Fleckster's Rat: 1983 Rampage 2.2

It's about time I started a Project Log for my Rampage!

I've owned it for a couple years now (March of 2011 I believe) from ShadowFromHell's dad but have yet to do much to it. I will summarize the purchase/plans quickly for posterity and to get those who missed to original cross-country log thread when Tracy Doyle (R/T) flew out and drove it back for me from Eastern Washington State.
(Link to original thread here for those who have time and want to check it out and see R/T's on-the-road story.)

Here were the original pictures I got of it:
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I asked for pictures of the underneath as everyone knows, rust is a terrible cancer here in the Midwest and has taken many the life of Rampages and other cars alike. I was pleased to see the pristine undercarriage that a Northwest car can have. It must be nice to not have tons of salt dumped out to help keep the roads clear only to accelerate the decomposition of the very vehicles using the roads.

Here is a list of what I was told had been done to the car by previous owners:

Quote:

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90 2.5 turbo motor, bone stock.
90 413, some form of a shift kit, shifts VERY nice
86 GLHS radiator/IC
86 GLHS MP ECU
86 GLHS wiring harness
89 Rear disc brakes, 10" non vented from lebaron
86 GLHS front brakes
Polished eggshell wheels with new tires, 205/50-15
2.5" exhaust with flowmaster muffler, no cat
New 02 sensor
Digital boost/ a/f gauge

Its a 82 rampage that was put together many years ago, is super clean, and our best guess is it has roughly 60k on the body. The PO had the motor and transmission rebuilt by Autometrics in Yakima WA a few years ago. He told us when my dad bought it it has roughly 4k on the motor and tranny, and my dad has put maybe another 1k on it. Ive owned a lot of TM's over the years and have no reason to not believe that those numbers are correct...Currently is painted viper yellow under the hood. The PO had planned on having the entire rampage painted this color, but never had it done. It currently has a SC hood, and stock front fascia. Will come with complete SC front end, and DC rampage side skirts, not installed. Has factory tonneau cover that is in awesome shape. The body has a few small dents, but is in great shape for its age. The best part? ABSOLUTELY NO RUST! No rust at all! It has factory A/C and it also works great.

This thing drives awesome and has a TON of power. It really does need a 2.5 cal, but as long as the boost is at 8 pounds or so, it is fine to drive. It flat scoots the way it is setup now. With a some minor mods this thing would be a ROCKET.

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How could you not love that! Most of the things that I would want to do to a Rampage have already been done! We worked out a deal and R/T brought it back. Here's pic taken by the previous owners as R/T pulled out to begin the trip back East:
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Here's what I saw when it arrived in Indy:
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From here, that's when I was able to check it out and see what I wanted to do to what my wife would unaffectionately refer to as "The Rat."

In checking the car over after it's long haul of over 2000 miles to Indiana, we discovered a few things:

1) The Turbo Hood that was on it had been modified and the bracing on the under side had been cut and it wasn't bonded to the Skin very well any more. This wasn't a problem as I had already picked up another Turbo hood that I was going to use on a Scamp I was originally going to build but was too far gone from rust and an engine fire to be of use for anything but a few minor parts. Four bolts and the hood swap was done. It was even mostly silver with some black on it so it doesn't look bad without painting it.

2) The Timing Belt was in bad shape!
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It turns out that the belt was rubbing and wearing because the pulleys don't line up quite right. In Reeves' garage we started the timing belt swap and we were a bit surprised that discover that this engine was not out of a '90 LeBaron originally as it is a combination of some various years of production parts. There are Common and Non-common block parts mixed into a kind of Frankenstein combination. The people or person who rebuilt it wasn't a Turbo Mopar specialist based on the parts they used. They may not have been aware of the differences. I think (?) we determined that it was a Tall Deck block with a later-model crank that should have been using a round tooth timing belt but all the Pulleys were square tooth. Using parts on the car and extras Reeves had laying around, we were able to get the pulleys for the Timing Belt and accessories lined up and where they should be. We were even able to use a regular A/C Mounting Bracket and not have to have the mounting holes slotted as the one on the car had doesn't to it to get the A/C to line up correctly.

3) The cal in the car was horribly rich and the drivability wasn't good. This was expected as it was an '86 MP Turbo II Cal with +20% injectors to try and compensate for the 2.5L engine. We tried burning new cals but still haven't been very successful in getting the car to not run rich. The drivability is better but it still blows smoke when cold and sputters until it is warmed up and can't get better than 22 mpg on the highway. This will be addressed soon...

I was driving the car back and forth to work some and basically having fun with it. There were a couple minor problems in that time that I had to fix:

1) The back window had a bit of leak from the top of the center. I had a local glass shop pop out the back window and replace the gasket and that was a quick $104 fix.
2) The starter took a dump so I swapped in a newer Bosch unit I had from a parted out car. Free repair!
3) The circuit board in the Logic Module had a short in it. It would intermittently work and not work. I used a different board and I believe that is taken care of. I also took that opportunity to swap in a remote mounted chip (in the glove box) and a Four Play cable from Boost Button. This isn't really being used as of now but I hope to have a couple or four different tunes in the future.
4) The A/C Clutch locked up and burn then through the belt. I have a complete slightly used Compressor with Clutch to swap on and then recharge when the car is back running in the warm weather.

Then came the major issue that currently has the Rampage down. I lost 1st gear in the A413. The fluid is burnt and smells bad and we believe the Reverse Clutches are toast. While that isn't good news and the timing wasn't great, I have planned on swapping in a manual trans at some point down the road anyway.

With the help of friends (where would a schlep like me be without knowledgeable and willing friends to bail me out all the time with my car projects?!?) we are now I the process of doing the Auto to Manual Swap.

Before I bought the Rampage, I had already picked up a '90 A523 trans with a 3.50 final drive ratio and a complete reworked OBX with hardened Bolts and Washers. They will now have a home. To go with it, I purchased from a friend, a set of Neon shift cables and shifter.

A date was set that fit our schedules and our wives and the work was on!

Here's some pictures of the work in my dimly lit pole barn of the work James Reeves (Reeves), Warren Hall (csxtra), Nathan Kuhn (88pacifica), and Brian Cordes (Cordes) did working on "The Rat":
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Unfortunately, the A413 trans wasn't from a '90 LeBaron. The tag on it I think said it was an '85 trans and therefore has small spline axles in it. I'll have to pick up a set of '88 and up Omni Automatic axles with the large Spline.

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Now with the OBX installed! (Checking the drag torque for the shimming of the diff.)
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"The MAN" pedal installed:
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The Shifter and Cables awaiting their installation:
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The next step is determining where and how to mount the Shifter and what I want to do with the console. I believe from what I've seen in other peoples' projects, a cable shifter can be used with the original console and be made to fit under the plastic and use an accordion-style boot. I like this as it will take the least amount of fab and I won't have to figure out a way to replace the upper portion of the console that takes it up to the dash and holds the ashtray and cigarette lighter. I am also seriously contemplating fabbing in a Neon console. This doesn't appear to have too many potential problems, looks more modern, has storage in it, and better cup holders. There's just that problem with mating it up to the dash. Anyone want to express their opinions?

Nice truck!!
When I built mine many years ago I installed the Turbo hood before the turbo engine and it wouldn't clear the carb air cleaner so I'm guessing that might be why some of your hood bracing is cut away. I ran mine without an air cleaner until I installed the Turbo engine. Unfortunately I sold mine a few years ago and have regretted it ever since.

Thanks
Randy

Sweet! Glad to see another L-body pickup being worked on. Keep us posted on progress!!!

If you're going to do a Neon console I would do the 2nd gen. They're taller and actually usable for your arm IMO.

Man I am feel bad for it not being as advertised. I was going off the info the PO gave me and had no reason not to believe him. The sad thing is I doubt he was lying, it's more likely the shop he had do the work take advantage off him. I dont think the motor is a tall block. I crawled under it after my dad bought it and I wanna say it had a build date of late 89 or 90. That combined with the 90+ turbo oil return verified for me it was a 90 motor. I hope there is no hard feelings.

I'm glad to see your doing something with it. I really regret letting it slip through my fingers. Any plans for the paint?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShadowFromHell

Man I am feel bad for it not being as advertised. I was going off the info the PO gave me and had no reason not to believe him. The sad thing is I doubt he was lying, it's more likely the shop he had do the work take advantage off him. I dont think the motor is a tall block. I crawled under it after my dad bought it and I wanna say it had a build date of late 89 or 90. That combined with the 90+ turbo oil return verified for me it was a 90 motor. I hope there is no hard feelings.

I'm glad to see your doing something with it. I really regret letting it slip through my fingers. Any plans for the paint?

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Please, please, PLEASE don't take what I posted as any complaint or blame for the parts and what is on the car! I definitely did NOT intend for that to be the case. I know you guys didn't build or put the drivetrain in the car. It isn't any big deal either. These are always the things that we find on multiple-owner 30 year old cars! It's almost like a rolling time capsule! I like the fact that the cars are that forgiving and interchangeable. I'd like to see someone take a drivetrain, radio, shifters, console, etc. from a new car like a Dart and 200 and try putting them in a Caliber or something! I'm sure it could be done but it wouldn't be almost a bolt-in like our beloved cars are. After all this was a carb car swapped to a turbo drivetrain from a 4 door car using its wiring and suspension bits. It was a manual, then an automatic, and now will be a manual again. It's on at least it's third engine and maybe fourth transmission? None of this work was done by anyone on this Forum. Should we be shocked that things aren't what we would have figured they would be?

I will be continuing to outline the project here now that I've finally started the Project Log including pictures as we go. Rumor is that we are trying to set up another wrenching "play date" with the families for sometime in November. Once the car is back moving under its own power, we will be trying to address the cal since it will need redone for the manual trans anyway. Minor upgrades to go with it.

Paint...ah, yes. I'm not sure when that will be address and how yet but I'm not thinking anything loud or wild and I'm not planning on using the Viper Dandelion Yellow under the hood. I'm wanting to stay with the silver and black stripes but not sure yet on the lower black two tone...What I'd really like to do is a variation on Jon Trotter's GLHS paint job. Instead of the matte black, I'd like to do a matte silver with but with a bit of metallic added for a poor-man's version of the high end euro paint jobs available on the latest Mercs and Bimmers. I still want to use the factory "Rampage 2.2" stripes but not sure if they would be in gloss or matte finish as well. It will get the Shelby lower nose and side ground effects but I seriously want to swap the nose cone hard piece since there are cracks in the one on it and use the Plymouth Scamp nose as I like it better than the '83 Dodge 024 based one that came on these cars. Can you picture that in your mind? I may have to see if I can get someone with some mad Photoshop skills (Marybeth?!?) to modify a picture of a Shelby-ized Turismo and put a Rampage bed on it to get the vibe and then play with the paint to see what it would look like.

Stay tuned!

I like what you're doing. Carry on. :)

Any updates?

No, nothing new to report yet as it is still getting apart in the garage. I did get the new trans cleaned and also parts washed the K Member to they are ready to go back in.

I had originally taken a week's vacation the first week of December to try and get some stuff done but real life got in the way again. On the way home from Thanksgiving, the wife's Town and Country van started making some noise from the brakes. I ordered new rotors and pads from R1 Concepts (I have used them several times and really like their E-Line rotors.) but I had to throw some cheapy Part Store pads on until they came in. While it was in the air, I tried the Poly Bushing motor mount insert that Johnny asked me to see if it fit. It didn't but in trying to remove the cradle mount, I broke a bolt off in the radiator support and had to spend a good portion of the week trying to get it out and getting a replacement bolt. I believe it was cross-threaded from the factory.

I also installed a whole home humidifier in the house. It looks like a professional did the work and works great as long as you don't want heat in the house! I have the wiring wrong somewhere when I connected it to the furnace as when it is connected, the igniter for the burner won't come on. (Electricity doesn't like me.) I also had to take my son to the dentist one day and my daughter came down with a nasty stomach bug on that Friday. As a result, I never made it to doing anything on the Rampage. Maybe over the holidays?

Back from the dead...the Rat (now named Lupe by my kids!) has come back to life! On the weekend of June 20th-21st, I was able to dig the stuff that had her buried in my Pole Barn out of the way and put the front suspension back together enough to get her back down on the ground and movable. Using my Hustler ZTR and a towing bridal, I pulled her from her hole and managed to mover her almost football field distance to the attached garage. The following weekend, July 26th-28th, the Big Deal, himself, James Reeves and family came up from Cincinnati for a visit. The main purpose of the trip was to bail me out and get Lupe's new A523 trans installed and before that, figure out the shifter mounting and cables. It took some grinding and cutting to get the shifter mounted so that the stock L Body console would fit over it and still bolt in but it went in pretty nice. Then the holes for the cables were drilled. Once the hardware was taken care of, the flex plate was yanked and in went the flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, then the trans with the throw-out bearing. This was kid's play for the experienced L body guru with me handing tools. While James was working underneath, I was up above bolting in the top of the trans and putting the other components back on like the intercooler plumbing, etc. The first day was pretty much fab and everything but the trans install. The next morning was slamming the trans home and putting the car back together. By Sunday morning, James swapped the +20 injectors out for some +40%s and a 3 bar "borrowed" from my Shelby Lancer and flashed a cal for these. While he was busy doing those items, I added some fresh 93 Octane as the tank was basically empty, and installed a drivers seat (after finding the bolts and the seat!). It took a couple tries after setting for four years, but suddenly she roared to life! I was afraid that the mice may have done more damage but it looks like the only electric damage might have been my FourPlay harness. We quickly discovered that there was a bad fuel leak. The rubber hose for the return line into the tank had a tear in it (probably because the last one put on used screw clamps instead of Fuel Injection hose clamps). A quick run to town for hose and clamps, and that was repaired but a persistent drip is still present from a different location a bit forward and higher on the truck. This thing has the "TSB" booster external fuel pump that was added outside of the tank and there seems to be a small leak from it or its hoses. Have no fear as a Walbro 255 Pump is ordered and on the way to replace this dual-pump set up. One large pump is better than two in this case for sure as it will have less places to leak and less complexity. Fix it better, right? So it was driven just enough to confirm that all forward gears and reverse work and the clutch feels great. I will have to fix the fuel leak and have the bobble strut and bracket, courtesy of PolyBushings, welded and installed before I can really drive it and see how it is. I have some photos of the work and the truck including the surface rust picked up from the moisture from setting in the pole barn. I'll try to add them here as soon as I can. I'll need to get the underside cleaned and protected before a bunch of miles are driven as well. I hope to keep updating here now that the project is again moving forward!

The LeBaron moved out of the Pole Barn
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The Duster setting between the Lancer and the Rampage
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As the Rampage was setting after the last four years
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After clearing stuff out of the way
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Sorting the front suspension and K member bolts
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Back on the ground
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Great to hear that it's running again Fleck. That is going to be a very cool ride when it's fully on the road.

sweet!

Brian

Hey John,
I have found several times when getting an external pump l-body running after it has sat for a long time, that the pump body itself leaks. If you give it a short while it will more than likely seal itself! It has happened to me three or four times before. Self healing car parts, livin the dream (lol).
Todd

Sorry, having difficulty getting the pictures uploaded. Having to resize them. Here's more:

Being towed to the garage
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Finally in the garage ready for work
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Console and shifter mocked up
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Shifter and cables installed
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Clutch installed
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Trans installed
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Engine compartment back together (minus battery)
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Bobble Strut still waiting to be welded and installed
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Rust on fuel tank
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Rust on exhaust
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New Pedal Pads installed (ordered on EBay)
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Glad to see you haven't fallen off the planet John. Since moving south to Wilmington, N.C. in the fall of '14 I've missed you guys, and hell I miss Chelsea, Mi. too, but the move was a fist fight I know I'd loose even if I won. Give James ah fist bump from me next time you two hook up. Finally got my Scamp put back together with the help of Mr. Slowe in july of '17. It's now TII and automatic just 'cuz I'm lazy, lol. When I saw that you'd resurrected the thread on your 'Page I had to jump in. Happy Trails and stay well, Jerry Olson