The attraction was electric. The Intense Blue Dodge Ram 2500 caught Dave Weiler's eye like a nicely filled-out sweater. The Ram pickup sat alone in a dealer's parking lot shining brightly as an azure beacon through the gray Canadian winter of 2001.
It All Started With
The legend and lore of the Cummins had been passed down by his father and continued to tug at his heartstrings. Dave had owned Dodge gassers, including a '98 1500 4x4 that he'd modified, but a real diesel seemed beyond his finances. Still, every time his route brought him to that dealership's corner lot outside of Calgary, he looked for the blue 4x4 Quad Cab like a kid longing for that doggie in the window. (And this canine comparison would later prove to be entirely apt.)
One day, the temptation was too much. What would it hurt to stop, kick a few tires, and rate the Dodge against his personal checklist? His dream diesel had to be a 4x4 with an extended cab and include a six-speed, power package, and A/C. An automatic transmission was a deal breaker.
This diesel had it all, plus a handy salesman to encourage Dave's tour of the pickup and fill him in on its background. The truck had been jilted-the victim of a factory order that had been reneged on at the last minute. Who would've thought that the reneger would have had the same taste in trucks?
It was all too much for Dave. He made an offer of $42,000-nearly 20 percent below list. He left knowing he'd done his best. Then the call came to come get his new truck. That was over five years and $15,000 in modifications ago. And this Intense Blue Dodge Cummins 4x4 is still a work in progress.
Then Came "The Deal"
The cost of the ongoing buildup came at more than just money. Dave struck a deal with his wife, Heather, whose "hobby" was Las Vegas. Every time she got the urge for neon and slot machines, Dave paid for her trip and then spent the same amount of money on his own hobby-that big blue truck.
Since the day the truck came home to the Weilers, Heather has been to Vegas seven times; Dave went along for one trip, and the blue truck got more and more attention. So much attention that Heather says she's spent more time talking to her husband's backside, as he bent over the hood working on the truck, than she did to his face.
Room For The Dogs
The buildup started with simple but practical cosmetic upgrades: a Raider shell with roof rack and carpeting inside to keep the Weiler's two American Bulldogs comfortable and stable in the back. (Remember what we said about those doggies in the window?) The Bulldogs were, in a sense, a form of truck upgrade, serving as an effective alarm system from their cozy lookouts in the bed.
Once the dogs were taken care of, Dave added Mopar molded running boards, Lund hood scoops, window and cab visors, and grille inserts. The truck bed got a coat of protection from Armathane spray-in bedliner. Dave and his brother-in-law, Brad, did most of the build themselves, farming out some of the trickier technical work. During those periods, Heather got to talk to Dave face to face (a welcome change, we figure). To complement the factory sport bumper, Dave added a black powdercoated Manik grille guard and custom-rigged a light mount for four Pro Comp 130-watt auxiliary lights. The high-voltage lighting was more than just for looks. The Weilers' weekend getaway (when Heather isn't in Vegas) is a mountain lake at the end of some dark back roads.
Tires And Steering
Dave then turned his attention to the puny stock wheel/tire package-a truck with the mighty Cummins diesel had to have bigger, more aggressive meats. He opted for Motto MT-700 rims with blinding chrome mated to BFGoodrich All Terrain 285/75/R16s.
To keep the Dodge straight and take the stress from the beefier tires off the steering box, Dave installed a DSS steering brace and an '03 Dodge track bar conversion kit. Those fat BFGs were kicking up more rocks than the originals, so to protect the Intense Blue paint, a set of Bushwhacker fender flares were installed.