A Family-Built First Gen

FAMILY FIRST. IT’S A PHILOSOPHY MANY FOLKS LIVE BY AND IS OFTEN WHAT KEEPS FAMILIES INTACT. BUT WHAT IF YOU COMBINED THAT PHILOSOPHY WITH A PASSION FOR DIESELS? THE END RESULT CAN BE ONE COOL RIDE THAT WAS BUILT AS A LABOR OF LOVE.

Just ask 19-year-old Jonathon Beaston of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. Jonathon’s dad is a diesel enthusiast and in typical father/son tradition, he passed down his love for diesels to Jonathon via a 1993 Dodge W250 pickup with a 12-valve Cummins. With the help of pops, his brothers and friend Alex Connell, Jonathon transformed his first gen into a ride both he and his father can be proud of.

Since the truck is his daily driver, dad’s advice must have run along the lines of the KISS principal… “Keep it simple, son.” So on went a 6-in. Skyjacker lift kit, which was easy since the early Dodges are all leaf-spring trucks. The lift made plenty of room for new 35-in. Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ tires wrapped about 18×10 Raceline Renegade 8 wheels. And since the truck was already fitted with 4.10 gears, turning the upsized rubber was not a problem.

In keeping with the project’s simple approach, father and son opted to keep the reliability of the 12-valve intact by avoiding crazy upgrades, sticking with simple mods that improve power and drivability. On the intake side, the stock unit was replaced with custom-painted CoolerTubz intercooler and intake plumbing while a simple intake and filter setup was added to the turbo side.

The turbo was upgraded to a 60mm GDS unit that can make upwards of 38 pounds of boost. Adding more fuel is a set of Lucas Podz injectors. Exhaust is routed out via a 4-in. turbo-back system that culminates in twin 6-in. chrome turnout stacks. Backing up the Cummins is the original Getrag five-speed manual fitted with a South Bend clutch setup.

For a 20-year-old truck that lives in snow country, the Dodge is in great shape, right down to the green paint job. Add-ons include a diamond-plate toolbox in the bed and 6-in. drop hitch out back. On the inside, Jonathon swapped out the well-worn stock seats for a set of buckets and a center console lifted from a Dodge Ramcharger. Mounted in the A-pillar are boost and EGT gauges to help keep an eye on the Cummins. Sounds are courtesy of an Alpine head unit playing through Kenwood speakers.

The truck took three years to build, and as both father and son get older, those memories of building the truck will be cherished for a lifetime. UDBG

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