Durango Charger Trim

Today on trucks project Durango Chargers already been lowered three inches all the way around. Now, the guys will shake up the exterior of their SUV by adding some trim, that'll give it a whole new attitude.

After that. We've got a 98 S 10 that has a little attitude of its own.

Then we'll try to steer you in the right direction with some restoration. How to

that's all today on trucks.

Hey, everybody. Welcome to this week's show. A few weeks back, we introduced you to Project Durango Charger by dropping it three inches all the way around. Now that we have the stance we want. It's time to give the exterior a little more attitude.

Now, since trucks and suvs have gotten so popular over the last few years,

the aftermarkets really stepped up and made some cool stuff for them like wings, spoilers, hoods, grills, heck, pretty much anything you can imagine.

So today we're gonna change the look of our Durango with some really cool stuff. Now, just last week they showed you the totally functional shaker hood we're gonna run. Now, this beauty from Pro Glass comes with a shaker bubble and all the hardware, you need to mount it right down onto the motor. Of course, that's all surrounded by this fiberglass hood that's finished top and bottom.

Now, before we get you too excited about that hood, that, uh looks like it should have a hammy under it.

We're gonna replace a few other things. First, starting with the air damp. Now, I've already disconnected the factory driving lights

and now this whole stock bumper assembly is gonna come off. Now, this top metal impact bumper

and the lower air dam come off together.

After that, you can separate the two and make sure you keep track of all this factory hardware because you're gonna need it when you put it all back together.

Now, the space has the factory set up out of the way we can show you what's gonna replace it.

Now, this air dam from truck max is a thick fiberglass piece and as you can see is considerably taller than the factory one to get you down lower to the ground.

It also has these really slick looking grill inserts and these molded in areas and you can stick up to a 5.5 inch lamp been too.

You ready for this man?

Yeah.

Now to match your stock steel bumper down on the new air dam, just set it in place and mark and drill your holes. Now, if you've already painted your dam like we have here,

make sure that you put a piece of masking tape, either on top of the dam or on the bottom of the bumper. So you don't scratch your paint up when you're marking and drilling your holes.

How does it look over there? Perfect.

All right.

With all the drilling out of the way we need to bolt these two pieces back together. Now, whatever you do, make sure to use a big flat support washer up against the fiberglass. What this is gonna do for you is help spread the load out so you don't crack the fiberglass or pull the bolt head through. Also be real careful

not to over tighten things here.

Once you have it all back together, all you need to do is bolt it down and keep in mind an air dam isn't just for looks. They were originally designed

to reduce the air flow and turbulence under the vehicle to give you better aerodynamics. That's why you see them on everything from Winston Cup to funny cars. Tell you what sis, this looks awesome with our three inch drop man. That wheel and tire combination is happening too.

Let's go ahead and rip the hood off man.

Now, since our shaker hood completely changes the way our motor's gonna get its air. First thing we need to do is pull off the inlet too.

Also, since we're not gonna need our filter box anymore, we can go ahead and get rid of that to create some extra room under the hood,

the new air box tucks up under the firewall. So we gotta get this evaporator sensor out of the way too.

All you have to do is pop it loose,

take it off,

take out this metal insert,

move it over here to the other side,

then move everything over, remount it on this stud and keep in mind you've got to pop these studs out of the firewall and also move this wiring harness to the other side of the dipstick. So you have plenty of room in here.

The front part of the bubble is supported by this bracket. It bolts right up to the air conditioning compressor and the alternator over here. Once you have that in place, go ahead and set the lower part of the bubble down onto the throttle body.

At

this point, you wanna set your air cleaner in place and center up the lower bubble. Now you will notice you got some play here and you wanna leave it loose until after the hood's been mounted so you can get everything straight

next up is the top of the scoop itself. Now, it's got a rubber seal that runs all the way around it and seals it to the hood and that acts as a shock absorber. Now, for those of you that don't know

the reason these are called a shaker hood is because with the scoop mounted directly to the motor, the hood will stay still, but the scoop will shake with the movement of the engine, which is really cool, especially when you're stomping on the gas.

Now, another cool feature are these water drain holes here in the front that allows the water to drain out. So you don't end up with a lake building up around the outside of the scoop.

Finally, we can get the hood on this sink. Now, you're definitely gonna have to spend some time moving things around to get it centered up.

Take your time on this step because nothing looks worse than a crooked scoop on a shaker hood.

Now, once you have everything lined up the way it should be,

then you can put on your hood latch. Now, we're going to reuse the stock latch. But the good news is everything is molded into the new hood, including metal inserts for the bolts.

Well, Project Durango Chargers definitely starting to get some attitude now.

But before we show you what we're gonna do at the grill, we need to take a break. Don't go away. We'll be right back

later in the show. We've got a 98 S 10 that's cleaning up on the show circuit.

But up next, the guys need to finish out the trim on Project Arango Charger.

Welcome back to the shop, everybody. Now, I hope you're not just joining us, but if you are, we're right in the middle of doing a major facelift on project Durango Charger.

I've already put on a shaker hood as well as an air dam. We're gonna finish up this front end with a cool grill treatment.

You know, for the long

this time there weren't a whole lot of options on Dodge vehicles.

Thanks to the cross bar and the stock grill. That's no longer a problem though because Stole Industries has come out with this combination shell grill insert we picked up from Car parts.com.

It's really gonna open things up for us.

Here you go. Stace. I'm gonna go ahead and get started on the rear. All right, I'll finish up up here. And like mel said, this is called a grill insert, but it's actually more of a grill replacement, which is a lot more involved than just sticking an insert in.

Now, we've already put on the grill support from the original hood, but we had to do some modifications to it.

First of all

came in here and Hack sought out this centerpiece.

Then we also hack saw this arm off of the original latch

and then finally drilled a hole here for the new latch release

in the rear just like the front. We're gonna use a bumper cover that's also from truck max to completely change the look back here. Of course, before we do that, we need to pop off the factory cover. We'll go ahead and get started

by popping off this plastic step tread. Now, keep in mind

you do have to reuse this so don't thrash it

after that disconnect your license plate. Light unbolt the cover

and pull it off. Now, the good news here

is unlike the front, you don't have to pull off the steel impact bumper.

Once you have your grill and your shell mocked into place,

you can come in here and mark where you're gonna wanna drill your mounting holes on this inner support.

And this is one area where you cannot rush because you need to make sure that the grill is centered and squared in the shell before you drill your holes. Because I guarantee it's gonna wanna move around on you

once you've triple checked everything, go ahead and drill them.

Now, you can finish things off by mounting it all in.

Now that we have the old cover out of the way we can show you some of the really cool features on this new piece. Now, just like the front, it's a big thick piece of fiberglass and as you can see,

it matches the front stylistically as well, but probably the neatest feature on this set up is it already has molded openings. So you have the option of running a dual exhaust system through it.

Now that we have everything bolted together up here, the big temptation is gonna be to slam the hood down, step back. Take a look at your handiwork. Well, if you do this, you're gonna have a major problem because if you remember right we cut off the handle of the hood safety latch, which means you're gonna have a heck of a time getting your hood back up.

And that's what this little rod is for.

It slides in the hole we drilled in the latch earlier and is held in place by this collar.

Then you slide down here,

you have a nylon tab

that you mount here to the inner frame and to pop your hood. All you do is push up on the rod in the center of the grill.

Once again, make sure it's all working right

before you slam the hood down.

After you get the bumper cover in place, you can go ahead and tighten the bolts to the factory mounts and the wheel. Well, now I know we already told you this before, but it's real important. You don't over tighten bolts on fiberglass because you can crack it.

Finally, all you have left to do back here is hook up the wiring for your license plate. Light

pop, the plastic step tread, you were careful not to thrash back on

and you're done.

And the last thing we're gonna do up here on the front is put on these 5.5 inch pia driving lights

that we got from Tennessee speed sport. Now, you can wire these up a couple of different ways. You can always use a switch that comes with the kit

or in our case, we're gonna wire them up to the high beams so that these are only on when our bright lights are on.

Well, as you can see, Project Durango Charger is starting to look like a one of a kind SUV.

And the best part is everything we've done here today

you can do in your own driveway. Stay with us. We got more trucks to roll at you right after this.

Up. Next on trucks, we've got that one of a kind s 10. That'll blow your mind.

Then later in the show, we'll take you step by step through some steering wheel restoration.

Thanks for staying with us, everybody.

Well, there's no doubt sport trucks are a huge part of the light truck market. Among the most popular minis are the Ranger and S 10.

Speaking of S tens, today, we're going to show you one of the hottest examples we've ever seen and believe us, we've seen plenty at truck shows all across the country.

This truck owned by Tony Humphries of Scottsboro, Alabama has been featured in numerous magazines and at a show generally walks away with the first place trophy that's easy to see looking at it now, but it didn't always look this good. Matter of fact, when Tony first bought it, the front end was crushed, the bed was all twisted up and the frame was bent. Of course, to a how to guy, all that means is the price is gonna be right

with all that in mind. Let's go ahead and take a look at the interior on this boat side.

Now, as you can see, they started with custom molded seats that are covered in gray leather and purple tweed and have graphics molded right into them.

And that's only the beginning. They also covered the headliner

floorboards

as well as the door panels

and to finish everything off. It's a billet steering wheel. Oh, by the way, if you're impressed with the interior, then you're definitely gonna like what's under the tunnel cover.

That's right. The theme continues even in the business end.

Now, before we get this thing up on the lift to show you the undercarriage, let's take a look under this cattle induction hood.

Now they started with a stock 4.3 V six and then to liven it up, they added under drive pulleys headers and a stainless wi pipe.

They also put on a performance air intake system and of course, everything was detailed and painted to match.

Of course, any sport truck worth looking at, it's got to have a few body modifications. So to clean everything up, all the factory molding and emblems as well as the door handles have been shaved off.

They also lost the tailgate handle and molded in a roll pan

up front. You have a custom grill that's matched up with a bumper cover.

Now, like we told you before the frame on this truck was bent when they bought it. So they stripped it down, straightened it

and then hit it with a coat of paint to match the body.

Now, the suspension sits on air bags and that gives them a total of a 6.5 inch drop in the front.

The rear end is held in place with a ladder bar system and air bags are also used back here to give a total of a nine inch drop in the back.

Now, while everything we've shown you on this Chevy is top notch. It's the paint job that really grabs your attention.

They started out innocently enough with just a yellow base coat,

but by the time they put the spray gun down, more than 28 colors as well as one vivid imagination were completely spent.

Yeah, that's an understatement. You may have noticed that the paint job on this truck is completely different on both sides. Now, that's really cool because it's kind of like looking at two different trucks at the same time.

Now, it's also got over three gallons of clear on it and

that's necessary to smooth out the seams between these colors.

Now, the paint job also continues all the way through the door and into the door jams.

It's this kind of attention to detail that you gotta do if you wanna win national shows, all you have to do is ask Tony and his buddies, Keith Don Doug and Ed who helped him build this thing in only 3.5 months. Stay with us. We got more trucks coming to you after this

just can't get enough of trucks. Check us out online at trucks tv.com.

Thanks for staying with us. Everybody. Now, there's a lot of nice aftermarket steering wheels out there. But a lot of you guys are into putting an old classic wheel into your truck because they're so unique.

Now, the problem is most of these are pretty broken up by now. Now you can take them down and have them recast.

That'll cost you about 400 bucks. So we're gonna show you how to do it yourself at a fraction of the cost. It's important to keep in mind. What we're gonna show you today is for plastic wheels, not wooden ones. Now, we have two different types of wheels with completely different types of damage, but all we're gonna need to repair them. Both are some files, little sandpaper as well as some epoxy

and body filler.

The first wheel we're gonna work on is from the fifties and it has a standard damage that you would expect a lot of small little cracks.

Now, the first thing you need to do is to make sure you scrub the wheel really well with a good detergent to get rid of all the grease and grime,

then take a small file and open up the cracks. Now, what this does is clean them out real well to give you a good bonding surface for your filler

on small cracks like this, using a standard body filler is plenty strong.

The only thing you need to watch here is to make sure you overfill the cracks. So you have plenty to sand later on.

Now for wheels like this that have a lot more damage. Obviously, you need a different approach.

We're gonna use a two part epoxy because it's a lot stronger and we're gonna have to reconstruct part of this wheel. Now for spots like this that are split. Best thing to do is to use a clamp

to pull the pieces back together. Just make sure you don't glue the clamp to the wheel.

Once you have it secure, take your time with the epoxy

and follow the contours of the wheel. The best you can.

Once everything's dry, you can go ahead and start sanding. Of course, the idea here is to smooth everything up. But keep in mind the epoxy and body filler is most likely gonna be harder than the wheel. So don't get too deep into the wheel or you'll end up sanding waves into it.

Obviously, the more time you spend on this step, the better the wheel is gonna look when you're finished.

Now on a wheel like this, it had a lot more damage. You not only have to sand it,

but you also actually have to reconstruct the shape of the wheel and that'll take you a lot more time also don't be surprised if you have to use more than one application of the epoxy. Once all your sanding is finished, all you have to do is hit it with a high quality paint and you're done another major plus to restoring an old steering wheel like this is even if you're not gonna use it for yourself, you can take it to a swap meet and trade it or even sell it for a whole lot more than you'd think.

Ok, so you've just spent all your savings building the motor that you've always wanted. Since you're not gonna skimp on oil, you've decided to break it in with the synthetic. Well, you better hold on because that can be a big mistake.

The reason is synthetic oils are so slick that they can hinder in the break in of the cam and the seating of the rings.

That's how come most major cam grinders and engine builders recommend breaking a motor in with the standard oil

and then going to a synthetic

and now truck gear parts, tools and equipment for pickups and sport utilities.

Now, for you guys that are into changing your own oil, which we really hope is all of you. You know how important a good filter wrench can be. Well, fay

com has come out with this wrench.

It's got an adjustable band

to handle, import filters all the way up to light commercial trucks. It's also got directional teeth that'll grip like a pipe wrench and the hinge jaw gives you a ratcheting action that can make quick work. What can be a really messy job? Get a grip on your next oil change with this wrench from Fay

com for about 40 bucks.

Now, one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to building a show quality vehicle is the hubs and rotors

and most guys have chrome and stainless steel everywhere else. But the rotors have been pretty ugly up to now.

And that's because will wood has come out with their polished aluminum hub and rotor combination.

Now, not only do you get the benefits of will woods racing with drilled and slotted removable rotors,

but you can also change your bolt pattern, which means that you can keep these and continually use them on your next projects for 500 bucks. You won't break the bank either.

Well, there's no doubt dead batteries can bring fast paced lives to a screeching halt.

But now you've got a way to take charge of that situation, how you ask? Well, that's where the secure start portable jump starter comes in.

This little miracle worker can put fire back in your motor on a cold day, stays charged for up to a year and can be recharged in a matter of minutes. It also has a halogen lamp for those night time emergencies. This unit from Boulder technology starts at about $100 and takes the danger of asking a stranger for help out of the equation

that's gonna do it for truck gear. Here's a preview of next week's show

project. Trail boss gets a healthy dose of attitude and function with some fully integrated bumpers, front and rear as well as a trail grabbing wheel and tire combination.

After that, the guys will take you to Johnson Valley California to watch the dirty dozen fight it out for the right to be crowned king of the Rocks.

And if that's not enough, we also have some budget upgrades for you. That's all next week on trucks.

Well, that's gonna do it for this week's show. We appreciate you hanging out with us. Yeah, we got more trucks to roll at you next week. All right, buddy. What's next for this? Oh, I've got some plans for this.

I got,

I've been looking at it. Like what I mean? Like, well, you know, a motor spot maybe

trucks is an RT M production.