This may be one of those features with a title that requires a little explanation. For starters, No Sympathy is a truck club with many members, especially here in Southern California. For those of you who are not privy to the truck club culture from which Truckin' magazine was founded more than 25 years ago, there are a few things common to all clubs. One is that even though nearly everyone is friendly with each other and supportive of other clubs, it's not difficult to tell when someone belongs to a particular club. Members are usually wearing hats, jackets, and T-shirts that all bear the club name (tattoos and oversized jewelry are also commonplace nowadays). And the club logo is most definitely somewhere on the back window or even on the license plate, which is the case with John Anderson of LaVerne, California. The other thing to know about truck club culture is that by the time you meet and have spent one or two minutes with your new friends, you will be assigned your new nickname. Whether or not it's fitting or you like it is not important because it will be your permanent name (unless a much more embarrassing one is thought up). There are plenty of people who have been friends for years, but who would be hard pressed to come up with a proper first or last name. This is also the case with John, and that is why we will be referring to him as Elmo from here on out. The second part of the title is simple. Elmo has had a fascination with all things truck since an early age. So much so, he eventually went to work for a truck dealership. But more importantly, immediately after his Sixteenth birthday, he purchased a brand-new Dodge Ram and four short years later emerged with one of the nicest Mopars around.
Elmo began with the suspension by contacting Trukwerx in Pomona, California, which succeeded in giving the Ram its frame-dragging stance. The stock front spindles were scrapped for a set of Belltech 3-inch dropped units. The stock springs were also removed to make way for a pair of Firestone 2600C airbags. Sucking up the bumps in front is a pair of Belltech Nitrogen-charged shocks. The rear was considerably more complex and consisted of adding the entire leaf spring suspension to the scrap pile, not to mention a large section of bed floor, to make room for a giant bridged step notch. The frame's entire back half was then treated to a candy purple coat of paint to contrast with the candy green rear axle and chrome diff cover. Speaking of chrome, the axle is hung by a fully chromed TCI four-link and chrome Doetsch Tech shocks. The massive amount of adjustment comes courtesy of a second set of Firestone 'bags, but you may notice that John's ride lays just a tad harder than the rest. Because the stock gas tank was constantly dragging on the ground, they opted to add it to the ever-growing scrap pile and mounted a red 22-gallon JAZ fuel cell behind the axle, between the rear framerails. Finishing off the suspension and rounding out the color spectrum is the candy blue and silver air tank mounted to the cut-out Bedrug. Now that Elmo's ride could easily tuck 20s, he had to find some that were to his liking. He chose Boyd Coddingtons wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza rubber. The fronts measure 20x8 inches and 255/35ZR20 with 20x10s and 285/30ZR20s in the rear.
The 5.9L engine in John's ride remains stock with the exception of a Mopar Performance computer and a K&N open element air cleaner. Detail items include chrome valve covers and plenty of blue and silver paint as well as a healthy dose of blue wire loom. The exhaust was treated to a high-flow catalytic converter and a 3-inch Borla system.
Similar to the rest of his vehicle, Elmo wanted to take the body modifications a bit farther than what is typically seen on Rams.
For this, he contacted First Class Auto Body in Van Nuys, California, where the staff started another scrap pile for the stock hood and bumpers. These were replaced by a cowl-induction hood and a chrome bumper with lights and billet inserts, both by Distinctive, and a welded-in roll pan from Sir Michaels. The First Class crew shaved the antenna, the door handles, the third brake light, the gas door, and the tailgate handle. Street Scene mirrors and a Stockland smooth tonneau were bolted on just before the Ram was rolled into the booth and shot with PPG Brilliant Blue. The next stop for the truck was Quicksilver Pinstriping in San Dimas, California, where Larry Fator laid out the unique tribal-style flames in a PPG Fine Silver base and House of Kolor Passion Purple Pearl followed by a healthy dose of PPG Clear. When the paint had been buffed to a high gloss, a Trenz grille insert and APC clear taillights were installed to complete the exterior.