On Tuesday, May 26, 2020, I was consuming my usual daily assortment of car culture media, when I learned that my absolute favorite automotive journalists (that’s right, there are two of them) would be taking a trip to my neighborhood to get an electric Chinese car. Holy. Shit. (I’m sorry, excuse my poor language. I meant to say Holy Frickin’ Flapjackin’ Shitboxes! Much more on point/on brand here in Autopia). The one and only Jason Torchinsky, whom I had watched on various TV shows such as “How Much Is My Car Worth”, and “The Cars That Made The World” was going to be in my neighborhood to pick up a “Changli” Chinese EV that was arriving at The Port of Wilmington from The Far East. And he was bringing David Tracy with him!
Or actually vice-versa since David was driving his Jeep J10 to ferry-carry the tiny EV (and Jason) back to The Piedmont where Torch lives. The David Thessalonius Tracy that I had followed from afar as he wrenched and drove his way to Moab and back and did countless other acts of heroism that caught my eye from the internet as The Kind Of Dude You Can Appreciate, Even From Afar. So, at 6:36 PM on that fateful evening, I fired up the ‘ol Yahoo email account (that I opened in ‘96, it’ll be cool again shortly) and blasted the following out in to the internet ether:
Tue, May 26, 2020 at 6:36 PM Stephen Gossin wrote:
Hey Jason.
Just writing to let you know that you have readers that have been following your Changli purchase (and you/David in general, for years) that live a few blocks from the Wilmington Port should you need any assistance.
Interesting side note: The ship that delivered it made local news a couple days ago, as it broke the size record for any container ship having entered the port.
Just let us know if you need us and we’ll be there with the champagne to crack over the bow!
Cheers and congrats on your new ride,
-Stephen
Ok, a couple things. Firstly, hindsight is certainly 20/20. Saying “I’ve followed you and David for years” sounds wicked creepy and I probably could have phrased that a little better [Ed Note: It’s fine! -DT]. I was overcome with excitement at that moment and wasn’t really focused on tone. The excitement came from the fact that I live about seven blocks from the Port of Wilmington, so they were literally coming not just to my town, but to my neighborhood.
Also, Jason and David are very much celebrated in my world. I very much respect their talents as writers/journalists (also now as businessmen with this site) and as two dudes who are furthering the state of car culture; something that I’m quite passionate about. I figured these guys get emails and DMs from all over the world, constantly, and the odds of mine being not just thrown into the pile seemed pretty slim.
Wouldn’t you know that three days later, I saw this:
Jason Torchinsky
To:Stephen Gossin
Thu, May 28, 2020 at 8:31 AM
Hey! We’re on our way, if you want in! We’re likely to be there around 11?
810 Sunnyvale Dr is the address of the warehouse.
You may be wondering why I stated “three days later” from my original email on the 26th to Torch’s response on the 28th. Well that’s because his response went into my Spam folder and I didn’t see it until the day after they left and were taking “Check out this new Changli being unboxed in this rainstorm!”-type of videos from The Torch Compound in Torchlandia (one of the main, and more eclectic providences in Greater Autopia).
What the hell does any of this have to do with my usual column content here of rescuing shitboxes, you may be asking by this second page of this piece. Well, that email is what started a loose correspondence with DT which quickly had me talking about my shitbox fleet and that led to my intro article here. I was thinking about how fast those three years have gone by which then led to:
- my thoughts turning back to the Changi
- thinking of offering to help Jason with the needed battery fix for that hoss
- thinking of it being carried by the J10
- reflecting for a moment on how low-key-cool a white pickup with a brightly colored Chinese car on it actually is
- me jumping up from my chair whilst swinging my arms wildly in the air and exclaiming: I too, need a badass white pickup truck!
So here, my fellow Autopians, is the story of how I emulated one of my friend and boss’ rides and rescued my white, ‘97 V6 “WT” (Work Truck) base model Ram 1500.
Sidebar: How’s that for a slow-burn intro, eh?! That’s how it’s done, son.
Let’s Find Us A Truck To Rescue
Friday, April 15th 2022 is where this next rescue adventure starts. I had just finished up my onboarding process here at The Autopian after the March 32nd launch of the site. It was mostly a two week trial period to ensure that you’re a weirdo, but not too much of a weirdo to work here. There is a fine line involved. Needless to say, my gig here is about rescuing shitboxes. Other than my usual half-functional and already-rescued fleet, I needed a new rescue adventure to write about and to appease my own recent desire for a truck. The work day ended, I had watered the last of DT’s plants, handed Matt Hardigree his dry cleaning, finished washing Mark Tucker’s Chevy truck and was home perusing the local ads when it popped right out at me, nearly jumping off the screen: a $600 ‘97 V6 Dodge Ram with a bad transmission and even worse aftermarket wheels.
It was located in a small rural town about 30 minutes outside of my home of Wilmington NC, so I decided to go check it out the following day since I had a free morning (it was a Saturday, so I didn’t have to walk Patrick George’s dog). Jumping in the worlds greatest $220 Stratus Coupe with a scan tool, jump box, oil, gas can, tools, cash, coffee (yes, coffee: Brit contributor Adrian Clarke-style) and some solid tunes, I pointed it west (to point it east would be a wet, ruinous endeavor – check the map) and got ready to rescue.
Upon arriving in Delco, NC and turning on Water Tower Road (amazingly next to a water tower), I soon found myself on a bucolic, pleasant property next to a pole barn, a quaint house, a field of soybeans and about six mid-’90s Dodge Rams — a few very off-putting political sign-works as well, but we’ll pretend those aren’t there and carry on.
Six Ram Rundown: one really nice one, four parked/parts trucks (two of which were sinking into the ground) and then way over by itself, on the side of the barn, beaming like a literal white knight, the truck from that ad that had brought me out there.
It was hooked up to a cart-style electrical/trickle charger like a patient on an IV, and other than those aftermarket wheels and a missing rear bumper, it looked frickin’ wicked!
The gentlemen selling it was congenial and very friendly. He told me that he picked the truck up due to its mostly clean, dent-free short bed that he wanted to use on another of the Rams in his field. Just like my other 11 cars at the Gossin Motors Shitbox Rescue Lair Under That Volcano In Wilmington NC, the truck was one of those projects that you just never seem to find the time for, the seller told me. He started with a solid plan and good intentions, but ended up placing the truck in the “Someday” file until he lost interest or life made him move on.
I knew I was buying this truck as long as it started. “Will it start?” says I. “Well, hell, sure will!” the kind gentlemen exclaimed. Opening the door yielded the type of smell you’d expect from a truck that has been sitting in a field for years – not the best. Hoisting myself up on the ripped, teal vinyl seat had me staring at the usual sun-cracked dash that plagues all Rams of this generation. It seems as though the petrochemical engineers got it really wrong on the recipe for this particular dashboard. No matter, it’s a truck, and those things can be fixed. Nevermind aesthetics; back to bid-ness. I twisted the key and the 3.9V6 fired right up like a flooded Tesla.
Other than a screaming belt that was begging to be placed on inactive duty, it ran really well! The AC blew cold and the transmission actually shifted into gear to move the wheels, but would soon slip out of gear. Checking the fluid showed something we’ve all come to have nightmares about: fluid that have been done-cooked, son (Delco, NC-speak). There’s a check valve going to the transmission cooler in front of the radiator that gets stopped up and causes a thermal event within the unit. That’s what happened here.
You always have to trust your gut when rescuing shitboxes. You can’t let your emotions and desire for the betterment of the environment and of the vehicle at hand get the best of your decision-making process. Some are just too far gone, or are financially or mechanically non-starters. Those are the hardest. This one just felt right though.
After locking in a deal to swap the nausea-inducing wheels for a set of stock wheels from one of the other Rams on the property (and a rear bumper), I had no qualms about handing over six $100 bills and arranging for a tow. I know that you’re probably now saying to yourself: “Why not just tow it with your Durango that we heard about in the Great Suburban Rescue Attempt of ‘22?!” And yes, that would seem to be the most logical solution to getting the truck home. Sadly, paying $100 for a tow back to Wilmington was cheaper and more time efficient than finding a U-Haul with a car transport and paying them $80 to use it for 24hrs, plus fuel.
The Fun Begins
I had the truck towed straight to my buddy’s transmission shop and hauled my ass straight to the local Pick ‘n Pull that afternoon to do me some transmission huntin’! Luckily this is something that is easy with a vehicle as popular as the 2nd Gen Ram 1500. There are multiples of them in every junkyard in America. Also in the ‘yards that no está en Los Estados Unidos. The trick is to find one that’s smashed. Why, you may ask? Well, those ones were moving when they died, meaning the transmission was providing some hot gear-changing action the minute the truck traveled its last moribund few meters on its own.
Eureka! I said as I spotted a sadly-smashed Ovine. This was to be the carcass from which I plucked an organ to donate so that another Ram ould live. This was not going to be easy though, as I am not the world’s biggest or strongest man and from past experience I knew this transmission was going to be wicked heavy.
First out was the starter, which had a top bolt that was way harder to access then it should’ve been. Note from Southeastern North Carolina/Earth to Horace and John Dodge out in The Great Ether: not cool, dudes. Next off was the oil filter, exhaust Y-pipe, driveshaft, shift linkage, wiring harness and the converter bolts. All that was left was the bell housing and the cross-member support.
Holding myself back for a min, I realized there’s a good possibility that I’ll get crushed under this thing if I don’t plan this next step right. I needed muscle. Luckily at that moment I noticed a large-statured gentleman happened to be wrenching on another Dodge truck in the same aisle. I offered him some cash to help me lift the trans out of the truck and onto a cart. Luckily he was kind, ambitious and possibly broke because he jumped right into the idea.
A few bolts, some scrapes, a shit-ton of salty language and that transmission was on my cart, with my ass wheezing/schlepping it up to the front of the yard to pay $300 for it. It was then on its way (in another Dodge – my Durango) to be dropped off at the transmission shop for installation.
There was no way I could get something that heavy in the truck by myself without losing a few years off the end of my life and wasting some serious time trying to line everything up whilst on my back in my driveway.
Sometimes just giving a few hundo to the guy with the lift is the smartest move. Time is the most valuable commodity we have.
A few days later, my buddy called me to “Come get your POS out of here.” It turns out the check valve in the cooling line was the culprit as suspected/noted above. With junykard transmission in place, the truck now shifted like a dream and was wicked fun to pilot, perched upon that terrific teal bench seat, whilst leaving the trans shop to get its first tank of fresh gas in who knows how long.
“Wicked fun” only lasted so long as some nagging issues were noticed shortly into that first drive. Fellow Autopian (and little brother of mine) Mike Gossin asked to borrow the truck for a Home Depot/Lowes run as soon as I got it home, leaving me wondering if this is what truck ownership life was going to be like.
I had only driven it home and was already being asked for its services! He’s my little brother though, so of course the answer is always yes. Upon his return (with a huge ladder in the bed), he informed me that the front suspension sounded like the War of 1812, with multiple sound origination points (he has a good musical ear).
Floor-jacking one of the front tires into the air to test the ball joints by tugging and pulling on the wheel yielded some of the most absolutely spent ball joints I’ve ever seen. Time for a set of upper and lower MOOGs. Not a fun job. Also, the shocks still had the Chrysler Pentastar emblem on them, meaning that they were original, even after 180K miles. That’s a hard nope; those bitches are coming out, stat.
While attempting to get those shocks out, the top attachment nuts were frozen solid on the top chock shaft/stem, so out came the spinning wheel of sparks.
My brother followed up with a text message diagnostic that same afternoon stating that he thought he heard what sounded like a loose caliper on his drive. My brother has a unique and strange ability to nail certain things, and he did that here. Check out this three-pointer he swished via metal-on-metal acoustics when braking on that one Home Depot/Lowe’s run below.
Next up was the integral weakness that affected every one of these Gen 2 Rams: the weak-ass cracked plastic dash that looks like a crime scene. Exposed HVAC vents, stereo wires and general cheap-assery. Now I’m a big Mopar guy, but we Moparians must be honest with ourselves in regards to calling a fail a fail. Not everything your team does is always great. What was great though was that LMC Truck makes replacement dash tops for these trucks for $250 that are made out of plastic that won’t (literally) crumble at the touch. Popped that boy on, took a step back and smiled to myself; my badass white truck idea is coming together, hot damn!
I had found a high school parking pass in the glove box, so I’m guess that two owners ago, this hoss was living a hard life at the hand of a teenager. It also made sense that the truck was wired for a subwoofer amp behind the seat and that all the speakers and the head unit were missing. No worries, I have a ton of those in the garage from prior rescues. Pop off a couple door panels, remove the dash bezel, solder some wires, and bingo-bango, some rippin’ tunes were emulating for the first time in years from the formerly silent cab.
I then changed the black, moisture-laden oil that looked to have been in the pan for years and decided I had fixed what was immediately needed (bad suspension, horrendous dash and lack of musical tune-age) and that it was time to go enjoy my truck the same way that David enjoys his J10: adventure-style. And boy did I ever.
The Golden Age
The following week I landed a Dodge Journey with a locked up Pentastar 3.6 as a rescue for $800. I sourced a replacement engine at a local yard and went to grab it with my new truck. Son, I’ll tell ya, it felt good being a Haulin’, Truckin’ Man. But, honesty I probably could’ve fit it in the back of my Durango, but that’s not what we’re focusing on at the moment: We’re haulin’ an engine and haulin’ ass, son!
I then realized that the heads on the locked up 3.6 Pentatstar were very valuable (go ahead, look ‘em up), and that I should definitely pull them off the locked up engine. I found the perfect workspace in the bed of my new work truck! Yeah, I know that I’ve covered up every other usable inch of space at my Evil Wrenching Lair with cars and parts, so having this six-foot piece of heaven to use as a wrench space was a godsend. The Durango would’ve also worked for this endeavor, yet with a limited vertical reach/ceiling.
Shortly after that I really turned my ’22 into The Year of The Truck, since I found my high school dream car (’94 Trans am GT) in green) in VA with a blown engine and of course scooped it up. Same as above with the Journey engine, I used my trusty machine to haul an LT1 back to my Lair from a yard about an hour away, towards the SC border. She didn’t sag under the weight of that iron block, nor break a sweat cruising back to Wilmington at 65mph. Again, it felt good. Although again, I probably could’ve just used my Durango for the job.
I even started enjoying it for non-work-related tasks. One of my best friends and I watched 4th of July fireworks on the big teal bench; it provided the best seats in town for the show.
I also started finding myself leaning into my more untapped, inner redneck that I never knew was there. My father was a truck driver, but most of his “non-urban” traits were watered down in the generational hand-off. This truck started to bring them out in me! I found myself shirtless, wearing camo and using the truck bed to dry drop-cloths one afternoon when I realized that I may be scaring neighborhood passersby. It was a moment of self-reflection and self-realization. I didn’t get to the point of chewing tobacco or Bud Heavy though.
Other great moments were had with the truck last summer, such as finding and fitting an entire Gen 3 Sebring interior in it from the local Pick n’ Pull.
The best memory I have of it is replacing that squeaky belt with my awesome nephew.
This leads us to these past six months. I finished both engine jobs, sold the Journey and started on various other projects like the recent Jeep Liberty Rescue and The Great X-Type Caper. The beautiful Dodge 1500 just mostly sat in my driveway. Smaller errands didn’t require a large, lumbering truck, and for most other trips, my ‘04 Durango was more comfortable and modern. I just wasn’t driving it. I still loved it, but I was paying insurance, taxes and such on a vehicle that I clearly didn’t really need.
I’m used to it though, as one thing I’ve learned from having over 117 cars means you have to be able to know when to say goodbye. There’s always another cool one out there. There’s always more adventure. This truck deserved better than to just sit in my driveway, aging. Yes, I’m probably the best thing that happened to this truck in the past 10 years, but I’m sure the next person will love it just as much.
Greater Autopia points me in a new direction
The summer and fall changed to winter and the days were short. I wasn’t using the truck much, and it was mostly sitting. Other rescue opportunities started popping up and I got to a familiar point where I had too many cars, again. I decided it was best to ask the readership of The Autopian for advice on which to sell. And boy did they respond!
Resigning myself to the inevitable path forward, I posted it for sale and waited. And waited. Kept waiting. I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting any interest. I mean zero. No texts, no calls, no appointments to see it. I decided it needed to stand a little taller.
More repairs!
First up on the additional round of repairs was a new headliner. The original one from ‘97 had long been ripped out and what remained was old foam and glue. Wicked easy and quick job. It made me wonder just how lazy, disinterested or broke the previous owners were.
This can’t be this easy. There must be something that’s going to pop up any second to make this harder. There’s no way the previous owners could not have postponed this $125 job for a decade.
Next up was a reupholstering of that beautiful teal bench. I popped the bench out, sent it to my buddy Brian at Port City Custom Upholstery, and a smooth $180 later it was back in fightin’ shape.
[Editor’s Note: I’m legitimately impressed with how nice you got this thing looking, Stephen! -DT].
The final days
Additional time passed and I still hadn’t gotten one person interested. I renewed my ads, took better pictures, boosted the Facebook Marketplace ad, filled up the tank, washed it, took videos, and even brought it to my colleagues here at The Autopian for advice on why this truck was un-sellable.
- Matt Hardigree responded and informed me that his wife used to drive the same truck, but in red. That was all he had.
- Adrian Clarke said that if it was black and if he was in America, he’d be interested. He does have excellent taste.
- Mercedes said it would be more attractive if it had a Cummins and something better than its paltry 3300lb tow rating (she’s correct, as usual).
- David Tracy immediately said it needed the original, yellowed headlights replaced.
- Jason was drawing oysters and was too busy to respond.
You know, David was right. Even though he eats in the shower, had a fridge full of food that expired a year ago and may or may not have defrosted two frozen tires in his kitchen 90 days ago, I find myself constantly listening to the sage wisdom of this man. A pair of nice aftermarket lights were found on Marketplace that day and installed on my lunch break the next.
These came out surprisingly easy.
What a difference! DT was right.
Here we are weeks later and I still haven’t had one person interested enough to look at it. I had a few folks offer $2K for it via text without even seeing it (you know the type), but that was it.
It seemed that what this specific truck was was not what people want in a truck. Everyone wants with big engine, the big bed, the 4×4 and and big wheels on a full-size pickup. This truck was the antithesis of all of that, so finding a full-size buyer who was looking for none of the usual full-size attributes, other than dimensions, was exceedingly tough. Very tough. And that’s coming from a guy who’s sold a ton of cars!
It’s always darkest before dawn
Then all of the sudden, out of nowhere, The Perfect Buyer reaches out, shows up on time, does a fair assessment and makes a fair offer. You gotta appreciate that guy. A model for all buyers. This was the only individual in over a month that even was interested enough not to just text-lowball and to actually show up. It goes to show that a vehicle will find a buyer if it is True and Good and Fair, every time.
The most troubling aspect here is the fact that I wish I needed it. I desperately want to be a Truck Guy and do Truck Things, but I just don’t think I have it in me, or in/upon my schedule of Things To Do. My car parts hauling and towing can be done with my Durango; the Ram is sadly superfluous. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to being Just Another SUV Guy (sad trombone).
Buying, fixing and owning this truck was a great experience that I would do again in a heartbeat if I had 1.21 Gw of plutonium and a DMC-12. I really understand how a vehicle like this creates an emotional connection with the owner because it works for you. It gives back in very visible ways. “Move this big thing! Haul this heavy thing!” “OK!” is all it says each time via vehicular linguistics and turning wheels. It becomes a friend, through actionable output.
Rams are male bighorn sheep; animals that live in the mountains and often settle arguments with fights that include ramming their heads into others. This is my 4th pickup (3 were Rams) and my 4th attempt at trying to convince myself that I need one. My 4th attempt to prove that I can find glory in The Truck Guy Lifestyle. This inner conflict may be resolved for now, but I honestly can’t say that the argument/fight about owning a truck is truly extinguished, as those glorious horns may prod me towards another truck again, one bright, shiny, fine day in the future.
Special shout out to everyone who responded on my previous piece with direction on selling this truck.
All photos courtesy of Stephen Gossin
- Is The $1,200 Beat-To-Death Pontiac Grand Am For Sale In Every Town Worth It? I Found Out.
- How I Got Six Years Of Service Out Of A $220 Car
- What I Learned Trying To Flip Two Dirt-Cheap GM “J-Body” Coupes That Nobody Wants
- How I Saved A Once-$90,000 Mercedes SL I Bought For $1,900
- Why The Dirt-Cheap Broken Jaguar X-Type For Sale In Every Town Might Actually Be Worth Buying And Fixing
- I Took On A Bad GM Design In A Hail-Mary Attempt To Fix My Friends Broken Suburban But It Was Too Little Too Late
- I Asked The Internet Which of My Cars I Should Sell. Here’s What The People Said
- I Have More Cars Than Parking Spaces. Help Me Decide What Stays And What Goes
- What It Was Like Owning And Fixing My First Jeep After Owning Over 100 Non-Jeeps
My wife grew up in the country and I was a city slicker, so when we started dating she warned me that someday I would own a pickup truck. I laughed. Years later I’m on my 3rd Tacoma (first generation body style only). I now also mostly wear work pants, own many flannels and love to rescue and fix up cheap stuff. My latest truck was a trade. I drove my ’56 Lincoln to NH and drove a Taco home. Fun times. I LOVE simple, hardworking trucks.
There definitely is a beauty in the straightforwardness and in the simplicity. Agreed.
Not everyday you see a ’56 anything, much less a LIncoln.
Thanks for reading and for being here with us in the comments!
Stephen,
As a on and off truck guy since getting my license I will agree you don’t always need one but as JT pointed out there is a great nostalgia for them.
I had a pair of rangers as my second and tenth vehicles from 16.25 to 24 and boy was I popular in college. Moved so many damn couches for pizza and beer, randos would flag me down to ask for my help.
Sold it and didn’t have the desire to be That Guy again until I became a home owner. Have run through a trio of obs Fords since and despite me living in suburban hell they rarely have an empty bed and do solid work. There is something humble, honest and amazing about the single cab trucks, so maybe don’t give up on them forever.
Is it just me or are they getting harder and harder to find these days? Everything has 2 too many doors.
Thanks for reading and for being here in the comments with us, my dude!
For sure, an 8′ bed is limited to contractor spec trucks, hell even a 6′ is not common anymore. they just don’t make em like they used to. Now get off my damn lawn ya hooligan youths.
Always love your writing even if your life choices make me question your sanity. You are living the dream of writing with DT and JT, I got a cup of coffee in the majors before being sent back down after my og holy grail article.
I am so glad you found the right person for your truck.
You feel that you’re not a truck person, I feel that maybe you just haven’t found the truck for you. Just keep doing what you’re doing and one day the truck will find you.
Solid advice. I’ll take it.
Thanks for reading and for being here in the comments!
Does your upholstery friend give you a deal? I found a set of vinyl interior replacements for 2 seats for like $330. Plus shipping i repad and install. Seems pricey but whole interior replacement over $1,000
He had some matching vinyl from a boat or from a restaurant booth or something like that already in the shop. I think it was about $150 total for new foam and a re-cover.
I’m sure there are some good upholstery shops around you that would do the same. He helps me out a little since I’m constantly bringing work in, but I don’t get that much of a discount.
What I like about this project is that you saved this truck from the junkyard by getting it running, and then you made it nice enough inside that it is less likely to wind up back in non-op status anytime soon.
Thanks for noticing! Honestly, doing so with a vehicle that was produced in huge numbers like (this one was) was pretty easy, since parts and support are everywhere.
I found almost everything I needed the first time I looked. Zero search-struggle.
Thanks for reading and for the kind sentiment!
I’ve had poor results replacing drive belts with nephews. They start squealing before you even start the engine and durability is piss poor. They do come cheap though.
Learned today that you can buy replacement dash pads for 2nd generation Rams……
Three cheers for those little guys being available, right?!
Thanks for the comment and the read!
Hey, what can I say.
I see Mopar, you grasp my interest immediately!
No way in hell I would have spent what, $700, on a new headliner, reupholstering a seat and a new dash. You do you but not everyone cares about stuff like that. Not necessarily laziness or even cheapness. I don’t much care what my vehicles look like and I especially don’t care what my trucks look like. Maybe I’d do that if I planned on selling it so I could get more than that out of suckers who care about the interior on a work truck old enough to drink. But not for a vehicle I plan on keeping. Anyway having the dash in pieces just makes it easier to fix the HVAC stuff when it breaks.
Any windows-down cruising would create enough wind in the cab to blow died-up pieces of old headliner foam into your hair and eyes. That repair was a must if you didn’t want to look like you just got out of a fight with a stuffed animal every time you arrived somewhere.
The dash was pure police brutality to gaze at each day and the foam was so worn on the bench that it hurt your back to slump into it.
Each repair was money well-spent for someone that experienced each item in person.
Thanks for reading and for the comment!
You sure have a way with words. Please don’t stop writing up your adventures!
Potentially unpopular opinion. Jeep should have put the 3.9L (Magnum) V6 in the ZJ Grand Cherokee instead of the 4.0L. Torque was almost the same, but came in earlier on the V6 than the 4.0, same tooling as the V8’s they were also launching in the ZJ Grand Cherokee (so probably would have reduced costs to use the 3.9). 3.9 (probably) weight less than the 4.0L and would put the weight further back. Love the 4.0L… but thought this was a strange move on Chrysler’s part.
And although 4.0L’s were very durable… 3.9Ls weren’t a slouch in that department.
A very interesting thought. I wonder what my boss David would have to say about it. He’s a huge fan of the 4.0 though and didn’t have much positive to say about the Magnum regarding this piece.
Thanks for reading and for the comment!
I’ll bring the tar if someone else brings the feathers for this guy. Lol. From what I’ve gathered, the only criticism you can level at a zj is the axles, the transmission (in later years) the electronics… Basically anything that isn’t the fore leeter
haha yeah, I know, I know it’s not the best car site to slight that engine even just a tiny bit…still really like the 4.0L as well.
I was only thinking this from a product development/cost-down/more parts sharing perspective since the 5.2L and 3.9L shared a lot, and specs were within striking distance to the 4.0L. What makes it even more strange is that both the ZJ and the (much updated) Magnum 3.9 debuted in 1992….
3.9L did need one thing added to it that GM/Ford both figured out, a balance shaft which I don’t think they ever got.
great article, one of my fav writers here.. but man shirtless pics.. killing me lol woof
It was the only picture I had of the truck being used as a laundry drying rack!
Plus it helped convey one of the most important aspects of truck ownership for me during this rescue: having the truck available changes your approach to certain things. And in doing so, changes you, in a way.
Thanks for reading and for the kind sentiment. The shirt will stay on going forward!
You just break up the crazy dad or cousin vibes that Jason and David give off. My first thought when reading this article was, “A man this attractive has no right to work at the Autopian.” However, this is a welcoming car-enthusiast society (cult) so welcome brother!
Great article breaking down all the work and taking us through the saga of this Dodge Ram. Looking forward to reading more of your work!
It’s like a vibe of mashing up Jim Halpert from the Office with Henry Rollins from Black Flag…
you are welcome.. and it can come off again I wouldn’t mind lol
If he’s gotta redneck, he needs to work on his farmer tan
This brings back some good memories. I’d say from the age of 24 until about 36 or 37, I bought and flipped a great many cars (contributing to my 60+ count). Mostly, I did it for the sake of variety, the experience to drive something different to assuage my Automotive ADD, developing my mechanical skillset, and hopefully, make a few bucks in the process. I’m often glad I did this and rarely feel it was misspent time.
If anything, I’m nostalgic about it, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve become more risk averse. I’ve got two young kids who require, and deserve, more of my time and attention. Plus my body ain’t what she used to be, as they say. At least I still get to vicariously enjoy the hunt through your articles. There’s definitely a nostalgia factor and I think it’s exacerbated by the fact that the landscape on cars has changed. I’ve spoken about this more, but they’re increasingly out of reach for a lot of people. I’m not willing to spend the coin needed to play the flipping game, because I remember what it used be. That does make me feel a little bad, knowing that the door is closing on that way of life.
Excellent point on the landscape changing. 5 $100 bills could get you a solid ride out of the newspaper when I started doing this, and dealing with carburetors was still in play.
I’m not trying to date myself (as I know there are quite a few here that have been doing it for much longer), but it is a much more difficult task with modern cars than it was just 15 years ago.
Thanks, as always, for reading and for the comment, my man!
You have to be truck guy you already have the truck guy tan. And cudos to your friend willing to sit and ride in that truck prior to the ascetic repairs.
Im surprised she did as well considering the state it was in. Good memories with that truck.
Anyhow, thanks for reading and for being here in the comments, Dave!
Great read as always!
And you’re welcome to actually wash my truck any time you feel the urge; I haven’t washed it in about two years. Unless you count rainstorms.
2 years?! Thanks Mark. Let’s do out dueling 300s piece soon!
This was a great read while I tried to hide in my office.
The final product looked nice enough to pass “neighbourhood inspection” in most communities and would make the owner everybody’s friend.
So I’m thinking you need a Stephen Walter Gossin “What’s For Sale” page that pops up on The Autopian maybe quarterly.
I currently have an ’07 xTerra and that sweet-ass ’94 Buick Park Ave Ultra on the block! I recently just found a new home for my Stealth also, which will be the subject of the next piece.
Thanks for the kind words and for being here with us in the comments, my dude!
Does that mean the Buick/BMW showdown isn’t happening?
Oh, it’s definitely happening.
I don’t expect a buyer for the Buick anytime soon, as it’s not in the greatest of shape, nor is it high on everybody’s desirability list this Christmas. I’ll have an update piece on it soon – thanks for following the saga!
Stealth sale piece is up next. Cheers!
In a world of rubber band tires on garish double wide 22s, I thought the AR Outlaws were a nice vintage look. Better on an 80s truck, but still nice.
Clearly if you want to embrace your inner truck guy, get rid of the Durango. Then the truck will get used. (It’s not good advice, but I didn’t charge for it.)
Agreed that they look better on older trucks. They just really didn’t work at all with the styling of the 2nd Gen Ram to my eyes.
Hey thanks though for reading and for the comment, my dude!
I’ve noticed this a few times now, so going to comment on it. One of the things I enjoy about your articles is the grin you have with each new acquisition. It’s not a prideful smirk, nor a ‘Oh, hell; here we go!’ grimace, but rather looks like genuine joy. I had a few of those 2-3 decades back, so I really have fun vicariously wrenching with you now that I’m too lazy to rescue things myself.
You’re doing a good thing rescuing vehicles from the crusher, allowing people to get a reasonable ride for a decent price-and enjoying yourself, too. Plus, we get to read about it. Keep on wrenching’ on, man!
This was one of the nicest things said to/about me in a long time. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
Thank you for another smile. It is so wonderful to have such kind, thoughtful, supportive readers.
That really is what makes this site great. A shared passion and a sense of community and camaraderie.
Plenty of rednecks in Upstate NY, some which may take offense to the term “yankee” as some affixed the stars and bars to their pickup trucks for a reason that confused the hell out of me when I was a kid and had learned about the Civil War.
Dude, I had a co-worker that was originally from NY but lived in FL and subscribed to the “Good Ol’ Boy” lifestyle. One day he was making a quip about how my beard made me look like a terrorist. In a fake accent, I said, “Yankee go home.” He was absolutely livid. I don’t regret it one bit. I’ve never understood people north of the Mason-Dixon line wearing confederate stuff and speaking with southern accents, it’s truly mind boggling.
Upstater here, and most days it feels like I live in Hazzard County.
Hudson Valley resident here .. 100% agree.
Good read.
A very sincere thank you!
Your slow-burn intro provided space for my mind to latch on to the term “shitbox” and got me thinking about its origin.
This is the type of though-provoking results that I was intending and hoping for with that intro.
I feel as though my efforts have now been validated.
Best video on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXH3HDE9Czo
Just made me realize we all missed this one for Torch’s piece yesterday:
A Gossin of Sebrings.
I’ll take it! Well done, Jack.
We need more Sebring appreciation around here. Thanks (as always) for reading and for being here in the comments, my dude!
You could have headed East, you just needed an Amphicar.
Watching you rescue one of those might be fun.
I wonder how far out to sea one of those has headed. It sounds absolutely terrifying.
Thanks for reading and for the comment, Lt. Data!
Great article. This is how Autopians think and work. I love your passion for bringing vehicles back from the grave; something I fear will become increasingly difficult over time.
I agree that with every additional electronic device and wire that is added each year, wrenching get that much more digitized and difficult. I’m just going to enjoy it while it’s still here.
Thank you sincerely for the kind words and for reading!
It’s the six that made it a tough sell. If it’s anything like my Silverado six, it has the same fuel economy as the small eight and 2/3 the power. When I bought my Silverado six, it had been listed online for over a month with no potential buyers.
The upside was that I paid a couple grand less than what the truck would have been worth with an eight. The downside is that whenever I choose to sell it, I’ll probably have to wait a month for a buyer.
“Is it the long bed?” No.
“Is it the V8?” No.
“Is it the 4×4?” No.
I can’t tell you how many times I was asked this during the sale period. The buyers for these trucks certainly are unique in the truck market-landscape.
Thanks for reading and for the comment!
Mine has the long bed. Ex-federal government truck, USFWS. I bought it because of the low miles, 94k at 19 years old, and the fastidious government maintenance.
Every car you save in this life will be there to greet you in the next.
This just made my day. A very sincere thank you.
That sounds a little bit like a threat.
“You should have let us die, man, now you must ride in us for all eternity”
Great article, I love flipping turds and saving things from the yard. How much did you make on it? Hopefully a fair amount, truck pricing went full retard a few years ago, which is why I have an Astro van now.
As stated in my other rescue pieces, I don’t really do it for the money but rather for the environment and for the love of cars. I have a full-time job for money.
I think I made a few hundred bucks once everything was tallied, but my time is worth more than that, so it was a wash.
I learned a lot, made some great memories, picked up some new skills, and had fun. That’s the real win here. Plus, a great story to bring here to y’all.
Thanks for reading and for the kind sentiment, my dude!
what are you selling next or now?
I currently am selling a ’94 Buick Park Ave Ultra, and a ’07 XTerra. Both recently went through the rehab/rescue process.
The Buick is still a little rough.
Thanks for the comment!
Point me to the XTerra ad
No ad, just word of mouth at this point. Having your car hobby written about on the internet helps with that! Find me on social media; the info is in my profile. Cheers and thanks!
Umm… If I recall, the Buick is a former Superfund cleanup site on wheels…
It certainly was. You should see it now! It’s…slightly better.
Totally fair man! I have done that with a few cars, and on top of that, you got to use it a while! One time I had a car repainted and broke about even but I got 2 years of use out of it, so that’s a win imho!