Thanks guys...I will do very little to this truck...valve cover gaskets...some new belts and hoses are in order...the AC compressor turns on and off thus low on the high dollar R12. Dallas was up front about the front seal on the compressor was leaking. Got a new compressor coming from Rock Auto along with a new drier. Going to convert it to 134a and get it blowing cold again.

 

Congrats!

Wanna 5.9 from a 2K Dakota R/T?

good luck with it

j

 

Well I went to a car show and got rained on twice. This truck doesn't leak so big worries...just extra wipe downs. There were more than 25 cars there and I won a top 25 plaque which was fine with me. Cars shows these days are like don't hurt anyone's feelings shows. When I go home I replaced the leaky valve cover gaskets just like Dallas suggested I do. It was a challange with all the stuff in the way. This truck has a Holley throttle body and after I was through I started her up and she purred like a kitten. The gaskets were so old and brittle they broke apart.

 

While surfing the internet yesterday I stumbled across a authorized reprint of the 1989 Service manual so I bought it. Got it on Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019FBTFK

 

 

 

Got home and the guages still showed good so about by 9:00 I was listening to Led Zepplin in an ice cold truck.

 

I had a great day today...lots and lots of Mopars at the Mopar Club's Halloween show...made it there safe and back safe...with cold A/C...there were 156 paying cars there so I was not counting on anything big...I am pretty sure everyone got a trophy. I got a small one for being in the 1980-present Truck class.

 

You all know how your wheels are a big part of the look of your truck. So mine have a couple of issues. The clearcoat around the outside rim of the wheel is peeling and the center caps have turned colors and have some scratches. So I found some NOS center caps at Arizonaparts.com and bought them. I will take the wheels off two at a time and get them media blasted and powdercoated.

 

Had the Dak out and about today...just rolled over 40,000 miles...The clear is peeling off the wheels and it is the greatest downfall of this truck. Soon to have them blasted and powder coated and can't wait to put those new center caps on also.

 

Nothing like hauling the tree home in a Mopar....





My wife, daughters and grand daughter got some lunch today and then went to a nearby Christmas tree farm. Cut down a nine footer and hauled it home in my Dodge Truck. Been a long time coming.

 

tailgate doesn't line up brosiff lol mine doesn't either it's okay. hope she didn't scratch that flawless paint!

 

Pictures prove that the tailgate wasn't shut all the way and it came slamming open fifty feet outside the gate.

 

Well my weekend drive around truck failed my today. I was headed to Whataburger to check out one of their new chicken tacos when I noticed the steering wheel pulling to the right. I parked in the parking lot and then check the passenger side caliper. For sure it was stuck. I could hear the rotor cooling down. Well the driver's side had already been replaced before so I ate lunch and then took it easy going home. I checked it out close and found no damage just heated up brake pads. I ordered a rebuilt caliper from O'Reilly's and painted it with some caliper paint. I will be wrenching on the Dakota tomorrow. I will check the condition of the rotor and brake pads when I get the caliper off tomorrow.

 

Dakotas are cake to work on! I enjoy it.

 

I went round and round on the front brake calipers. First one was for the wrong side. I went ahead and changed it out on the driver's side. Then second try on passenger side was a cross threaded bleeder screw. Third time was the charm. I got all new fluid in the front lines. The rotors were fine and the brake shoes had 1/2" of pads left so they stayed. Stops and rolls fine now.

 

If you see one Dakota Shelby for sale with few miles please let me know...Thanks

 

Alright amigo.

 

I was on the way home from our monthly Mopar meeting this Sunday when it started to rain and I turned on the wipers only to here a thump and the wiper blades stayed straight up on the windshield. I knew what happened. Those same crappy windshield wiper linkage bushings. Well I read the factory service manual and it was straight forward. But as luck would have it I called the guy I bought it from Dallas Rice and he set me straight with removing the outside cowel. So I got it off. Today I used the satin black SEM color coat to paint he inside black cowel cover, the washer squiters and the pivots of the wiper brackets. They are all made out of plastic and were faded. Tonight I got most of it put back on and tested. Tomorrow night I will finish by installing the outside painted cowel cover.

 

Shelby made some cars you just dont know about tell you see and drive them. You going to use it at show or towing them cars?


This is just like the car i got when i was 16 ( the car was 16 too )
1982 Plymouth Shelby Charger Turbo sold it a month later.That guy blew it up!

 

I call it my weekend truck. I will restore it one day and keep it till I die. Right now I am repairing what breaks and those bushings are weak.

 

I got my A/C all back together and charged up. It was nice and cold but I had high head pressure. When the ambient air temp was high enough it would blow warmer. I blew the charge yesterday and removed the grill and condensor coil. I found the issue today. Not enough air being drawn accross the coil. Only one fan was functioning. It pulls 12 amps. I have a call in to some other Shelby owners as what to use as a replacement fan.

 

I got my answer this morning from a friend of the previous owner. He replaced his fans with a Spal 11" pusher. I got two on order.

 

I got them in today and got it all ready to go. Even the connectors match up with the factory plugs.

 

It's pretty much back together. I got both fans cranking away by jumping out the low suction switch. 9 amps is what they pull and then they suck a piece of paper to the condensor coil when it is installed. I vacuumed the system down and charged it today. I had 100 degrees ambient in front of the condensor coil and 52 degrees of cold air blowing me in the face. Back on the road with the windows rolled up.

 

Well I bought my own early birthday present. I got two done and the other two off tonight. I find a tire and wheel store that takes the tires off, sends the wheels off to a powder coater company and they come back the next day looking like new. Pictures prove it. The wheels were the only downfall to this truck. Once its done I will take more pictures of the wheels and the truck.

This is why I did it.





And this is a sunny shot of how they turn out.

 

Today was great. I had the day off which means three day weekend. I got the other wheels for my Dakota back and on. I drove it to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. Had that tall glass of Shinner Bock. Left there and had the Shelby do the Donkey pull for it's inspection. I also got the $70 synthetic oil change. I came home and cleaned the truck inside and out. Then pulled the carb off the Aspen and jetted up the primaries two jet sizes. Got it back on and started up. Took another shower and off to dinner with the wife, daughter and grandchild. Got back, opened some presents and ate some icecream cake my wife picked up. Still have two beautiful days off. Have some pics of the Dakota new wheels, after washing it and on the Donkey puller, even two short videos.

 

very nice & rare!! cant say that I have ever seen one on the road!! just in magazines... sweet find!!

 

very nice truck i recently found a shelby a guy was using for a farm truck i rescued it and am being to restore it truck is in fair shape no rust but bed is beat up and im missing three center caps my fan isnt right and i cud use bumpers and a paint job i bought a dash cap do to sun damaged dash and geting ready to order carpet then inside well b done its number 1277 i love this lil truck any info u cud give me on these trucks wud b great or where to find the hard to find parts wud b great i am also looking for the front air damn (mine is cracked )


____________________________
1989 shelby dakota 1277 of 1500

 

Hey, I posted on your thread on moparmusclemagazine.com but maybe you didn't see it.

I really love your truck and it's providing me with motivation for my frame off resto I'm in the middle of right now.

Where did you get your rims done? It's an immaculate job!

Also, I noticed you converted to R-134a refrigerant. Did you have to replace all the hoses & components or did you just replace the drier & compressor? I had concerns about the in-line filter-thing on the hose right on top of the compressor. Did you buy a new hose or did you just flush through this?