Johnny,

Thank you for the warm welcome and the juicy tidbit about the Dodge Raider. That's exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. Oddly, I never knew before now, that a Dodge Raider was a Mitsubishi re-badge. In fact, although I'm sure I MUST have heard the term "Dodge Raider" sometime, somewhere, I cannot remember having heard it. So, needless to say, that was NOT a platform I'd considered! That information alone gives me a new line of inquiry. Based on a quick search there appear to be quite a few more Raiders out there than Mighty Maxes or D50s.

And to clarify a point in my original post: When I say "bolt-in conversion" I mean an engine bay into which the 4D55T engine and running gear from the '83 D50 donor, will fit without having to fab up new engine mounts and, hopefully, transmission/x-fer case mounts, or a custom oil pan. Any other difficulties I would consider to be just part of the price I'll pay.

Thanks again and keep those comments and suggestions rolling in!

Vernon