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Project Old Red

14K views 98 replies 15 participants last post by  Ronbo 
#1 · (Edited)
Decided to put up a restore thread over here on my 1993 Dodge D250; Cummins Turbo Diesel...this truck is like the Intrepid to me; and is getting a very similar restoration that my Intrepid did back in 2005...a bit more on this one though.

A little history, the 1993 has been in our family since 1996, I remember when she was clean as a whistle, with just 40k miles.....my dad bought it for me as a graduation gift...I drove it daily until around 2003, when my dad needed it more than me for hauling, work at the farm, etc...so I went to a Toyota Tacoma, and gave him back my old Dodge...regrettably....I eventually sold the Toyota, got into the car hauling business, borrowed the old 93 for a couple years, then in 2007, purchased a 99 Ram 3500 to handle the towing...dad got the 93 back at that time.

Fast forward, I sold the 99 Ram 3500 in 2012, with over 270K miles, it was needing some major work...and I was done with hauling, so it was best that it was sold......this June, dad decided to buy a new car, no longer needs the 93, and gives it back to me....

Ohio winters have not been good to it, I live in NC now....had it shipped down...bed is shot, fenders are shot...cab is shot...holy rust....but she still runs like a top...tight as ever....drivetrain and frame is good...so...being the most reliable truck we have ever owned, and sentimental value and all...I am going to restore it, with the help of this 89 D150....its clean as a whistle, not a speck of rust....so here, the project begins...

Hard to tell in the pics, but the only good panels left on the 93 are the hood, front rad support, and the drivers door...LOL....

Many pics to come during the restore...pictured here is the 93, and the first of two parts trucks, a 1989 D150, in grey on the right.
 
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#4 ·
Next step is to prep the frame for sandblasting/paint, just have to swap over some rusted out brackets and crossmembers with some clean ones, and she'll be ready.....

This truck is also kind of a bastard, it has proven very hard to find parts for. It is actually a 1 ton truck, badged as a 3/4 ton....with the engine/trans combo it has, it is 1992-93 only apparently the way it is set up...very very hard to find certain parts...I have ran into several issues with the cab and frame, but no worries, now I have enough parts around to get her back together nicely...
 
#6 ·
Keep the pictures and updates coming. You will definitely put that compressor to work and spend some $$$ on sandpaper and sand grit.

Was the rusted side drivers floor pan from wet shoes?
 
#9 ·
Yep, the compressor is sure to be tested...hopefully doing the sand blasting next weekend after some prep this weekend.

Yeah, floor pan is gone from the snow/salt seeping thru I am sure....plus it had the salt treatment on the bottom as well from the road spray.

How did the drivers door survive? With northern winters you would expect extra snow/crap to sit around the rocker area and rust out that and the lower couple inches of the door.
There is a little bit of rust on the seam at the bottom. Thats it. Easily fixable with a quick sand blast and some POR 15. The passenger door is completely gone on the bottom..no idea why...maybe it was something to do with the passenger door seldom being opened, and the salt/snow/crap could sit between it and the cab and fester.

Nice project, will keep you busy for a while. I'm betting the result will be awesome !!
Make sure you take care of the "death pin" before you stuff that "B" back in......
Yep, plan on doing the KDP before the install....never an issue with it, but just to be safe.
 
#10 · (Edited)
As of now the frame and several other pieces are at the powder coating shop. They should be done any day now....and reassembly can begin.

When it gets back, first step will be to get it back to a rolling chassis. Suspension will be installed, then brake/fuel lines, chassis wiring etc, then the body. Piles of parts here waiting.

I have begun tearing the parts trucks all to pieces and getting the donor parts ready in the mean time.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Here is the latest.....got the frame and all the parts back from the powder coat shop....now on to re-assembly. I spent most of the day putting new bushings in all the axle components...hoping to have a rolling chassis here in the next couple weeks.



Here is the following week, got the axles in; shes just about a roller;
Front and rear suspension is on! Hoping to have a rolling chassis before the week is out.

 
#13 · (Edited)
It turned out pretty nice. There are some ex-rust pits still visible near the axles; that was expected; nothing can be done for that really; but overall, I am satisfied with it. Semi-gloss finish.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Shes starting to look like a truck again. Got the cab mounted up today.



Next step is to install the fuel tank, chassis wiring, and the bed. Then; lots of bodywork. Stay tuned.

The parts truck is looking a little skinny after all of this:




It will see the bad side of the junkyard soon. We were thinking maybe a 318 powered go-kart in the mean time.
 
#17 ·
5 of us, we moved it without the doors. Its a bare shell, except the glass; only weighs maybe 250lbs. The doors themselves are pretty heavy, close to 70 lbs probably.

Yes, there will be plenty of space for the meet; putting this truck together will get all the parts up out of the garage so we have room...truck can be pushed outside.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Well, I figured it was time for an update...I dug into the body work pretty hard the last couple weekends getting ready for paint. Removed all the old trim and sealed up the holes from it, and removed the titties holding the plastic trim retainers on. Removed all the old seam sealer on the cab, and sand blasted the drip edge. No rot found, just surface rust luckily, its gone now. Also, I removed the low hump (automatic tunnel) and replaced it with the proper high hump manual trans tunnel:

One of the trim holes disappearing:




Trim all removed, started sanding the body:


Automatic Transmission Tunnel coming out:



Trans Tunnel from the original cab [NO RUST...thanks to oil from leaky Cummins valve covers]...


Installed, ready to weld in on Monday...this was a big job, not the easiest panel to replace.


Took all the glass out and sanblasted the drip rail and windshield frame, all clean; ready for new seam sealer.


Manual Trans tunnel all welded in and done...


So far, this has been a ton of work....I've questioned my reasoning in diving in this far to an old truck; but damn, it will be worth it when its done. Next step is get her all back apart and down to bare metal for the body and paint prep.
 
#21 ·
I used the hole saw type.



paintballdude05;392 9282 said:
Looking good thDan! What are you doing VIN tag wise since it's got a new/different cab now?
Wont matter, vin tag is on the dash. The 93 had a sticker on the door jamb too, 89 did not, I am going to try and salvage it.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Old Red is coming back to life slowly but surely. Now with no rust! Body fit and mock up installation is complete. Time to take a break on it for a while to get some other things done. Then it will be time to start the body work and prep her for paint...


 
#26 · (Edited)
Figured it was time for an update.

The body is waiting to head to the body shop around labor day; I've done all I can do here --without buying a ton of tools and equipment I'll only use once...lol...so, I decided to get started on the engine.

Tore it completely down to a long block more or less, to replace all the gaskets; and front/rear main, and take care of the KDP issue. I'll also be cleaning up and painting it, and having some of the brackets and tubing powdercoated. It looks great inside for 247K, I thought for sure I'd find something wrong, but everything is fine....just leaky gaskets...Ive got all new gaskets except the head, and new oil lines for the turbo/vacuum pump, new thermostat, fuel heater, KDP insurance kit, fuel pump, and a few cans of Cummins Titanium black paint, ready to go..




 
#27 · (Edited)
Its been a long weekend; first, loaded her up and headed out on a 650 mile drive to NW Ohio to my good buddy's body shop:


After many hours of sanding, prep, and getting rid of a few dents over the weekend, we got the cab completed:



We sprayed bedliner on the floor and underneath the cab for extra protection:



Next step is install the drivetrain, and some of the interior components so she will run. Then back to the body shop to finish the paint work on the bed and front end!
 
#32 ·
Thanks; yep, thats the plan after the paintjob; I'd like to get it up around the HP and torque of my 2014; 400/800...that will make for a nice little driver, not too crazy.

Looking good Danbo Diesel LLC!

Will you have a driving on it's own power chassis next time you go up to Jake's for the final paint?
Thanks! Yep, thats the next step; get her running.

Great start, can't wait to see the rest of it.
Looks great.
Thanks!
 
#30 ·
Looking good Danbo Diesel LLC!

Will you have a driving on it's own power chassis next time you go up to Jake's for the final paint?
 
#33 · (Edited)
Engine all cleaned up, fresh paint, new gaskets throughout, replaced a few worn parts; now its ready to install this weekend.

I am planning several mods to the engine later on, once the budget recovers from all the bodywork; goal is 400HP/800 ft lbs...

 
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