Ever since my Dad took me to see Vanishing Point way back in the day I have always paid attention when the name “Dodge” crops up, today’s vehicle is a tad more practical than the white Challenger driven by the ‘Soul Hero’ being chased by the ‘blue blue meanies on wheels’ on ‘the maximum trip at maximum speed’, though this 2005 pick up does have something in common with the 1970 Challenger beyond the manufacturers name.

The Dodge Ram name first appeared on a trucks in 1981 with a revamped version of Dodge D Series pickups, since then there have been three further generations of the Ram that appeared in 1994, 2002 and 2009, this is a preface lift 3rd generation Ram 1500 from 2005.

The built in to the front bumper fog lights are a give away that this might be a ‘fully loaded’…

… a suspicion underlined by the alloy wheels, not some thing I would expect to find on a four wheel drive work horse …

anymore than I would a 345 hp 5.7 liter / 345 cui Hemi V8, a name I’d more commonly associate with the white Challenger in Vanishing Point, in fact today’s HEMI’s are very different from those installed in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s the cylinder heads are now less than hemispherical and today’s HEMI’s feature Multi Displacement System technology which allow’s two cylinders on each bank of four cylinders to be switched off under light loads to improve fuel economy.

The suspension on this half ton pick up is classic independent coil springs at the front and live rear axle mounted on longitudinal leaf springs.

I have to admit that when I saw this truck last year I assumed it had been imported from some where west of Cheyenne Wyoming but it turns out that Larimie is the name given to fully loaded Luxury Spec Doge Ram trucks…

which are supplied with woodgrain dash and door trim, leather seats, chrome clad wheels, leather seats, autodimming center rear view mirror, Homelink garage door opener, steering wheel mounted audio control and around $5k worth of useful stuff that is not commonly available on the SLT spec Dodge Rams.

My thanks to Dodge Dealership manager James R for his help with today’s blog.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘High End Half Ton’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !