Mopardude
Well-Known Member
I have a bunch of questions I need to start thinking about for my 42 Dodge pickup project. Looking for some insight or thoughts from others or maybe where I can go to find the answers I need. For this project I will be putting this 42 body onto the frame of a 94 Dakota.
My main concern when I do this swap is I have a title for the 42 but not the Dakota. The 42 vin # is on the frame and the Dakota is in the dash, Is this going to cause me problems later, insurance wise or if it ever gets stolen? Can I solve this by making a home made vin plate and welding it to the truck somewhere?
I have an extra A-body 8 3/4 laying around still from when I had my A-bodies. I have read many places that this is a common swap a lot of Dakota guys do anyways and seems better to me than trying to find a 9 1/4 rear for it. Anyone know if caltracs are a viable option for keeping traction back there or what is popular thing to do, to setup a dakota? All the Dakotas I have ever had have been the 3.9 and that engine can light them up pretty decent so I am curious how the v8 guys are dealing with traction.
Currently the Dakota has the 3.9 in it with auto trans. I plan on putting my 360 that I originally built for my Dart into this truck along with some sort of manual trans. Assuming I don't have to move where the engine sits in the frame of Dakota, as I plan on clearancing the cab if I need to make room, I assume the engine mounts they use on the 3.9 are the same as they would use for a v8? Can anyone confirm?
From what I been told the manual trans to get is the nv3500. Seems atleast around here that is a very hard trans to find from a Dakota. My question is did they ever use the nv3500 in a Ram or is there a manual trans from a Ram that would work in the Dakota frame?
Since Dakotas would have come with magnum v8's and I am putting in a LA engine. Is there a difference in the exhaust ports of magnum and LA heads so I can use off the shelf headers for a Dakota?
My main concern when I do this swap is I have a title for the 42 but not the Dakota. The 42 vin # is on the frame and the Dakota is in the dash, Is this going to cause me problems later, insurance wise or if it ever gets stolen? Can I solve this by making a home made vin plate and welding it to the truck somewhere?
I have an extra A-body 8 3/4 laying around still from when I had my A-bodies. I have read many places that this is a common swap a lot of Dakota guys do anyways and seems better to me than trying to find a 9 1/4 rear for it. Anyone know if caltracs are a viable option for keeping traction back there or what is popular thing to do, to setup a dakota? All the Dakotas I have ever had have been the 3.9 and that engine can light them up pretty decent so I am curious how the v8 guys are dealing with traction.
Currently the Dakota has the 3.9 in it with auto trans. I plan on putting my 360 that I originally built for my Dart into this truck along with some sort of manual trans. Assuming I don't have to move where the engine sits in the frame of Dakota, as I plan on clearancing the cab if I need to make room, I assume the engine mounts they use on the 3.9 are the same as they would use for a v8? Can anyone confirm?
From what I been told the manual trans to get is the nv3500. Seems atleast around here that is a very hard trans to find from a Dakota. My question is did they ever use the nv3500 in a Ram or is there a manual trans from a Ram that would work in the Dakota frame?
Since Dakotas would have come with magnum v8's and I am putting in a LA engine. Is there a difference in the exhaust ports of magnum and LA heads so I can use off the shelf headers for a Dakota?