Safe and sound, inside the shop.

Well, this isn’t possible unless you had an `85 or earlier Crew Cab, and somehow it magically “acquired” the VIN from a `92 Ram with the Cummins.   Isn’t it amazing what people will do in California to get around emissions?  At least they chose the biggest and baddest gas motor they could find, a 440!

SOME HISTORY from Dodge Truck History Books…
Dodge discontinued the full four-door Crew Cab in Model Year 1985.  In 1986, the Crew Cab option was no longer  available (per the Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks).    True full sized, four Door Crew Cabs from Dodge would not become available on the RAM again until the Mega Cab showed up in 2006 (or on the Dakota in 2000).  Although Quad Cab trucks did have four doors, they were not officially considered “Crew  Cabs.”  (editor’s note – Don Bunn edited and provided the Dodge Truck information for the Standard Catalog mentioned previously).

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE ON MY `92 DUALLY CREW
It turns out this truck started life as a 1982 Dodge D-350  Chassis Cab Dually, with LA-360 small block engine.   One of 4,916 D-350′s built in 1982.   How can I say this?

1.) When the VIN number was migrated to a `92 Cummins Truck VIN (this is the VIN on the dash), the guys were somewhat serious about covering up the original truck VIN.  However, they didn’t do a flawless job of it… they left the original VIN sticker behind the driver side rear door.   It says ”DATE OF MFGR. 06-82.  I’m surpised the great big “VOID” letters never flagged anyone at the California DMV!

The original 1982 Truck VIN sticker was found on the driver's side rear crew door sill. It says "DATE OF MFGR. 06-82. The "VOID" marks are from the original clear plastic covering having been torn off. The original VIN is scratched out.

2.)  There are weld witness marks on the chassis from square tubing having been welded to the frame.  Also, there are no rubber pads between the truck bed and frame.  Dodge always put rubber pieces between the bed and frame to provide a small amount of isolaton.  On my `67, this isolation was provided by chunks of oak; on the `93 D-250, there are 1/8 inch thick pieces of rubber between the bed and frame.

Square Tubing was welded to the truck frame at one point. This is from the drivers side in front of the leaf spring mount.

Another photo showing how steel was once welded to the Crew Cab Dually truck's frame. Photo also taken from Driver's side.

3.) The truck bed must be from an `89-`93 Dodge Ram with the Cummins and was not original on the truck.  This is because the gas tank door says “Diesel Fuel Only.”  Along with the lack of rubber pads, this indicates the truck bed was swapped in later.  It doesn’t look like the gas door was ever removed because there are no witness marks on the screws.

This is the fuel filler door which has the original Diesel Fuel Only Sticker. This will match right up with the Cummins once its installed!

4.) The original Vacuum Hose Routing Diagram was affixed to the driver’s side inner-fenderwell just behind the battery tray.  It is for a 360 engine.

This is the Vacuum Hose Routing Diagram that was overlooked in the effort to convert the truck to a `92. I was told the truck originally had a 360, this label seems to agree with that. Chrysler P/N 4268387

So, the VIN plate on the dash  is from a `92 Cummins Truck.  Probably one that was worn out or wrecked.  Whoever did this “switcheroo” swapped in the entire plastic `92 dashboard shell, complete with VIN plate still riveted to it.  They removed the stamped cab identification plate (under the hood, passenger side), and epoxied a cover panel over the Cummins Turbo Diesel Information Center still left in the dash.   Surprising they went to this much trouble considering

The inside of the hood is painted a silvery grey, much like many of the `89-`93 First Gen Rams with the Cummins.  Even the old hood sticker is still there from the `92 which showed important equipment such as rear axle, transmission and other parts.  They did a pretty good job of “converting” this truck into a `92.

The driver’s side rear door is painted over red, and has Ziebart rustproofing plugs that none of the other doors have.  Which means that door was brought into to replace the original door at one point.  How could someone dent or mangle an original crew cab door?  No fair!

CUSTOMIZATION AND OTHER NOTES
It’s pretty clear that this truck has been through at least one or more customized iterations throughout its life.  The most notable was, at one point, the truck was lowered (slammed into the weeds, in fact).   It was so slammed, that the tires rubbed frequently on the inside of all four  fenderwells.   The tolerances were so close with the dual rear tires that the frequent interference stretched the fenderwells out into the bed and deformed the bed floor upward.   Some of the rear tires still have a smooth spot where all the tire markings have been rubbed off!

The rear inner truck bed fenderwell, where the dual tires interfered when this truck was lowered.

The inner front fenderwell was not deformed by interference with the tire, but there certainly was some rubbin' goin' on!

Amazing that someone could drive the truck around like this and not worry about all that interference.  Thankfully, the truck is back to normal height, but the C-notched frame remains!!!  You never know, I might want to lower it again!!

My `92 Dually Crew Cab has a C-notched frame, which was only done when big trucks like this were lowered into the weeds. The C-notched frame allowed the rear axle to move freely, without hitting the frame all the time. The welds are decent so, I'm going to leave it as is, a "little piece of history."How did the truck get back to its original height? someone swapped in another Dana 70 rearend. The axle and leafs came with overload leaf springs. The funny part is that this truck never had overloads. So the springs are there, but they'd have to touch the bed before they start providing any support! Additionally the brake cables were too short from the passenger side to the driver's side, so I am going to have to swap in the brake cable from my `93 to get it to work.Here you can see the overload springs are there but they do not have a pad to touch once a load is put on the truck. Eventually, these suckers will need to come off the truck, shed some of that extra mass!.

HAS THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE?
Unfortunately I was not the first person to put a new 5.7L Hemi Engine in a Sweptline Era truck.  Sadly, I was also not the first to take a first Gen Cummins, pair it up with a `72-`85 Crew Cab, and bolt a `92 grille on the front.

Case in point, “Cybertron.”  This truck was featured as  a “Reader’s Ride” in the “Postal Route” section of Diesel Power Magazine (the December 2007 issue, to be exact, page 24).  I think this truck is very well done, a really classy job.  It was a lot of work, because the frame had to be stretched, but you can’t even tell, this thing is straight as a pin (look at the trim moulding along the body).  And what a nice billet grille on a `92 Ram!

A `92 Dodge W-250 Crew Cab Long Bed 4x4 Pickup Truck with the First Gen Cummins Turbo Diesel. Similar to mine!

See more photos of this `92 W-250 here:
http://rides.dieselpowermag.com/ride/1139503/cybertron/1992/dodge/w250/index.html

The truck was also featured as one of the smaller thumbnail images on the back of the 2008 TDR Calendar.  What a Famous truck!
http://www.turbodieselregister.com/2008Calendar/2008TDRCalWeb2.pdf (see last page of the PDF)

Credit:  Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks. 2nd Edition, 1993.  pp 258 (note that there are newer editions of this book available).

Credit:  Diesel Power Magazine, “Postal Route – Diesel of the Month”  pp 24, Volume 3, No. 12, December 2007.
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Copyright Kris Wickstead ©2009.  Always use good sense, the proper safety procedures, PPE and safe equipment.  Follow all manufacturers instructions.  For informational purposes only.  Not a guarantee of any kind.  Use information at your own risk.