From 2WD to 4WD Conversion: 1970 Dodge D200 Build Is Fire

There are two major elements to the story of this awesome 1970 Dodge D200 truck. The first is that it’s a father-daughter project. The second revolves around what it took to get the truck to its current state, including converting it from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive.

Daughter’s First Truck

Joe Emily, the father of 12-year-old June Emily, begins the story. “Last year, my wife and I started talking about buying our daughter a truck that she and I could build together. So, in December, I pulled up a bunch of pictures of different trucks on Google so she could decide what she wanted us to build. She decided on a longbed Dodge Sweptline 4×4.”

But finding an almost 60-year-old Dodge Sweptline 4×4 turned out to be a no-go, so Joe took a different approach. “I started looking for one and couldn’t find a 4×4. So, I started looking at 2WD trucks that I could convert to 4WD, since they’re straight axle also and very easy to convert. We found her a 1970 D200 2WD in Illinois in January, and she and I made a road trip to bring it home.”

The truck they acquired is rare because it has factory A/C, power steering, and power brakes. Its 383-cubic-inch big-block engine ran well, but the transmission needed a rebuild. With the truck acquired, it was game on to create June’s first truck. We had a chance to photograph the in-process build at the 2025 Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Danville, Indiana.

Upgraded Big-Block, TF727 Transmission, NP208 Transfer Case

Under the hood sits a 383-cubic-inch big-block V8 that’s mostly stock, save for a Holley carburetor and PerTronix electronic ignition. Dual exhaust with glasspack mufflers handles the spent gases. The stock radiator’s been re-cored, and a rear-sump Mancini Racing oil pan makes room for the four-wheel-drive conversion and crossover steering.

The TorqueFlite 727 three-speed automatic has been rebuilt and fitted with a four-wheel-drive output shaft. It’s paired with an NP208 transfer case sourced from Facebook Marketplace, upgraded with a 1410-series rear yoke to match the axle.

First-Gen Dodge Axles, 35-Inch Tires

Joe and June swapped in a pair of axles sourced from a first-gen Dodge. The rear is a Dana 70, and the front is a Dana 60 with Warn manual locking hubs. Both have 4.10:1 gears. The steering system is a custom crossover setup that includes an IFS Toyota steering box, hydraulic assist, and a Jeep steering shaft. “It drives amazing now,” Joe says. At the time these photos were taken, Joe was fabbing the front driveshaft.

Up front, the factory leaf springs and shocks were ditched for five-inch-lift first-gen Dodge-spec BDS springs paired with Rough Country shocks. Out back, the stock leafs stayed, Rough Country shocks went in, and lift comes from custom U-bolt-capturing blocks.

June’s truck rolls on 315/75R16 (approximately 35-inch-diameter) Mastercraft Courser MXT tires mounted on 10-inch-wide Weld Scorpio V wheels.

New Front Bumper, Awesome Patina

When Joe and June brought the 1970 Dodge D200 home, it was missing a front bumper. They fixed that by modifying a first-gen Dodge MOVE bumper to fit. Painted white and fitted with a pair of LED lights, it blends perfectly with the truck’s no-nonsense look. Otherwise, the D200 wears its factory paint, and decades-deep patina. Even the original “Camper Special” emblems still hang on the front fenders.