Franken-rango Body swap prep.

Hi folks, I fell off the face of the earth for a while. Keeping a posse of 5 vehicles on the road can be daunting. Any rate, I have given myself until july 13th weekend 2017 to complete the body swap. I do NOT have the cash to strip and paint the body like I wanted to. I will be cutting out bad parts of firewall myself with plasma cutter and welding in new metal ( diamond plate )


I have another '99 Durango slt 4x4 231dhd tranfercase project. Anyone know where I can determine the transmission type? ( sticker in glove box or vin?) I think that is blown again. I have a spare 46re with a shift kit I could put in. Idk of the connectors will go backwards to a 99, from a 2001 RT

Beyond that I am trying to move vehicles out of here for the body dance. I haven't fully figured it out. I will have to have the donor 2003 body on the trailer here for a bit will play an episode of chop cut and grind.

First thing on the list is to pull as much of the 2001 interior out and get it stowed in my basement for install in the donor 2003. I am also using KANO KROIL penetrator on the body bolts almost daily. Getting ready to remove those. I plan to save everylast part of the stuff inside the 2001 black beast body including doors etc.

--=r3p0

 

Easiest way to determine the trans is to look at the pan. Generally though, the 5.2 got the 44re and the 5.9 the 46re.

 

Why I needed to body swap the Black Beast Durango

The most common question I get asked is why a Durango body swap? The lemon Durango (Black Beast or D2) I bought obviously was used on a dirt road with yellowish clay on the roads. It had a hardened crust of ceramic like yellow clay everywhere it possibly could. AND growing up on a dirt road myself, I recognized that it must have been a long way traveled at high speeds, as this causes the underside of vehicle to get sandblasted, worse even when the roads are wet.

Here's what I have done so far.

• brought donor blue dream body to my house
• removed 9 of 10 body bolts
• removed rear bumper, bumper cover
• began removing hitch
• Began inventory of items needed for swap
• Identified areas on body of D3 that must be fixed
• Purchased pressure washer, learned how blast holes in finger and foot!
• clay dripping out after a full power wash
  impacted clay over body bolt
• paint didn't hold on frame in that one area where acid dripped in past on frame. I need a sand blaster and thicker enamel. SSTUBES.com SS lines still look amazing. Lots of things learned about painting and michigan winters. I need body work/ paint advice. I know nothing. Notice the headers which were el cheapo went from SS colored to a nice splotchy blue.
• fender rot
  last shot of truck back end together.... forever. *sniff sniff*
• Pressure washer fight club rules: DO NOT GET bare hands or feet in front of running stream.. Don't ask which body got the holes in it...

 

"Blue Dream" donor body

Here are some shots of the donor body "Blue Dream". Since I have 3 Durangos we just use:
D1=1999 "Ol' Blue"
D2=2001 "Black Beast"
D3=2003 "Blue Dream"

The D3 body needs:

• firewall cut,chop and replace at floor pan left and right side about 2"-3"x12
• surface rust, corners, airconditioning port RR,
• Rear door metal or use D2 door and use d3 lower right side for d2 chop/cut/weld
• fix RR inner fender wall metal
• two seat bolts extracted. They are soaking in Kroil penetrant
• remove one body bolt and or just the mount metal from left side.
• remove knuckle dent LR D pillar.

Can't really move the interior from D2, especially the carpet, which is first to go down into D3 body until I get the firewall metal replaced and welded.

 

D2 Black Beast disassembly begins

First things first is removing the bold bolts. There are 10 holding the rear body on and 2 more holding front end on.

Each night last week after work I set time off to work on the bolts. I didn't have the Kano Kroil penetrant that I ordered yet, so I used pblaster on all the bolts.
I set out the first night, taking off the bumper, and in order to get access to the left rear body bolt I had to remove the trailer hitch. IMHO some idiot didn't measure where the access divot when in the hitch and it was too far forward to make bolt accessible. Out came the torch as each of 3 bolts on the hitch broke. I still have one left to remove, yet I gained access and moved on.

After that I moved the rear 4 body bolts. Which surprisingly were LOOSE! scary! I got 4 out no problem. I soaked the remaining 6 and made another attempt the next night. I was able to get 9 out with one more that has to be cut out. The metal on the body was like potato chip brittle. I could hit it with a hammer and it would shatter into "chips". I can't believe how dangerous this vehicle was..

 

Stay tuned, front clip removal and some plasma cutting on tap. Haha pictures at 11...

 

Clipless sucess

cut off the front mount body side

even used my previous bolt card

last shot with bumper

first three bolts

left side front fender off

right front head light out

Fender clip bolt card. Pictures at eleven, next stop lifting, some cutting.

 

Disconnect all the things

battery tray and emission lpd

ceramic clay everywhere

gathering cables and hoses

rear whip for trailer package

more wires

interior parts

fishing wires out

brake componets.

stripped no clip. have to remove water, remove brakes, take off intermediate shaft, and gas/vent tubes in back.

 

Lifting body first inch!

notice the yellow ceramic like clay on everything. first inch up. Few things left to disconnect. then pull the interior, remove doors, hatch and lift it out.

 

Started body lift

started lifiting the body off. I removed the brakes as a unit from the vacuum booster. Second and third pix trying to get a 4x4 under the body. The 4x4 broke. I really needed to use a 10' not an 8' anyways.
Last one is how dirty I was last night.

 

Remove interior day.

Today most of the day was spent removing the interior and carefully storing each piece in the basement for laster installation in the donor body.

making progress this was about 12 noon.

 

remove interior part duex

Drivers seat out

passenger seat out

carpet and console out

completed all the way to the dash

Another good shot of the ceramic like, hardened clay on everything on this body.

 

Removing the dash and wiring harness.

 

Dash and interior wiring harness. to Doors off.

 

Old Body of D2 Black Beast on blocks.

 

Prepping for dustless blasting.

chassis by itself

going away to storage for now.

going to need this repainted

the mount that I had to cut off. Some work to be done here and on all body mounts.

corrosion is a layer of ceramic like clay, with rust underneath it. Bumper needs to be cleaned up and painted.

chassis shots.

Is anybody watching all this?
...lol

 

come down to GA. I just bought a rear section of frame from a D so I can weld it into my '42 project. no rust at all. it was $120.

still watching...

 

Frame plan

black color is protective coating turning metal and rust black. 24 hours keep dry before top coat

I tried wire brush on rust here only and then applied the neutralizer.

Well because of several factors I have decided to clear the chassis by hand. Too dangerous getting the body moved, chassis on the trailer. So I wanted to convert the remaining rust after I have cleaned it, and I went with the first rust converter I could get my hands on, from Locktite.

In the pictures above you can see the results.

wirebrush
sander
grinder the rough edges
sand
neutralize.
wait 24 hours
top coat.

You can see the results. I'm pretty happy. With the rattle can finish of Rustoleum primer and paint we should be good to go.

I removed the gas tank, and rear wiring harness, fuel line, and last line to remove is the rear brake line.

I may need to remove the exhaust system for access, we'll see. This is turning into alot of work!
ha.

 

Frame de-rusting and progress

 

 

 

I have to tell you, just following your thread makes me tired. To have so much energy to take your project to where it is today amazes me. There was a time in years past I'd jump into any project, but never anywhere near what you have undertaken. My hat is off to you. Please keep posting your progress.

 

Heck yeah we are following this thread. Love watching your progress. You do some amazing work.

 

moar grinding, moar better living through chemistry

grinding other half, just got the coat on before the rain. No problem, we have TARP-topia!

 

That frame is really looking good. It may be too pretty to put the body and cover all that up.