Lamigrausa

Thanks all for the info so far! Sorry for the delay in a response...just got back into the great USA after a 3 day nightmare in Africa. Kissed the ground when we landed! Twice! That's a story for another day. So I managed to get the ole girl started up today and took her for a spin. We got acquainted rather quickly and I have to say that that's not necessarily a good thing. I haven't had any experience with the flathead sixes like this before and I have to say I think I'm lucky to have missed that in my past driving experiences. I am sure some folks must enjoy the feeling of the 50s technology and the nostalgia of it all, however the three on the tree and the overly flat torque curve of this engine was quite disappointing. I now know why the gal that I'm taking on this project for was ready to get rid of Miss Blue. That's what I have aptly named her. I found myself feeling what it must've been like back in the day to drive on a farm or country road at a whopping 35 mph or less and wish you could just go a bit faster, knowing if you did parts of the truck just might fly of due to the vibration of the over revving engine under the hood. I took her on long drive on a two lane highway just outside of Gilbert Arizona where she struggled just to keep up with traffic. I kept wondering to myself if the carburetor was out of tune or maybe the gas in the tank was too old. I don't really have a comparative so maybe ya'll can enlighten me, is this the most this drivetrain has to offer? I think this answers my question of whether or not this flathead could power an automatic properly. A resounding no from what I learned today. 48Dodger can I send Miss Blue to you for the work? Maybe we can work it out? From what I've seen here so far it seems the first gen Dakota swap might be the way to go. I sure love the aesthetics of this truck...but the guts have got to go. Oh ya...power steering is a must too. I damned near took out a gas pump when I went to top off her tank. I wonder why they put the starter pedal right next to the gas pedal...seems like they should be opposite of each other...trying to pump the gas pedal and start was awfully awkward to say the least. Don't beat me up too bad fellas...I'm mostly just venting here. Sorry about that.

Thanks for the thoughts and they mirror about what I was figuring too. So...what are the disadvantages/advantages of doing the Dakota chassis swap? I like the idea of a whole new modern underneath but would the ride height and stance keep the spirit of the truck in tact? Is this actually the preferred method of doing this type of project? Is there a previous build like this memorialized on this site or another? I had considered looking for a Dakota for a parts donor, but not for a full chassis swap. This is a tantalizing idea.

Hi Folks, So I am completely new to the Pilot House world and to Mopar too for that matter. This project is part a long owed favor to a dear friend of mine. She is a soon to be retired law enforcement agent for this great nation of ours and a prior Marine too. Needless to say a pillar of the community and a true friend. With all that out of the way of course there's a story here...she has always wanted an early 50's Dodge Pilot House and a few years ago I managed to acquire her a pretty nice specimen (see attached photos). After the glee of actually owning one faded and the novelty wained she found that driving one in its original form wasn't so pleasurable without some modern underpinnings. Don't get me wrong she loves the nostalgia just not the 50's era handling characteristics, ride, shifting and well you know the story. So after some discussions over a cracking fire or two she (we, with prodding from me!) decided that she couldn't let the truck go and after a few more sessions of further goading from me, she was willing to put her money where her mouth was and move forward with bringing the truck into a state of mostly modern drivability. We hankered back and forth on what a reasonable budget for such an endeavor should be...and what she should expect for that kind of money. Oh and I would be managing the build as part of this 30 year friendship as I probably owe her much more than that for listening to me rant about the endless tales of woe of the 900+ federal employees I have managed at one time or another that have made me a salty old soul over the many years of our careers. Oh ya...the budget...15k. That's what brings me to you folks! From what I have read here a huge wealth of information, knowledge and savvy. I am not retired yet, so I don't have the time to actually do the work myself and will have to farm it out. I am in the Phoenix area so any builders you know in the area would be welcomly received. I'd like to keep the build all Mopar. I was thinking about a 318/360 with a 727 behind it with a mustang style front end. Does this budget seem reasonable? I am sure there are a 1001 ways to skin this cat...I'm all ears!