wedged- 41 Dodge truck project
 

This started out as a dakota project and now is using a 1941 Dodge truck body.


Since I am starting back in on this long term project, I decided to create an update thread.

A few years back I bought a '94 V-6 5 speed Dakota for a big block swap. At the time I was thinking "sleeper". I also had long term plans of putting EFI on the 440 I was installing and then add a pair of turbos.

Here's the truck as it looked when I bought it
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/stockdak02.JPG

The first thing I did was to lower it. I used 3" blocks in the rear, then decided to cut and weld instead. I stuck with the cheap 'n dirty method.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/dump11.jpg

Rear bracket
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/dump13.jpg

Dropped the front with 2" Bell Tech spindles

http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/spindles07.jpg

I had to add a 1" lowering block in the rear to get it just right. The weight of the 440 had dropped the front a little more than I thought and there was too much rake.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/sideshot.jpg

I picked up a 440 which was going to get a clean up, regasketed,painted and dropped in. In the middle of doing that, I changed my mind. It got hot tanked, a quick hone, all new bearings and rings, a set of Edelbrock heads, new oil pump and billet timing set and a small Lunati cam. I kept the stock low compression pistons to keep the short block cheap and this will allow for testing the planned turbos.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/engine010.jpg

A 727 was completely rebuilt with a B&M kit, B&M deep pan and a TCI converter. This will get swapped out for a 518 OD trans with a JW adapter belhousing at some point.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/trans01.jpg

Notched the stock bog block truck oil pan and extended the pick up. I'll need to re-do the pan to add fittings for turbo drains and increase the capacity. I may modify the cross member too.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pan03.jpg

before the swap
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/enginein.jpg


CAD designed laser cut adapter brackets
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/rawmnt02.jpg

mock up of the first tran cross member. You can also see the stock speed sensor in the trans. I had to make a 7 v signal source so the speedo would work.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/rawmnt04.jpg

passenger side mount in place
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newmnt012.jpg

driver's side
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newmnt013.jpg

test fitting with an empty block and empty trans case
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/test1.jpg

building the headers
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes01.jpg

here you can also see the custom intake a buddy made for me using a tunnel ram base. I was copying Nelson's design to go along with the twin turbo idea.I'll need all new headers when it comes time to add the turbos
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes02.jpg

it wasn't easy
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes22.jpg

but it was fun
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/pipes27.jpg

VHT ceramic paint which didn't hold up too well. Not equal length, not pretty, but they work. I learned a lot from doing this and I look forward to doing it again some time.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers01.jpg

Like I said, crude but effective.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers02.jpg

Yay ! They fit !
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers03.jpg

I originally tried to use the stock tran cross member which ended up perfectly in the way of the exhaust. I used a cable shifter at first, then switched to a Lokar linkage shifter. No more worries about melted cables.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/headers04.jpg

This is what it looks like now.
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/images/newrad.jpg


The next thing is to is getting it running again- I had a fuel pump failure and you can read about that in the EFI section. I also need to find a vacuum leak and work on the IAC to be sure it's working right. I've finally got the hoses ready for the AC system so I can finish hooking that up and recharging it. From there I am going to start working on the back half. I have a set of Mickey Thompson 29"x18"x18" Sportsman SR's for the back.
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/i...an_sr_rear.jpg

When the tires go on, a new fuel tank will go into the bed. I'd like to put C4 front suspension under it with bigger brakes and maybe a hydroboost.

Yes, everything looks a bit rough, but i made up my mind that I want to be able to drive the truck as I work on it. When time and money allow, I would like to tear it all down and make it look pretty- new paint, new upholstery etc. With 18" wheels for the rear being pricey, I started poking around for steel wheels. Ford Explorers were equiped with 18"x7.5" steel wheel with a 5x4.5" bolt pattern. I am going to get a pair and see if they will work on the front and if they work, get 2 more. Then I am going to widen a pair for the back. I'm going to do this the old school circle track way. Cut, measure, tack and weld. I'll start taking more pics as I move along.

Cool project, that should make one hell of a sleeper:_paranoid

Very cool build, I've always liked that body style a lot. The headers came out great for a first attempt, that's something I want to try eventually. I bet that is an interesting ride with that much motor in it, to say the least. Good luck with it!

The engine is actually kind of lame thanks to the 8:1 compression, but it still is fun to drive. Well, to me it feels lame because that blue plymouth scamp in the background of the rear spring mount picture runs low 11's on slicks and on the hard street tires it will roast 'em from a 45 mph roll.

Once the Mickey T's go on, the sleeper image will be gone, but right now it just blends in with traffic.