. Damned well aughta be illegal.
They blind you even when they're not on high beam
@@glennbeadshaw727 They also can damage your eyes retinas
Nothing says neck tattoos and meth like these eBay LED aftermarket headlights.
@@dougfisher1813Hey...no neck tats here, and I only smoke weed lol.
I totally agree with you. I cannot stand the way those LED lights look. Right on man
I totally agree with him as well except for he's talking about the really cheap eBay LEDs! Holly makes a really nice retro bright light that is glass bulb and looks exactly like the OEM factory classic headlight bulbs
@@Spokaneexploration +1 for Holley Retrobright. I rebuilt a 1982 CB750C, and as a finishing touch I threw in a 3000K Retrobright bulb. It works fantastic and has modern performance, but it still looks period. My friends told me they had no idea it was an LED until I told them.
Unless the LEDs are built for halogen reflectors, they totally suck. Most are just cheap imported garbage.
Depends on what its on, But most if not all, classic things, its complete trash.
I replaced the incandescent sealed beams on my classic with vintage Cibie ECE H4 headlights. Still look original but put light down like projector headlights, especially since I put a beefy wiring harness in.
watching this as I lay on the passenger side floorboard changing a AC servo on my car, while occasionally taking a glance over to see the wizard’s exquisite hand gestures
That's some serious multitasking. I'd end up replacing the wrong part.
Glad I’m not the only one that gets lost in other peoples car problems haba
I believe he worked under Scotty for a while
😂 haaa! wrenchin and listen/watchin the Wiz. me too!
You said exquisite had gestures Xclnt
Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one, he
kept it garaged, gave it frequent oil changes, and lots of waxings to the paint. Alas, Bob went home to God, and no one kept track of his beautiful old truck.
i'll say, disappointed in some of his family members for not caring about what he cared about
When I look at the front of these trucks, I see the grand Wagoneer. I know they shared a lot of common parts like the engine, but are they built off the same chassis?
Excellent question! @@renj6531
Bump the timing up on that thing and you will be happier with both power and fuel mileage. Dont bother with a timing light just turn the timing up till it pings and back it off a bit till it doesn't. Factory timing specs are terrible on those.
Agreed give it as much advance as it will take and some quick advance springs
A set of new wires and AC Delco plugs will wake this guy up.
One must also take into account the sound at startup- and make less advance if it gets odd cranking
Friend of mine bought a BMW X5, '00 model as a non-runner recently, brought it to me to be fixed. Got it running after CCV/spark plug replacements, but the car had about 15 other issues with it. After rebuilding the brake system, diagnosing and replacing high beam wires, replacing several sensors, fixing a coolant leak etc etc... the car is finally back on the road. If you're planning on buying a non-runner, take the price you've got in your head and double it.
you need to get a great nights sleep with dream!!
Lots of problems (no surprise on a non running 30 year old vehicle) but all the parts are cheap and easily available, and not too hard to replace. The advantage of an old school domestic vehicle. Should be good for many more years of service.
Get the dirt dobbers nest out of the pully...... ----->> 9:29
I love that era's Dodge Ram Charger, Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco. They get horrible gas mileage (like 10-14 mpg depending on year/engine) and aren't nearly as practical as a 4-dr SUV, but they look awesome!
It would be sweet if Wizard swapped in a 5.7 or 6.4 hemi into it
I'm now scared to see what my 440 ramcharger will get mpg wise.
It's hard to understand how much better riding around in modern cars are these days are too until you've owned and lived with something like this as well.
Very smelly, loud, uncomfortable, etc. Like it's much easier to understand if you can drive different vehicles back to back.
These older vehicles are fun to have for nostalgia but living with them day to day would suck. Especially living in a metro area where everyone is in a rush.
@@yayinternets I always owned muscle cars 1965-1973 specifically. But I remember my first Japanese car a 1985 Nissan sentra I remember thinking why am I checking oil every day it hasn't moved yet. 🤣🤣
@ Lol, I never even thought about how much oil older cars used to go through. Like back then people thought you were an idiot if you weren't frequently checking your oil and the water level in your battery. I was still a kid in the 80s but remember it for sure. Especially since my first vehicles were from the 70s and 80s.
even though your ram has so much wrong with it, I would take it over a brand new truck, I was so in love with them
Can't wait to see more videos on that ramcharger. One thing I have to say is that I do not think those replacement Chinese motors will last as long as the Chrysler ones wood if you just rebuilt them
so it's broken💀💀
I had a 1989 Ramcharger with a 360 in it. If I ran it to empty, it would take 33 gallons to fill up and it got 11 mpg. I loved that truck. If you open the roof vent, remember to close it. It’s easy to forget and let the rain in. They are underpowered and slow, but great in the snow and on light trails. Great camping vehicle.
Thirsty AND slow/underpowered. There's no doubt that engine tech has come a long way. BTW, regarding that 33 gallon tank, I could fill the tank on my vehicle twice and a little more, then travel close to 1000 miles. Mine's a compact SUV so not actually a fair comparison, but still.
My grandmother used to have Jetzon tires on her Caddillac. I think she always got them installed at the K-Mart Auto Center.
That's definitely going to be a sweet rig when you get her all back up to snuff again!
I agree with you about the HID headl... I see and deal with that all the time, ESPECIALLY with Tesla owners... really sucks
Halogens suck. People just don't know how to adjust HIDs.
Yeah I put hids on my truck then adjusted for it and installed projectors on my Silverado and it's been fine haven't had anyone flash me.
Respect to Señor Cerna from my old shop. He was a natural genius that could attack anything. He did a lot of work kneeling low to the ground with his tools and parts all splayed out, much like Jr. Mint. After observing for a while, I noticed that the chaos was always sectioned off in such a way that he could just reach and grab without looking. He was still faster and busier than anyone else in the franchise. Maybe 1-2 comebacks per year. The repair industry could use me, I guess. But it absolutely needs him. I hope it always treats him well, because he really deserves it.
Agree with you wizard on the headlights
I totally agree with him on the cheap LED headlights but Holly retrobrites I don't know if you've ever seen those They look exactly like factory OEM glass bulb lights and they are glass too they're the one LED that I would use on a classic vehicle
@@Spokaneexploration You can also increase the light output with some easy mods. I've done these before on older vehicles like a heavy thick gauge ground from Chassis, to Engine, to Battery Ground. Then you can also clean and improve lighting grounds as they corrode. You would be surprised how these small things actually help. If you are still having issues you can get a high output alternator, charge wire, and a high capacity battery. There are also people who replace the harness that runs to and from the lighting switch with a relay set up and this prevents a lot of voltage drop but I've never bothered to do this personally.
@TheLionAndTheLamb777 You are very correct I did that with my Crown Victoria p71 I did the relay mod! And I do like the factory headlights and I would do that on a p71! I'm just saying the Holly retro brights are good and I'm not a Holly dealer like some people say lol
@@Spokaneexploration*Holley
From experience, replace the windshield and seal, very common to fail and the windshield will leak across the top. On my ‘81, I pulled the rear panels, replaced the the cardboard with 1/4” plywood and custom vinyl covering, while apart I also glued foam insulation in the cavity to reduce road noise and improve interior comfort.
Old friend Bob had one of these beauties from day one
Kept it garaged, frequent oil changes and waxings to the paint.
Full tread, sidewalks cracking, no fun
You could get square light housings that accept newer halogen H11 style bulbs. Did it with my 87 Daytona.
I have vintage Cibie ECE H4 headlights to replace my classic's sealed beams. Looks original but puts light on the road like projectors.
i am shocked as everyone that The Jetzon Revenger A/T Tire did not stand the test of time, especially for such a trusted Household name when it comes to tires
I have a 88 with a 5.2 you need to eliminate the pollution pump the ones in the front just take the thing off and you gonna to get more power
I used to have a 1990 Dodge Ram 2500 two tone gray with the 360. Great truck!
Car wizard, the bright LED lights burn out quicker than the right Sylvania headlights are perfect for that truck
2:02 that’s why I wear yellow glasses at night. (AKA: ‘Shooting glasses’)
Walter
You are not going to try cold air intake headers and a larger throttle body? You could get 30 more hp. If you believe PowerNation.
I bought a salvage mini for $300 and once it was running, there were so many things wrong with it I junked it, including coolant leaking from the steering rack, believe it or not!
Holly retrofit LEDs look exactly classic They don't have that stupid look just FYI I also hate the cheap LED lights but Holly has their retrobrite and it looks completely classic You would never know
Nope, still annoying on the road, nobody listen to the Holly rep.
@someplacespecial I'm far from a Holly rep you dumb 💩🤦♂️ sorry I state facts You're a dip 💩 And you probably are a boomer by your profile picture Time to check out soon there bud
@@someplacespecial What's annoying is not seeing that deer. Sorry but I'll protect my classic vehicle before I care about someone else's eyes.
@@Spudz76 youre whats wrong with the world. Also, Nissan Altimas arent classic.
Hella makes a replacement headlight assembly for these that uses Euro style housing and cutoff pattern. Used to have them on my ‘81 RC, worked 100% better than anything else. You’ll probably find that the front outboard U-joints need replaced.
The dream is to upgrade to LED but keep the cutoff in line with OEM. Nice to hear that Hella thought of that.
Great comment on the proper order to refresh an older vehicle.
i remember fixing one of those with an aftermarket amp gauge with a 10 gauge wire running from the alternator to the cab amp gauge, and back out to the battery, replaced it with a 4-gauge batt cable from the alt to the battery positive. and a voltage gauge. awesome vehicle .
Ford had that problem with the window motors too. I had a 95 Tbird that I had to buy new rollers for because the originals were crumbs also lol. Luckily NAPA had them.
Man their is a huge mud dauber nest in the crank pulley.
I was thinking the same thing
I was wondering what that was. 😂😂
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one e that saw that one lol
It's big enough to throw the balance off I think
Lmao I saw that
3 years ago I was gifted a 94 GMC Jimmy, everything worked and it had less than 100,000 mile. After a Trans service, new shocks, tires, lower ball joints/alignment, rear brake cylinders and an AC service, my free truck cost me $2000. 😂😂 Since then I've done a lot of PM; its a CA vehicle that has been garaged most its life, so it looks and runs great, but nothing is free, especially when it comes to cars.
If you have a car that's a bit of a junker or you just want a quick temporary fix, drop three 5/16" or 3/8" hex nuts into the window motor, in place of the rollers and it will work like new. Does not provide the safety of the plastic rollers though. Those hex nuts will not crush if the window meets an obstacle. Keep that in mind.
I had an 84 Ramcharger 2WD with a 318. I loved that beast. My girls named it Bob. The only modification I did to it was I put in an air horn under the hood. I used it to pull my 17 foot boat and lived in upstate NY for 3 winters. No trouble whatsoever. Not efficient or fast but it was bullet proof and easy to work on.
Buy a few extra ram hood ornaments! I owned a ram charger in the 90s and kids would steal the hood ornament once or twice a year.
Nice to see about the RC's headlights. Get the same questions on my 93 Celica. "Don't you want to upgrade?"
I like the historically accurate look & experience of cars. If i want a modern car I'd buy it.
I agree 100% with the wizard. I bought a cheap but running 98 TA I’ve focused on safety and maintenance first. many people pull the engine and disassemble the entire car. Then they can’t fix it and sell it as buckets of parts and bolts.
I agree with you completely when it comes to things like the headlights on your truck. But wizard, what would you think about putting the LED upgrades in something like a 1989 Acura Integra with the flip up headlights? I feel like it would match that car better plus you wouldn't really see that much. Also when I originally picked up that car it had all brand new tires that were 20 some years old and completely dry rotted as well 😅
Underpowered is an understatement! My dad bought one of those new in '89 with the 360, not 318. It was incredibly slow and had a lot of squeaks and rattles. He only had it 2 years before he was so fed up with it and traded it in.
Weird tire brands I got some n50 15s the name on them is Big Boppers I'm pretty sure they're from the late '60s early '70s how crazy is that have a great day
I will say this about incandescent bulbs the quality of the bulbs have gone WAY down. They are not as bright as they were in the past also they don't last as long. I have composite headlights on my 95 Dakota oh what a difference switching LED lamps.
Needs some dry ice blasting on the running gear.
11:07 This is why the introduction of the Magnum line of engines was so popular. HP went up to 235 on the 360.
Just normal stuff for an older vehicle. I remember Jetzon Revengers in the 80s. They weren't a high end tire and had a pretty hard compound. So they were good in the teenage burnout years lol. They lasted a while, had white lettering and a cool name.
The underside of your truck is calling out for a good coating of Fluid Film. The stuff works great to keep your Ramcharger from rusting even worse. I've used it on my '74 beetle and '22 Crosstrek. It's good stuff.
Funny how the tone of our voice changes when we try to make an advertisement sound like general conversation..
It’s kinda similar to a customer service voice. If you were getting paid to read something I’d probably assume you’d do it too. Just skip past it who cares
7:36 that's crazy that brake shoes are still OEM Chrysler from the factory
I really hope you don't give up on this truck. My first four wheel drive was a 76 Ramcharger , 360 , auto , bright red with white interior. Only vehicle I've ever owned that I still have a framed picture of on the wall.
4:54 this made me chucked out loud, like 4-5 years ago my brother had a rotten tire on a trailer, after inflating it, we poked around the split and it DID indeed explode
This brought back a lot of memories!
My first Ramcharger was a 1979 with a 360 and constant 4 wheel drive. I bought it used in the mid 1980's. It was a gas guzzler but it didn't have all of that horsepower choking pollution crap on it. That thing was a beast!
The next Ramcharger I owned was a 1986 and it had the 2 to 4 wheel drive system. They were both great vehicles. If I had the money and the space, I'd love to get one as a project vehicle. I'll be following your progress on yours Car Wizard, as well as your other videos.
In terms of bulbs, what I like is that there are LED ones that come with a housing, looking like original factory sealed beam bulbs. If you can find ones with the right color temperature and a good beam pattern, they look like OEM but much brighter and never need replacement again
Just a heads up, they started putting dates on tires around the 2000 area
No wonder why I can't date any of my tires. Guess that means if they hold air their still good. 😂😂😂
Upholstery work is not cheap! I got quoted $1500 to reupholster by 71 LTD front bench seat. And that's if I brought them the covers! They didn't even have to disassemble the bench!
I'm rebuilding my engine and I'm going to be in that rebuild less than the cost to redo my bench seat.
Probably re-using the old foam too!
Best options for that platform was a 360 cubic inch with a four barrel thermal quad then it would get out of its way for itself and a four-speed manual
I had a new 1979 Ramcharger with the 360. It got up and went.
I replaced the window gear "rollers" in my 70 charger and 74 newport with cut down spent rifle brass in the 80's. Always wondered if that ever was noticed by the later owners. lol Great vids Wizard! Thank you.
I completely agree with you about headlight conversions. They're not legal in the UK, but sadly that doesn't stop them.
Good for you for keeping the sealed beam headlight. I'm with you.
Very similar situation to my '86 Bronco... I fixed the electrical first...Very nice project though... Great video; thanks for posting!
I expect there is a reason that the window motor assembly only costs $2 more than just the rollers. The original ones lasted 30 years. The Amazon ones, made from Chinesium will last about 3. I would rather fix the original ones, as it is a PITA to take apart all the doors again. At least keep the original assemblies around for the next attempt.
i had an 86 2wd Ramcharger and loved it. i enjoyed your video very much. you simply don't see these in that condition any more. a couple things i saw in the video that should be addressed. #1 the rear hatch is cracked at the hinges. you can fiberglass it but it will break again. these hatches are 2 pieces consisting of inside and outside design. they are glued together. this glue fails and then they crack. i actually re glued mine together using 3m body panel glue and a series of small stainless steel bolts across the top to hold it together. after 10 plus years it still looked great with no further issues. #2 the seat frames will break. they are difficult to repair and not worth the time it takes. the good news is the frames are the same as found in the older mini vans and some full size vans. so finding replacements is not hard. it looks like the rockers on this truck are in great shape. i would remove the rubber plugs from underneath and wash them out and spray the inside with an oil based rust prevention liquid. just some thoughts from a former owner of one of these great trucks.
My grandfather had one of these 5 years ago he restored it and did an ls swap with over 400 hp made a massive difference it all worked too ac all the gauges the 4wd everything worked like stock you would never know it was swapped until you drive it and look under the hood
I know that you want to keep it original,but I would find a 360 cid for the Ramcharger to move that heavy truck down the road
Those aren't much better and the ones available are going to be needing overhaul. He's better off putting an Edelbrock top end into it with a Performer cam, roller rockers and headers. The old heads, cam and manifolds were the smog-era crap and couldn't make much power.
I have a 1990 K5 Blazer I bought two years ago and this man speaks truth on every word
I had a 75 D -ramcharger absolutely loved it. I miss it such a great vehicle. You have a total classic!! Great find look forward to the upcoming vids!!
Im really glad you were on hoovies garage ,like watching your videos ,very interesting to watch ive been a gear head my hole life im 62 never gets dull keep up the great job brother
The Car Wizard says "I HATE square LED bulbs with the rows of LEDs!" I say REPRESENT Wizard! Fact check true.
You will need that tank, my 87 ramcharger averaged 11 to the gallon when I got it in 92 with 2 thousand miles on it.
It was a pig, very little pick up when accelerating.
I did throw a built carberated pre smog 360 into it when the original engine got very tired at around 140K miles which helped with gas mileage and acceleration.
Agreed on the headlamps wizard !!!!! PREACH ! I keep getting blinded on my daily drive home.
I always wanted one of these trucks cause of movies like Lone Wolf mccade and other movies. In chain reaction, the main characters find on in a barn in Wisconsin and fix it up for their journey
Reminds me of my adventures with my 92 4Runner. It runs and drives now, I'm just running down all the issues. Needs new speakers, like yours does, needed new tires like yours does, little driveability problems caused by dry rotted rubber bushings and boots letting grease leak out over time.
Wizard where are you getting your parts for this ramcharger? I have a Cummins from the same generation and I need a good parts shop.
I like the less complex cars and trucks of this era and earlier. I have a 2000 Jaguar s-type V8 that I just got a few months ago. It sat on decent looking tires but they are all flat spotted like yours. The nice thing is that it smoothes out at 80 MP H. I have had it up to 135 MPH. It has an intermittent missfire that I haven't been able to diagnose yet.
As far as the window motor, some people update the stock motors with Delrin rollers. They last much longer and work great. I rebuilt the headlights on my 3rd gen firebird, which uses a similar motor/roller setup.
Need to clean the inner part of the harmonic balancer, mud dobbers have caked it up
hay thanks wizard ,hope to see more on this truck man ,,
Like the Ramcharger wizard. I had an 89 Ram with the 5.2 TBI and it ran quite well. Others have mentioned to advance the timing some and Im also sure adding a less restrictive exhaust would help. I had to replace yhe evap. Core in mine as the A/C started leaking. Should be a fun, capable beast when finished.
Nice headlights and the truck will last a long time after your done working on it 👍 😀. Those are bad tires, get some BFGs
Just don't let the BFGs get as old. Ironically I bought a ramcharger with BFG that had no wear. But was old enough to buy a beer. No cracking at all but one day one just exploited while it has been sitting in my driveway. Maybe age is more important than brand of course both would be preferred.
Several years ago I bought a snowblower from a scrap guy for 25 bucks. Figured out the carb was gummed up and needed rebuilt. Searched for a rebuild kit, it was 30 bucks plus shipping. Kept digging, and found a completely new carb for 25 bucks shipped. Turned out to be a great snow blower. Ariens 555 IIRC.
like Derek Bieri from Vice Grip Garage says. dont worry about it being pretty or shiney just get your rig going and enjoy it and that will keep you motivated to work on your project.
I have '78 for 15 yrs. My complaint about it is the lack of depth in the replacement parts market. Ive enjoyed driving it over the yrs.
Those mud dobber nests in the balancer pulley @ 9:29. Very cool truck. You could always do a magnum head conversion to wake it up a bit.
THANK YOU! I 100% agree about blinding oncoming traffic
Back in the day I drove both a Ramcharger and a 5.0 Bronco and for whatever reason the Bronco felt much peppier and stronger.
The Bronco probably wasn't stronger or barely was,, but it felt a lot better...
The Bronco, did it have the 5.8? The Dodge was probably heavier as well
@@curtishorton6163 No it was a 5.0 and the Ramcharger was a 318,, I don't know why the Ford felt so much better but it did.
I had another buddy who had an 85' 5.8 4bbl and it was VERY strong.
I drove it a couple times and LOVED it,,, but he totaled it in 87' or 88',, not sure anymore said the old guy.... lol
Looks great!
Beware, those fiberglass hatches were prone to cracking around the hinges. So go easy on it. Almost looks like yours is cracked but I couldn't get a good look at it.
I have a ramcharge myself that I needs tlc and I'm glad you posted about these . They're so cool
Similar story to the 94 2dr Blazer I've been working on for the last several months. Ran and drove when I bought it but interior needed work, lots of missing pieces, lots of little things didn't work and even needed new supports for the rear hatch too.
I work on a lot of these trucks up in Alaska. The first thing I do is 4 barrel intake manifold. Then a gm ignition module with a 73 up stock distributor. And you could get 220 horses easy.
Do you know if that works on a 77' 318?
@JesseMcNeil-r2q yes I have done many of them. Jamie at dead dodge garage has a video detailing the job as far as the ignition goes. Switching to a 4 brl will give better fuel economy and a power gain. Oh and I normally delete all the emissions. Smog pump ,cat ,egr.I leave the pcv in place it good for the engine.
@JesseMcNeil-r2q oh and you can reuse the 77 distributor.
@@Fireandiceautok9v great appreciate the knowledge, I'm new to these older trucks.
I really really want to see this nice!!! Wizard there has to be something u can do to up the power of that thing?
Definitely want those rear brakes working. The rear idle power will over power the front braking force in the snow if your rear brakes go. Still stops great in dry and you’ll never know until it snows and you go through a red light at idle speed.
I do have glass original looking bulbs in my classic Seville, but I do have LED capsules in them. Aiming them correctly truly helps.
3:43 oh yeah!, Car Wizard's seal of approval right there!
None of the new stuff impresses me, I just see nightmares down the road. My newest ride is a 2015 Ram 1500, I've had a lot of maintenance taken care of and thoroughly enjoy this truck. Hopefully it'll take me to the end of my days.
A friend had 1 that he put a 12 valve into it. Alot of work after changing the suspension ect but he loved it.
Don't give up Wizard this baby is going to be nice you don't see alot of these anymore keep on keeping on
I had a 87 ram charger just out of high school this was in 2002. Brings back a lot of memories and nightmares. Biggest POS I ever had. I remember exactly what he means about them being under powered. I’ve never owned a Chrysler product since.
Wizard, if you're going to drive this truck at night a lot look into vintage Cibie or Hella E-code headlights. They look like sealed beams but take an H4 bulb and will put out light like a modern car. Combine that with a thick wiring harness run to the battery and they'll be the best halogen lights you've ever seen.
THANK YOU for using sealed beam headlights back in the truck instead of "upgrading" to those gawd-awful looking plastic LED replacements with the rows of big "dots" in them...those ugly things look horrible on an old vehicle....
Did The Wizard really just infomercial me?
And he even got me to sit through it all without skipping ahead.
Good job Wizard!