My neighbor started a neat project

[billinohio]

Last week, he bought a really nice Dodge Durango, with brand new tires on it.
only thing is the engine was blowed up. He really didn't even pay what the tires are worth.
the junkyards want more for an engine than the car would be worth, so, I throwed out the suggestion to put it on a Chevy truck chassis. Then I found one that was even rebuilt and painted.
this afternoon I drove past and there was a Chevy frame sitting on his trailer.......
i love it when a plan comes together!

[Butcher]

I wonder what kinda Chevy frame is made that will fit it with out a whole lot of messin around?
I know several people that have them Durangos and they either love them or they hate them. Never even sat inside one myself. I always thought it would be cool to take an old 50's CJ or Willys jeep and put an old V.W. body on it.

[diydave]

Mar 30, 2017 18:58:38 GMT -6 Butcher said:

I wonder what kinda Chevy frame is made that will fit it with out a whole lot of messin around?
I know several people that have them Durangos and they either love them or they hate them. Never even sat inside one myself. I always thought it would be cool to take an old 50's CJ or Willys jeep and put an old V.W. body on it.

Like this?

[billinohio]

I think this is a late 70s 1/2 ton frame. I didn't stop to look because he was not home. I lined this up through a friend of a friend.
Roger has all the tools to make this look easy.

[billinohio]

I can just imagine his daughter driving this thing to school!

[billinohio]

It's 3/4 ton frame. Has a nice set of aluminum wheels. It's pretty good shape, but has a rusty area around the  spring hangers on the rear end.
he can handle that.

[spacecadet9]

Mar 30, 2017 18:17:11 GMT -6 billinohio said:

Dodge Durango,  the engine was blowed up. 

Wasn't the Durango and Jeep GC cousins?  If so wouldn't the engines be able to swap?  Just asking

[billinohio]

Not much in common that I can see. This thing is an SUV on a Doge Dakota platform.

[spacecadet9]

Apr 1, 2017 6:57:23 GMT -6 billinohio said:

Not much in common that I can see. This thing is an SUV on a Doge Dakota platform.

I didn't know the Durango has a full frame.  I thought they were half frame like the GC.  I have a 96 GC (ZJ), aka Hunk-O-Junk, with a 5.2L that engine parts are the same as 98-99 Durango.  You didn't say what year the Durango is but it might be worth checking for interchangeability.  This if from engine guy website.   link

[billinohio]

Don't take anything I say as gospel, but, Roger did his research and the Durango has a bad habit of blowing engines when they are a quart low of oil, and the girl admits this one was 2 quarts low and she only had 1. He called the yards and they wanted more for a 132,000 mile engine than the car would be worth with it installed, so.....it's now a toy to play with. I crawled under it, it definitely has a full frame, kindaodd shape, real wide at the rear, and quite several body mounts, but if he is determined enough....... he could stick a Mack frame under it.
I do not know what year it is, but kinda assume it is 10-12 years old.
He has a 70 Longhorn pickup that was supposed to be the girls first vehicle......
In his way he is trying to spoil her.

[billinohio]

Well, it's not like he doesn't have anything else to be doing, but, he was out there most of last night unhooking everything between the body and frame and we lifted it off this afternoon.
He has some lifts that made the job almost safe. These lifts are like the 2 post lifts that mechanics use anymore, except these were built for a trailer factory to use as a rotisserie and he has made his own attachments for them, and so far no arms.
This is gonna be fun to watch! That frame doesn't come close to actually fitting that body. It zigs when it shoulda zagged.