zachwabbit
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2024
- Messages
- 123
Haven’t brought it home yet, but I bought this beat up ‘96 Ram 1500 2wd V6/auto with 190xxx from my Dad. He’s retired and it was his project/home depot runner but he wants something newer that’s easier on his back so I jumped at the opportunity to buy it, figured it would make a much more interesting daily than my boring mom-car Hyundai. The plan is to keep it relatively stock and just maintain it with simple mods that don’t alter the retro looks too much, so this is gonna be kinda a boring thread.
This is the day my Dad bought it, it was more or less a “garage find” if you could call it that, had been sitting for a few years I assume, had flat spotted Chinese tires from 2016 and sun burnt paint. As soon as he sent me pics of it, I was jealous. (I know, I’m weird).
Then not long after he sold the factory 16” steelies and had some 15x8 used alloys mounted on 33s which is how it sits now. I’ll be honest, hate how it sits on that black alloys. I liked the original steelies better, might go back to something OEM-ish, either 16” chrome 5-spoke styled steel wheels off an SLT, or 17” base model 3rd gen ram steel wheels. If I run 17s then I can use the pretty much new 32s off my wife’s Bronco.. might go that route, and the 17” 3rd gen steelies look almost identical to the original wheels that came on this truck, just 17s instead of 16s. Call me crazy but I’m kinda fond of the sunburnt paint.. and it may not look like it but my Dad has put a lot of work into this truck to make it reliable which is all I care about, looks are secondary for this truck. I do however plan to level out the front end with a 2” spacer lift and some new shocks, and of course going back to narrower wheels. She’s gonna need some lighting upgrades so I can see in the mountains here at night, maybe HIDs in the stock headlight housings, and some amber LED pods hidden in the bumper for when it gets foggy. Anyway, should be fun. I’m stoked to be able to own one of my Dad’s old trucks even thought he hasn’t owned this one very long, especially since I never got the chance to buy any of his trucks that I grew up in. Always had a soft spot for single cab short bed 2nd gen’s.
This is the day my Dad bought it, it was more or less a “garage find” if you could call it that, had been sitting for a few years I assume, had flat spotted Chinese tires from 2016 and sun burnt paint. As soon as he sent me pics of it, I was jealous. (I know, I’m weird).
Then not long after he sold the factory 16” steelies and had some 15x8 used alloys mounted on 33s which is how it sits now. I’ll be honest, hate how it sits on that black alloys. I liked the original steelies better, might go back to something OEM-ish, either 16” chrome 5-spoke styled steel wheels off an SLT, or 17” base model 3rd gen ram steel wheels. If I run 17s then I can use the pretty much new 32s off my wife’s Bronco.. might go that route, and the 17” 3rd gen steelies look almost identical to the original wheels that came on this truck, just 17s instead of 16s. Call me crazy but I’m kinda fond of the sunburnt paint.. and it may not look like it but my Dad has put a lot of work into this truck to make it reliable which is all I care about, looks are secondary for this truck. I do however plan to level out the front end with a 2” spacer lift and some new shocks, and of course going back to narrower wheels. She’s gonna need some lighting upgrades so I can see in the mountains here at night, maybe HIDs in the stock headlight housings, and some amber LED pods hidden in the bumper for when it gets foggy. Anyway, should be fun. I’m stoked to be able to own one of my Dad’s old trucks even thought he hasn’t owned this one very long, especially since I never got the chance to buy any of his trucks that I grew up in. Always had a soft spot for single cab short bed 2nd gen’s.
