OK Tom, take a deep breath and relax. I went to Dodge.com and checked out the specs on a 3/4 ton Ram. You can get the extended cab but only as a 4 door. You can get a 3/4 ton 4X4 with the Hemi. You can't get the manual trans unless you opt for the diesel. You can get a vinyl bench seat, it just has to be the 40/20/40 type bench. Granted, its a plain jane P/U but its available. Now all that was done online in just a few minutes. I bet if you went into a dealer and started talking with their truck guy, you could special order one just the way you want. I know my Dad use to order his mail trucks from Dodge and had them special build one with the steering wheel on the right hand side. His first was a 66 and the second was a 72. Doubt they still do it, but if you want a truck set up a certain way, I bet they can accommodate if they really want to sell a truck. You might also have to pony up more dollars because its a one off special on the assembly line
and your not buying one from the dealers stock.
I do agree with you the new Chevy's, and IMHO the Fords as well, look like a cartoon of what a real truck should look like. However, GMC has a few different styling cues and they look way better. Again just my opinion. Also from what I've seen, the Ram 2500 and 3500 for next year are supposed to have the same styling as the current 1500 with that slanted looking nose piece. We might have to wait and see what Fiat decides to do with it.
As far as your current Ram goes, just remember what Dodge stands for:
Damned
Old
Dealer
Got
Even.
GM is just Garbage Motors
and Ford is
Fooking
Old
Rebuilt
Dodge.
Yes I talk smack about all the Big 3. I bought my Dodge truck form a Ford dealer while I was working on a GM assembly plant!
Ray
--- On Fri, 11/6/09, SilverEightynine@aol.com <SilverEightynine@aol.com> wrote:
From: SilverEightynine@aol.com <SilverEightynine@aol.com>
Subject: DML: I'm pissed off... I'm really pissed off...
To: dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net
Date: Friday, November 6, 2009, 7:18 AM
Went up north today, on the way home, trans started acting funny, then it would
not up-shift. Pull over, check the stick, over a quart low.... !!!!WTF!!!!... I
couldn't see any leaks under there. I poured in the spare quart I always seem
to have to keep with me, and made it home the rest of the 80 miles... but it
still didn't seem right.
Ok - all you diehard Mopar guys better turn your heads for this next comment...
I'm fucking sick and tired of Dodges and having to fix them constantly.
I just threw $2500 into the Ram this summer, and there is still a laundry list
of things to do... some of the things wrong with it are related to things I
did but not everything. The CAD isn't working, leaving me without 4x4 modes.
The drivers side window glass still likes to fall out of the regulator from
time to time, I need more exhaust work, the intake gasket is still blown... The
wind noise that was always there even before I tweaked the door... the horrible
fuel economy, even for a truck... and the overall lack of fit and finish and
quality, that plagued the truck since new.
Now I have more transmission problems. I want a new truck. A 3/4 ton truck...
extended cab, long box...
I've never really been happy with this reg cab short box truck I have, anyway.
So - what to buy? I don't want to touch used trucks... I'm sick of buying
someone elses problems.
The new trucks from GM are ugly as sin... the Super Doodys are also ugly as
sin...
The Dakotas are ugly... ugly... ugly again... and not as heavy duty as I need
in a truck. Ranger? Don't think so... I'm not touching a Ridgeline POS... the
Tundra does not appeal to me, the Tacoma is fugly and too light duty - as are
the Nissan offerings. This leaves me with what for a choice of new trucks?
Another Dodge? With more BS problems? Even before I beat the hell out of
Christine, it was still a problem riddled truck.
Start with the fact that there are trucks sitting on dealers lots that cost
almost as much as some homes around here. THAT PISSES ME OFF!!!! I don't
need or want heated leather power ass cushions! I don't need or want dual
climate controls, or 3rd row seats, or DVD systems or in dash-GPS navigation!!
I could give a rats ass if the tail gate has torsion bar assist, so that its
not so heavy to lower and lift!!! I really could not care less if my truck has
6 million cup holders, or juice box holders, or an in floor cooler, or
bluetooth connectivity! And I DON'T WANT PUSH BUTTON FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!!!!!
I want a truck with vinyl floor coverings! A full size vinyl bench seat!!
Manual windows! A fucking 8 foot bed option!! A MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPTION!!!
That costs LESS than the automatic!! You know you can only get a Dodge Ram in
a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton with a diesel? No sticks behind any gasser option at
all!! I want a durable solid front axle truck, with a well designed steering
linkage system, that can handle a snow plow without collapsing!! DEATH TO
INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION!!!!!!
I want a reliable, easy to maintain, affordable truck... I may as well wish for
the sky to rain milk duds, for all the good it will do.
I'm going to bed... hopefully I won't hate the world as much tomorrow after
some sleep and a shower.
Terrible Pissed Off Tom
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Dec 01 2009 - 18:23:04 EST