Rubber Roaster Extraordinaire: Greg Alberalla’s Legendary First-Gen Dodge Ram

Greg Alberalla’s First-Gen Burnout Truck

WHILE shopping around for an ideal project truck platform, Greg Alberalla made sure to be mindful of what he didn’t want first and foremost. Most importantly, he didn’t want to drop a whole lot of dough on a pickup—especially one with a lot of issues that he’d get stuck spending even more money on later down the line. This sentiment should resonate with most enthusiasts also in search of a project truck. Secondly, Greg didn’t want anything too nice because the type of driving he had in mind would involve a lot of rubber roasting, and honestly, he didn’t want to worry about collecting dents and scratches along the way. We all know that there’s nothing worse than the first major blemish to show up on a new vehicle or an older one with a fresh coat of paint.

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Before we get too far into this story, let’s take a second to address Greg’s YouTube fame. Yes, you are most likely familiar with Greg and his handiwork, and we’d be willing to bet that you’ve already seen quite a bit of content starring the truck that he ended up picking out. He spotted this 1993 Dodge D250 for sale in North Carolina and was quick to make the trek to fetch it. The price tag attached to it was an absolute steal considering the number of overpriced piles he saw listed online. It was love at first sight. The Ram’s surprisingly decent overall condition and charming natural patina finish won Greg over instantly. At the same time, the truck was still not too nice to cause Greg any sleepless nights worrying about anything getting damaged while in the process of building the Dodge to be an absolute beast on the streets.

For those unfamiliar with this truck, Greg’s main objective was to make as much power as possible. The Ram proved to be the perfect 12V platform for him to learn on, and boy, he has experimented with it through lots of tweaking and various component setups. The starting point included building off the truck’s original VE injection pump by installing a S363 turbo, and a Muldoon’s Performance stage 4 48RE transmission swap and ratchet shifter (which are still part of the truck’s performance roster). The boost in power was quite noticeable but still wasn’t close to being enough for Greg. He naturally aimed for bigger and better, which led to the installation of a Farrell Diesel P-pump, fresh OEM pistons, Hamilton cams, War Head cylinder head, Stainless Diesel T-6 headers and S480 turbo, a custom Air Dog lift pump configuration, and a ton of engine work thanks to the assistance of Michael Cordova.

While the latest rendition of the Ram’s original inline-6 Cummins, which now blasts out 800+ hp without hardly breaking a sweat, there is still lots more to love about Greg’s most cherished build to date. While the exterior still sports the same naturally weathered metal surface that Greg fell in love with seven years ago when he bought the truck, he has since upgraded its façade with much-brighter-than-factory LED headlights up front, and a custom tailgate and roll pan at the rear. Even though he liked everything about his truck’s 30+ year as-is finish, Greg just had to mount a killer set of 22×12 JTX forged wheels to the hubs that give it a visual edge over any comparable stock first-gen Ram. The unfortunate rear tires of choice happen to be Nitto 420V units, which hardly ever stop smoldering. Luckily, these tires don’t cost a fortune to replace, when necessary, which happens more frequently nowadays.

Greg is all for leaving the factory components he does like well enough alone, but inside of the cab he had the itch to ditch his Ram’s factory seating situation. What he chose to replace it with were more aggressive and comfortable racing-style seats from Corbeau. Since lighting up tires does work up quite a thirst, Greg felt compelled to squeeze in a GM center console equipped with cup holders to hold his beverage of choice. The TCI Automotive ratchet shifter that functions directly off the Muldoon’s full manual valve body, is another shining star within the cab that dramatically increases Greg’s excitement while mashing the gas pedal down around the track.

Those in the know can attest to Greg’s consistent involvement with impressive diesel truck builds, but his first-gen Ram has by far his most popular and coveted. Even though plenty of eyes have already seen it and its many versions that have been rolled out throughout the years, the Dodge still racks up plenty of views and likes both in-person and across all social platforms.

“How we have not destroyed our original 12V engine build so far is beyond us,” Greg says proudly. “Future plans for the first-gen include a new Freedom Racing Engines’ common rail engine swap for even more horsepower, and a full makeover refresh for the 2025 burnout competition season.”

OWNER

WHILE GREG ALBERALLA

TRUCK SPECS

Engine & Drivetrain

1993 5.9L Cummins inline 6
Built 12V engine with P-pump swap
In-house engine work by owner and Michael Cordova
Modified factory rods
New OEM pistons
Hamilton cams
War Head cylinder head
Pure Diesel Power log-style intake runner
Air Dog lift pump
Farrell 12mm P-pump
5×25 fuel injectors
Stainless Diesel T-6 headers and S480 turbo
4-inch exhaust system with hood stack exit
Custom intercooler piping and wastegates fabricated by Michael Cordova
Keating Machine front engine cover and side tappet cover
Stage 4 48RE transmission rebuilt by John Muldoon @ Muldoon’s Performance with full manual valve body
Suncoast torque converter
Derale transmission cooler
Welded diff and SCS driver hubs and double splined axles
Dana 80 disc rear swapped