My 1988 Dakota (regular cab) came with ugly baby blue interior so I have been swapping panels out with grey interior from doner trucks anywhere upwards of 96'

I ran into a problem when swapping the B-pillar panel, my seat belt is mounted to the same bolt as the belt spindle so there is a slot for it. The grey panel is out of a 95' regular cab however it had bucket seats and a center console as where mine is a bench, and the seat belt was mounted to the floor to the side of the seat back. Did they move this mounting location as an update or was this a bench/bucket variation?



When I swapped out my glove box/under dash section I lost access to the locking feature because I did not have a new key, so I popped my old lock off before I scrapped the old dash. However I think I broke it because it won't go all the way back together... is that washer suppose to have a bend in it like that? Maybe I will have to locate a new lock and take the door itself off the hinges.

 

I would assume it would't be to hard to cut a new slot, just get a paper and make a template.

As for the lock it could be re pinned to work on you key. Take it to your local locksmith, the bigger shop the better.

 

There is a locksmith on my road but he works out of his house, might be easier to just remove the door backing.

I'm not going to mess with cutting a slot, I did remove the carpet today to find there are no holes on the floor for the new mounting location. I think it would be better having the seat belt a few inches closer on an angle so you don't have to reach as far back for it.

 

I found no holes for the seat side mounting location, I will have to drill my own.

Here is what the old location looked like:


Now the new, but I have not drilled yet because I'm not sure I want it here until I have my bucket seats installed:

 

Thats not a bucket seat difference, just a later truck difference. My bench seat 95 is mounted there too.

 

To the floor or the B-pillar? I think all extended cabs are mounted to the B-pillar.