'84 Dodge Rampage Build Thread

[gkabbt]

Just bustin' your chops....    

Gregg

[Rex Schimmer]

Steve,
Your cage is really looking first rate!! Nice job, I am putting a cage in a friends car right now and I am going to use a couple of your ideas.

If you have access to a lathe and some steel I can send you a dwg that I have for "belling" dies. I made mine years ago out of aluminum but they work on steel up to .060 but not 4130. Steel would be the best material.

Rex

[SteveM]

Rex: 

    PM sent.  We have plenty of steel, from plain carbon HR, to 4130, 4340, D2, O1, A2, etc.

Steve M.

[Milwaukee Midget]

I've fully given up on the dual-purpose street and race vehicle.  I'm "All In".

Given the rules, it's virtually impossible.  10 years ago, maybe.  20 years ago, sure.  Today, you could force the issue, but you'd wind up with a vehicle that would drive you nuts on a trip to the grocery store.   

[SteveM]

I certainly never had visions of grocery getter, but I thought it would be cool to be able to put a bike rack on top of the bed, load my bike on it, and show up at a couple of local races (bicycle races) in the Rampage.  It will be painted in the colors of my cycling team, so I thought that would be a nice conversation/gawker piece.

It would still theoretically possible to get Classic/Antique plates for this vehicle, helmet up, strap in, and limp it across town.  It would be highly impractical and somewhat dangerous at the same time, however.  I'll have to see how stupid I'm feeling in another year or so.

Steve.

[Tman]

I've fully given up on the dual-purpose street and race vehicle.  I'm "All In".

Given the rules, it's virtually impossible.  10 years ago, maybe.  20 years ago, sure.  Today, you could force the issue, but you'd wind up with a vehicle that would drive you nuts on a trip to the grocery store.   

Easily do-able. Just getting in and out of the cage will get to be tiresome!

[SteveM]

I got a new SubLime paint job completed last night by the power of Photoshop.  It looks kind of cartoonish right now, but I have someone helping me who says he can make it look more realistic.



Steve

[DND]

Well the spoters sure will not loose your car with that wild color, pretty cool looking

Don

[gkabbt]

I got a new SubLime paint job completed last night by the power of Photoshop.  It looks kind of cartoonish right now, but I have someone helping me who says he can make it look more realistic.



Steve

Really COOL.....I likey   

I swear you are going to make me paint mine Plum Crazy .....LOL. 
I have never done anything with Photoshop so, can you do me a favor and do one in Purple.....Seriously!

Gregg

[SteveM]

Gregg:
   I'll see what I can do.   It might take a while, I had a lot of help with my PS project, but I am learning.

Steve.

[gkabbt]

Gregg:
   I'll see what I can do.   It might take a while, I had a lot of help with my PS project, but I am learning.

Steve.

No problem. If it's a whole lot of work, please don't bother. Just thought it would be cool to see what it would look like.

Gregg

[SteveM]

I took a road trip across Missouri on Saturday to pick up a transmission, shifter and linkage, manual trans pedal cluster, and the "correct" motor mounts to fit a VW diesel into a Rampage. 

As a side note - judging by the number and size of the road-killed deer that I saw, this should be a great year for deer hunting in MO.

I did manage to get some welding done on the cage on Sunday.  Here's a quick pic, just to keep progress documented.  The blue tape shown in the photo represents the location of the next bars to be cut and welded into place.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Hey, Steve -

You might want to grab the rule book and check the angle of your shoulder attachment bar with respect to your shoulders through the cutout in the seat.

I don't know how tall you sit in the saddle, but I understand that they're looking for some downward pull of the shoulder harness.

I'd feel safe in that cage.

[SteveM]

Good eye.  I know what you are saying about the shoulder bar.  I'm also concerned about it being too high. That's not the actual seat I'll be using, and I'll probably have to raise the seat a bit.  I won't have the new seat for 3-4 weeks, and I'd like to keep moving on the cage. 

The location of the shoulder bar as shown is probably going to be borderline too high.  For that reason, I'm thinking of welding an additional shoulder bar across the cage, at a location about 4" lower than the one shown in the photo.  That should give the cage extra strength, and provide for a shoulder bar/belt mounting position that is 4" lower than shown.

Steve.

[Peter Jack]

I'm liking the way the cage is going together Steve and having it able to come out sure makes the welding access easier. 

Pete