We did an easier swap, 96 Dakota to 84 Ramcharger. The 84 318 mounts fit the Magnum block just fine. I did have to make a new trans crossmember for the 518, but that was easy. We swapped the entire 96 wiring harness and only made up what we needed for the wipers, steering column, and AC/heater. We used a cluster from a 92 Ram (electronic analog speedometer) because it fit the 84 dash.

The fuel tank is another issue. Both the Ramcharger and Dakota had plastic tanks. I believe the ultimate solution would have been a van fuel tank (mid-90s), but we couldn't find one that hadn't been punctured by the wrecking yard. We wound up using some sealant and some screws/plates to attach the Dakota pump flange to the Ramcharger tank.