Going Full Custom?
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Joined: Sep 2022
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From: Lake Lanier N.E. GA
Going Full Custom?
I have owned a 1991 Dakota Club Cab 2WD with 6.5' bed, 1993 Dakota 4WD standard cab with 6.5' bed, 1995 Dakota 4WD standard cab ,8' bed then a 2002 four door with if remember correct it had a 6' 2" bed. Still have the 1991 Club Cab and 1993 Standard cab. The Club Cab is nice having more room but if add a long bed it gets longer than want for how I use it. The standard cab is a bit tight on my bad back and had leg as mangled myself up over a lifetime of hard work. Have been considering a restoration of the 1991 4WD but watching Motortrend TV and the better shops chopping and modifying everything a person can consider has me thinking.
Take a 1993-1996 Club Cab with 6.5' bed pull the body and chop about five inches off the cab behind the seat. Cab would still be longer than a standard with some room for tools and stereo/ham radio equipment then cut an 8' bed to the 7' range so it fits the chassis without cutting the frame up. Would have that 2"-3" of extra leg room my stiff aging joints need and about 2"-3" more room behind the seats than my standard cabs have. Never seated anyone in rear of a club cab Dakota that enjoyed it long so don't want seating, just enough room that it's easier to fit all my stereo and some tools want locked in the cab. Found an 8' bed on Craigslist could chop and say it would end up 6' 8" to 7' 1" so with my toolbox have three to six more inches of bed room without a full long bed.
I have the donor trucks just need the 8' bed to chop. Of course an engine rebuild, suspension/brakes, etc refresh then cosmetic work am guessing doing some work myself, subbing some out (can do the tear down, media blasting, paint work, electronics but dealing with drive shafts, axles, engine build and such would subcontract out. Split the difference right down the middle in cab length of a standard and club then fit bed to however much frame is left. Anyone ever seen a Dakota cab and bed length modified this much?
Can't find the factory dimensions of Dakota standard cab length and club cab to know how much could shorten the club cab but still have 5" to 6" more interior cab space. Long as bed comes out near 7' would be happy as would have more room than the 6'5" bed but not the length of an 8' bed. My guess with doing 1/2 of the work in-house bringing in a body guy for a couple weeks to help while engine, transmission, transfer case are out being built could concentrate on body/interior then take to a suspension shop before bolting in drivetrain.
I tried buying a Chevy Colorado Extended Cab (same room behind seats as a Dakota Club Cab) with their 6' 2" bed as a total COPO type oder with factory lift, 345 HP motor, 8 speed transmission and when put the toolbox in the bed got really small and it's the biggest mid size bed in production by any truck builder. Imagine already having the Club Cab donor, found a long bed to cut to fit with work I do in my shop (can do the metal work of cutting the cab and bed then welding together in house) plus do the final body work and paint. Think can modify the Club Cab interior trim to fit and will send seats to an interior shop for new foam and upholstery.
Have quotes on building a V-6 with twin turbos and a V-8 with supercharger just have to decide which route want to go and most likely will do the V-8. Near as can figure looking at $30,000 to $40,000 to do this truck based on how much I sub out as sometimes can make more money working than save chopping up a cab and bed. Anyone seen a Dakota build like this where cab length was altered? Anyone done this as would even consider farming the entire deal out. I have done some extended test drives of about every Dakota configuration made from 1991 to 2011. Hated every four door as bed is too tiny and the 8' bed trucks have tried were too long. Almost purchased a very low mileage standard cab long bed 4WD with only 24,000 well documented miles at $20,000 but the short cab and my bad knees/hip just didn't like it on long days. Shopped new Rangers, Toyotas (never owned a rice truck) and others but all have oversize cabs and undersize beds.
Helped a friend put a 5.9 Cummins in a Dakota, Gen 3 Hemi in a Dakota but they were not built for work trucks but toys. Want a factory height 4WD suspension with just enough cab room to be comfortable (spend more time driving than out of truck most days) and enough bed for my tools and ladder when need one. Usually carry a four foot step ladder and if need more than an eight foot ladder and have room on job site drive my 1/2 ton Dodge 4WD or long bed 2WD Hemi. Most job sites are side of road and if can't get truck totally off the pavement then have to pay a flagger and $20 per hour to have man stand waving at traffic tightens up profit margin.
Paid $67,000 (before dealer installed options) to have a Chevy Colorado built that has every option offered to help it be a work truck plus special order items factory said was not available till Chevy dealer told them how many Mopars we have and how long they have tried to get our fleet account. Have to turn at a GMC dealer to get to office and turn at the Chevy dealer about three times a day and my one GMC TopKick has had them chasing me for twenty years so got factory to put the 345 HP Camaro V6 (can't get a V8 or the diesel in a two door long bed truck only in Bisons), factory lift and other items not on the option list.
Had the Chevy a full year only has 7,000 miles because I crawl in my 1993 Dakota most days I work. Had full skid plates, rock sliders, brush guards put on the Colorado and just driving through tall grass have damaged the plastic front end. New Ram trucks are plastic, beer can thin aluminum too and too big. Think even if pay $40,000 to build the Dakota that fits my needs from my Daks sitting on lot know the Gen 1s have steel bumpers so if hit a stump or telephone pole cut off about three feet above ground level in brushy area unless going too fast the steel doesn't even dent. Regularly use both the front and rear bumpers on the 93 Dak to break down small trees and push down fence posts someone used too much concrete. If someone knows a shop that would take on such an project would consider farming it out and not spending a year with truck project in middle of the shop.
Take a 1993-1996 Club Cab with 6.5' bed pull the body and chop about five inches off the cab behind the seat. Cab would still be longer than a standard with some room for tools and stereo/ham radio equipment then cut an 8' bed to the 7' range so it fits the chassis without cutting the frame up. Would have that 2"-3" of extra leg room my stiff aging joints need and about 2"-3" more room behind the seats than my standard cabs have. Never seated anyone in rear of a club cab Dakota that enjoyed it long so don't want seating, just enough room that it's easier to fit all my stereo and some tools want locked in the cab. Found an 8' bed on Craigslist could chop and say it would end up 6' 8" to 7' 1" so with my toolbox have three to six more inches of bed room without a full long bed.
I have the donor trucks just need the 8' bed to chop. Of course an engine rebuild, suspension/brakes, etc refresh then cosmetic work am guessing doing some work myself, subbing some out (can do the tear down, media blasting, paint work, electronics but dealing with drive shafts, axles, engine build and such would subcontract out. Split the difference right down the middle in cab length of a standard and club then fit bed to however much frame is left. Anyone ever seen a Dakota cab and bed length modified this much?
Can't find the factory dimensions of Dakota standard cab length and club cab to know how much could shorten the club cab but still have 5" to 6" more interior cab space. Long as bed comes out near 7' would be happy as would have more room than the 6'5" bed but not the length of an 8' bed. My guess with doing 1/2 of the work in-house bringing in a body guy for a couple weeks to help while engine, transmission, transfer case are out being built could concentrate on body/interior then take to a suspension shop before bolting in drivetrain.
I tried buying a Chevy Colorado Extended Cab (same room behind seats as a Dakota Club Cab) with their 6' 2" bed as a total COPO type oder with factory lift, 345 HP motor, 8 speed transmission and when put the toolbox in the bed got really small and it's the biggest mid size bed in production by any truck builder. Imagine already having the Club Cab donor, found a long bed to cut to fit with work I do in my shop (can do the metal work of cutting the cab and bed then welding together in house) plus do the final body work and paint. Think can modify the Club Cab interior trim to fit and will send seats to an interior shop for new foam and upholstery.
Have quotes on building a V-6 with twin turbos and a V-8 with supercharger just have to decide which route want to go and most likely will do the V-8. Near as can figure looking at $30,000 to $40,000 to do this truck based on how much I sub out as sometimes can make more money working than save chopping up a cab and bed. Anyone seen a Dakota build like this where cab length was altered? Anyone done this as would even consider farming the entire deal out. I have done some extended test drives of about every Dakota configuration made from 1991 to 2011. Hated every four door as bed is too tiny and the 8' bed trucks have tried were too long. Almost purchased a very low mileage standard cab long bed 4WD with only 24,000 well documented miles at $20,000 but the short cab and my bad knees/hip just didn't like it on long days. Shopped new Rangers, Toyotas (never owned a rice truck) and others but all have oversize cabs and undersize beds.
Helped a friend put a 5.9 Cummins in a Dakota, Gen 3 Hemi in a Dakota but they were not built for work trucks but toys. Want a factory height 4WD suspension with just enough cab room to be comfortable (spend more time driving than out of truck most days) and enough bed for my tools and ladder when need one. Usually carry a four foot step ladder and if need more than an eight foot ladder and have room on job site drive my 1/2 ton Dodge 4WD or long bed 2WD Hemi. Most job sites are side of road and if can't get truck totally off the pavement then have to pay a flagger and $20 per hour to have man stand waving at traffic tightens up profit margin.
Paid $67,000 (before dealer installed options) to have a Chevy Colorado built that has every option offered to help it be a work truck plus special order items factory said was not available till Chevy dealer told them how many Mopars we have and how long they have tried to get our fleet account. Have to turn at a GMC dealer to get to office and turn at the Chevy dealer about three times a day and my one GMC TopKick has had them chasing me for twenty years so got factory to put the 345 HP Camaro V6 (can't get a V8 or the diesel in a two door long bed truck only in Bisons), factory lift and other items not on the option list.
Had the Chevy a full year only has 7,000 miles because I crawl in my 1993 Dakota most days I work. Had full skid plates, rock sliders, brush guards put on the Colorado and just driving through tall grass have damaged the plastic front end. New Ram trucks are plastic, beer can thin aluminum too and too big. Think even if pay $40,000 to build the Dakota that fits my needs from my Daks sitting on lot know the Gen 1s have steel bumpers so if hit a stump or telephone pole cut off about three feet above ground level in brushy area unless going too fast the steel doesn't even dent. Regularly use both the front and rear bumpers on the 93 Dak to break down small trees and push down fence posts someone used too much concrete. If someone knows a shop that would take on such an project would consider farming it out and not spending a year with truck project in middle of the shop.
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