[TWX]

So I have this '82 D350 crew cab short bed truck that I want to clone out to a lil-red-express look, red, stacks, graphics, etc. The truck is pretty rough, 250K miles, will require some repair at the front of the frame where the crossmembers crack, will also need '72-'80 front doors and fenders. It does run, no AC. The cab rockers are a little rusty and bent as it spent time in a rural area and got beat on a bit. I do have some parts including a stepside bed on it already. It's not registered and probably wouldn't pass an emissions inspection because it has no catalytic converters on it, though eventually I plan to do the Cummins conversion.

Or, I can spend some money to buy a '75 crew cab with a factory stepside bed. I'd still need to change the grille and the like to the '79 look that I like, but I do have those parts. It looks less rusty, but the pictures are small and on craigslist. It doesn't appear to have AC, but neither does mine right now. The dash is a little rougher, and I know that getting that corrected is a pain because of having to involve the dealership to get the VIN tag properly affixed to the replacement dash. It probably doesn't need cats because of the model year. I would have to replace the hood, as I don't care for the bird-bath hood, but I do have one from the '82 or I could get one off of any through '93. I don't know about the frame on the '75.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/3343964452.html

What do you guys think? Stick with the rough '82 that I already have, or go for the '75?

 

[Bob Lincoln]

The 82 sounds like too much work to make it roadworthy.

 

[TWX]

I had e-mailed earlier and didn't hear back, just called, it's sold. Darn.

I guess I'm back to working on mine.

 

[Guest]

Keep and fix the 82.it will be a lot easier to get pieces for at junkyards.

 

[TWX]

I don't see why it'll be easier. The '72-'80 trucks and the '81-'93 trucks are substantially the same. Even the welded-together cab is the same. Only the front doors, fenders, radiator core support, and hood (the latter in '79) are different, especially since I have a stepside bed on mine, which have been the same since the 1950s...

 

[mopar56]

sounds like a cool project I have had and still have many Dodge trucks of all years from 1956-2011, and I know its irrelavent at this point as the 75 sold but you mentioned issues surrounding the vin plate if you switched the dash but I have done this on my sons truck already and the plate is attatched to the metal dash near the windsheild which only 2" of it approximatly is exposed the part you would change would be the plastic cap and glove box which are sperate and dont contain the vin plate, a relativly simple job minus the laying upside down and scratchs on your forearm part, good luck with your project

 

[Bearhawke]

TWX: if your 1982 D250 is over 8,500 lbs GVW; it should be non catalyst, they didn't become mandatory on that weight class till 1987.

Cummins: if you go that route; since it's a much newer engine package, the emssions for that should suprecede the specs of your D250.

Worst case scenario: IF you need cats, I'd swap in a 2004+ 5.7L Hemi/AT from a Dodge Ram 1500 and then your D250 would be a '2004' for emssions even with OBD II.

 

[TWX]

I'll have to check the title to see if it has gvwr stats. As a D350 I would expect it to be at the top for weight rating, but as a short bed I'll make sure.

Sometimes I wish it was a long bed crew cab since the proportions with the stepside would be better, but that might not fit the wedge-shaped side yard that it's parked on. Oh well.

 

[TWX]

Well, still haven't pulled out the title to check for the need for cats or not...

On another note, there's an '85 crew cab long bed for sale in town for $1700 on CL. 360 4bbl (presumably) automatic transmission, also 2wd. On the good side it appears to be in much better shape than my '82, no rust in the cab.

Problems are that it'd be bill-of-sale, no title, though the current owner started the bonded title process but never finished it (ie, had AZ MVD do a Level III inspection and title search to come up negative), and being a longbed, my current stepside shortbed wouldn't fit. It lacks air conditioning too, like my current one, though I have dealer-installed-AC parts sitting around for installation.

The idea of doing a cab swap appeals, but I'd have to do a level-III inspection on my current truck with this cab installed due to the VIN plate being affixed to the dash and stamped somewhere into the sheet metal, and I expect that the VIN on the frame is what matters, if the VIN for the cab were ever recorded and later came up with a problem that could be a headache.

A longbed also appeals because I could put a shortbed rear fender with a cutout for a spare tire on and still have room for an exhaust stack to pass through the area, though that's one very long truck...

Aren't projects fun?

I certainly wouldn't mind finding a replacement cab that's in better shape than mine...

 

[KOG]

Cummins? Where the Blast Furnace is at? I have 5 Cummins trucks in the yard and a couple of them are for parts.

 

[TWX]

Greater Phoenix...