Dodge Ram D50

[kurth]

One of my Co workers has a early 80s dodge Ram D50, the "four-eyed" version as depicted in the first picture below. the real truck It is a total beater, it is spray painted in flat tan, and has rust, dents, etc you would expect in a 27 year old survivor.

I found the Dodge Ram d50 kit at a local hoby store and for fun and a challenge I figure it would be fun to build his truck. There are two show stoppers. The kit depicts the 2 head light grille like the second picture. One, is the wheels and tires, the kit comes with some big beefy tires that would actually be good for a different project, and the grille. Any thoughts on how to scratch build the 4 eye grille? And any ideas where to find the little wheels and tires? The wheels on my co workers truck look like the ones in the first picture.

Thanks!

-Kurt

Edited February 24, 2012 by kurth

[Fabrux]

You might have have some luck modifying the Monogram or Aoshima Datsun 720 grilles to suit; they look pretty close. Not sure where you'd source wheels like that as anything that would be close would have 5 lugs instead of 6.

[torinobradley]

Didn't the early Datsun pickup kits have a 6 lug steel wheel as an option? I seemed to remember having one in my stash somewhere in all those boxes...

Looking on the instruction website, it was the spare for the MPC '78 Datsun. Mod it with the little vent holes and you can copy them in resin or have someone do that for you. Can anyone confirm if that was a 5 or 6 lug rim?

Edited February 24, 2012 by torinobradley

[Frank]

The dodge Ram D50 was a Mitsubishi

[Fabrux]

Yes, of course, but the Datsun grille is close to that pictured.

[gray07]

Iam building the 4x4 kit of this now.

[Casey]

You'll need to remove the molded on fender flares, too, but that's not too difficult. I agree about the grille- you could use the headlight buckets from a similar pickup, and the center section could be scratchbuilt with Evergreen or Plastruct styrene shapes.

The good thing is the original issue versions of this kit are the same price as a new kit, and they are plentiful on eBay.

[Chuck Most]

The flares are separate on every D50 kit I've ever gotten my hands on.

[Casey]

Oops, you're right, the flares are separate pieces.

[kurth]

Thanks everyone. I used to have an MPC datsun pickup that could have donated the grille and tires now that I think of it, but I sold it on the bay a couple years ago.

I will keep an eye out at the NNL east vendor room maybe

Edited February 27, 2012 by kurth

[Fabrux]

MPC Datsun won't do as they have the round headlights. You need the later style Monogram or Aoshima kits with the square lights.