RealRides Volume 3: Brendan Soriano

Onto the fun stuff—my personal rides. Up first is my truck—a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 packing the venerable 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel. My intentions with this truck were to build a solid all-around rig with mild performance mods, premium suspension components, and a comfortable interior—the perfect driver. 

Performance

The massive inline six-cylinder delivers unmatched torque down low, making it a blast to drive. Under the hood, you'll find the engine breathing through an Injen Evolution air intake and several Banks Power goodies. Exhaust works its way out of the tailpipe through a 4-in. stainless steel MBRP SLM Series exhaust system, delivering that classic Cummins growl.

Chassis

The front suspension is all Thuren goodies—an Oregon-based company specializing in the heavy-duty RAM platform. Three-inch lift front coil springs, upgraded control arms, a torsion sway bar, and an upgraded adjustable track bar comprise most of the hard parts. Steering is dampened by Thuren's KING stabilizer and a Dodge Off-Road steering brace, which reigns in the 200,000-mile truck. On all four corners, Bilstein B8 5100 dampers keep the truck planted on the road.

Exterior

Moving to the interior, you'll find various tasteful upgrades, including leather seat skins, Husky Liners® Weatherbeater™ floor liners, and an Edge Insight CTS3 monitor. A touch-screen Carplay head unit, aftermarket speakers, and full LED lighting keep the truck feeling fresh and new, even though it's approaching two decades old. 

Current Modifications: 

• Programmer/Monitor: Edge CTS3 Insight 

• Floor Liners: Husky Liners Weatherbeater

• Running Boards: AMP Research PowerSteps

• Suspension: Thuren front coil springs, control arms, sway bar, track bar

• Shocks: Bilstein 5100 B8

• Differential cover: Mag-Hytec

• Air Intake: Injen Evolution Air Induction System

• Exhaust System: MBRP SLM Series

• Headlights: Aftermarket smoked headlights with LED conversion

• Tail Lights: Custom-painted tail lights and third brake light

My Daily Driver: 2002 Nissan Maxima

Somewhere along the lines of building my truck, I had the bright idea of buying an older commuter to ensure a reliable mode of transportation when the truck was down. I settled on a twenty-year-old Nissan Maxima in desperate need of TLC. However, beneath the oil leaks, years of dirt, and banged-up plastic bumper covers, the car was straight, low mileage, and, most importantly, cheap. 

Though I'd vowed initially to fix only what was broken and clean the car up for use, that quickly spiraled out of control once I stumbled upon old Nissan forums and online communities. Unfortunately, the modification bug bit once again, leading me down a rabbit hole of modifications to what was supposed to be a daily-driven economy car.

Exterior

After a thorough paint correction and new front and rear bumpers, the body received a slew of exterior mods, including a Stillen polyurethane front lip, a discontinued Nissan rear lip and spats, and an aftermarket fiberglass front grille. For a standout appearance, I cracked the headlights open for custom upgrades. During this process, I replaced the oxidized 20-year-old lenses to rejuvenate the front end. The rear end received a similar treatment, which included a pair of clear tail lights and a matching LED third brake light, which conveniently came from a SnugTop camper shell!

Chassis

I built the car to look good and perform just as well. With winding California roads at my disposal, I wanted the car to handle far better than the average economy car. 

The solution to this issue arrived at my doorstep as a set of BC Racing BR Series coilovers, Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings, and fresh Moog HD replacement joints. Further improving performance are a pair of 4-piston Brembo front brake calipers with drilled and slotted rotors. Tucked into the fenders are OEM Rays Engineering forged aluminum wheels from the same-generation Nissan 350Z, which I refinished in Ford Kona Blue Metallic (L6).

Interior

If you thought I'd stop at the exterior, you're sadly mistaken! The original Frost Gray interior, while in good condition, didn't fit the car's sporty energy. To address this shortcoming, I plucked an entire black interior from a donor car in the junkyard. Paired with front bucket seats from a similar-generation Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V, the interior was almost finished. 

Final touches include a leather-trimmed steering wheel from a 2020 Nissan Maxima (with functioning horn, airbag, and steering wheel controls), a Carplay-compatible head unit with aftermarket speakers and subwoofer, a retrofitted gauge cluster from an Infiniti i35, GlowShift oil-pressure and transmission temperature gauges, and LED lighting throughout.

Performance

Last but not least, the car breathes through an Injen Power Flow air intake and a stainless steel cat-back exhaust system, unleashing the unmistakable growl of the VQ35 engine under the hood. While still boasting the factory four-speed automatic transmission, a beefy Hayden transmission cooler keeps fluids cool during spirited driving. 

I want to say the car's finished, but are projects ever truly done? Down the line, I'd love to swap in a six-speed manual transmission to make ripping through mountain roads all the more enjoyable, but that's next year's project! 

Current Modifications: 

• Coilovers: BC Racing BR Series

• Suspension Bushings: Energy Suspension polyurethane

• Brakes: Four-piston Brembo front calipers with drilled and slotted rotors

• Body Kit: Stillen front lip and 2001 Nissan Maxima "Anniversary Edition" rear lip

• Wheels: 350Z “Track Edition” Rays Engineering wheels (18x8 +30 front | 18x8.5 +33 rear) 

• Transmission cooler: Hayden 403

• Monitoring: GlowShift digital oil pressure and transmission temperature gauges

• Air Intake: Injen Power Flow

• Exhaust System: OBX Racing 

• Black interior swap with Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V front seats

• Infiniti i35 gauge cluster

• 2020 Nissan Maxima steering wheel

Final Thoughts

Even after years of writing in the sector, I've never lost my passion for automobiles. Whether building a lifted diesel pickup or a lowered tuner, there's something so rewarding about creating something with your own hands. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, there's an undeniable catharsis—which is why you'll find me in the garage wrenching after a long day at work. 

Huge thanks to RealTruck for the opportunity to share my passion with our loyal community. Check out the rest of my articles on RealSource for inspiration and education—I'm publishing new pieces monthly to help bring your truck to life!