ok i have a 93 1-ton diesel. i rolled it in a ditch last fall. damage wasent real bad most was to the roof and drivers side. i bought a 85 1/2-ton gas, to take parts off. hardly any rust. but i dont want a gas engine. the plan was to either cut the roof off the 85 or swap the whole cab. after looking it over real well. i found that removing just the roof is most likely out of my ablity. i have a welder and am ok with it. but swaping cab also come with the problem of removing everything and then getting it all back in again. im really good at taking stuff apart but putting it back together depends on how much time has passed. i pretty much have to do this buy myself. i have a few buddies that i could call for the heavy lifing if any but other than that im the one they call to come fix there stuff when it breaks. im pretty good with most everthing exept body work.

anyone ever done anything like this that could give me a few pointers. ive looked all over for a diesel truck that was in good shape that i could just swap my motor into but cant find one in my price range.

 

A buddy of mine slammed his 79 f250 into a concrete wall at 60mph and had to swap frames/cabs. It took him some time, and I missed all of it, but if you take your time, take pictures, and put everything in baggies with labels you should be fine.

 

today i seen a dakota convertable. thats right. no roof. had a soft top. i waited for the owner to come out for an hour but had to get back home. this was also one of my ideas. just cut the roof off and make it a rag top. i know id have to add some support like a roll bar incase i went over again. but it sure beats taking everthing apart. like i said i have a donor truck that is in really good shape, body wise. motor leaks oil all over its self. does run though. everyone keeps telling me to fix the 85 and junk the 93. **** them the only gas engine i want is in my blazer and my bike. a truck, to me is supposed to be diesel. besides at 506,924 miles the 93 is just getting broke in. fires before it makes one full crank. best damn starting vehicle i ever had.

i think im going to make it into a rag top. going out there in a few with the saw-zaw and do a little trimming on the 93. see what it would look like with out the top. if i fubar it i always got another cab right.

 

lol

That dakota was a factory ragtop. I saw one today too. I'd swap the cabs personally, and junk the 85. You might talk to your local state patrol office to see what you have to do about swapping the VIN, you don't want to get your 1-ton classified as a 1/2 ton.

 

well the messed up thing with the first gen dodge. is the vin in connected to the dash. so if i use my 93 dash the vin in the window will be the same. the one in the door jam is a different story. last night i went out and choped the top off the 93. it would look so cool as a rag top. i may just see about making it one. if it doesent work then ill swap cabs. but im gonna try.