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If it's cold outside, bring them in where it's warm! I brought the truck into the shop so I could continue to remove the body without laying in gravel, and without getting cold! As the temps begin their decline into December, it's better to roll around on a creeper. I also removed the engine and trans (again!) in preparation of getting the cab placed on the Dakota chassis for the first time. Since the trans tunnel in the Stude cab won't clear the giant 6L80E, it had to come out. Once the fenders and core support are off, the gantry crane will lift the cab off and I will just roll the old chassis back into the yard.
I took the cover off, and let the oil drain for 24 hours. That's it. Like I said, I am happy. New seals and outer axle bearings, rebuild all the brake components, and run like the wind.
I spent some time getting some new weld wire put into my MIG welder, and got it dialed in. I welded all eight threaded rod end adapters into my link bars. It's been a while since I have welded around arcs - they are not very pretty, but the penetration is certainly there. That being said, I am not sharing any pics. (LOL) After the holidays, the truck budget is getting a big shot in the arm, so lots of cool goodies will be arriving! So many things still need to be acquired. Now that the truck is in the shop, my focus until the end of the year is to get the cab off the old chassis, and onto the new one. Getting the front fenders positioned will require the finished wheels to be here, The wheels and tires is first on the list of items for next month's spending. I have already figured out the off set and back spacing on the rear wheels, but I need the front fenders mounted on the chassis to get the measurements on the front. Good thing I like to measure stuff! In the mean time, I wish all my Dakota friends a Merry Christmas! Stay safe, and enjoy family and friends.
I found a Facebook page titled Modified Dakotas and Durangos. I put up some pictures and where I was going with this project. What amazes me is that Dakota purists go onto "modified" vehicle pages solely to give people grief about modifying what they deem, by pictures only, a "clean" Dakota and that it should be saved and not torn apart. Even after explaining that the body was sold off to two different Dakota owners that needed better body parts to fix their trucks up. This seems like a win/win situation to me - there are now two more nicer Dakotas out there, and I have a chassis that is a really good fit for my project. Apparently that makes no sense to the haters. Why browse through a "modified" vehicle page just to hate on people that are modifying their truck? Just to be a holes? Internet trolls are a waste of time.
Note: This truck I tore apart had obvious signs of abuse that was not visible in photos. The underside of the rear fenders and rear bumper were covered in tire rubber (read extensive burn outs), and the entire chassis required a complete sand blast to eliminate the rust. The engine was toast. The wiring harness had multiple gremlins causing it to be parked. I was told it would sometimes run (badly), other times it wouldn't start at all. None of this could be discerned by looking at pics taken at 10-20 ft away. Sheesh!
Last edited by TheSneeze; Dec 17, 2025 at 02:01 PM.
I found a Facebook page titled Modified Dakotas and Durangos. I put up some pictures and where I was going with this project. What amazes me is that Dakota purists go onto "modified" vehicle pages solely to give people grief about modifying what they deem, by pictures only, a "clean" Dakota and that it should be saved and not torn apart. Even after explaining that the body was sold off to two different Dakota owners that needed better body parts to fix their trucks up. This seems like a win/win situation to me - there are now two more nicer Dakotas out there, and I have a chassis that is a really good fit for my project. Apparently that makes no sense to the haters. Why browse through a "modified" vehicle page just to hate on people that are modifying their truck? Just to be a holes? Internet trolls are a waste of time.
Note: This truck I tore apart had obvious signs of abuse that was not visible in photos. The underside of the rear fenders and rear bumper were covered in tire rubber (read extensive burn outs), and the entire chassis required a complete sand blast to eliminate the rust. The engine was toast. The wiring harness had multiple gremlins causing it to be parked. I was told it would sometimes run (badly), other times it wouldn't start at all. None of this could be discerned by looking at pics taken at 10-20 ft away. Sheesh!
Yeah, it seems there are folks out there that simply live to give grief to others.... Be it modified vehicles, games, or just some general chat forum. I don't get it either... I have better things to do with my life though... apparently, they, do not. That's a pretty sad commentary on the state of their affairs.
