I got it!! A dream come true! W350 Crew Cab!

[RSchwarzli]

I got it! The truck is a 1993 W350 DRW Crew Cab 5-speed, cummins, LE! Oo. Oo. The truck has 250,000 kms on it, but it is engine-block solid! From my understanding, the truck was professionally converted into a crew a little while after it was new and has spent all of it's life out west. I think I have attached a pic, but am not 100% convinced.



Robert



P. S. A very big thank you to everyone who put up with all my millions of questions about crew cabs. Without people like Pmedina, Mark McGivern, 83crewcab, therabittree, SamsRams, Bcook1, and thierry this web site would not be what it is. Thank you.

 

[Headshot zod]

sweeeeeet... ... ... ...

 

[Babyfat]

sweet ride more pics if you would, wish i had one, are you going to put dually front hubs on it?

 

[1stgen4evr]

crew cab

I am drooling. Congratulations. I can not imagine why Dodge didn't cash in on that market.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[RSchwarzli]

Yeah, I will put the dually front hubs on it. Actually there is a few little odds and ends that are missing that I will have to go get (meaning I just picked up the truck last night and now fixing the few things is in order). Here is another pic. When the rain stops I will take a few more pics and put them on here.





Robert

 

[Philip]

Nice rig.

 

["Mad Max"]

...oh YEAH dude...!

right on!... . that is sweet. WHY oh WHY didn't Mother Mopar make 'em that way from the factory, eh? Alright, that's it - I'm pasting this pic on my computer desktop and printing a pic for the garage to keep pushing myself to finish the one I'm working on. Nice rig amigo.



Hey, if the frame was stretched can you snap a couple pics of the welds? I need all the info I can get...



- Sam

 

[Bluebird]

Great Rig! I could live with one like that. Could you let us know how the fuel mileage works out? How the towing is? Where to get one, yea, right... ... ... ...

Patrick.

 

[jpickens]

conversion...

Nice ride! How much do you know about the conversion? It looks like someone took a single rear wheel crew cab truck and put a dually rear under it. I've often wanted to go to the state highway department auctions to try and pick up a crew cab for a project. I've only seen them owned by fire departments, emergency crews, highway depts. and such... who knows why dodge never sold them to the public.

 

[Moose Truck]

... Way Too Cool!!!

:-laf I be Loving it!! Too Bad there was not one to be found in CT, ooh sometime between Aug 2002 (Death of the '89 CTD) and Feb 2004 (purchase of the '00 )

 

[JLEONARD]

Awsum score!!

PM me your address and leave the keys in some night!! Please

Jay

 

[RSchwarzli]

From what I got understand there was a place inPort Mcniel B. C. that was supposedly doing the conversions in the early 90's. After looking at the truck I can only assume that they started off with two trucks and ended up with two trucks to make the conversion more cost freindly. Using my truck as an example, I will take a guess at how this worked. Joe Shmo bought a new clubcab W350 Dually and took it to these folks. They in turn bought a 80's dually crew, took motor, suspention everything off both trucks untill they had the frames. Then they took the diesel stuff, put it onto the crew frame, and gas onto diesel frame leaving them with a working diesel 4x4 crew and a working gas club D350. I am guessing it happened like this because my frame is one piece. I can find no welding marks anywhere, secondly they can still get their money back by selling the woring doner truck.



As for the towing, fuel economy etc, I will let you know once I get it out. But first the pinion seal is leaking fluid, etc... ... .



Dodge did sell these trucks to the public, but not in the right combinations. For example:

80's crew cabs, availible in only gas (diesel was not out yet) and could be had short box 4x4, short box 4x2, dually 4x2.

Diesel not availible in crew cab.



How to find. Luck. Pure dumb luck. I by chance found it on the auto trader while doing my weekly crew cab search. It was on the far side of the country (B. C. ) but it was the right truck so distance didn't matter. :-laf Well, more or less.....



Sorry to be so long winded, just trying to pass on what I have learned... .

 

[bgilbert]

Man that is so awesome!! Congrads!! Yeah it doesn't look like a cheapo stretched conversion where the rear doors don't open, looks like they took a drw long crew 4x2 and converted to 4x4+ CTD. I'm sooooooo jealous!!

 

[RSchwarzli]

I shure hope they diddn't drop the diesel and 4wd equiptment into it.



O. K. the rain somewhat stopped here are the rest of the pictures.



Robert



P. S. After looking at these pictures, I feel I need to spend some more time with my baby.



P. S. S. How do you get drool off your own key board?

 

[bgilbert]

One suggestion, with that being a conversion, I'd check to see if you have a Dana 70 rear and Dana 60 front. Make sure its not a 60 rear and 44 front. Ya wanna trade??

 

[RSchwarzli]

How do you tell the differance between the axles?

 

[1stgen4evr]

Heathen crew cab

Unconverted that is. I have a crew cab that is in need of converting. I have found a better one that is short box and manual transmission that I like better. Any one interested can PM.





BSchwarzli

"I sure hope they didn't drop the diesel and 4wd equiptment into it. "



I would say that they didn't. The fenders and bed trim lines (I think auto body guys call these revel lines) are not the same as the 85s. 89 they came out with the look you see in your truck. But what difference does that make. Look at some of the other crews and you will see (as you have) some beautiful paint and great trucks that have been converted to Dieselism.



I feel sure you can do the interior trim if that matters. Trim from two LEs and bit of nip here and tuck there and you have it. I have considered that from looking at my extended cab LE and believe it can be done. Not so sure it is something I would have to do to be satisfied. The quality of truck you have is super. Nothing to be bashful about.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[bgilbert]

How do you tell the differance between the axles?

The id is stamped on the axle near center. The 60 front is stamped on the front I believe and the 70 rear is stamped on the front towards front of vehicle.

Edit, get a wire brush, rags and brake cleaner and clean off any grease, mud etc to read the stamped casting.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Allright I had it. I pulled out the service manual and decoded the Vin. :{ The truck is actually a 93 W250!!!! :--) :--) :{



By process of elimination that means all the conversion place did was put the diesel front end into a D350 80's gasser. That also explains the front axle. It is a 250 axle. :{ As for the back... ... .



Is this all a problem. I don't think so as it has about 150,000 miles on it, and it is still working. Any thoughts?



Robert



P. S. Interesting idea about the trim.

 

["Mad Max"]

Rob -

I think the replies are going to your more recent thread - have a gander over there. And, keep asking those questions amigo - all curiousness can be answered within the immense silliness that is... . the TDR.



Bottom Line - Yer truck was done nice. If they had done a dually front axle it'd be a full dually conversion, but, that doesn't mean, at all, that your rig is in any way weaker or lacking anything. And, uh, that front 60 you have is worth some bucks too, about $1100 of 'em. Might be good tradin' material if you ever want to go full dually.



- Sam