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Body swap with a 50 Dodge truck body

Started by nvrbdn, July 23, 2020, 07:38:52 AM

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nvrbdn

Started a new project. I am attempting to put a 50 Dodge truck body on a 1998 Mazda B3000 frame. I am attempting to keep the dash in tact so there will be no re-wiring etc. This will be more of a rat rod look than a restored truck look. There is some areas that will need metal repair, but I will figure out how to match the "look" of the rest of the truck after I get the repairs done. First task is to get rid of the body of the Mazda.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Let's go with the easiest thing first. The bed. I am cutting the gas door out of the bed to use on the new body.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Time to cut up the bed and remove parts. I am planning on using the bed floor and welding the bed sides to it from the Dodge. "easy bolt on". and that is the plan behind this build. Do it the easiest way.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

timmycharger


nvrbdn

Thank You!!!  Off with the doors, the grill and the front fenders. I am getting to the point of No-Return. Yep, the wife is getting nervous about this one.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

 :hack: and we are cutting off the cab. Make a couple easy cuts to get rid of the majority. The plan here is to keep the dash intact, plus the floor of the Mazda.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Now I need to get rid of the windshield. That took a bit of work. First thought was to save the glass. Yea right. Second thought was to just get the stupid thing off the truck. Too much work just to give it away. so the work continued, and the windshield was removed!!!
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

alfaitalia

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you !!

nvrbdn

Next job was to cut the un-necessary metal from the cab. Getting rid of the dash and the floor/firewall area. I keep measuring to make sure that all of this is going to work, but it is a little too late now if it doesn't!!!
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

70 sublime

A buddy did about the same thing but he started with a Dodge Dakota and was mounting a 30 Dodge coupe on it

He left the firewall and cab floor and cut everything else off
When it came right down to it the dash in the Dakota was wider than the coupe and the steering wheel was right against the door so he had to move the column over a bit at the top of the dash
The steering wheel ended up with a bit of a tilt towards center of the car   :eek2:
next project 70 Charger FJ5 green

nvrbdn

I was a bit worried about that also. The measurements I kept taking were saying that I was going to be good, but the fear was still there. The main thing about the placement of the cab was to make sure the front tires would be centered in the wheel wells. so that dictated where the cab would land.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Disassembling the front end. It had a little damage in the past. But being a rat rod, it will keep the look when it's done.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Now it is time to cut the pillars of the dash out so the cab can slide down.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

The cab is ready, and hanging above the Mazda.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

The cab is on!!! I drove it around the yard a bit. :cheers:
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Next thing is to start lining up the bed. I am fitting the bed to the cab. The bed sides will be welded to the old bed floor.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Checking the wheel well placement!! :2thumbs:
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

And before long...... :smilielol:   ..............   we have a bed mounted on the truck. I still have to put the front pillars back on the bed near the cab, but it is coming along.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

More looks at the bed. :icon_smile_big:
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Now it is time to tackle the front. There are things that will have to move in order to put this together. Including the battery. It will have to find a new place to sit. Everything else seems to have room to cram in there. A bit of chopping metal out of the way, and the fenders were ready to piece in.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

Now it's time for fender placement. Some fine tuning to come, but everything is starting to take place. I put the fenders in place, but did need to trim a bit more when the grill was put into place.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

And the grill goes on. For this, I did need to cut the frame back i little. But it is coming along. :2thumbs:
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

I quit working yesterday with the mounting of the hood mount on the front. Today I hope to finish mounting the hood and finding homes for all the items that needed to move. A trip to the auto store for some battery cable in order to re-home the battery.
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

nvrbdn

So I still need to mount the step sides (welding on the step side mounts), finish welding in the floor, finishing the tail gate, basically the entire interior (which I am looking for a bench seat for) and welding in the fender supports etc..... But it has been a blast so far. I have done this job completely alone just to see if I still have a large project in my blood. At 63, I am slowing down more, but it has been the perfect "pandemic" project!!!
70 Dodge Charger 500
70 Duster (Moulin Rouge)
73 Challenger
50 Dodge Pilot House

70 sublime

So how long did it take you to get this far ?

Another question

Does it have a Mazda ownership or a 50 Dodge ownership ??

Looks like a fun project  :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
next project 70 Charger FJ5 green