1965 d100 frame swap
1965 d100 frame swap
Hi all I have a 1965 dodge truck D100 camper special I think the beds is like 9 feet long.I am slamming to the ground. I have just the body no frame. I am trying to find the best frame to use and not cost me a arm and a lag. I am looking at a 1978 dodge truck 1500 frame for $75. I have looked into it already and I know I need to cut out 8 1/2 inches out of the frame to match the wheel base of the 65 truck and make all new mounts. Is there a better frame out there that I will not have to do so much work on. Any help would be greatly appreciate. My e mail is scarfo.brian@yahoo.com. Thanks and have a good day all.
- slick
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Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
As far as doing the least amount of work that is probably going to be your best bet. Any mopar motor/tranny will bolt in etc.. You can always make other frames work. There is a truck for sale locally here that is on a Chevy frame, so anything is possible depending on how much work you want to put in it. Personally if it were me I would build a frame from scratch, but that also depends on what your desired outcome is (lifted, lowered, stock?)..
1963 Crewcab Cummins
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara
- soopernaut
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Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
Since you have to remove a section of frame why not splice a newer front to the original back? The 78 frame is very close to matching the 65 frame under the cab. My truck's frame is a 77 D150 front spliced to a 70 rear. I was originally going to do a full frame swap but there were some issues that were better solved by splicing.
- slick
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Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
Don't think he has the original frame, but I agree with Sooper. If you plan to put it on the ground I would use that 78 front suspension, Dakota dropped spindles, and build the frame from there back..
1963 Crewcab Cummins
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara
- soopernaut
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Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
Yeah, I just reread the original post. After a few days I may reply without reading everything again.slick wrote:Don't think he has the original frame, but I agree with Sooper.
Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
Thanks a lot guys for getting back to me I new in the Dodge game always been a Chevy man. Right now I have a 1956 Chevy 2 door Wagon it as a 454 and a high rise 4x4 setup 9inch rear 1955 Chevy truck all original, 1973 Cougar convertible it need work I will try to upload pictures if I can find out how to do it. But now this 1965 Dodge D100 I hope to slam the D100 its a camper special the bed is like 9 feet long . I been hearing that air bag may not be the way to go. I hear that if you loss air the truck falls to the ground and your stuck . I hear just lower it as low as you can to ride it and leave it. Why put air bags on it if I can not drop it to the ground. Any suggestions will help thanks and by the way the Dakota dropped spindles are they stock spindles or do I have to buy them and will they fit my 1978 dodge suspension. Thanks again for all the help and Ya all have a great day.
Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
There was one 9' box option and that was the Utiline box. I've never seen a 9' UtilineBRIAN wrote:its a camper special the bed is like 9 feet long .
box on a 100 series truck. Otherwise, your truck has an ~8' box if the VIN tag calls out
the wheelbase at 128" [mid '65 and later] or 122" [early '65 or older].
John
- slick
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Re: 1965 d100 frame swap
Dropped Dakota spindles on the 78 Suspension.
1963 Crewcab Cummins
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara
1961 Dodge D100
1964 Dodge Polara