C-series build underway. Dakota chassis big block
#2501891
05/29/18 06:05 PM
05/29/18 06:05 PM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,682 Philadelphia
radar
OP
top fuel
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OP
top fuel
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,682
Philadelphia
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Howdy! So I posted a little bit ago about my plans and got a bunch of wisdom from y’all and Dabee even PM’d me his phone # and sent me a bunch of helpful pictures of a finished pilot house on a Dak frame. This will be my build thread so it can hopefully help others and give folks a chance to tell me I’m doing things bass ackwards Things are moving along nicely. I have four or five days in so far. The dakota is stripped from the bed foreward, leaving the suspension and steering in place. That will all get rebuilt and rebushed later. The 54 has the fenders nose and rad support removed as a unit. It was two bolts in each doorjam and two bolts holding the rad support. They all fought mightily but none required the torch. The cab bolts were harder but the cab is off the 54 chassis as well. Yesterday I got some help from a couple friends and we did a first mock up. The rear body mount pedestals which also hold the front bed mounts are too wide and need to get chopped off so the cab can slide back. I’m saving them and relocating the front portion to be reused with new poly body mounts for a dakota. The front body mounts on the 54 cab are mushy and one is gone so I will probably be grafting in a bunch of the Dak firewall before I relieve it for the motor. Also the front horns of the dak frame hit the tins all wrong so they will get chopped off and create a new bolt in bracket for the 54 rad support (thanks for the pics Dabee!) That’s all for now. I haven’t figured out how to post pics here since photobucket screwed everybody so if you wanna see pics I have a bunch up on the flathead dodge truck forum http://p15-d24.com/topic/47345-512-cid-c-series-on-dakota-chassis-build-thread/Thanks
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Re: C-series build underway. Dakota chassis big block
[Re: radar]
#2502535
05/31/18 02:13 AM
05/31/18 02:13 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,588 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,588
Freeport IL USA
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Your making good progress.
The idea of doing a completely new rear frame isn't a bad idea, given the power your about to feed this thing. It would be a lot easier to set it up now, rather then to wait and take it apart to change it later. Might be a good time to upgrade the rear axle now as well.
I'm a Mopar guy, but there are not many heavy duty Mopar rear axle choices available these days. If you don't have a more suitable Mopar rear end then an 8 /4, a Ford 8,8 out of an Explorer has the 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern, can be had with disc brakes, and 3:73 posi rear end, can be bought for pretty cheap, and the width should be pretty close to what you need. You can buy a flange that will accept the smaller Mopar U-joint. You would need to cut off the coil spring brackets and weld on the spring perches for the leaf springs if you were going with leaf springs on your new rear frame, but there may be advantages setting up the new rear frame to take advantage of the 8,8 coil spring setup. The 8.8 will hold up a lot better to the 512 then an 8 1/4 will. Gene
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Re: C-series build underway. Dakota chassis big block
[Re: radar]
#2502788
05/31/18 06:01 PM
05/31/18 06:01 PM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,682 Philadelphia
radar
OP
top fuel
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OP
top fuel
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,682
Philadelphia
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Thanks Poorboy
I’m conflicted about the rear. My one good buddy I wrench with keeps saying “stop playing around- do a 4 link!” but he also often thinks I should drink shots! I would love to do coilovers with a 3.90 gear dana 60 on a four link, but I still have to buy a cam and a rotating assembly. so it’s partly a $ thing. For now I think I’m counting on not racing it and having street tires slip before breaking stuff to make this rear live. It should be a fairly light weight truck. And if it breaks I already own 3 different 8.25 rears, one with discs, so there is that. If I thought I could easily sell them maybe I would buy a dana and 4 link it.
I want to move foreward quickly on this project and not get bogged down by the time and expense of bodywork or front suspension rebuilding but I also know that those things can easily happen later. Other more frivolous stuff like making it a shortbed need to happen early in the build so the wheelbase will only change once.
I grabbed another 400 shortblock last night. It looks super clean and already has a deep rear sump milodon pan and pickup which I can definitely use!
Last edited by radar; 05/31/18 06:03 PM.
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Re: C-series build underway. Dakota chassis big block
[Re: radar]
#2523854
07/18/18 11:59 PM
07/18/18 11:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,588 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,588
Freeport IL USA
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It always seems like we get nothing done with the time we have available, but any progress is moving the project forward. I like the little bites theme, that is how it will get done.
I think the front end is going to be a little low once the big block is hanging in the engine bay. I'm guessing that the motor will sit back a few inches then placement of the original motor, which will help. Was the Dakota a V6 or a 4 banger? The V8 front springs from a 91-96 Dakota might give you the spring capacity you might need, and that could leave the ride height as it is.
I'm guessing the motor will be sitting inside the cab about 6"! That will put the firewall about even with the bottom of the dash.... At least that was the way my 54 ended up. I had a hole cut in the firewall the width of the motor. It made for an uncomfortable for a rider in the center, but was OK for a passenger and the driver. Pictures of my 54, that was sold 15 years ago. It was done with an F,M,&J clip, 360, 727, 9 1/4 w/3:12 sure grip. We put 40,000 + miles on it. Gene
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