Sam Memmolo
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It seems like only yesterday that I was proudly driving “Midnite” home for the first time. She was a black beauty with a powerful look and feel. From the drivers seat, a quick glance into the big trailer towing mirrors revealed the “Big Hips” extending out over the dual rear wheels, and a wheelbase that seemed like a city block. Both impressive assets for a pick up truck, but most impressive was the low-end torque generated by the 5.9L in-line Cummins diesel rattling under the hood. For the first 11 months of her life, she was slave to another master, who would forsake her for a new model as he did every year previous. He took good care of her with lots of maintenance, but he had no passion or deep attachment to her. His motto was “When it needs tires and brakes, it’s time for a new one”. Being a genuine “Car Guy”, I immediately developed a relationship with my new ride. The first money spent was for 6 new tires and a tank full of premium diesel. Then we proceeded to replace everything in the brake system including hydraulic hoses, wheel cylinders, and even the front rotor / hub assemblies. There’s nothing too good for my “Midnite”. Sure we named her! That’s part of adding to the fun of treating machinery as if it had a personality. She actually did have her own personality of sorts. The 12 valve “B” series Cummins is a tried and true engine that lives happily in many different applications, from marine to stationary power generation or pump units. There are various horsepower ratings, torque ratings, and configurations, but they all share a common denominator. The “B” has a narrow power band in stock form. Many of us have modified the engine’s systems to broaden the torque curve, increase the horsepower and torque to the rear wheels, and even installed some accessories that make service easier. The 1997 model Dodge Ram, like it’s predecessor, was fitted with 215 horsepower from the factory. It had the revised Bosch fuel pump and larger injectors than the earlier trucks to help develop more usable horsepower and pulling ability. You could say it was the “Next Generation”, or the latest and greatest. For sure this new style pump and injector set up lent itself well to performance modifications. With the simple installation of a modified torque plate, and a few turns of the air / fuel control adjusting wheel, and we had a nice increase in power. There seemed to be no limit to the things that could add even more power. There were larger turbine housings for the turbocharger, larger diameter exhaust systems, bigger injectors, and even dual intake manifolds. By midyear 1998, the “Next Generation” truck became available with a 24 valve cylinder head, and an electronically controlled fuel system. Many gasped, thinking that we were doomed to live with the factory settings. These mysterious black boxes would need an enigma machine to penetrate their secret inner codes called algorithms. Wrong!! Soon there were several electronic interfaces that could ring more horses and torque from this great new design. The electronic “Hop Up” items were even easier to install than a torque plate, as they were mostly “Plug & Play” units. Now the next Generation truck is arriving at the dealerships in the ¾ and 1-ton versions. There is even a new “H.O.” or High Output model (initially available with manual transmission only) that boasts 305 horsepower, and oceans of torque. This “Next Generation” Cummins B sports a new “common Rail” fuel system that allows it to build more horsepower, run a lot quieter, and produce far fewer emissions. All this technology comes wrapped in the “Next Generation” body sheet metal with some beautiful curves accented by a massive grille and high technology lighting. It should prove to be quite a package. So as we baby boomers gracefully age, we know that “Change” is not only one of our least favorite subjects, but its inevitable. Better get used to change, it’s a reality of life in the “Hi-Tech / information age. I’ve experienced several unexpected changes in the past few years. Take my TV show for example. In 1992 Dave Bowman and I shot our first Cable TV show together for TNN. It was called “Shadetree Mechanic”, and was more successful than we could have ever imagined. Dave Bowman and I worked at our craft diligently and were fortunate enough to run on TNN for eight years with a cult-like following. That’s right, eight years and 190 episodes. It seemed then like it would go on forever. Then mean old “Mr. Change” reared his ugly head. The production company decided to go in one direction, and Dave and his partner Frank went another. TNN wanted more, but we had to change the name of the show for the obvious reasons of copyright, trade marks, etc. Frank & Dave had been developing another show tentatively titled “Crank & Chrome”. They presented a pilot to the network, and before we knew it, we were cranking out two more years and 56 episodes of “Crank & Chrome”. Same two old guys beating themselves to death in the driveway trying to fix or improve some old iron. This show was also a success. During the two seasons of Crank & Chrome, a large media group purchased the network, and you guessed it, that mean old Mr. Change popped up again like evil lying in wait. Now it’s on to a new network and of course, a new show with a new name. Same two old guys battling all the technology that the OEM’s can throw at them. By the time you read this, we will have already made our debut on SpeedChannel. Our first episode of “Two Guys Garage” aired on Thursday night, May 23, 2002 at 7:30 pm eastern on the new SpeedChannel now owned by FOX. It will take a while for all our loyal fans & viewers to catch up, but so far, Change has been good to us. I’d like to use this forum to thank everyone who cares enough to watch and comment. Throughout all these changes, Dave and I have learned that we have the best fans in the world, and we truly appreciate every one of them. Now I’m involved in a Fresh TV show, a Fresh deal with “Talk 1” networks for my syndicated radio show (see below), and a Fresh deal with my Atlanta radio show on NewsRadio 640 WGST. Forgive me for sounding like “The Green Grocer”, but all this new stuff helped me make the decision to freshen “Midnite” and pass her on to the next generation to enjoy. Midnite is really quite young for her age with only 118,000 well preserved miles showing on the odometer, lots of functional as well as dress up goodies, and lots of potential. She has new tires, a new clutch, and was recently fully serviced, but there was something lacking. She needed a change! To “Freshen” my truck, I decided to start inside by replacing the carpet. Sort of like a new dress for the party! Four years of use took its toll on the carpet, and I wanted her to be fresh as new, so I took the plunge. Here’s exactly what transpired.
I folded the carpet in half one-way, and then again perpendicular to the first fold. I placed it inside the cab, and then unfolded it so it would fall into place. Here’s a tip, When cutting the holes for the shifters, start with your razor knife, and make a small “X” in the middle. Then cut around the inside of the old carpet’s hole as a pattern, but cut it smaller. Then the final trim can be done once the carpet is secured in place. This method should yield the best results. It seemed to work fine for me. You already know the old carpenter’s saying; “Measure Twice, and cut once”. Once the carpet was carefully fitted around the transmission tunnel, I trimmed the shifter hole, and reinstalled the floor shift boot retainer. Next I slit the carpet and reinstalled the brackets for the SRS module. Then I smoothed the carpet out towards the sills. Then I installed the kick plates, the sill trim, and working my way back, I reinstalled the inside surrounds. Once I was satisfied that the carpet was smoothed and in the right place, I reinstalled the seats. With everything in place, a new set of Dodge embroidered floor mats from Geno’s were tossed in to complete the job, and protect the new carpet. A quick detail job of the interior, including cleaning and treating the leather seats yielded an interior much like a “Fresh Truck”. I can’t begin to tell you what a difference this made. I even wipe my feet before entering. So, if your truck’s interior is getting a little tattered, give it a boost with a “fresh” carpet. By the way, the quality, price, and service from Auto Custom carpet was excellent. Now I can move on to the next generation of trucks. Happy motoring, and remember…”I Love My Truck”!
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