Forgive me board, I have sinned

[Fireball]

Fellow enthustiastiacs, before throwing the stones please carefully consider all the aspects. My location, rebelious nature, not winning in the lottery and what-so-ever weak reasoning I might have.

The (not original) flatty and fluidrive will separate from my car. I just bought 3.9L V-6 Mopar magnum and 5-speed from Miami, and those will be shipped to northern Finland. It's sequental injected modern engine, so the installation will not only be planting the drivetrain, but computer skilled challenge also.

At the same time I'll rewire the whole car with EZ-wire "painless" kit, install remote central locking etc. So hopefully the end result will be modern reliable technics hidden into old Mopar marbel, providing numerous pride and glory filled miles for me and my family. ECI discs up front and new rear axle are needed as well.

Blame me or wish me luck, that's upon each individuals choice. I myself am thrilled of the challenge and workload ahead. I didn't go the most obvious V8 route for couple of reasons. Our laws here do not permit that swap straight forward, (too big and too powerful compared to original basicly) and I've done dozen of those transplants already, so nothing new for me in there. Secondly, I tend to choose my own ways instead of traditions or "commonly accepted" routes, I usually do what I feel interesting not thinking what other "rodders" think.

Most of the stuff I've bought already, so there's no return. I hope you allow me to join this wunderbar forum in future despite the step over the saint flathead border

Amen

Edited May 8, 2009 by Fireball

[Young Ed]

Tim has the same engine going into a couple of his projects. I have that combo in my 94 dakota. Couldn't ask for a more reliable setup. Congrats on keeping it all mopar I say.

[PatS....]

As for wiring the computer, give Ron Francis a call before you go painless. He can do you up a custom harnes specifically for your car with a serial number for the same price as a "universal" painful kit.

Ask for Ron personally. He invented the hot rod wiring kit in 1974...he da man

http://www.ronfrancis.com/

[Dennis Hemingway]

Take lots of photos to show us. Sounds like a nice set-up.

Dennis

[55 Fargo]

Fellow enthustiastiacs, before throwing the stones please carefully consider all the aspects. My location, rebelious nature, not winning in the lottery and what-so-ever weak reasoning I might have.

The (not original) flatty and fluidrive will separate from my car. I just bought 3.9L V-6 Mopar magnum and 5-speed from Miami, and those will be shipped to northern Finland. It's sequental injected modern engine, so the installation will not only be planting the drivetrain, but computer skilled challenge also.

At the same time I'll rewire the whole car with EZ-wire "painless" kit, install remote central locking etc. So hopefully the end result will be modern reliable technics hidden into old Mopar marbel, providing numerous pride and glory filled miles for me and my family. ECI discs up front and new rear axle are needed as well.

Blame me or wish me luck, that's upon each individuals choice. I myself am thrilled of the challenge and workload ahead. I didn't go the most obvious V8 route for couple of reasons. Our laws here do not permit that swap straight forward, (too big and too powerful compared to original basicly) and I've done dozen of those transplants already, so nothing new for me in there. Secondly, I tend to choose my own ways instead of traditions or "commonly accepted" routes, I usually do what I feel interesting not thinking what other "rodders" think.

Most of the stuff I've bought already, so there's no return. I hope you allow me to join this wunderbar forum in future despite the step over the saint flathead border

Amen

Hey man, it's your ride , and you can do anything you want to it and be accepted on this forum/brotherhood of Old Mopars.

Sounds like it will be a nice set-up, keep us posted as things progress, all the best in the transition.........Fred

[Plymouthy Adams]

don't think you will find a painless wiring dedicated to the 3.9...you need info..contact me PM..I will try to help..have put a brick or two in the road on this set up..not a walk in the park..but not that bad either...can maybe prevent you from making a mistake or two..

[Don Coatney]

And with this thread title I was looking forward to reading some juicy stuff same as confessions. Now I see it is just an upgrade to more modern Mopar stuff. Nothing wrong with that. Old or new the Mopar stuff is dependable. Keep sharing your ideas so we all can learn.

[billwillard]

Cool Man, Just COOOL

Bill

[Plymouthy Adams]

quick pic

 

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[BobT-47P15]

Nah, Fireball......you won't get the boot.

As you can see already, there's interest in your new adventure.

Good luck.

[PatS....]

don't think you will find a painless wiring dedicated to the 3.9...you need info..contact me PM..I will try to help..have put a brick or two in the road on this set up..not a walk in the park..but not that bad either...can maybe prevent you from making a mistake or two..

Hey, Tim, can you post a quick readers digest version...I'm curious as to how this would work.

Thanks

Pat

[Brendan D25]

" He who is without sin cast the first stone" Most everyone on this forum has strayed from originality a little bit and some more than others. Keep us posted. Good Luck, Brendan.

[martybose]

I think it's kind of neat that you're going with a 5 speed instead of taking the easy way out and going automatic. I'll be interested in hearing about your clutch setup.

I just hope you got all of the computers and harnesses from the donor car, otherwise it will be a rough road getting it running.

Marty

[Plymouthy Adams]

get a dakota..get a old plymouth..cut both..weld together..short and sweet..wish it was just simple..Pat there is no readers digest version..my experience goes far beyond the basic fabrication..that part was done in a weekend..the nitpicking of wiring and putting all the late model bells and whistles get quite involved..there is the question of radiator, AC condensor, tranny cooling lines, aux cooler, steering, setting the doghouse and the list goes on..then you have the front bumper to hang back in place and attach tot he Dakota frame..shortening the ears..moving the engine left 3 inches and to the rear 7 while all the time maintain use of factory mounts and stands repositioned, notching the frame for torque clearance..making a few brackets here and there, custom cut and weld of inner fenders to fit about the engine with ample clearance, mounting the battery in the factory Dakota position on the inner stock fenders by notching..the firewall stays tock, the upgrade of swing pedals and late model column is optional to some but a must for me..but after having done my wagon..the next one would dang near be assembly line work...kinda like carving an alligator out of wood..grab a piece of wood and just simply cut away everything that don't look like an alligator..

[Don Coatney]

Tim;

How did you wire in the tilt indicator? Does it signal a full flip with Tiny (mini me) Tim singing tiptoe through the tulips? :D

[Plymouthy Adams]

Don..you tilt this one and the airbag will go off in your face...

[Normspeed]

Sinned? Heck I was busy breaking at least 5 commandments when you posted this. Mopar commandments of course.

Sounds good, and once it's all installed and legal, time for the twin turbos!

[Fireball]

Thanks for the support guys, I knew you won't boot me. It would have been an easier route to buy a doner vehicle, but hey they just do not exist in Finland. There's one magnum motored 1997 Dakota for sale here, and the price is $19 000,- Couldn't even find bare engine here, not even the older TBI version. And buying and shipping and taxing etc for complete car (to tore down) from States would also have been something else than cost for just a drivetrain. And even finding a good package from this distance, getting it to harbour for shipper etc. required some serious hours over computer and phone, but got it settled OK finally. Big risk to get fooled. What goes in now has only 16k behind it, no need for repairs at this point was one of the goals.

Tim, the wiring is not for engine management, but for the rest of the car. All the old ones will be replaced. As for engine management, I have obviously the factory PCM option, or some stand alone system like Meqasquirt. Again time will tell which one of those comes more handy for me, the scene from my living area always differs from yours by the fact that one can't go into pic'n'pull here for parts. I'm trying to spot the original harness and PCM from states. eBay is full of PCM's but the harness seems a bit more harder task. I'm still waiting the sellers answer if he has it or not.

I will get it working, just have no idea at this stage how long it takes. Could be christmas time easily before I have all the goodies here, and my HD needs to get customized in the meantime, so busy winter ahead once again. I'm coming into LA/Pomona for NHRA finals in Nov. and hopefully be able to buy rest of the stuff then the latest, and haul them overseas myself.

[Plymouthy Adams]

It is just too easy to use the wiring harness from the donor car, total bolt in place setup including the fuse box..only my wiper wires were rerouted that way you have the correct PCM and set up..you will want to stay pre 94 if retaining your stock dash guages..as the PCM is still setup for speedo cable and external frame rail mounted fuel pump..the 94 and later are tankmounted regulators and no return line..instrumentation went all pulse generated..

[Fireball]

Good tips Tim, thanks. Sounds like I'm on hunt for factory harness and PCM. Was it so that Dakota rear sits nicely on these puppys also? Only to move the spring pads right?

[Plymouthy Adams]

correct...on the rear gear..I have the 2.94 ratio on mine..another point of interest if you wish to upgrade rear brakes size, the 7 1/4 unit from the larger Diplomat/5th Aves used 10 inch brakes compared to the Dakota 9 inchers..these swap 100% one to the other backing plate to drum..do get the upgraded brake hardware when installing new shoes, cylinders etc..you will probably have to ASK for these by upgrade kit...they are listed as such..

the Dakota steel wheel are a deeper backspace..you will want to probably use these or swap out for for nice factory aluminum wheels..I went with Canyon weels for my application with enlarged cneters and cpinners for the front drum clearance..they also are the same backspace as the Dakota steel..

you are only limited here by your sources for parts and your imigination..

[Fireball]

...which leads to next dilemma, I'm willing to keep my '57 caddy hubcaps on steelwheels instead of aftermarket rims. But updating the front to ECI disks already risks whether the old ones fit or not, so that remains to be seen in further stage which shoes I end up running.

It kinda sucks that the junkyards here have only jap and euro parts, it would be so much easier if the possibility to measure and compare would be there. But sourcing the opportunities carefully beforehand usually benefits, now it looks either Dak or older B-body rears are the closest calls. I know one Dakota in one junkyard in Southern Finland, so there is this thin possibility to find one here.

How about 80's Aspen and Volare (F-body) those are common here = cheap rears available, any info on this interchange?

[Plymouthy Adams]

there are 4 common rear ratios for the Dakota..2.94, 3.23, 3.55 and 3.73 the 8 1/4 size is very strong enough and totally reliable..the data tag glued to the hood of the truck whould list the engine, tranny model and the rear gear ratio in plain english..you ask about the Volare/Aspen...I would think a Dakota would be more available to you than these cars..I do however have a Volare in captivity back of the barn..also keep in mind if you get lucky and can find a 8.8 Ford Maverick/Comet series rear gear..these are also the correct width and very common to be found in V8 model cars in 3.05 ratio...got one of these also in the barn...just do stick with the Mopar ford series so to keep your wheels the same..granted the dual patterns are available but then again..this will increase the cost of your modification..the entire Dakota I got for the front clip, all four wheels/tires, rear end, all brake hardware plus steering and shocks..350.00 and they put it on the trailer...do get the swap bar eliminator from a 2.5 model and the rear shock hanger from the rear of the Dakota frame..this will come in handy later..trust me...!!! you will thank me later..just grind off the rivet heads (6) and snag it home with you...

[Fireball]

Tim, four Dakotas were imported to Finland when new, but Aspens were in thousands. But I just remembered that they have 4" bolt circle 8 1/4s with correct width, so the BC is not ok.

How about loading your barn into Air Force One, and tell the pilot to fly directly over Greenland towards Russia, I'll wave when to start landing :=)

[Plymouthy Adams]

Aspen/Volare should be the larger 4.5 pattern..this was a step up from the earlier Dart/Valiant line it replaced...I will however check this on my car after bit..am getting ready now to splice the wire in to my harness and reconnect everything on the lower end...