Coach Kimo aka Tarzan

Aloha from Oregon!

I’m Kimo, and I’m the caretaker of a 1983 Dodge M886 Military Ambulance — affectionately called RamboAmbo — that I’ve been restoring, maintaining, and upgrading for over a decade.

When I first got her, the rust was brutal. I went through the full POR-15 process by the book — degreaser, Metal Prep, etch, multiple coats, and topcoat. Ten years later, it’s held up extremelywell everywhere… except for one area: the roof seam. This is the first sign of failure, and I’m looking for advice from anyone who’s tackled seam rust repair after long-term POR-15 service.

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Current Rust Issue

Recently, I noticed rust reappearing at the roof seam. I’ll be posting pictures soon once I’m on my computer, but for now, I can say it’s creeping under the seam sealer and lifting the coating in a few spots. It’s the only location where the POR-15 has failed since I did the full restoration work 10 years ago.

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The Truck
• Dana 60 front, Dana 70 rear (both locked)
• Dually rear setup
• 360 with ThermoQuad carb (considering Holley Sniper EFI)
• Original military 4-patient ambulance box

My goal is to preserve the original layout while converting it into a functional camper with:
• Solar-powered 12 V house system
• Inverter and modern lighting
• Convertible bed system using the ambulance litters

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Looking for:
• Seam rust repair tips after long-term POR-15 use
• Recommendations on EFI/TBI, just want a more turn key vehicle big dream is diesel swap for reliability 4bt or 6bt
• Leads on original M886 ambulance box parts

Thanks for letting me join — looking forward to sharing progress and learning from the community.

Mahalo nui & blessings,
Kimo
Sonrise Boxing T.E.A.M.