Who You Gonna Call? — Projekt Cars’ ‘Ecto-18a’ Ram 1500 Build
by Brendan M. Allen
One thing that is constant across fandoms is that fans are going to fan. That can work in your favor, or can go really, really wrong. It’s tricky business when tackling any sort of crossover between beloved franchises and hobbies. In the case of Projekt Cars’ comics based custom car builds, the El Paso-based crew led by Carlos Molina has to find creative ways to stay true to the comic book and film sources, while satisfying the most die-hard gearhead’s need for torque, speed, and clean aesthetics.
Molina embraces the challenge, recognizing and respecting the inherent compatibility issues to find creative ways to address them while working hard to keep the process fun. Some folks will absolutely love the finished product. Some won’t. Either way, they will be talking about it.
That brings us to the Projekt Cars Ecto-18a build for Manny Alfaro. In the 1984 Ghostbusters film, Ecto-1 was a 1959 Cadillac fitted with a Miller-Meteor endloader ambulance body. The vehicle was picked up by Ray Stanz (Dan Akroyd) for the sum of $4,800 (about $15,000 in 2024 USD). Venkman (Bill Murray) gave him a hard time for it, because a brand new vehicle at the time would have only run about $6,000, and, according to Stanz, the Caddy still needed “suspension work, and shocks, brakes, brake pads, brake lining, steering box, transmission, rear end… maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring…”
Alfaro thought a Cadillac, while iconic, would not be nearly indestructible enough for a modern take on the original Ectomobile, so he imagined the Ecto-18a, built on a Ram 1500 platform. This change allowed more usable space in the vehicle, better handling, and additional deployment capabilities that would allow the team to stray from paved roads in situations the classic 20 foot long station wagon would simply be poorly suited to tackle.
Before we get into the nuts and bolts (See what I did there?) of the build, let’s talk about how Projekt Cars got involved in the first place. A few years ago, Molina was asked to organize a charity car show in the El Paso area. He used the opportunity to invite a local charitable group called El Paso Y.O.U.N.G. Ghostbusters to participate in the show. The group uses science, cosplay, and props to engage youth at various shows and conventions. Little did the EPYG group know, Carlos had a massive surprise in store for them.
Ahead of the car show’s award ceremony, various high-end aftermarket parts began appearing in front of the Projekt Cars booth. When Molina began the ceremony, he invited Alfaro up to the booth to recognize the Y.O.U.N.G. Ghostbusters for their acts of community service throughout the years. Indicating the various parts displayed in front of the booth, he let Alfaro know they were intended for the Ecto-18a. All of the parts were provided at no cost by sponsors who support Projekt Cars and their builds. In dramatic fashion, a legend was born.
On to the mods…
The all-wheel drive Ram 1500 is visually different from its standard OEM brothers, and not just because of the Ghostbusters roof structure on the four-door Quad Cab passenger cell. The Ram is equipped with robust front and rear bumpers from Iron Cross, which have a matte black finish that matches the LUND side skirt steps. These also tie-in to the Air Design complements on the doors, fender flares, and hood scoop.
The stock wheel and tire combinations on Ram Pick-up axles have a lot of room for improvement. Thus, a set of 20×12 generously sized VRock Anvil VR11 rims with extremely coarse off-road 35×12.50R20 tires from Tri-Ace Pioneer M/T set the stance for the Ram.
The HEMI V8 of the Ram Ecto-18a comes off the factory line with robust horsepower for a mid-sized truck at around 400 HP. Projekt Cars added software optimization from SCT Performance to help with the Volant exhaust system, and increase in non-volatile air from the K&N performance intake. The braking system also remained mostly stock, except for R1 Concepts rotors and MGP Caliper Covers.
Check out the completed build below:
The Y.O.U.N.G. Ghostbusters now use the vehicle at various community events to bring more attention to their booths. Projekt Cars is honored to contribute to the group’s mission in the El Paso community.
