January 2005

Mike Paz
(aka RT Mark)

Hi everyone, I’m Mike Paz and am honored to be chosen January DOTM. The Durango, like myself, is a work in progress. First I’ll deal with an overall summary of my Durango and it's modifications. Then I’ll go into further detail.

My D was purchased new in June of 1999 and was selected because it had a 3rd row seat for the kids that folded flat when not in use. The other vehicles we considered included the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Suburban but my wife wanted the Durango. I wanted the R/T with Full Time 4WD for skiing and camping. For two years it was bone stock. All we did was put in gas, change the oil and plug flat tires and the only accessory added was a Viper Alarm system with remote start and window roll ups. All I did was work. Life was good.

Then I had a life changing experience. Both my parents took ill and I stopped working to care for them. It was a stressful time, so I needed something to do to keep my mind and hands busy. I went from working full time to taking care of my parents and being a stay at home "Soccer Dad". So I started tinkering with my Harley-Davidson and the D. My first modification was the addition of the 20" R/T wheels which opened the door for performance modifications.

I added a K&N Drop in filter, a 13" SpinTech muffler and Mopar PPH Headers, which made the SpinTech too loud. So I swapped the SpinTech out for a 18" Dual Magnaflow muffler, which was still too loud. So I swapped it out for a 22" Dual Magnaflow muffler.

Then I added an Intense Performance Stage II 9" filter and a FastMan 52mm Throttle Body. I also installed the "SuperChips 3715" Performance Program and upgraded the front brakes to drilled & slotted rotors with ceramic pads. I painted the calipers & drums red, added Bilstein shocks and Hotchkiss swaybars front & rear.

Performance was decent and the D looked great! I had an fast strong truck to take my parents to the doctor, my kids to baseball, soccer, swim practice, camping and it was a nice grocery getter.

Then my mother passed away from cancer and, 54 days later, my father died of heart failure. After all the funerals, I was really left with a sense of loss and being lost. I was also mired in settling their estate and trust. Within a few months I gained about 10 pounds and became really depressed. So I started working out 5 days a week and working on the truck and motorcycle.

I went shopping at GS Motorsports and added a Paxton Novi2000 SuperCharger, chromed and polished of course, and an M-1 intake. I also added an SSBC rear disc brake conversion kit, which was a waste of time and money as it never worked right! I finally reinstalled the drums and returned the brake kit to SSBC.

When I had the Paxton dyno tuned at The Viper Shop, I had to add two 75lb top hat injectors and have the PCM custom flashed by B&G. The Durango ran awesome with lots of power and performance but the Paxton was too much for the "stock" FastMan 52mm throttle body, so I placed an order with Dan for one of his "Special Build" models.

Now that I had the truck going fast, I had to slow it down. So I went shopping again and added the GS Motorsports Viper Brakes front & rear. That was an awesome modification with incredible stopping power.

By now all the additional power and torque was putting a strain on the stock tranny and I could feel it slipping and grabbing going up hills. So I had Martin Saine build me one of his special beefed up bullet proof transmissions. It has the heavy duty clutch packs, a 2400 rpm stall converter and one of his valve bodies. He also enlargened the lubricating ports for better oil flow and I installed a permacool remote spin on type oil filter for extra protection. Dan also sent over the new 53mm throttle body with steel liners to withstand the boost pressure. It also has multiple bearings in the shaft and body for silky smooth response.

Being so close to having a "complete truck", I decided to "finish it up" and went back to GS Motorsports and purchased a Raptor Air to Water Intercooler, polished of course. I also placed an order for their complete 2.5" exhaust system, including the R/T Power Plate headers & "X Pipe" and had SpinTech start making me a custom "Quieter Muffler".

I then installed the Intercooler myself and decided not to get rid of the Mopar PPH headers. Instead of a dual 2.5" exhaust, I decided to go with a single 3" system. So now I'm running a full 3" inch system including the catalytic converter and a Magnaflow single in, dual out 3" muffler with dual exhaust tips. Then I took the Durango back to The Viper Shop to have it retuned and get new dyno numbers.

In the mean time, I've dropped two inches from my waistline, lost some fat and gained some muscle. Baseball season's here and I'm managing my 6 year old son's Farm Team as well as coaching my 10 year old son's Minor League Team. I also have one incredibly strong and fast truck to take them to and from practice and games. Life is becoming good again.

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