1946 Dodge Truck Rebuild

I finally decided to rebuild my 1946 Dodge truck from the ground up. My father originally built the truck in the 80s and drove it 200 miles round trip to work everyday. I eventually was driving it to high school before I blew the Buick 318 engine.

After trying to figure out how to rebuild it to daily driver reliability without spending a huge amount of money, I decided the best course of action would be to take a donor vehicle and remove the body and place the body of my 46 on the chassis.

I want it to be all Mopar, so I made a list of donor vehicles that I thought would be compatible. As it turns out, a coworker of mine had one of these vehicles.

Meet my donor vehicle:
1999 Dodge Ram 1500 single cab short bed. It is equipped with a 3.9 Magnum V6 engine and 2x4 4 speed 42RE transmission. The vehicle has only 128,xxx miles! It runs and drives, but needs some minor work to be road worthy.

I will try to update as much as possible as I go through this endeavor.

The bed on my truck is from a 1948 Dodge, and I had to completely remove the floor because it was the original floor and was falling apart. I'm wondering if I could cut the sides off of the Ram bed and weld the side of my 48 bed on there. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about fabricating mounts or spend the money to rebuild the bed floor. I know the bed of the 48 is about a foot longer than the ram bed, so I would have to do a little floor fabrication.


Also, it seems my 46 has a track width about 8 inches narrower than the Ram, so I'll have to use 1 ton finders for the tires to clear.

My 46 is buried in my garage, hopefully I'll have it out soon to take pictures.

In the mean time, I've been having to repair the Ram. The catalytic converter was hacked out and the fuel tank was punctured while at the previous owner's house.

I'm going to weld a y pipe where the catalytic converter was, and I'm planning on keeping the stock computer setup so I'll have to modify the exhaust in order to install a new upstream o2 sensor. I will use the good ol' non-fowler trick for the downstream o2 sensor.

I did get the bed off of the Ram after the winter storm we had.

OK, I hope someone can help me out. I noticed the floor is rusted through in some spots and it is not strong enough for the seats I want to put in (Silverado/Tahoe with built in seatbelts). I called the local customs shop and was quoted $2,500 to fabricate a new floor and body mounts. I cannot afford that right now so I am thinking of a new plan:
cut the cab off of the Ram but leave the floor attached to the frame and just weld the cab of my 46 to it.

Has anyone done this? If so, please give me advise.

So here are some pictures of the truck. A couple of years ago I decided to sand down the body and prep it for paint, but only got through the front fenders.

I got the 1946 to start and run last night. I'm going to try to drive it out of the garage today and park it beside the Ram to get a good look at how the body will line up on the chassis.

Years ago I decided to replace the engine (Buick 318) in it and a few other things. I got it running but the fuel tank was so rusted it kept clogging the fuel filter. I pulled the fuel tank and cleaned it out and was going to use some Red-Kote to seal it, but after noticing how much work I would have to do to salvage it, I decided to start from the ground up and make it all Mopar again.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do with this chassis after I take the body off. I know my father would like to hang on to it since it has a lot of sentimental value but neither of us have room to store a chassis. I'm toying with the idea of maybe donating it to someone who wants to rebuild their old truck.

In the meantime, here is a picture of my temporary fuel set up:
"Come with meeee, and you'll beeee in a world of OSHA violations..."

Here are some pictures of the 46 beside the 99. Everything lines up pretty good.

Alright, I've been taking my time getting the Ram running better and I think I've reached that point. There are a few things I will have to do in the near future like motor mounts and power steering gear box, but it is something I can do after the body transplant.

Since it is going to be storming the next two days and I'm doing this outside, I'm going to focus on getting the dash removed. After that it's the seats and make sure I have all electrical wires and connectors out of the truck and everything detached from the firewall, then I'm going to start cutting the cab off...

OK, I hope someone can help me out. I noticed the floor is rusted through in some spots and it is not strong enough for the seats I want to put in (Silverado/Tahoe with built in seatbelts). I called the local customs shop and was quoted $2,500 to fabricate a new floor and body mounts. I cannot afford that right now so I am thinking of a new plan:
cut the cab off of the Ram but leave the floor attached to the frame and just weld the cab of my 46 to it.

Has anyone done this? If so, please give me advise.

Dub, nothing against the cut and weld, but many fab shops might have a couple of square aluminum plates in their scrap that could be bolted or welded to "shore" up and stiffen where you want the GM seats.. i bought two- 1/8" squares for under $60 in colorado, and it held the 7-power Acura seats in a 73 Chevy 1-ton van..

I got the 1946 to start and run last night. I'm going to try to drive it out of the garage today and park it beside the Ram to get a good look at how the body will line up on the chassis.

Years ago I decided to replace the engine (Buick 318) in it and a few other things. I got it running but the fuel tank was so rusted it kept clogging the fuel filter. I pulled the fuel tank and cleaned it out and was going to use some Red-Kote to seal it, but after noticing how much work I would have to do to salvage it, I decided to start from the ground up and make it all Mopar again.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do with this chassis after I take the body off. I know my father would like to hang on to it since it has a lot of sentimental value but neither of us have room to store a chassis. I'm toying with the idea of maybe donating it to someone who wants to rebuild their old truck.

In the meantime, here is a picture of my temporary fuel set up:
"Come with meeee, and you'll beeee in a world of OSHA violations..."

hang the chassis as art work on the back of your shop.. it's not like it will rust, or someone will steal it, haha..
and i love that song.. i'm WAY out in colorado, so "...and i try, and i try..
..i can't get no, OSHA-actions.. i can't get me no.."

Dub, nothing against the cut and weld, but many fab shops might have a couple of square aluminum plates in their scrap that could be bolted or welded to "shore" up and stiffen where you want the GM seats.. i bought two- 1/8" squares for under $60 in colorado, and it held the 7-power Acura seats in a 73 Chevy 1-ton van..


The floor is not salvageable and I have to cut the center to build a tunnel for the transmission anyway, so it would be a lot less work to "cut and paste" the cab.

hang the chassis as art work on the back of your shop.. it's not like it will rust, or someone will steal it, haha..
and i love that song.. i'm WAY out in colorado, so "...and i try, and i try..
..i can't get no, OSHA-actions.. i can't get me no.."

Unfortunately I do not even have a shop. I have a 1.5 car garage that my wife has claimed. Best I could do is rent a parking space for it at the local storage facility.

I did manage to pull the dash out of the Ram in preparation for the cutting of the cab. I also amputated the right front fender...

OK so I've got a lot done with putting my 1946 Dodge truck on a Ram chassis.

I've cut the Ram cab off leaving the floor attached to the frame. I did this because the floor of the 46 is not in good enough shape to safely support bucket seats with built in seat belts.

I've removed the cab of the 46 from its chassis and set it on the floor of the Ram to see what fabrication I need to do. I found out 2 things:

1. I have to cut out a lot of the transmission tunnel on the Ram, so I'm just cutting the whole thing out and fabricating a new tunnel.

2. The floor of the Ram near the back I raised, so I have to cut the floor to allow the cab of the 46 to sit level.

Unfortunately I do not even have a shop. I have a 1.5 car garage that my wife has claimed. Best I could do is rent a parking space for it at the local storage facility.

just noticed you've been adding on...
i DEFINITELY feel your pain about the garage being claimed..
i'm looking to move; just so their is an attached garage, AND a detached garage for shop space.. tired of laying in snow and ice; or shuttling cars and then running the propane for 2 hours to bring it above freezing..

WOW! great idea for custom sheet metal tunnel.. you've managed quite well w/o shop.. still, i am sure you'd be farther along WITH a shop.. good luck..

Dub, haven't posted in awhile.. have you made more progress? or could not get to the rental space for all the rain and flooding we see in the tenn. news? i still am plowing here; just got another 3" this morning.. i want to start working on my rides, but it'll be june until we have spring up here;-- time to start lookin' for lower altitude... AND- an attached carport for HER, and a 2-car detached for HIM! haha.. hope your project is moving on..

OK new update.

I have cut the floor of the Ram right in front of the rear body mounts to allow the back of the 46 cab to lower so the cab is level.

I also got the grill spaced the correct distance from the cab and am still trying to get it fitted correctly. With the grill I had to cut the bottom off so it would sit on the frame and crossmember. I also had to cut a section out of the radiator support in order to clear the power steering gear box.

I decided I wanted to keep the portion of the frame and crossmember that sticks out past the grill because it would make a great place to mount a bumper, and also to keep as much structural integrity as possible.

FYI, I'm posting more requently on this Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/142755689093766/?ref=share

Sorry, I have been busy working in between all the storms.
Not to mention household chores and a 3 year old I have to keep up with.

If you're thinking about moving, I do suggest taking a look at Tennessee. We typically only have 2 seasons - summer and winter. We usually only get a dusting of snow in the winter, so you can work on vehicles outside all year long.

I got the Ram bed back on, cut the sides off, and placed the 46 bed on it.

Next step is to cut the floor to allow the bed to lower to the correct position.

Dub,
that is insane, that you are getting all this work done w/ regular work, the honey- do list, all those deluges, AND a 3yr old..
that was me 20yrs ago; and i just went greyer thinking about it.. haha..
actually looking in pensacola/gulf shores or inland.. but i do have family up
in columbia area.. in colorado (especially at 9300ft) i like to say we have two seasons: winter, and almost winter..
nice to hear your dodge swap is going.. i am just getting to thinking about swapping ice tires to the all season BFG AT/TAs; in may for the five months, then back to Hakkas or Firestone SnowForces..

was going to also ask, how you post to the forums with the
"attached thumbnails"? nice to see the small icon within message,
before opening; as my 400kbs to 1.4mbs out here is click and go make a
sandwich, and it might be there when you come back..

was going to also ask, how you post to the forums with the
"attached thumbnails"? nice to see the small icon within message,
before opening; as my 400kbs to 1.4mbs out here is click and go make a
sandwich, and it might be there when you come back..

The step by step I take: I go down to the "Additional Options" section under the reply box, click on "Manage Attachments" and upload one at a time. I edit my pictures so they are around 300 MB, that is probably why they show as thumbnails.

I got the floor of the bed cut so the sides of the bed will sit down. I still need to move it a little to the left and move it forward so the fenders are centered. I also need to lower the back of the bed just a little more.

I might have to cut notches in the excess cab floor behind the cab to allow the bed to go forward enough.

*Update*

So I was able to get some front fenders from a 1.5 ton truck due to the original 1/2 fenders would not work unless I cut a lot off of them. The new fenders fit great but are still off centered. I am going to weld some sheet metal on the front to "move" the center of the fender opening back making the wheels centered in the front fenders.

After I got the new fender on I found I could not get the the hood and grill to line up. After a while I realized the cab was just too far back, so I had to cut a little bit more if the floor to allow to cab to come forward enough. I was also struggling to get the cab centered correctly with only using measuring tapes and levels, so I decided to get a laser level and now the cab is centered perfectly. Next step is to tack weld the cab in place, center the bed and tack weld it into place, and then take it to a shop to have it all professionally welded.

In addition, I also had to take two 1.25" square tubes, stack them, and cut them to fit under the rear of the cab to get the cab tilted forward at the correct angle. I also fabricated a new section of my radiator support so it would clear the gearbox.

very nice.. and not just the truck; but the green grass.. it was 8degrees this a.m. in high country of colorado; and another foot of snow.. i'm moving.. tired of doing projects with ice and wind chill..
great score on the fenders though.. might even get another set, to drape over the back and weld on; make the stance more symmetrical..

very nice.. and not just the truck; but the green grass.. it was 8degrees this a.m. in high country of colorado; and another foot of snow.. i'm moving.. tired of doing projects with ice and wind chill..
great score on the fenders though.. might even get another set, to drape over the back and weld on; make the stance more symmetrical..

I was actually thinking about using front fenders on the rear...

i was gonna say 'swap 'em', but i figured that rears might be too small for older front hood/frame stance..