| Jon Brobst |
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Portland |
According to Dodge Marketing, I am the proud owner of the FIRST IndyRam ever built. The "replica" IndyRams were modeled after the THREE "official" full-dress Indy Rams built as "concepts" pre-Indy.
Mine even carries a Chrysler "emmission exemption" sticker, which states that it is "Exempt from the prohibitions of the Clean Air Act as amended...." It was the original IndyRam concept truck, built for Dodge by MSX (then Masco-Tech) in Detroit. It was built including all the MoPar goodies, including computer, headers, valve springs, pulleys, exhaust, etc, as well as the hard tonneau, ground effects, running boards, and front/rear smooth air dams.
The truck was the first of THREE identically custom re-built off of Ram 1500s for Dodge by MSX. They were used as: #1, mine, - Dodge Marketing / Mopar Emmisssions certification vehicle. The then-head of Dodge / Viper Marketing, Ron Smith, was assigned this truck in conjunction with being the "Official Pacecar" and VCA coordinator at Indy for Dodge.
#2 IndyRam was "loaned" to Indy 500 president Tony George, for 60 days. He and his staff used it extensively during race month. It resides in a small collection that includes a 1914 Dodge Pickup!
#3 Indyram was the "magazine-P.R. pool truck" that Hot Rod magazine and others tested initially for media tests. This was the "public debut" IndyRam. It was purchased by Roanoke Dodge at a Chrysler Auction, and sold by them to an Illinois man, whom I have lost track of. {Ihope he's here!}
My truck has been featured twice in Viper Quarterly, and a front-page story in the San Diego paper, concerning Viper Club Presidents who bought the IndyRam. (9 did, very early on) It is a daily driver, and I frequently tow my GTS to motorsports events, wher I drive as Pace car, and the Ram is a flat-tow, emergency vehicle...true to its Motorsports roots.
It currently sports stiffer sway bars, Bilstein shocks (soon to be Edelbrock IAS) and a rear NASCAR spoiler, acquired from the shop that builds the NASCAR Rams.
I hope you find this info interesting......it has all been documented by Ron Smith, and MSX. I just now heard of your site. |