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New project truck

8K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  perseus15 
#1 ·
My Dart is pretty much done so I picked up this dis-assembled '84 step side to have something to work on. A 4 speed truck that came with a ton of parts to build either manual or auto. Needs new floors and cab corners, but looks solid enough for a repaint after that.

The long range plan is for this to be a race oriented toy with a stroked 5.7 Hemi with twin turbos, a Viper T56 6 speed so it can still be street driven with some steep gears. Cosmetically I am thinking it will look like a Midnight Express Truck except the side wood will be subdued, maybe keeping the weathered look it has now or some nice barn wood from my sisters farm buildings she is dismantling.

Stroking the hemi, and putting together the T56 is gonna be pretty expensive so I plan on building it up in stages. Down and dirty rebuild on the hemi at first just to get the truck running, possibly with a 904 to keep initial cost down. Then upgrade to the 6 speed. Then stroke. Then turbo. At some point the rear will be tubbed and 4 linked for some big tires.
 

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#5 ·
Made some progress so far. Spent my vacation fixing the floor pans and cab corners. Metal work is done, filler and such will wait until I get frustrated with the drive-train at some point. This is my first attempt at body work so I am just plodding away at it.

Suspension is apart for the rebuild. While waiting for a couple parts I forgot to order the first time, I decided to try a mock up of the motor. The Hemi has been in and out a few times as I test fit some different exhaust options, and am waiting for delivery of some Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 manifolds that I am hopeful will fit. FWIW, 5.7 manifolds and 6.1 SRT car manifolds do not fit because these trucks have VERY narrow frames in the engine bay. I have heard truck manifolds fit but put the collector straight back into the firewall and would not work. But these Jeep manifolds hug the block and head down towards the bell housing and really are my last hope for a cheap and effective exhaust. Street & Performance had done this swap a while back in a Ramcharger and they confirmed the Jeep manifolds are what they used, but did not know if they were 5.7 or 6.1 manifolds so I am rolling the dice that these will actually fit.

Anyway- here are a few pics... pics to come- attachment manager thingy isnt working.
 
#7 ·
The yellow stepside project is for sale.

Happened upon this Warlock for a really good price and now the Hemi/ T56 will go into this. Drove the Warlock for a month or so until I couldnt stand the leaks anymore. Everything leaked but the radiator. A lot. I thought the motor was burning some serious oil until I noticed it was just the fluids burning off the exhaust pipe.

As luck would have it, two days after I bought the truck- I ran into a guy at a cruise in who had some Warlock side rails he was selling. So now it has the side rails. As I was pulling off the old tailgate plaque to replace it I was surpised by what was covered up by the plaque.. The original Warlock sticker on the tailgate!

Pulled motor tonight, making way for some trial fitting of the Hemi/ T56 later this week.
 

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#8 ·
Here is an update on this project. Picked up an '09 5.7 truck motor for the Warlock a few months back. Finally committed to doing the swap, and it is now running. I ended up using a Hotwire harness and ECU. Currently having an issue with a dead DBW throttle, but it idles great. Need to find a shop close by that has the capability to do a relearn on the pedal/throttle and see if that wakes it up.

Anyway, the plan is to drive it like this until fall when the suspension will come apart for a rebuild and it will also be lowered at that point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhPY8tD8TJc
 
#11 ·
Yeah- leaving the sticker. When I got the truck it had no rails, and just a plain plaque on the tailgate- no Warlock callout. Why anyone would cover it with a plain plaque is beyond me, and now I cant bring myself to cover up that sticker even though they did a really crappy job taping it off before painting around it.

Most people think it's some stupid nickname I gave the truck until they realize it was a factory model.
 
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