is it true that you can use the arch off of the front fender to patch the bed side and should i buy a patch panel or use sheet metal to redo my rockers and cab corners plus i am in auto body class and have the ability to do both but what would be the cheapest

 

It may work. Take some measurements and find out.

 

i will and i think it should be a fun project

 

the fact you can see that the fender will fit on other parts of the truck shows great mechanical intelligent.
in this case i would go for your own design, the back of the cab is hard to adapt.

 

what do yu mean the back of the cab is hard to adapt

 

how to remove front fender 2000 dakota?

 

Google or the 2nd gen section of this forum.

 

i do autobody for a living but im not sure about the fender question... but there is one saying you will learn in the autobody industry and you will live by it once you do "its only metal" my only suggestion is if you do one side do the other so its even and it will give it a custom look as for the rockers once again its only metal sheet metal would be the cheaper fix but a patch panel would be the cleaner fix and less time consuming and also a more permanent fix. just make sure you cut all the rust out and dont forget about what could be hiding inside. good luck with the repair