Drivetrain Swap

[old rat 49]

Have decided to upgrade with a doner vehicle for reliabilty and ease of repair and availability of parts. Working within a very tight budget and I want V6 with at least 150 hp and auto trans. Don't want to do a frame swap. Just a front clip and rear end. This will give me power steering, better brakes, better highway driving etc. Will start doing some measuring but has anyone done this recently and successfully ? Have searched and searched. Dakota or an S10 of some sorts seems most likely candidates. Input appreciated. Will have a complete running drive train for sale once removed from my car if somebody needs it. I do a lot of driving while camping as much as 600 in a weekend. Plan on a 3K+ trip in the fall. Going to keep it stock looking though.

Edited February 27, 2010 by old rat 49

[Frank Elder]

Your car has an fine independent suspension already, if you add a shock relocation kit, and a disc brake kit, fab up some motor mounts for the V6 you don't need to "clip" anything.

However it is your car....and your decision.

[Don Coatney]

Good luck!

Stay with the stock front end (with disc brakes), do a T-5 manual transmission, Flathead hopped up engine, differential swap, and you can get where you want to be within budget. Otherwise forget it.

[Tim Keith]

A 265 big six would have good torque and most observers would

think it was stock. Finding a 265 can be hard unless you search

farm salvage yards and old industrial equipment. I have had no

success, but one day I will. A 251 would work well too.

It don't think the 265 would need much hop up to meet the 150

HP goal, or rather its torque which is your real target. I am not

a big fan of V6s as I prefer inlines, although a V6 can work well

for you. The look and smoothness of the L-heads sixes can not

be beat. Even a new car with a V6 won't be as smooth as the

inline six.

[old rat 49]

Correct me if I'm wrong please. T5 is a 5 speed standard trans and needs an adapter; dual caliper master cylinder set up costs several hundred dollars; front disc kit is $500 or more and still woudn't have power steering or better shocks. Rearend is unknown. 200 miles from home where do I get a water pump or whatever for a 60 year old car on a Sunday afternoon. I can get a decent doner for $1500 or less and everything matches and I can get parts. If I was just going to drive it around the local area that would be different. I'd do a brake job and get some plates on it.

[old rat 49]

Basicly what I am asking is which of the donors would be the best frame to clip fit.

[greg g]

Early Dakota, but then you need to fab all the sheet metal supports.

[Robert Horne]

I bought a 95 Ford Ranger to put one of my Coupe bodies on. The width and length is a good fit. The S10s are a good fit also. Easier to change the body to the complete frame rather than do cut and weld sections. 5 speeds are a good way to improve driveability behing the flathead is you want to go that way. I am working on adapting a 5 Speed Ranger trans, that I do not need an adaptor for. 83 to 87 Ranger 5 speed.

[Don Coatney]

Correct me if I'm wrong please. T5 is a 5 speed standard trans and needs an adapter; dual caliper master cylinder set up costs several hundred dollars; front disc kit is $500 or more and still woudn't have power steering or better shocks. Rearend is unknown. 200 miles from home where do I get a water pump or whatever for a 60 year old car on a Sunday afternoon. I can get a decent doner for $1500 or less and everything matches and I can get parts. If I was just going to drive it around the local area that would be different. I'd do a brake job and get some plates on it.

You are correct a T-5 is a 5 speed standard transmission. I installed one in my car without an adaptor.

I do not know what a dual caliper master cylinder is. Is it the same as a dual chamber master cylinder? If so it is not required with a disc brake conversion. I have converted my car to front disc brakes and the total cost was around $500.00.

I have new shocks front and rear on my car and they work well. I do not have power steering. But once the car is moving down the road it steers very easily.

I have installed a 74 Charger differential with 3.55/1 gearing. Total cost for that conversion was around $150.00.

I bought a new water pump, fuel pump, alternator (I have converted to 12 volts), thermostat, oil filter, etc. at the local parts stores (NAPA, Car Quest, etc) and they had these parts in stock.

I have made several long trips in my car with the above equipment and find it is very dependable.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Correct me if I'm wrong please. T5 is a 5 speed standard trans and needs an adapter; dual caliper master cylinder set up costs several hundred dollars; front disc kit is $500 or more and still woudn't have power steering or better shocks. Rearend is unknown. 200 miles from home where do I get a water pump or whatever for a 60 year old car on a Sunday afternoon. I can get a decent doner for $1500 or less and everything matches and I can get parts. If I was just going to drive it around the local area that would be different. I'd do a brake job and get some plates on it.

Actually it sounds like you already have a handle on the situation and what you want to do...I don't think you will find anyone that has gone before you on this having in their hands a "blueprint" of what it took them to do the job with precise measurement etc etc...I know I do not and I have done a couple of these myself.

Best advice is to go out..locate a suspect donor and measure measure measure..do this part well as in there is oft times no return to stock from some mods. Good luck..as I am a Mopar man, I would suggest keeping it all mopar...more and more events I attend I get more and more people commenting that they prefer cars with mothers own engines installed. Your car, your call..personally my V6, 4 speed auto and rear gear is all Mopar and has power R&P, disc up front, heavy sway bar, 180 HP V6 A/C air bag and stereo..am not planning on anything more than that.

Even at that, it is not a simple cut and go install...lots and lots of small mods must be made over the course of the entire swap and setup to get everything aligned and situated. My cars did not involve a firewall cut either but did involved opening the radiator shell and the loss of stock mechanical fan. The shooting of the tunnel is a prime consideration when entertaining other frames as most later models are often offset to the right for steering issues from the factory...not a hard problem to overcome..just one of the many above mentioned mods.

[Robert Horne]

Have decided to upgrade with a doner vehicle for reliabilty and ease of repair and availability of parts. Working within a very tight budget and I want V6 with at least 150 hp and auto trans. Don't want to do a frame swap. Just a front clip and rear end. This will give me power steering, better brakes, better highway driving etc. Will start doing some measuring but has anyone done this recently and successfully ? Have searched and searched. Dakota or an S10 of some sorts seems most likely candidates. Input appreciated. Will have a complete running drive train for sale once removed from my car if somebody needs it. I do a lot of driving while camping as much as 600 in a weekend. Plan on a 3K+ trip in the fall. Going to keep it stock looking though.

Here is my donor for my 37 Coupe, 1995 Ranger, V6-Auto-Air-Cruise-Power Steering... $500.00 ... The most difficult, is cutting the dash to fit. Trying to keep my 38 close to original, so may never get into the 37 project. I chose the Ranger, so as the Dodge wheels fit, and the dimensions fit good. The steering wheel to dash distance, and left of center are a good fit. Steering wheel to windshield has good match distance also.

[greg g]

Bob I think you ca fix that ranger, the hood should buff right out.

[Robert Horne]

Hood is 36 Dodge. Has plenty of Patina, I would not want to mess with that.............

[old rat 49]

Been conversing with old daddy about his disk kit. What would be best suggestion for a modern rear end that I could mate up to my springs. Looks like I'll keep the flathead for a while and see how it works out as long as I can get some good safe brakes. Now about the play in that steering box...............................

[greg g]

Mopar B body Ranger, Jeep regular cherokee, All with the same lug patterns lotsa of others. Most will need a relocation of the spring perch and a drive shaft modification.

[Don Coatney]

What would be best suggestion for a modern rear end that I could mate up to my springs.

This chart might help. I used a Dodge Charger differential and it was almost a direct bolt in. Follow this link for pictures.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v65/DonCoatney/Differential/?start=all