Well folks, here we go! Pics from the 2013 TDR Rally at CMEP/Cummins Midrange Engine Assy!

The event started off for the Ontario chapter at 7:00 at the morning meet points in Ontario. For us, it would be a 650 mile drive to Columbus. Two meet points were chosen and we slowly collected trucks as we went.








We continued on and had a tailgate lunch party….















Eventually we stopped for fuel and fluid toppings. New fully built tranny is slowly breaking in!








We also cleaned windows covered in bug jam! (Hey! Don’t forget mine over to your left!! )








We arrived at the hotel Wednesday night and all prepped for the events starting the next day.

 

Thursday began with event registration and starting with the Ram Trucks ride and drive (read off roading!) at CMEP.


















Our off road instructor from the ride and drive:







After the Ride and Drive, it was off to CERAland (Cummins Employee Recreation Area, or in a nutshell, the Cummins outdoor resort consisting of lakes, water park, shooting range, go cart track, baseball and football fields, cabins, campsite, recreation center, gym, etc) for the evening introduction for the rest of the event. Also a swap meet had started in the parking lot.

 

Unbeknownst to us, there was a surprise in store! The revealing of truck D001, the 1985 prototype that the Cummins engine was tested in. Also on hand were the engineers that worked on this first mule and they told their story.


The story behind this truck is it was originally a 1985 360 V8 truck that was shipped to Cummins with the 727 3 speed auto in the bed so that Cummins could prove the B series could fit into the truck. Once completed, Troy Simonsen from Dodge would go down to see the truck and that it could fit the B series. Obviously, the engine fit and the project continued. Over the course of the next few years the truck had 5 different engines in it starting with the mule engine, 0804, and ending with the 1991 intercooled engine that is currently in the truck still. After the T300 (2nd gen) trucks came out, the truck was put into storage at Cummins and kind of forgotten until about a year ago!


Cummins decided that instead of scrapping the truck, they would restore it. So that they did! Over the course of the last few months the truck was stripped to the frame and rebuilt.


Here are a couple of pics of the truck circa 1985 and now: (observe blue engine block)

 

Now:

 

 

Rear diff attempt at cooling:

 

Given the opportunity that THE people responsible for the Cummins being in the gen 1’s, you can bet I took the opportunity to have them sign my 1990!

 

Here Troy Simonsen (Dodge, retired) and wife Cec sit in my 1990.








And you know I had to take some pics with my trucks older sister!














After that, a bunch of us went off to dinner with the retired engineers and heard all sorts of stories. Stories of engineering shenanigans that would require me to kill you if shared.







With that the evening turned into ride alongs in different generations of Ram trucks so those that have not been in certain generations of trucks, could experience them and see how far they have come. After that the group ended up back at CERAland and talked about all things diesel until it was late into the night!

 

Friday morning had us out to the Engine plant at 6:45 am. The plant started with a general greeting and eventually turned into the groups splitting up for the days activities. By 4:00, all groups ended up doing the following:

Engine assy plant tour (pics to follow…. No cameras were allowed in assy plant except for Cummins’ own personnel)
Vehicle/engine maintenance seminar
Future diesel emissions seminar
Oil information seminar
Ram new HD truck product seminar
Lunch
Truck show and shine
Ram ride and drive (for those that did not drive on Thursday)

 

Mr. TDR himself, Robert Patton.

 

As the first Cummins Ram off the line Ram (the blue truck) and the prototype truck (D001, the red one) were sitting in a pretty little row, and there was no other non IC trucks at the event, I decided to get my truck and do a photoshoot!

 

Next up was the group photo. Unfortunately many people had already left, but for those that stayed, their faces will forever be a part of these pics!













A few of the fanatical Ontario chapter guys even hung around until all of the trucks were gone for the last photos to be taken!

 

With the day at the plant done, it was time to head back to CERAland and have some dinner and chatting (some of us did lots of chatting! )Custom cakes were made for the event. Those who drove gen 1’s had lots of cake for themselves as there was only 5 of us. Moral of the story is everyone needs to bring their gen 1 next time! LOL.

 

Broken arm Benny here claims to be half way through patenting a pull cord starter for a 12V. Says it’s only sprained this time and he almost has a final design to avoid the big kick back when she lights. People better get your orders together as he may book out fast. LOL

 

Tail-gaters starting young!











Take note of the counts name tag! LOL