I know a lot of people say they are gonna swap in a Dakota frame or front end. Has anybody got pictures of a finished vehicle? (41 Dodge truck pictures would be especially nice)

I get the feeling the Dakota is a little too wide.

Has anybody narrowed a Dakota front? Seems like the rack and pinion would make things easier.

I can't help with finished pics, but I am working on one right now for a 41 dodge/fargo pick up. It's about 3" wider track width iirc. So far I have the frame shortened, welded back together and strengthened. Hopefully I'll get the cab mounted on the frame before winter, but with hunting season started my truck time has been shortened. Check out this guys web site:

http://personal.kitusa.com/stan/

A really nice guy too, I've emailled a few questions for him. The rack and pinion was one of the reasons I decided on the Dakota frame.
Matt

I did one in my 49 dodge.

Do you have any pictures of the finished product?

I'm more interested in how the wheels fit in the fenders and the ride height of the finished truck/car.

I can't tell you what the ride height is because I don't have the engine in. I am probably going to cut a coil, since I want it lowered. The outside width is about 1" total wider, no problem with tire clearance under those big fenders.

The ride height is another reason I went with a dakota frame (instead of volary/diplomat). It's easy to find lowering parts for the front, ie, spindles, springs. And the rear end is easy to adjust with blocks since the dif is already on top of the springs. You can also get the height close to what you want when you mount the cab and front clip by the brackets you make and their height location.
Moparron also has a link to a bunch of pictures of a friend of his' truck that has a dakota frame under it.
Matt

here is the link to the dakota frame swap, but its not finished yet, the guy it was sold to is letting it sit till he gets some other things finished

LINK:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/300985977tszAFe


.

Here is one a friend of mine did. It has air ride on it as well. It was a total Dakota frame and driveline. He claims it was a fairly simple, (Not quick), project. I have a better picture, I will try to find it!!!! (The purple one)

Found them!!!!

rear shot

Though those are aftermarket wheels, even the stock Dakota wheels have the shallow look. The wheels are actually just about centered over the ball joints. My Dakota has the factory 15x 6 steel wheels and they look about the same offset as the ones pictured on that nice coupe. Gene

Are all Dakotas the same width?

If not, which model years fall into which width categories?

not sure about widths, but the 87-90 Dakota uses 5 lug, 4 and a half bolt circle, just like the muscle years. Would think this would make for better, easier wheel selection. Have an 89 shortbed that is going to find itself under a 47 Dodge sedan when I get a little time

there is aslo a dodge van rotor 5 lug that wil interchange with the dakota 6 lug

Six lug wheels aren't a big deal for me. I found a cool set in the six lug dakota pattern.

I was curious about the actual frame/suspension dimensions.

When they went away from the boxy look, there were some magazine articles that said it was still the same truck underneath. I'm wondering how acurate those comments actually were.

here is a pic from my unfinished build, 1955 Dodge 1/2 ton with a 90 Dakota ext cab frame.....just to show the front wheels fit in the front fenders, haven't mounted the box yeat, and there will be a MINOR amount of adjustment required, but this is very close to fit.

the rims are the stock dakota, just there for rolling it. the engine will be a 72 440 built, with a 72 torqueflite converted to pushbutton shift, using a 57 truck shifter assy.

looking good

Ummmmmmm, no? LOL!

Sorry got sidetracked. The weather has been really nice to work on the project (it's outside) and I keep forgetting to take pictures. Hey, I'm getting old.
We will see how I do tomorrow.
Here is a picture of when I drug it home.
Gene

Here is a picture from the rear, of my 48 Plymouth business coupe. The car is not yet complete, but you should be able to get an idea how the tires fit in the fenders.

For the record, the Plymouth body and rear fenders are not modified other then where it was clearanced to fit on the stock shortened 90 Dakota frame. The complete Dakota frame was used, it was shortened 8", but the rear axle, springs, shocks and original 6" Dakota wheels are intact as used on the truck. The 48 body shell was braced and cut at the floor pan, then lowered onto the shortened Dakota frame. The car will be a street version of a mid 60s dirt track race car. I will be using the Dakota frame, the cab floor and firewall, the seat, steering, and drive train (EFI v6, 5 speed, 8 1/4). The Dakota was an 8' box truck and I'm installing the floor of the truck box as a floor in the rear of the car, trimmed to match.

For those interested, I shortened the wheel base 8" (removed just in front of the fuel tank). I set the Dakota cab floor pan back 7" (this was so the firewalls were in the same relative location to each other) and relocated the front cab/floor mounts back 7" and built new rear cab mounts. What used to be the rear of the truck cab is about 2" in front of the original fuel tank. I moved the engine and transmission back 7" by modifying the motor mounts at the frame and relocating the trans cross member. I cropped the rear frame rails 4" rearward of the rear cross member, the front and rear suspensions are unmodified at this point. The box floor was trimmed at the wheel well width, and cut into two parts making a front 1/2 and a rear 1/2. The box floor is bolted to the frame with a 1/2" rubber spacer between the box and the frame at all bolt on locations. The box floor uses the factory cross member bolts to the frame at the fuel tank cross member on the front 1/2 and at the rear edge of where the rear of the wheel wells would have been on the back 1/2 of the floor. The rear of the box floor is bolted with new fabricated mounts at the rear frame cross member. The box floor is 6" above the cab floor pan and about ends 6" in front of the fuel tank cross member.

I am installing a 4 point roll cage in this car, and the main hoop will be attached to the floor pan(s) at the step up location. The cab floor still has the factory reinforcing cab mounting intact and is bolted to the frame using the factory rubber mount system and this bracing and mount is 6" in front of the fuel tank cross member. I used the front of the truck box to fabricate the step up with 2 1/8" plates at each side to attach the roll bar main hoop to. The floor pan and the box floor and the 1/8" plates are all attached to the inner structure of the 48 body. I have built new body mount area on the front of the cab floor at the firewall and all that is attached to the 48 body at the front door post and firewall supports. New inner and outer rockers are being fabricated that attach the front and rear door posts together and attach to the floor pan. The front posts of the roll cage will attach to 2 1/8" plated welded to the floor pan at the front body mounts. The box floor is welded to the 48 body inner wheel wells all the way from the rear door post to the rear body mounts at the rear frame cross member and the floor seam between the front 1/2 and the rear 1/2 will be welded closed. I had to cut the rear floor to install it in the car. There is a total of 10 rubber, bolt through, (1/2" grade 5 bolts) body mounts that attach the body shell to the frame with the roll cage attaching to 1/8" plates within inched of 6 of those mounts. The roll cage will likely be attached to the 48 body structure and the seat belts will attach to the cage. Keep in mind, this will be a street driven car.

I believe I'm going with cut rear fenders and the front fenderless with the hood cropped. There will be step type rear bumper with the stand off bars and the front will probably be the Dakota front bumper cropped a bot with stand off bars. There will also be nerf bars on the side of the car. I'm thinking about standard offset 7" wheels with an aggressive 70 series truck tire.

The Dakota was a running truck with about 120K miles. I'm intending on rebuilding the brakes, front suspension and running new fuel and brake lines and hoses. I will put a new clutch in it, and there are a couple pieces of glass to replace (all flat). I'm hoping I will have it on the road in the spring, 2011.

Pictures posted in seperate replies, first is general rear view, body is at stock Dakota height.

Rear view, left side.

Right side rear view

Left side side view

right side side view

Side view of the whole car

Step up from Dakota cab floor to Dakota box floor

Dakota front floor pan installed in the 48 body

Trying to decide if I want to go fenderless on the front. Last picture for tonight. Gene

You didn't throw away anything from the Dakota did you? Nice job putting the two together.

Ha, not much for sure! I even used the box sides for replacement metal on the coupe quarters and filler pieces along the floors and sides of the body! It helped the Dakota was real solid in most places. The floor pan was spotless and the box had a topper on it all of its life, so the inside of the box was really nice as well. The rockers were gone, but the inner rocker piece was decent, the box outer wheel wells were bad, and the front fenders were junk. I'm going to cut up the real nice doors so I can use the door latches, striker, and handles. I might be able to adapt the window lift system as well. That stuff is all junk in the coupe. I think when I'm all done, I'm going to be left with the hood, tailgate, rad support, and rear tail lights, but that's still subject to change.

Don't suppose your going to believe this one will be a cheap project, eh? I'm going to have as much money tied up in getting the car titled and licensed in my name as I'll have in the rest of the build, almost. I'm going with a bonded title so there won't be any issues with the state of IL in the future. I expect to be on the road for under $3,000 next spring. Gene

GENE thanks for sharing, a pic of the adapted fire wall when you get a chance, very intresting, if it was on a street rod,,the donor fire wall would make it easy to adapt the donor vehicle heat and A/C steering column,,etc,,very kool,,,

i use to live in ill,,,whats the bonded title??

oh and i say front fenders,just my 2 cents

I discovered as I progressed through that a Dakota firewall is not straight! The driver side is farther forward then the passenger side by almost 3"! I intended on using the Dakota heat/ac box as well, but I'm not sure its going to fit. The blower fan on the box sits right of where the AC hoses connect to the unit. That happens to be the area that get narrow on the 48 because the hood hinge is outside the body at the same point the blower fan sits inside. I'm going to have to do an actual test fit, it will be real close, one way or the other.
The state of IL has determined any car, 48 or older can not be identified by serial numbers, body numbers, frame numbers and engine numbers accurately. Unless all those numbers match up 100% correctly, they say they can not prove the title you hand them belongs to the car you want to title. About October of 2009, they determined every 48 and older car has to have a bonded title unless one of 2 things are present.
1) every number has to be easily readable, and all numbers have to match the paper work you have, or
2) you have to transfering a current IL title. Both are iffy.
The current process is to build the car, have it appraised, have it pass a NSRA safety inspection, buy a bond for 3 times the appraised value, you have to list all the major componets origin, and have a discription of the build process. You send all that down state with the proper form and payment and in about 3 months they issue you a new vin number (they install) and matching title. Then that department sends your paper work over the the dept of tax collection where they try to get 8% of the appraised value.

Wish I could say its whats coming, but unfortunately, its already here. Be prepared, once IL gets by with this for a while, I expect most states to follow suit. Gene

Other side. I'll try to get better pictures. Gene

well it could be worse,,and not be able to build it or title it,,,ill was alwasy easier on regestration,,,,im in PA now,,leaving soon as i can,,,,,its all money driven,,but at least its doable in ill,,,,

Nice Job.....thanks for the pictures.

All you have to do is have vision, a I can do that , and you come up with a cool old/ new ride

a few more pics with the rims I'll run on the front, different backspacing than the stock dak rims, like i said "uh-oh"....but a quick look says it'll have room, now what it will look like room wise with the 440 and 727 in it, we'll see in the spring.

oh yeah, the cab mounts are done and heavy tacked until i can get some gusseting done on top of the rear mounts and finish weld he fronts.

more...

and the rears, see where the gusseting will be required on the tops to tie them into the top of the frame rail...these are some nice frames , these dak frames...

cab mounts look good ! you mite have cooling problems with that cardboard "radiator" tho....... just kidding !i like your wheel choice too.

What frame are you guys useing???long bed,short,etc.

I'm using a 1990 Extended cab frame....approx 123 / 124" wb. fits nice. will have to take a bit out of the frame depending on what box I use, I have a 8foot step side factory, may try and get a 9" fleet side from a 3/4 ton 56 near me.

i have the 4.5 on 5 mopar bolt pattern on the front end and a 66 8 3/4 from a Newport so I can retain all mopar...with a few non mopar parts thrown in for cheapness

Mine was a standard cab with an 8' box, so it had the 124" wheel base as well. I took 8" out of my frame right in front of the fuel tank. I used the stock Dakota floor pan under my 48 Plymouth coupe, so I moved the floor towards the rear 7" and modified all the cab mounts. The Dakota rear cab mounts are located right in line with the rear edge of door posts on the coupe body. Gene

I was also glad to see that in last issue Mopar Action, on their "Scat-Dak" project, they got an old DC/MP item re-upped ...

It's a shock that is mounted forward of the axle and the top of the shock is bolted to a bracket on the frame , used in place of Cal-Trac style bars to absorb wind-up from the axle and reduce and or stop wheel hop and aid in traction.

These kits were originally designed and used for off road truck applications.....

I remember reading about these kits they adapted to a dart years ago...

I'm pumped !

There are several ways to do this swap. Mine is not finished, but the frame is and the drivetrain is ready. I hope to finish the body work and paint by the end of april. The Mopar Nats this year is my goal. As far as frame kick-up on a Dak, i didn't like it and used the 57 frame rear section. That way i can keep a flat bed floor. I also made my motor mounts and tubbed the bed by adding in 9" to the fender wells.

A bed shot, i didn't want a long bed, so i shortened it to a short bed.

One more shot before i blew it apart for paint.

keeping this for reference.

Any new info for this thread. Been a long time.

RUMBLON