Swapping a Quad Cab

The cab is an '01. The only minor issues were a cracked windshield and a missing left rear door. The dash was redesigned with this model year and I wasn't sure the harnesses would be compatible with what was in the '99. What I did know was that everything worked in the '99 …So I decided to swap the entire interior.

It was time to take the Dakota apart. The bed was removed first. All the body bolts were severely rusted, so, I used a saw zaw to cut thru the bolts and blocks….'

With the bed off, it was time to remove the front fenders and all the connections to harnesses, steering, brakes, throttle, shift linkages, a/c, etc.

From here, the truck and the replacement cab were hauled over to a shop to do the heavy work. it would take the help of a fork lift to remove one cab and lift the other in place;

After some time in the shop, the cab swap was complete. With a huge smile on my face, I brought the Dakota home;

All the connections, linkages, steering, throttle, brakes, a/c, everything is hooked back up again.

The original fenders were rusty, so I purchased a rust free pair at the local junk yard. Here is the old rusted fender;

With the fenders back on and the parts coming together, the Dakota went from this;