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2015 Ram quick makeover #2810100
08/18/20 10:01 AM
08/18/20 10:01 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
I Live Here
ZIPPY  Offline OP
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
I bought my red '03 Ram 2500 well-used about 10 years ago. The day I bought it, my buddy who found it for me (craigslist) said the famous
"If you ever sell it, I get first shot".

About 10 years went by, '03 was getting rusty and had 260,000 miles on it (5.7 hemi), still ran just fine but I started feeling worse and worse about maintaining it.
Started looking for deals on later models and found one. After all that time, my buddy still wanted the '03 so it took no effort to sell.

Despite the rust, it was still a cool truck...I still liked it. I had welded/adapted the last known 1500 Borla Rumble Bee exhaust in the free world to fit (it's not supposed to fit a 3/4 ton).
It had a Viper hood from an undisclosed source, I upograded it from the cast wheels to some craigslist forged 3500 wheels, and it had a few MP parts on it.
When it's time to move on, it's time...............

Here are the last pix of the '03. What a great truck it was.
I'm not going to lie....I did have some trouble with it here and there, but fixed it and kept it going....truth is, the great state of Michigan has a way of eating vehicles.
Even the License plate was eaten up, in the time I owned it. You can see it delaminating in the picture.
















03 ram 1.jpg03 ram 3.jpg03 ram 2.jpg
Last edited by ZIPPY; 08/18/20 10:42 AM.

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810110
08/18/20 10:13 AM
08/18/20 10:13 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Found this 2015 2500 on FB Marketplace.
Just like my red truck, this started out as an Industrial Work Truck.

Red 2003 truck belonged to a tooling company/delivered Molds nationwide.

This white 2015 truck belonged to a local commercial door company that went out of business, and was the Metal Fabricator's rig.
Back in their heyday there were two electric welders and a plasma cutter bolted in the bed + it also had oxy acetylene.
Unfortunately none of the electric tools came with it, but I did manage to get two full oxy acetylene tanks + about
50 feet of hose, and a cutting torch in the bargain. I just need a couple regulators, and an assortment of torches/ tips and so on to complete that rig.
The rusty ladder rack, beat up tool boxes, and so on are plain enough.

5.7 Hemi again, just like the last one.
Not the ultimate for this class of vehicle, but something I'm pretty comfortable with and know my way around a bit.
I just don't feel I have to have a diesel. Maybe someday, but not now.
This has the 6 speed, with only a few extra cost options like 4.10s, AAM Helical locker in the 11.5 rear, plow prep, HD alternator, carpeted interior (how fancy),
electronic transfer case controls (something to go wrong, oh well), and stuff like that.
It's not highly optioned and that's fine with me.
The Window sticker viewer on Mopar dot com is very handy for vehicle purchases like this.
Same site is also handy to view open recalls, and this one has several of them to take care of (soon).






2015 ram before.jpg2015 ram 2.jpg2015 ram 3.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810120
08/18/20 10:41 AM
08/18/20 10:41 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
I decided I wanted to upgrade from the base 17" wheels to 18.
Sold off the 17s with the 2003 to my buddy/Found the '18s on marketplace and swapped out.

The Ladder rack and toolboxes went up for sale immediately....dirt cheap....but people dragged their feet
and it took seemingly forever to sell them. Finally I got a deposit and pulled all that stuff.
I didn't take pics of the removal, but ended up using the shop hoist to pull the ladder rack, which worked out well,
although I did have to cut the rusty hardware off.

During the time spent waiting for the rack/boxes to sell, I kept busy by de-lettering it.
Funny: The purchase included a heat gun to remove the lettering....the guy started doing it but ended up just leaving it
in the truck for me to finish the job.

2015 ram 4.jpg2015 ram 5.jpg2015 ram 8.jpg2015 ram 10.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810128
08/18/20 11:02 AM
08/18/20 11:02 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Lots of time spent cleaning, and I'm still not done yet.

Lots of free metal was included with the truck LOL. Pieces of everything from 1/4" plate steel, to a 15 foot long piece of 2 inch angle iron.

Left tail light was broken. When I replaced it, I found a signature inside. I really like finding stuff like that.

Like alot of white painted vehicles up north, there are alot of "following a salt truck" rust stains embedded in the paint.
The plow/salt trucks throw particles of steel as they plow, it embeds in your paint, and ends up a micro rust stain.

Meguire's ultimate compond is amazing stuff. Works especially well with a toothbrush, around emblems like these.
The amount of brown crud in between the letters, that came off, was insane. It appeared ok from a distance.

Did some other basic maintenence, oil and filter, cut the filter open, flushed the brake fluid..stuff like that.






2015 ram 14.jpg2015 ram 13.jpg
Last edited by ZIPPY; 08/18/20 11:04 AM.

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810131
08/18/20 11:12 AM
08/18/20 11:12 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Ordered the tires and paint + shot the marketplace wheels with Summit Urethane single stage.
These are 3500 base model (like ST) wheels that had no plastic chrome cladding.
Figured the tires were scrap and leaking like mad anyway, I paid the disposal fee already....so no need to dismount or mask.

Threw on a set of step bars from Amazon, as similar to the Genuine Mopar Accessory bars on the 2003 as I could find.

The same Yokohamas were on the red 2003 the entire time I owned it, and they worked out really well.
So I went and got another set for the '15, ran it up to the tire store.





2015 ram 18.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810133
08/18/20 11:20 AM
08/18/20 11:20 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Still a work in progress, but it's almost there.

Oddly all the U joints appeared to be original except the rear axle...It had a grease fitting.
Guess which one was trashed and causing a nasty vibration? The one with a grease fitting.

I notice the OE U joints all had green clips....Spicer has copper plated clips that turn green.
I replaced with a non-greaseable $picer in keeping with the rest of them on the truck.
Old timers might not agree with that decision and I used to be in that camp also.............but working on late models
has changed my viewpoint of that.

2015 ram 19.jpg2015 ram 20.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810134
08/18/20 11:22 AM
08/18/20 11:22 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Your typical master switch failure...the "lock" button didn't work.

25 dollar ebay replacement.

2015 ram 23.jpg2015 ram 21.jpg2015 ram 22.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810135
08/18/20 11:23 AM
08/18/20 11:23 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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Joined: Jan 2003
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S.E. Michigan
All for now.

It runs and drives fantastic.
My wife, who had her doubts when I first bought it.... exclaimed "It doesn't even look like the same truck!"

I'm really happy with the progress, and it's ready to use anytime as needed.

Before and after:

2015 ram before.jpg2015 ram after.jpg

Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810140
08/18/20 11:40 AM
08/18/20 11:40 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,128
New Mexico
UCUDANT Offline
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up Looks nice

Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: UCUDANT] #2810426
08/18/20 09:20 PM
08/18/20 09:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,131
Canada -- Posts: 4034 -Registe...
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5thAve Offline
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Wow it cleaned up nice.

Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: 5thAve] #2810563
08/19/20 09:51 AM
08/19/20 09:51 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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TY, been a fun little project.

Still getting the interior in better shape.

I believe the heater core has a tiny leak as I can smell it when the AC is not on max. My buddy looked up the labor op on Dealer Connect
and it said was like 4 hours....It'd probably take me 2 to 3 times that being that I have never done it. For the money spent, I'm thinking I'll probably
farm that job out.


Rich H.

Esse Quam Videri




Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810838
08/19/20 08:32 PM
08/19/20 08:32 PM
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,280
Medford OR
FrankenScamp Offline
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Lovin’ the before and after. Nice looking truck. thumbs

Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2810983
08/20/20 08:55 AM
08/20/20 08:55 AM
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,182
aZLiViN
J
J_BODY Offline
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aZLiViN
Book pays 4.5hrs..... zip out the seat bolts and slide them back. Makes life easier. Not a bad job overall. They really made the dash assembly “modular” so you don’t disassemble much of it.

....and you not only polished a turd, you put pretty frosting on it! Looks really good!

It’s going to suck when we move back north and I quit driving my 01 in October because I don’t want it returning to Mother Earth laugh2

Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: J_BODY] #2811036
08/20/20 11:35 AM
08/20/20 11:35 AM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,252
IL
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I've got some assorted torch heads I bought in a pile of parts if you're interested!


70 Sport Fury
68 Charger
69 Coronet
72 RR
Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: J_BODY] #2811140
08/20/20 04:08 PM
08/20/20 04:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Thanks for the kudos all. It all seems like stuff most anyone here could do, so maybe folks can relate to it. There's nothing super complicated going on that's for sure.

Yep 70, PM sent on the torch stuff.

Originally Posted by J_BODY
Book pays 4.5hrs..... zip out the seat bolts and slide them back. Makes life easier. Not a bad job overall.


You know J, some dude at a dealership has posted a really good quality, multi-part series of Youtube videos about it, and you're right. It doesn't actually look too horrible. Maybe I will tackle it(?)
I'd have to rent the AC related tools but I think the local AZ has them available, so yeah maybe that would be possible work

I like living in Michigan just fine for the most part, but the road salt/brine solution just seems to get stronger ever year.





Last edited by ZIPPY; 08/20/20 04:13 PM.

Rich H.

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Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2812118
08/22/20 11:01 PM
08/22/20 11:01 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,874
Pittsburgh,PA
RTSrunner Offline
top fuel
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Nice job,did clean up great!

Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: RTSrunner] #2812710
08/24/20 05:27 PM
08/24/20 05:27 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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ZIPPY  Offline OP
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S.E. Michigan
Thank you wave


Rich H.

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Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2813736
08/26/20 09:38 PM
08/26/20 09:38 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,704
MICHIGAN
DynoDave Offline
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Congrats on the new ride, Rich. You did a great job cleaning it up.


DynoDave
Walter P. Chrysler Club - Great Lakes Region
Member # 12304
1970 Plymouth Duster
1972 Dodge Charger Rallye
https://wichargerguy.proboards.com/
1977 Chrysler Cordoba
Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: DynoDave] #2813985
08/27/20 03:51 PM
08/27/20 03:51 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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Thanks Dave. It has distracted me from the old iron for a minute, but as soon as a couple more little things get done
I'll switch back to the car.


Rich H.

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Re: 2015 Ram quick makeover [Re: ZIPPY] #2930068
06/04/21 02:58 PM
06/04/21 02:58 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,801
S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY Offline OP
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I must have done one hell of a job on this thing: the State of Michigan says it is worth 24 grand!

Now: If they would only pay me that for it...they'd be the new proud owners!
Heck I would make them a deal on it for 23!

Something tells me they just want their taxes.........


Just shoot me


Rich H.

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