new guy 56 town panel

Hello all, I am Jeff, a new member from New Hampshire. I have a 1956 dodge town panel, used to be a bread delivery truck for a company called Vicking in Conn. A mopar friend of mine who buys up anything mopar had saved it from a local crusher and has been sitting at his place for over 10 years+ or -. eveytime i would go go visit this thing always got my eye. he always had a high price tag on it, and it was out of my reach. then one day he gave me a call and he was in a bind, he knew i wanted that 56 town panel and knew i would actually save it from the crusher and make use of it. He sold it to me for $400 less the motor and trans, (i guess you can put hemi heads on the v-8 that was in it...?) I could not get over there fast enough!
I have been into Dodge trucks before i even got my licence. i have owned several 72-80 dodge pickups and i still own a 76 dodge w100 stepside that i bought in highschool in 1998. i also have a 74 crew cab dodge d200, 91 w250 cummins, and other mopar vehicles. I worked at a body shop in high school and ended up working there for 10 years or so befor i moved on to a better paying job. i still like doing autobody projects, but it never tends to be my own.
when i picked up th 56 it was prob around 2010. it has a good amount of rust but nothing i cant fix. i tryed putting a volare front suspention under it but it was not even close to a fit. the frame on the 55 and 56 bow inward and that was never going to work. I then came across an 87 dodge dakota, and cut the front crossmember/ suspension out of it and make it slide up under the front frame of the 56. Not a bad fit. this also gave me rack and pinion stearing and front disc brake. this also gives me the option of getting drop spindles. i used a 98 ish 8.8 rear end out of a explorer, this gave me rear disk brake and a nice rear axle. yes the diff is offset to one side. I boxed in the front half of the frame to just beyond the front doors. I remover front and rear bumpers, and them welded in engine mounts for a 78 318 i had sitting around. bolted a a518 2wd trans to it out of another dakota 1991. I then repaired the pass cab mount, rocker and floor. Then it got pushed out of the garage. and i have not touched it in 2 years. This is because i got layed off from work, so i took on a 57 buick centry to restore for a gay and gal. this was a grate project, untill i discovered all the aluminum tape and body filler in this thing.... long story short i took some other side jobs and before i knew it i was working full time again. the buick has taken over my garage for almost 2 years now. It is finally almost to the point of being done to then i can focus on the 56. Atlest that is what i am hoping.

sorry for the long story, but that gives you a little about my life

That will be a sweet ride. I have a 56 pickup that I have had since high school. It will be in the shop soon for it's 3rd rebuild. putting it on a 2001 Dakota 4x4. I think I can make it work. good luck

how is that panel going? would like to see some pictures