The ‘80s mini-truck craze was in a class all by itself. It seemed as if every manufacturer offered a midsize truck that was then customized with trick paint schemes, dancing hydraulic beds, and expensive spoke wheels. They definitely made a statement. Now you can relive those moments with the 1980 Dodge Ram D-50 pickup with Coke markings from AMT.
After opening the kit, go over the instructions before building your model. The instructions provide a paint chart for all the pieces, along with an exterior and interior color selection guide. Choose from the stock or custom options before you begin.
The two-piece, four-cylinder engine builds up nicely. Very simple. Very clean. You choose between a stock or turbo version. If you go with the latter, the instructions are tricky, with no order of assembly. Test-fit all the parts before completing this step. Both stock and turbo top sections don't get assembled until the body is mated to the chassis, but this isn’t noted in the instructions.
You get one set of tires with a choice of custom or stock wheels.
Building the chassis is where this kit has the most challenges. The front suspension consists of five pieces, and the instructions recommend that you don’t glue the front spindles. This allows you to pose the front wheels. However, the pins in the spindles were too short, and the spindles easily fell out of the lower control arm, where it pivots. I recommend adding a longer pin to keep the spindles from falling out. Additionally, the tie rod, once connected to the front spindles, left one wheel straight and one turned. I carefully heated the spindles to straighten out the wheels.
In the back, the rear shackles make the suspension sit way too high. I cut them down to a more appropriate height. Keep in mind, if you change the height, the rear shocks will also need to be shortened, which is simple enough. With the final assembly of the exhaust, spare tire, and driveshaft, all that was left to do was to install the engine and radiator.
The interior tub shows its age, but some detail work to sharpen the door panels breathes new life into it. For the seats, you can choose from a stock bench or custom buckets. The decals for the gauges, radio, and heater controls on the dashboard are a welcome addition. Choose between an automatic or manual transmission, and the interior is completed.
The model really should be built with the wide body kit and the lower side ground effects. Without the wide-body flares in place, the wheels stick out too far for a stock appearance. With some time and effort, the six-part bed fit together without any problems. And the flares for the pickup box lined up nicely. I went with a rear roll pan instead of the stock rear bumper. The two-piece tailgate completes the box.
The cab used the same assembly process for the flares without any issues, and the front lower spoiler fit well. I cut the ground effects into two pieces to allow one piece to fit the cab and the second piece to fit the front section of the pickup box. The ground effects needed work to blend into the flares for a seamless appearance. But it doesn't take too much work to accomplish a satisfying look.
With just some final details — taillights and a choice of either a roll bar with seats for the bed or a cool set of subwoofers inserted into a tonneau cover, the truck was complete. Take the time to read through the instructions and bring up some of the detail to your work, and you will have a great piece to add to your collection.