Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: RUMBLON]
#2058809
04/21/16 02:41 AM
04/21/16 02:41 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,605 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,605
Freeport IL USA
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If your not intending on using the efi, and will go with a carb, any Dakota truck would probably work. I'd have to take a look under that 4 door truck and see what the frame looks like, and if the drop will be in a good position for whatever cab/body you intend on putting on it.
As far as the V6 to V8 motor, the mounting pads on a Dakota bolt to the frame and those brackets are engine specific. 3.9 fits a 3.9, a 318 fits a 318, and the 4.7 fits a 4.7. How they might interchange between motors is anyone's guess. These days, all the electronics are motor specific, so swapping from, say, a 4.7 to a 318 means you get to swap the complete wiring harness and computer and you better have everything that matches the motor and trans (that came out of a Dakota, or the wiring will be wrong) you want to use. Weather the motor mounts are the same or not becomes a minor issue, you would probably use the ones attached to the motor you pulled out of a Dakota, and they will probably bolt to the frame.
The next thought on the motor mount is will the engine will remain in its original location as a hot rod is built? With my coupe, I moved the drive train back 7". Once you move the motor, whatever was there originally is a pretty mute point. In my case, I just added a 1/4" plate and moved the motor brackets and trans crossmember back the required distance (used what fit the motor and trans and adapted it to the frame where I wanted them to sit).
If you have the ability to swap a frame from one vehicle to something entirely different, motor mounts should be just another step in the frame swap process. Use whatever mounting brackets fit on the motor of choice, and modify them to fit the frame. Gene
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: poorboy]
#2058901
04/21/16 11:32 AM
04/21/16 11:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857 Cambridge Idaho
RUMBLON
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857
Cambridge Idaho
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If your not intending on using the efi, and will go with a carb, any Dakota truck would probably work. I'd have to take a look under that 4 door truck and see what the frame looks like, and if the drop will be in a good position for whatever cab/body you intend on putting on it.
As far as the V6 to V8 motor, the mounting pads on a Dakota bolt to the frame and those brackets are engine specific. 3.9 fits a 3.9, a 318 fits a 318, and the 4.7 fits a 4.7. How they might interchange between motors is anyone's guess. These days, all the electronics are motor specific, so swapping from, say, a 4.7 to a 318 means you get to swap the complete wiring harness and computer and you better have everything that matches the motor and trans (that came out of a Dakota, or the wiring will be wrong) you want to use. Weather the motor mounts are the same or not becomes a minor issue, you would probably use the ones attached to the motor you pulled out of a Dakota, and they will probably bolt to the frame.
The next thought on the motor mount is will the engine will remain in its original location as a hot rod is built? With my coupe, I moved the drive train back 7". Once you move the motor, whatever was there originally is a pretty mute point. In my case, I just added a 1/4" plate and moved the motor brackets and trans crossmember back the required distance (used what fit the motor and trans and adapted it to the frame where I wanted them to sit).
If you have the ability to swap a frame from one vehicle to something entirely different, motor mounts should be just another step in the frame swap process. Use whatever mounting brackets fit on the motor of choice, and modify them to fit the frame. Gene This is my project truck
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: savoy64]
#2060549
04/23/16 11:57 PM
04/23/16 11:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,449 Dandridge TN
Dabee
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,449
Dandridge TN
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the v6 and the v8 use the same motor mounts---we have put a 5.2 in the spot the 3.9 fit----also the motor mount ears actually unbolt off the frame---i have saved several sets and have just recently handed a couple to a friend so he could use them mounting a 5.7 hemi in his 34 plymouth coupe----the gen 1 dakota is just fine for the job at hand--i would watch for a single cab short or long bed..... Yep, V6 / V8 use same mounts. I just did two swaps using 87 Dak chassis. One for a 52 Dodge pu and the other for a 56 Dodge pu.
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: RodStRace]
#2061318
04/25/16 12:16 PM
04/25/16 12:16 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857 Cambridge Idaho
RUMBLON
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857
Cambridge Idaho
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Dave, sorry to hear the rod went away. Hope you got decent money out of it. As said, the early ones had the 5 lug pattern. Only 4s and V6s except the Shelby until 92 with the bowed nose. 96 and newer have OBDII, so you will want to avoid them or change it to an earlier drivetrain unless you want to mess with computers and wiring! I'd look for a 92 318 magnum, 518 without torque converter. You can install the whole wiring/PCM or swap to a carb-intake and electronic dist. The trans will take any 727 converter. You will have to swap discs in front for the 5 lug, and redrill or swap axles in back. Here's one you could probably have together fairly quick aside from the rear fenders http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1948-DODG...=item2c53ee0840There are guys here and the other site that have done these year trucks.... This one popped up recently http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/5553288642.htmlRUMBLON
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: RUMBLON]
#2061655
04/25/16 09:17 PM
04/25/16 09:17 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857 Cambridge Idaho
RUMBLON
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857
Cambridge Idaho
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Dave, sorry to hear the rod went away. Hope you got decent money out of it. As said, the early ones had the 5 lug pattern. Only 4s and V6s except the Shelby until 92 with the bowed nose. 96 and newer have OBDII, so you will want to avoid them or change it to an earlier drivetrain unless you want to mess with computers and wiring! I'd look for a 92 318 magnum, 518 without torque converter. You can install the whole wiring/PCM or swap to a carb-intake and electronic dist. The trans will take any 727 converter. You will have to swap discs in front for the 5 lug, and redrill or swap axles in back. Here's one you could probably have together fairly quick aside from the rear fenders http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1948-DODG...=item2c53ee0840There are guys here and the other site that have done these year trucks.... This one popped up recently http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/5553288642.htmlRUMBLON ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OK, so we drive down to Boise and bought this truck. 1992 Dakota 318 magnum. Started right up and sounds GREAT! Drove it onto my trailer for $200.00. Im going to use it on some project, just not sure what, either this Studebaker truck or keep looking for another mopar projecT. Im wondering what all I can use from this rig, it has power windows, AC, and it has an OD button, so it has over drive I am guessing. RUMBLON
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: poorboy]
#2061785
04/26/16 12:51 AM
04/26/16 12:51 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857 Cambridge Idaho
RUMBLON
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,857
Cambridge Idaho
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Pictures don't work, but you can use nearly all of that Dakota. I used everything from a 90 Dakota on my coupe except the roof and cab back panel, Door shells, inner door panels, glass, the box sides, and about 200 lbs of odd stuff. Then I cut up the sheet metal and used most of it for patch panels. What you can use is only limited to what you can imagine a use for something. Gene The pics are not showing up for you? Anyone else, they are showing up for me. Am I correct that the wheelbase for this truck is 130.9 in (3,325 mm) (ext. cab) According to what I can find on line my studebaker truck has a 112" wheelbase. So I will start planning and collecting parts if I go with this truck. I have a lot to get done on this shop before I can start building in it. RUMBLON
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: RUMBLON]
#2062446
04/27/16 01:25 AM
04/27/16 01:25 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889 up yours
Supercuda
About to go away
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About to go away
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
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Daks around here are like gold apparently. Some scrapped out beaters with no titles are asking $1000. No thanks. Been looking for a pre OBDII V6 manual trans one for my project, but no luck so far.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
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Re: DAKOTA DONORS- WHAT YEARS R BEST-Whos used them?
[Re: wayfarer]
#2063865
04/29/16 10:23 AM
04/29/16 10:23 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889 up yours
Supercuda
About to go away
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About to go away
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
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Thanks, first one is gone, second one is automatic. BTW, second one location is home. But I am literally all over W. Texas, so it don't matter.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
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