I know it's a wierd question, and it's likely that no one has ever tried it, but on the chance that someone knows the answer, I thought I'd put it out there. After all, that's what forums are for, right?

So I'm wondering if a Gen 2 regular cab/ext. cab bed will bolt right up to a Gen 3 club cab frame? I know the dimensions are the same on top because I bought a camper top from a Gen 2 and it fit right on.

Any takers?

 

There are differences in the top rails. The 3rd gen top rails are tapered towards the back. The interior top rails are square. You probably notice with your camper top you can see some of the bed side rails at the front and the camper hangs over a bit in the back sides. Thats the major difference. As far as mounting bolt locations, gas tank and filler neck locations, etc. I can't answer that.

 

Thats the part I need to know. Got a feeling it wont be easy to figure out

 

It looks like the frames between the Generations are not identical, meaning the mounting holes will not be the same. The Gen 2 frame is slightly wider than the Gen 3 frame. But if you could possibly lay the Gen 2 bed on your frame, and see how it fits on there. You would then need to mark the bed through the mounting holes in the frame, and could drill new holes to mount it up.
Of course this is not a guaranteed fit.

 

I'm wondering why you would do this in the first place? Unless you trashed your 3rd gen bed and had a 2nd gen bed laying around somewhere.....

 

Agreed, 2nd Gen beds rust in the exact same spots as 3rd gen. I know, my 2000 2nd Gen rusted out above the wheel wells, and now my 2005 3rd gen is

 

Well, I guess I gotta say it....love the truck, dislike the styling.

My first new car EVER was a Gen 2 dakota. Eventually I moved up into a 2004 Ram, and then into the 2007 dakota that I currently have. Of the 3, the styling of my 07 leaves the most to be desired.

I've done a few things to improve upon it. Painted the grille body color, bedlinered the rear bumper, added Rumble Bee stripes (its a yellow truck), added woodgrain to the interior, painted some parts of the interior black & yellow, etc. etc,

The 2 things that I don't like are the jagged and pronounced lines, especially on the bed, and the "underbite" of the front bumper. I mocked up a scale model of what a Dakota would look like with a Magnum front fascia and a Gen 2 bed and started fantasizing about how it could be done in real life.

I plan on keeping the truck forever due to the lifetime powertrain warranty and the fact that I drive about 100 miles a day

 

Well, lets see the pics of this beast!!

 

It would be nice if u upload some pictures of your truck to see what r u talking about!

 

The model? Here here's a few shots of it unfinished, and a work in progress shot of the kitbash before paint