Apittslife Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Hello, My name is Paul & I am from southern Indiana. I purchased My Old Dodge From a friend that heard I might be interested in buying another ( I had owned a '48 Panel truck ). She is in relatively good shape for an old farm truck, & she spent many yrs in a shed when the brakes let loose, & the original owner past away. The lower cowl panels in front of the A-Pillars are rusted out, The Running Boards are rusted out, the driver's door has a nice sized dent, & the Front fender's have issues as well. All in all, the truck is very solid. I had intended & started to just get her running & drive her as is. But when I priced the cost of rebuilding the brakes, My plans changed to grafting in a front subframe from a '76 cordoba, & a ford 9" in the rear. Then I came across a couple website's that showed guy's setting their cab's on Dodge Dakota frames, & I knew this is what I need to do. So I found a 1994 Dakota extra-cab that had been sitting for almost a decade due to a bad transmission. $600.00 I spent 1-1/2 days removing everything that I didn't want from the dakota. I am going to use the Fire wall & the Floor. Because I want to be different from the other guys I have decided to do an extended cab, & I want to lower the roof by 3 inches. For a drive line I am leaning heavily towards a cummins 4-BT or 6-BT engine, But I may change my mind as tyme proceeds? So here is a picture of the dakota chassi ready for the '48 cab to be grafted to it. Here is a couple pics of the Pilot house The cab is almost ready for me to start the Body mods & I am hoping to start this weekend. But it is my busy season so tyme will tell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 As I said, I'll closely follow your progress as an extended cab will be my next project truck. There is a 4 door truck over on the HAMB website as well you may want to take a look at. Take plenty of pictures! I look forward to watching your journey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted November 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 I am a member there as well, & have my build thread there in the frame Swappers Community Forum. Here is a Pilothouse that I seen at this yrs street rod nationals in Louisville, Ky. I would have really liked to have done a 4 door extended cab like this but I didn't want to make a copy of his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 I wonder if that truck is still owned by Barry of Lannon, WI. I saw that truck and met Barry at the Iola, WI show a few years ago. It has a 440 with IFS and Ford 9" out back with a Ranger bed. I liked the extended cab, with a very nice interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 that cab (I have different plans for the front clip) looks EXACTALLY like what I plan for TODD.....if anyone has the guy who built it contact info that,d be huge for solving some issues I foresee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950 Special Deluxe Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Here are some pictures of a Fargo that was at a nearby show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Where in southern Indiana are you located? I drive from Tennessee to Fort Wayne a couple times a year and I would like to see your truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 that cab (I have different plans for the front clip) looks EXACTALLY like what I plan for TODD.....if anyone has the guy who built it contact info that,d be huge for solving some issues I foresee. I don't know how to contact the guy, but I remember that he lives close by. He said that he used two cabs to make the one. He cut one cab just at the back of the doors and the other farther forward. Then, just mate them together to form the longer cab. I'm not sure how he got the doors to fit together and latch. Merle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 that's what my plan was. I think I've got the door issues figured as well. My concern is more in the roof area, keeping it smooth and flowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted November 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Where in southern Indiana are you located? I drive from Tennessee to Fort Wayne a couple times a year and I would like to see your truck. The truck is located in Jeffersonville, IN. You most likely take I-65 to Fort Wayne, so you drive right by us ( Exit 1 ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 The truck is located in Jeffersonville, IN. You most likely take I-65 to Fort Wayne, so you drive right by us ( Exit 1 ). Thanks; Next time I head north I will shoot you a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Well, It was slow at work today. So I started chopping the roof, I think it went well? Tomorrow I will start putting it back together, I have decided to spit the roof, so I don't have to deal with trying to lay the windshield pillars back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Here is what I accomplished today. I figured out where I thought I needed to split the roof, Then fit the rear half to the main body, & tacked it into position. Then had a friend help help me hold the front section where I felt it looked right, then marked it & cut the pillars. ( Held Breath & Prayed that I didn't cut to much off! ) Then set the front section in place & I made several measurements & tacked everything into place. Lastly I filled the gap in the door-frame, & welded the windshield pillars. Yes there is a big gap that needs filling, where I split the roof, but that section is only going to get much bigger by next week-end. Tomorrow I plan to weld in the rear section, & grind smooth. After that I will play it by ear, as I may get the Motorcycle out & go for what maybe the last ride of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Looks good to me. I cut mine apart in the same places years ago. How much did take out vertically? I remember mine at 3 5/8". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Looks good to me. I cut mine apart in the same places years ago. How much did take out vertically? I remember mine at 3 5/8". Thought I was taking out 3 inches? But I guess I couldn't read a ruler yesterday, because I only took out 2-1/2". But I am happy with the way it looked, so I didn't re-cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Have been working on the truck steadily. Nothing really noteworthy & I haven't taken any pics, But will do so in the next couple days. Removed the original floor, & firewall, & have been getting the cab ready for the stretch. Not as easy as cutting the roof off, so I am taking my tyme & adding more bracing, & stabilizing the rear section. I Don't want to have anything bad happening when I split it from the main cab! If things keep going as they are, I may be able to set the front cab section on the dakota chassi, in the next couple days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Today was "the day". I split the back off of the cab & set the front section on the Dakota Chassi! When I took the pics, the cab was just sitting loose on the chassi. Had a job come in right after this, so I had to put my truck on hold for a couple hours. Later I removed the Bed, & the fuel tank, then set & squared the front section of the cab & tacked her into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayfarer Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Feel free to inundate us with photos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Feel free to inundate us with photos... Since you said so: I got a bit farther then what is pictured, but it was too dark to take pics. I have a GREAT Employer, that allows me to work on my projects between jobs, & I thank him for allowing me to do so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 I'm getting the impression you've done things like this before. Yeah, geat boss! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Feel free to inundate us with photos... yes please blaze the way for me! I'm happy you are doing this and have the knowledge, I was going to fumble thru it badly, now I have a trailblazer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanksB3B Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 At first I thought it looked like a mess, but now I'm getting the feeling it's going to turn out great. Keep up the good work! Hank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Balazs Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 At first I thought it looked like a mess, but now I'm getting the feeling it's going to turn out great. Keep up the good work!Hank :eek: ........................ Hank you are too funny! Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apittslife Posted December 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 I have been Helping to restore old cars & trucks for way to many years. So I figured if I could take a bucket of rust, & return it to a show piece, I should be able to handle something like this. This is actually my first roof chop, & sectioning, so if it isn't being done the way you may do it, you now know why! Here is what I accomplished today: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48Dodger Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Yes!...A Mini-Panel truck!.... 48D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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