just like the title says starting to gather parts for next winters conversion of the 78 dodge crewcab. by the way saw a crewcab was in a auction two miles from my house it was a 83 two wheel drive with a stick. pass side was ditched both doors and the back door jamb bent. didn't stay. anyway what i want is to put the cummins and a five speed with the first gen . running gear. this is the catch i was thinking of the nv 4500 i did a lot of reading on the conversion here that has been written about the subject. wondering if i should buy a second gen motor and trans then add the older transfer case or just buy the adapter plate and follow the conversion route. are the externals of these two motors about the same for compactness .?

 

Can't you just strecth the frame and do a cab swap or just back half the cab you have now to make it a crew cab???

 

i have been doing searches on here and lots of measuring between my 93 ctd reg. cab and i did consider the frame lengthening and half cab swap. but i hate body work. swapping fenders, hoods, boxes no big thing just never learned the trade enough to do it to a pro job. wiring and parts swaping no big deal. also have not made up my mind on weather to update nose to ninties or leave it be.

 

The engines will bolt in the same hole. There's no reason you couldn't put a 2nd gen motor in.

 

i have not worked on either much compared to other diesels we have had on the farm and wondered if the computer and loom was reasonable to change out being i want a five speed it would eliminate the hook ups to the trans other than odometer in the transfer case.