Square body Dodge thoughts.

So I've got this truck.

I talk about this piece of junk way too much but bear with me.

I think I may have convinced myself that what I actually want is this truck.

Now with what I know about these trucks, I know it's not really that big of a trick to get one to the other. But the question is.

Do I cut up the fairly clean Cummins truck to put some sort of boosted small block in it (Thinking either Magnum or LS, haven't decided yet). Then cut the rest of it up, de-one ton the suspension, (probably keep the Dana 70 axle, it's heavy but it should hold) change the spindles on the front end....

Or just get rid of the whole thing and go looking for a cheap D100/D150.

If I go looking for another truck, I want a Pre 1980 truck because I like the interior more.

Also not really into just turning up the Cummins because from everything I've seen it's too much money for not enough results. Plus the whole 3000rpm redline thing sort of makes the driveline a pain in the rear.

Lets just ignore my motives for wanting a fast square body Dodge. It's dumb, but I'm looking for the smartest way to my dumb goal.

Don't cut up a clean Cummins truck. They're like running Bi-turbo's.
if you sell it, IM me please

I think I'd leave the Cummins truck alone and sell it outright. Then go find one of those earlier trucks that serves as a good platform to build on.

I can't believe that is a 1989 and not a 1970. Just boggles my mind; even moreso when you consider it was released in 1983.

In reply to mtn:

The platform ran from 1972 to 1993. They slightly restyled it and put a plastic dash in for 1981. I understand they had a hard time selling a new 20 year old truck by the time the late 80s got around.

DrBoost wrote: Don't cut up a clean Cummins truck. They're like running Bi-turbo's. if you sell it, IM me please

I agree. Sell the one that you don't want and buy one that's closer to what you do.

Trucks were just trucks back then.

The constant restyling and feature creep is a relatively new thing in the truck world.

Look how long full size vans stayed more or less the same styling wise?

I had a square long box with a 225 slant six and a stick. Rubber mats, AM radio and I wish I had another one.

I recognize that one! It's the first prototype Cummins-powered Dodge truck, and was recently restored and put in the Cummins museum.

Chadeux wrote: In reply to mtn: The platform ran from 1972 to 1993. They slightly restyled it and put a plastic dash in for 1981. I understand they had a hard time selling a new 20 year old truck by the time the late 80s got around.

They also did a front end refresh for 91. My 90 is the same front end as your 89. From 72-80 they were mostly unchanged except for the 4 headlight trucks in 79 and 80. In 81 they went to the grille shaped like the one on the 89 but the center piece didn't go to the crossbar until 85. 91 was the largest change in styling until the "big truck" style came out in 94 with a fully redesigned truck.

I'd sell the cummins and find a clean /6 or 318 truck for your build. I'm sure you can sell the cummins for a bit more than you'd have to pay for a shortbed standard cab 318 truck. I had a '79 and I prefer the dash and front end styling of it over the '89. I'd take a '69 swepty over any of the later trucks though.

God i miss my 84.

Buy a non Cummings truck. Sell yours. No sense in changing everything about everything.

I can only add this: if I were to build a drag truck, I would have have to keep or add the dually flares rather than tubbing the bed. I think that would look awesome. (no idea how well it would go down the strip with such a wide stance though)

I put a '75 grill and header panel on my '85 crew cab because round sealed beams>>rectangle sealed beams. It got lots of second looks.

One advantage to starting with 1-ton parts is the lower control arm already has the deeper pocket in it. Swapping those arms onto a D150 will get you 1-2" of drop with no other changes.

If you are looking for a hot rod square body Dodge you should be looking for Ramchargers too.

Those trucks, like the same vintage GM and Ford, are gone around here. Rust ate those things alive.

Sell the Cummings and buy what you want. I have a soft spot for the D/1st gen Ram. Dad rebuilt an '83 in '93. I want one but would settle for a GM or Ford for availability.

oldopelguy wrote: I put a '75 grill and header panel on my '85 crew cab because round sealed beams>>rectangle sealed beams. It got lots of second looks. One advantage to starting with 1-ton parts is the lower control arm already has the deeper pocket in it. Swapping those arms onto a D150 will get you 1-2" of drop with no other changes. If you are looking for a hot rod square body Dodge you should be looking for Ramchargers too.

I thought only the vans had the deeper pocket arms

My first truck was an 88 ram 150 2wd w/a V6 throttle body injection 3.9 litre. Short bed with 5-speed and no frills. Fire engine red with wide black rub strip down the side. I loved that truck! The previous owner put a 2-3" body lift on it and some after market chrome wheels. It was a cool looking truck that I would love to duplicate someday.

I also owned a 92 d250 Cummins truck for about 5-6 years. The Cummins truck was a club cab long bed with a 5 speed (swapped out the getrag for a nv4500). It also had an additional fuel tank where the spare used to live so I had an effective range of roughly 1000 miles. It was an awesome truck. Of the two I miss the Cummins way more, even though the 88 was better looking. I would personally keep the Cummins, because the early Cummins trucks are becoming more and more rare. I know the 89 was non-intercooled but that is easy enough to fix. I wouldn't mess with the Cummins as it's worth more as is than as some hot rod truck you like but others might not when and if you decide to sell it.

Chris

I know full well that the truck will be worthless if I pull the Cummins out. That's why I haven't done it yet. The biggest reason I haven't sold it yet is every time I get ready to sell it something breaks on it and it goes back to sitting for several months while I continue being too busy doing something else.

What's probably going to end up happening here is I'm going to "finish" the Bravada, get rid of it instead of this truck and go find a D100. Or nothing. Probably nothing. Either way that Bravada needs to get finished. But that's another story...I think...