longbed. Always go longbed if you're bucks down. They're much less expensive, the extra weight is negligible, and they work better if you do need to haul something (8' sheet of plywood is a great example). Besides, all the stuff they make for a shortbed works on a longbed too - except for maybe the bed itself.
RacetruckRon said:Another minitruck fan here. S10 and Rangers were the most common and have the most forum support and the most aftermarket offerings. But if you are sick in the head like me the obscure Japanese trucks are pretty cool too: old Datsun 720s, Nissan D21 Hardbody, Yotas and my favorite Mitsubishi Mighty Max/ Ram50. A sawzall and a welder can make anything fit in the engine bay just don't be a lazy idiot and cut the bed for a c notch or ridiculous 4 link so you can still use it as a truck. Here's my LS 6 speed swapped Ram50 that sits on C4 Corvette suspension.
Probably almost as heavy as a Corvette what with all that wood and coolers in the back.
Ok I didn't need to search Gen III Hemi and Dakota. This is perfect.
In reply to bmw88rider :
The perfect swap for anyone who hates LS engines, money and cam lobes.
In reply to RacetruckRon :
Non DOD aren't that bad.
RacetruckRon said:In reply to bmw88rider :
The perfect swap for anyone who hates LS engines, money and cam lobes.
They're really not bad vs the dod ls crap now that eats valvetrain in under 5k miles... problem is 7/8 rods starve for oil and spin the rod bearing out.
I'm familiar with the Gen III issues and all of those would be fixed prior to install anyway. If I'm going through all that trouble, it's getting a new cam for more performance regardless of the motor. MDS for mopar and DOD for GM are both problem children.
I'm not sure what your local junkyard situation is now a days but here, anything LS in the pick and pulls are either trashed with 200k+ miles or gone immediately. Now that LKQ owns all of the yards here, it really doesn't matter the motor but just about any 5.3 LS and just about any Gen III 5.7 Hemi is $2500-$3500 depending on miles. Unfortunately the days of a $500 LS in my part of the world are pretty much long gone.
There are still gen III hemis in the pick and pull because they aren't swapped into everything. So there is still a possibility of getting a complete mopar engine and transmission for $600.
Outside of that, all of the rest of the swap stuff is about 3-5K for either motor. So the prices will end up close to the same regardless.
I'm not a fan or hater of either. Both have their place and now with holley stepping up with some of the swap adapters, the gap is a lot closer.
My teenaged Sons and I have a small fleet of older Fords 1/2 ton and 3/4 tons. You can probably buy two vintage Fords for what every square body will bring. And as in all things old vehicle, a parts vehicle is a valuable friend! Parts Fords are literally dirt cheap. Overall trucks are a very satisfying way to play at a very reasonable cost. Highly recommended!
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