Well....finally got around to destroying the parts truck. Disassembled the whole front end and the motor/tranny will be coming out tomorrow morning. The cab will be scrapped and the frame chopped to make a trailer. Kinda sad really.

I sold the tranny, and the one out of my good truck as well. The hunt for a 5 speed resumes, with far more funds this time. They are slim pickins in my area. I have yet to find a used one within 300 miles. Lots of phone calls.

Anyone need a good transfer case? Lol.....just put the bugger in and now I cant use it.

Also if anyone needs the V8 coils, or any other strange front end parts let me know quickly. They will be CHEAP as Im getting ready to throw them away anyway.

Now on to the fun stuff. Im working on sanding and painting the truck. Not gonna be a show job. Actually Im painting it with bedliner. Not the really rough stuff, just enough to kill any flash from the truck, and be durable. I test painted a fender and beat it up and liked the results. Pictures will be posted when I finish.

I ran out of fabric for my interior. I got the back seats, backrest, side rests, cloth panels in the doors, the headliner, and the visors done. Pics soon. I think it looks awesome. Need to order more fabric for my front seats.

Found a front axle for a whopping 150 bucks. Springs and steering arms included. I also bought a set of 33 inch mickeys and a set of 35" streets off the guy for a total of 125 bucks.

By the time the truck is drivable again it will have an nv3500/4500(depending on what I find), a solid front axle, black bedliner for paint, and at least 35" tires. I will post pictures as I go.

Let the fun begin.

 

Ashes to Ashes! One dies to see one live. Ya post up pics!
If it makes you feel better I had to kill one Dakota too, to convert mine to 4wd. Well it was dead anyway, by roll over!

 

What was the parts truck as in year, Engine and was it 4X4 or 2X4 and misilanious and do you still have any parts?

 

318, 93 and Ive got some random parts, most the operating stuff still. The motor is complete. Transmission was a 2wd and I sold it.

Yeah...it is better that i used it anyway. The guy I got it from would have just left it to rot in a field. Im gonna salvage the rims off it so I can have a set of 33's and a set of 35's mounted up for now.

 

wow, by the time you're done with this, i'd like to know how much the project totaled (if you don't mind sharing). this sounds like the ultimate dakota on the cheap. and here i thought i was cool forgetting american racing rims for 75 and a set of 215 snow tires for free. what front axle you get? from a logical standpoint, a 44 should be more than enough, but who would get a 44 when a 60 is that much more awesome1?! do you plan on going leafs or coilovers? i'm sorry if this was already covered in another thread, I haven't been too up on my forums recently.

 

I dont know if the LAs or Magnums had weight differences but if they do which one is heavier?, because if you still have the front springs and there not bad i might be interested since i plan on putting an LA 318 in my 87 2X4 Dakota but i need to know if the LA is heavier or the magnum's heavier and use the springs that will be able to take a heavier load without the front end sagging closer to the ground

 

Im going with a dana 44. A 60 around here is just unrealistically expensive. They usually run around 1000 for a decent one. I have no reason to do that. For 1000 bucks I could have a 44 built up to the same or probably better strength than a 60. And quite frankly, if you know what your doing and what your looking for a 44 will handle a hell of a lot of abuse. But, I agree, 60's are definitely a good axle. Im going to run a 60 in rear.

Right now...not including the transmission I have to find, Im sitting at 800 dollars including my paint, interior, the purchase price, the front axle assembly, and everything else Ive put on so far. My goal is to come in under 2000 all together. Right now I see no reason why that isnt possible. And I sold my tranny for 425 without the case, so by the time I sell the case my transmission should be pretty cheap. Well....cheap isnt the right word. You cant get an nv3500 around here cheap.

Im kinda building this as a monument to myself. Lol...not the egotistical kinda way. I want to prove to myself that an exceptional quality truck, thats one of a kind(and you dont ever see lifted), can be built from the ground up inexpensively. I like vehicles you dont see everyday. Not that there arent tons of dakotas out there, but its very rare to see one lifted and even more rare to see one built.

This forum has been a great idea base, and helpful hand along the way, as Im sure it will continue to. Its my honest hope that my posts can help anyone else looking to do anything from a 10 dollar project to a full on build. If nothing else at least give them pictures of what I did to fuel the idea process.

 

Don't know exactly but I'm sure the LA's and Magnums are within a pound or 2. But remember V6 springs are differnt than V8 springs.

 

Is the T-case out of the parts truck good? Or is that the one that had a hole blown in the rear half of it?

 

Nope this is the good tcase that I replaced the blown up one with. I wont need it because the input shaft on the manuals is longer so Ill want to buy the one with it anyway.