body swap

[41husk]

can you swap a 1950 dodge 5 window pick up oh to a 1999 dodge Dakota frame?

 

[805moparkid]

they put ships into a bottle dont they?

 

[CudaChris67]

With enough time and money you could do it on the moon with robots


Seriously though, I have read of plenty of vintage swaps being swapped on to modern drivetrain. The biggest thing is to get the wheel base and track width correct.

 

[805moparkid]

With enough time and money you could do it on the moon with robots


Seriously though, I have read of plenty of vintage swaps being swapped on to modern drivetrain. The biggest thing is to get the wheel base and track width correct.

exactly... the dak frames are perfect for the 40's body style but i dont know about the 50's trucks...

 

[CudaChris67]

I can't find the one that I was following but here is one I found with a google

http://fordodgetrucksonly.forumotion.com/t27-rapid-s-58-big-window

 

[41husk]

Thanks!

 

[Woods74]

If your asking the question, your already behind. One can do anything with anything. Depends on how much time and money you want to spend.

 

[sireland67]

50's cabs are wider than the early stuff, consider also using a d-150 frame.
Measure the width of the cab mounts and then measure the dakota and d-150 frames, pick the one that fits the best.

 

[YY1]

I have a 1980 D150 with a rotten cab.

I've been considering an earlier cab, like one from the 40's.

I saw a 47 at a show recently, and asked the owner if I could take some measurements.

I was shocked to find that the 47 frame is actually a couple inches wider than my 1980 frame.

The distance from the back of the cab to the front axle center line was identical.

Armed with that info, I think a Dak frame is going to be too small.

 

[74Dusted]

exactly... the dak frames are perfect for the 40's body style but i dont know about the 50's trucks...

50's cabs are wider than the early stuff, consider also using a d-150 frame.
Measure the width of the cab mounts and then measure the dakota and d-150 frames, pick the one that fits the best.

Shouldn't be a problem in that case, since cab is the same 1948-1953. Also the Pre-1947 Cab is the same too, minus a different front clip, dash and fender style. It's when you get into the really old stuff, or the 1954 and newer trucks that things changed.

Excluding maybe the 40's WM300 Military Power Wagon, pretty sure those used the same cab and bed as a 1940's B Series truck too

 

[challengergary]

Head over to Moparts and check out the Street Rodder section. There's a bunch of guys there that have built trucks on Dak frames.