Classic Dodge Trucks
and the parts question.
Classic
Dodge trucks have a great history and many people appreciate them for their
looks, their quality and their uniqueness. But these pickups are not as
numerous as the old trucks made by Ford or GM and if you find one of them
for sale it is certainly going to be more expensive.
Since classic Dodge trucks are so rare it
is also more difficult to find parts for sale and that, in turn makes many
owners of these trucks give up when the truck needs a good
restoration.
Sometimes its frustrating to think that if
you own a classic truck made by Ford or GM you just have to go to the phone
and order your parts or go to one of hundreds of Websites and buy whatever
you want. You just have to know how to click your mouse and write your
credit card number. With the trucks made by Chrysler the story is completely
different.
But you shouldn't give up. After all, you
can get much more pleasure out of something that is hard to get. Well, parts
for classic Dodge trucks are hard to get, not impossible to
get.
The main thing is to be patient and willing
to do some serious research because things are improving. Ten or fifteen
years ago we didn't have the Internet and things were much harder.
Now you can go to Google, Yahoo or MSN or
any other of hundreds of search engines to look for your parts. And be
specific when you do a search query because if you don't, you are going to
have to go through hundreds or even thousands of Websites about the new
Dodge Rams. Search by the year and model of your truck and whenever you look
for a particular item for your truck make sure you use the words old,
classic, antique or vintage. Again, if you don't, you'll end up with a long
list of Websites about modern Dodge trucks.
It is possible that you will find a few
Websites published by owners of other old trucks made by Chrysler and also
Websites of Mopar clubs and associations. Don't be discouraged if you don't
find what you need there and try to get in touch with these people because
they may become great sources of information about the availability of parts
for your truck.
The auction site of eBay may be another
good source of parts for classic Dodge trucks. Go to
eBay
Motors and use the search box at the top left corner of the page, under
the eBay logo. You may have to sift through a lot of items that have nothing
to do with what you're looking for but that is the nature of the Internet.
Be patient and keep looking. And if you don't find what you need today, go
back tomorrow and the day after and next week and next month.
Another thing you can do with eBay is use
it for contacts. If you find somebody selling a part that you don't need,
maybe you could get in touch with that seller and ask about your part. Many
sellers have contacts and they might be willing to help you out. So, go
ahead and ask.
The best thing about eBay is that it covers
the whole country and it is open 24/7/365. Heck, they have Websites in many
countries and your classic truck part might be waiting for you in France or
Brazil even! Who knows?
Don't rely only on the Internet though. A
lot of parts for sale can be found in other places, like the hundreds of
classic car and truck
events
that are
going on all over the place. Swap meets are great for parts. At these events
you may find a few vendors who can get the parts you want and, if not you
may find other owners of classic Dodge trucks with whom you can talk and
exchange ideas and information.

If you are willing to work for your part
there are many other resources you can use to look for it. There's a service
on the Internet called
Craig's
List, which publishes classified ads and reaches the whole country. Your
local newspaper also may have an ad for the classic truck part that you
need.
Finally there's
Hemmings Motor News,
one of the most important magazines for us lovers of classic cars and
trucks. They publish thousands of classified ads every month and you should
be researching these ads.
Even if you have no hope of finding your
part you don't have to give up. Maybe you can adapt something from another
type of truck. Let's supposed you are stuck with a broken front axle and
can't find a replacement. Maybe you can get rid of your old front end and
install an independent front suspension on your truck. It's a great way to
make an old truck ride better and you might even be able to sell the good
pieces of your old front end to other desperate old truck owners.
If worse comes to worst you can always try
the magic of fabrication. Believe it or not there are many people around you
with great tools and lots of talent who may be able to fabricate your part.
Go to a machine shop near you and ask. You may be rewarded with a better
looking and better performing classic Dodge truck.
TO START YOUR SEARCH we have this
link to a site that knows a lot about
classic Dodge trucks.