Need some advice....

crewgirl

crewgirl

Inmate #28
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Feb 16, 2007
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I want a diesel truck...... But I'm not the kinda person that makes things easy, so going out and finding a dodge with a cummins and buying it, isn't in my nature. I have (kinda) an old Dodge truck its a 1984 Dodge Ram Prospector 1/2 ton short bed.

What all kinda stuff am I gonna have to do to it, to make cummins compatible?
 
Gonna need to disassemble/ remove 1/2 ton engine, trans, rear, rear suspension, front suspension and get it down to a body and frame. Locate wrecked dodge with Cummins Power and start the swapping and fabricatinng process.......
 
I should have been more specific.......
What kind of suspension and motor holding type fabrication will I have to do? I'm trying to figure out what it's going to cost just to get the truck to the point that I can put a cummins into it.
Racin, you're answer was great in a general sense, but I need specifics.
 
youll never know the specifics til you know what you want and start doin it...customs never have a real budget...just a bigger one than you thought you would need
 
do yourself a favor... buy a single cab 1st gen Cummins for a few grand, shorten the frame, and put your prospector bed, hood, and grill on it...

FAR easier
 
I would do as Forrest said... When planning a custom come up with a realistic budget, and times that by 2....... there will be many unexpected items that hit ya...
 
There are a couple of problems with the whole "buying a truck with a cummins" plan. The next new vehicle (or new to us) we buy, is going to be my husband's. He's stuck on getting himself a Ford of all things. Also that would require a large chunk of cash right up front which I don't have at the moment.
I do have a truck that I think would make an interesting project and another truck parked beside it with a full welding rig set up on it. If I do the research to get me started on the fabrication, and can show my dad that I am serious about following this through he will help me with the suspension stuff. And while I'm working on getting the truck ready for the engine, I can be shopping for and saving the money for the engine itself.

Which is why I made this thread, I don't know enough about frames and suspensions and stuff to know what the difference is between a 1/3 ton and a 3/4 or 1 ton truck to even know where to start.
So if anyone on this board is inclined to share some of that knowledge I would really appreciate it.
 
The frame should be up to snuff- look at The Cummins Express truck- 1/2 ton frame- 4 link back half.......

What will the purpose of the rig be? racing? daily driver? dual purpose( daily driver - weekend racer?)
 
Mostly just to have a diesel that's unique. I'll probably do some go fast stuff to the engine because that's just who I am. But I miss having a truck and the best truck I ever had was my diesel.
There is also the thing where I'm at a diesel event and someone I've just met goes, so where's your truck and I have to say, I'm not in a truck I drove that little silver car here. :( I feel left out.
 
I second Forrest, results will be the same with the 3/4 ton + 1/2 tons body parts, but will be cheaper and less stressful;)
 
Is this going to be a race truck or just a diesel truck to have some fun with?

If it's going to be a fun truck you could pick up a 4BT and drop it in with little worry of the suspension. You can turn them up and get decent power while getting good fuel mileage.

BobS on the 4BT forums is putting one in a '86 D150 and may be a good source of info. Link
 
I'd buy Brandon's truck, it's in the For Sale section. Get the whole truck and any extra parts he has for it. You will essentially have a *new* 98 truck. Plenty to monkey with and not all that hard to fix if if you F-it up. Oh, and the tranny is built....which you WILL need.
 
LOL I think I was born "in over my head". As far as buying someone's truck see the post in response to RacinDuallie.
 
crewgirl said:
LOL I think I was born "in over my head".
Click to expand...

:hehe: You came out feet first too!

... no wonder we like to get our hands dirty. :doh:
 
lots of work try to at least find a wrecked 1st gen or a wrecked 2nd gen would work it would be more fabrication a 94 thru 98.5 would have a better engine and tranny but a first gen would have the front axle and springs motor mounts, wiring, rearend, which would be easier to swap over to your 84 but do yourself a favor and take the advice of some of these guys and get another truck shorten the frame put your bed, grille, hood, etc your are getting into a lot of work changing a complete 1/2 ton over
 
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