Shane Ryans’ 90,000 Original Mile 1993 Dodge Power Ram W250
Shane Ryans’ grandfather William D. Moody purchased this 1993 Dodge Power Ram W250 new in July of 1993 to use his daily driver and farm truck. He only got to use the truck for about a month before he had a stroke. After the stroke, he was paralyzed and could not drive his truck. Although the truck was occasionally used around the farm for towing/hauling duties when needed by family members, it sat mostly outside exposed to elements. In December 2005, Moody died. Then in 2006, Shane and the family decided to restore it to its former glory to honor their late patriarch.
Being exposed to the elements for 13-years the truck had quite a bit of surface rust as the early ‘90s factory paint failed the test of time. The truck was in good overall condition, even though it needed a fresh coat of paint and other repairs. Shane began his laborious task of restoring the 5.9L Cummins engined rig to its former glory by removing the bed. The truck was handed over to Pro Body Shop, Kingsport, TN for them to remove the surface rust. They then sprayed on Dark Spectrum Blue Metallic paint over Light Driftwood Satin Glow and then buffed and oiled it to perfection.
After the new paint had been applied, the exterior body trim was installed to maintain the original factory appearance of the truck. Original chrome bumpers and factory chrome mirrors look brand new after being cleaned, reinstalled, and repainted. Shane didn’t want to take a chance on the rare DODGE grille so he installed an aftermarket one that was already on the truck when we took the photos. He has since reinstalled it, with a protective clear film. In order to improve lighting throughout the vehicle, he installed APC LED headlights and also replaced incandescent bulbs in the rear and front original housings.
Shane’s father Jackie Ryans cleaned up and repainted the chassis bringing it back to nearly new condition to match the amazing paint work done by the team at Pro Body Shop. Shane installed a 2.5 inch Skyjacker front leveling kit to give the car a better stance. Ranch RS9000XL adjustable shocks were installed on all four corners to tame ride. The brakes and front and rear axles are both stock, as are the brake calipers. They painted the front drums and calipers blue to add accent.
With the added ride height Shane was able to increase the tire size on the 4WD truck by installing a set of Fury Country Hunter R/T 33X12.50R20LT tires wrapped around 20×10-inch chrome Hostile Alpha eight-spoke wheels to give the classic truck a modern touch. The wheels have open spokes that allow you to easily see the painted calipers, drums and brake rotors. He installed 1.5-inch spacers at the rear of the vehicle to match the track width in front, rather than have the rear tires positioned inboard like they were from the factory. The truck’s original spare tire is still under the bed.
Shane then turned his attention inside, which was in excellent condition and needed only a little extra love. The original dash down to the fully functional original cassette player with factory equalizer was simply cleaned and left alone, but sound quality was improved by installing a pair of Pioneer 4-way 6×9-inch speakers in the doors behind the factory grilles. Philip Almany of Kingsport Trim Shop, Kingsport, TN reupholstered the seats using vinyl and cloth materials with a factory pattern. The truck was a LE model so it had tilt wheel, cruise controls, power locks, door mirrors and windows that all worked. It also came fully equipped with air conditioning, which still blows cold air, as well as power windows.
To help keep an eye on the Cummins’ performance Shane installed a gauge pillar pod on the driver side A-pillar with a pair of AutoMeter Cobalt gauges to monitor boost pressure and exhaust gas temperature. To keep prying eyes away from the interior, and to look cool while doing it, he tinted the windows. The last interior item was a silver-painted replacement gear shift lever to help row the gears on the original Getrag G360 manual transmission.
Shane wanted more than just a stock-looking hood. Internally, the 5.9L Cummins engine has been left untouched. With only 93,000 miles under its belt, many Cummins fans would argue that the engine is still in its infancy and is barely broken-in. He installed a set 50 hp injectors, driven by an original VE44 rotary pump. Also included was a turbo upgrade along with free flowing intake and exit.
“The final part of the restoration turned out to be more modification than restoration with Shane wanting something more than a clean stock appearance under the hood.”
Stainless Diesel exhaust manifolds in polished stainless steel are used to exhaust the exhaust gases from the cylinder heads. The hot gases spool up a 62mm Bullseye Power Turbo charger for quick and efficient boost before leaving the truck via a stainless-steel 4-inch turbo-back system. A Pusher Intakes air intake tube and filter that matches the truck’s silver paint is used to bring clean air into the Bullseye turbo. Pusher Intakes boost pipes, which are painted silver, carry the intake charge from the cylinder head to the factory intercooler. Shane installed a custom-painted Cummins valve cap plate to cap and dress the 5.9L. The engine work was handled by Don’s Diesel Repair in Surgoinsville, TN along with help and work by both Jackie and Shane.
Shane also painted the top part of the battery blue to match the truck’s theme. The wiring was also cleaned, loomed & rerouted under the hood. It now looks much cleaner than when the truck rolled off of the assembly line.
Shane, his family and their excellent attention to details completed the restoration of this car in 2019 after 12-13 years. The end result is a beautiful W250, which any Cummins fan would be proud of. But it is more special as it is a rolling memorial to William D. Moody. Since completing the truck, he has entered the truck in several truck shows earning Best of Show, Best Truck, Best Dodge, Best Antique and People’s Choice awards. Moody was no doubt proud that the truck brought his family together to build it, and we know Shane and other members of the family were proud of their work.
Restoring Family Legacy is a great way to honor your family history! Shane Ryans’ 1993 Dodge Power Ram W250 appeared first on Diesel World.
