Yella71, I fully understand, unfortunately, this one is not the first disaster case I've been involved in, there have been a couple before this one. At the beginning of each of those other projects, everyone told me I was crazy, and every time I swore it was the last time I would undertake such a big project, but here I am, doing the 3rd or 4th such project. Maybe they are right?

Oh well, its always better after you take that first trip around the block and make it back home! This one is getting close to that 1st trip around the block, the list is getting smaller, and its starting to really look like a car! I've been driving it in and out of the garage for a couple months now.

This is the first major project I've done where the "parts supply ride" was a running, driving, & street legal car or truck. I've used so much of the original Dakota, its almost intact. Things have progressed quickly, as I'm getting past the "engineering" portion and progressing towards the "replacement" portion.
At this point, the largest out of pocket expense has been buying the parts to rebuild the entire Dakota brake system. Everything will be new except the brake booster, master cylinder, and rear brake backing plates. I have over $800 in brake only parts, I'm not buying the cheapest crap out there, but its not the most expensive stuff either. I'm waiting to the end to redo the brakes, the current brakes stop the car, but before it hits the road, all the new stuff will be there. The emergency brake pedal assembly is the only area that will need any engineering, unless you consider running new steel brake lines engineering. Replacing parts is a lot easier and faster then trying to figure out what will work together. Gene