Tag Archives: 3rd

High End Half Ton – Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie

Ever since my Dad took me to see Vanishing Point way back in the day I have always paid attention when the name “Dodge” crops up, today’s vehicle is a tad more practical than the white Challenger driven by the ‘Soul Hero’ being chased by the ‘blue blue meanies on wheels’ on ‘the maximum trip at maximum speed’, though this 2005 pick up does have something in common with the 1970 Challenger beyond the manufacturers name.

Dodge Laramie,

The Dodge Ram name first appeared on a trucks in 1981 with a revamped version of Dodge D Series pickups, since then there have been three further generations of the Ram that appeared in 1994, 2002 and 2009, this is a preface lift 3rd generation Ram 1500 from 2005.

Dodge Laramie,

The built in to the front bumper fog lights are a give away that this might be a ‘fully loaded’…

Dodge Laramie,

… a suspicion underlined by the alloy wheels, not some thing I would expect to find on a four wheel drive work horse …

Dodge Laramie,

anymore than I would a 345 hp 5.7 liter / 345 cui Hemi V8, a name I’d more commonly associate with the white Challenger in Vanishing Point, in fact today’s HEMI’s are very different from those installed in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s the cylinder heads are now less than hemispherical and today’s HEMI’s feature Multi Displacement System technology which allow’s two cylinders on each bank of four cylinders to be switched off under light loads to improve fuel economy.

Dodge Laramie,

The suspension on this half ton pick up is classic independent coil springs at the front and live rear axle mounted on longitudinal leaf springs.

Dodge Laramie,

I have to admit that when I saw this truck last year I assumed it had been imported from some where west of Cheyenne Wyoming but it turns out that Larimie is the name given to fully loaded Luxury Spec Doge Ram trucks…

Dodge Laramie,

which are supplied with woodgrain dash and door trim, leather seats, chrome clad wheels, leather seats, autodimming center rear view mirror, Homelink garage door opener, steering wheel mounted audio control and around $5k worth of useful stuff that is not commonly available on the SLT spec Dodge Rams.

My thanks to Dodge Dealership manager James R for his help with today’s blog.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘High End Half Ton’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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A Noble Effort – Hesketh Ford 308B # 308-2

Mid way through 1972 James ‘Hunt The Shunt’ got fired by the STP March Formula 3 team for taking over a vacant seat with a rival team at Monaco after his own car had broken down and been hit by another car.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverstone

James found himself another ride with the ambitious Hesketh Team founded by Thomas ‘Alexander’ Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh, who inherited his title aged just four.

The Hesketh team were not experiencing much joy in the 2nd tier European Formula 2 championship and in a double or quits move Lord Hesketh decided that he may as well be loosing his fortune in the top tier Grand Prix Championship for the 1973 Season.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverstone

Things picked up rapidly as James quicky found his feet in Grand Prix racing, notably finishing second in the season ending US Grand Prix running Hesketh’s March 731 engineered through the season by Dr Harvey Postlethwaite. The Hesketh team also brought a legendary ‘ joie de vivre’ to the Grand Prix paddock.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverstone

In 1974 Dr. Postlethwaite designed a new car based heavily on the March 731 from the year before. James in the new Hesketh 308 scored a debut pole position at the non championship 1974 Race of Champions ahead of the Ferrari’s of Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda, and then came home first from pole in the non championship International Trophy at Silverstone.

For the rest of the 1974 season the teams effort suffered from poor reliability mixed with a couple of podium finishes enough for Hesketh to finish a credible 6th in the manufacturers championship and James 8th in the drivers championship.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverstone

Lord Hesketh was adamant about not accepting sponsorship for his team and the cars were upgraded to ‘B’ spec for 1975, the front radiator was replaced by radiators mounted beneath the rear wing. The cars reliability was still less than stellar but when he could get across the finish line James always scored points and often podiums.

On the 22nd of June 1975 the team finally came good at the Dutch Grand Prix held on the drying Zandvoort circuit, after making an early pit stop for dry tyres James was able to leap frog leader Niki Lauda when he made his pit stop and held on to take the Hesketh teams only victory, the last ever by an unsponsored team.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverston

James finished an impressive 4th in the 1975 drivers championship and Hesketh 4th in the constructors championship. Alas the good Lord had to call time on his Grand Prix party for lack of funds and sold up at the end of the season Dr. Postlethwaite and his last Hesketh design 308C joined a partnership between Walter Wolf and Frank Williams, while James Hunt went and drove for McLaren and the remains of the Hesketh team using revised 308B chassis upgraded to ‘D’ spec continued to participate in the 1976 season under the direction of Bubbles Horsely the team manager.

US readers might remember the Hesketh team going out with a front page bang, in qualifying for the the 1975 James team mate Brett Lunger was launched into flight by a chicane kerbstone and a photo of the Hesketh crashing back to earth made the front pages around the world. Brett and the car recovered to make the start of the race but retired soon after.

Hesketh Ford 308B, Silverstone

The car featured in today’s blog is the #308-2 chassis which James drove to victory in the Dutch GP. It was owned by Lord Hesketh until 2007 and was to be auctioned at the Silverstone Classic Auction next week however it has already been snapped up and sold by private treaty.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s Nobel edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be taking a look at James Hunt’s world championship winning car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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