I was reading all the threads on first Gen stepping stone and started thinking
about how much our trucks are becomeing a classic not to mention the price for these trucks seam to be going up...I dont see myself selling my truck, It
is the best truck I have ever owned. I am sure it will be around longer than I will. My 2 sons are both hopeing to get their hands on it. Anyway I think we as a group should aproach one of these companies that reproduces auto parts for the true classics. I can think of many parts that I would buy, headliner, armrests, etc.......... to name a few.

I see these trucks everywhere, their owners aren't willing to part with them.
I think Dodge raised the bar when they built our trucks. The color combinations are really cool, I think they also did a quality job with the interiors, most are still in good shape after 15 years with the exception of the headliners.

I would love to see our trucks on the road and restored to their original condition. How many Chevys and Fords are still out there? Who wants one??

Any ideas on this, Is it even possible that a company could reproduce our parts? Their must be tens of thousands 1st Gens still on the road.
Bryan

 

I looked in hemmings magazine this week !! all the other trucks have repo parts !! no dodge stuff !! what with that ?? I don"t know bud !!

 

I was wondering if we could get Steele Rubber Products to start making some of our weatherstripping, bushings, etc. I know they add production in markets where there are enough orders. I know the individuals that operate the company well.
Are the chassis the same from about 1985 to 1993?
RamChargers too?

 

I see LMC truck parts has a '94 and up catalog. Why not a catalog of first gen era and older parts??

 

It seems like they don't think the old dodges are populer enough.I think they are missing a big market,but what do I know.Rock auto,com sells several items for our trucks,I have bought a few things from them and it seems like good quality. There are several things on ebay for them also.I got some body panels for my 93 on ebay and they are a good fit.

 

I've read that by 1993, the Dodge market share in US pickup trucks had declined to about 7 percent, and more than half of these were CTDs. (John and Horace Dodge were almost out of the pickup business but were saved by Clessie Lyle Cummins.) So in the late 1980s and early 1990s there were many, many more Fords and Chevys on the road than there were Dodges. It is disheartening to go to website after website and find that "Applications" for Dodge trucks begins with model year 1994. But there's just not as much demand for parts that fit our trucks as we know there should be , and supply declines accordingly.

 

I agree with James 1, however I see far fewer 89 to 93 Chevys & Fords on the road now.... compared to Dodge.
I have been working on boats with Diesel engines for the last 25 years. We will be able to maintain our Cummins engines for many years to come. I am sure the VE pumps will be also supported in the same way. I dont know how many trucks are still out their.
I have had old Vettes and I still have an old Buick GS 455 Convertible which had low production numbers.(1346) It's still very easy to get parts for that car. I feel these trucks could be around for many more years if we could just get some of those paerts described in the prior posts, Heck I would even enjoy doing an overhaul if I was to put 350,000 more miles on my truck.
If the numbers support it, Maybe we could start a letter writing campaign........Just a thought FWIW

 

When I was trying to decide whethre or not to repair my old truck after my wreck, I dug and dug and found about three places that you could pretty much build a complete truck with new parts.
Chryslerpartsdirect.com, Browns of Two Rivers, The Partsbin and RockAuto all have reproduction or replacement parts for the first gen Dodges....