Cut the deal today. We meet tomorrow afternoon to transfer the money and title.

1998 Dodge Dakota Sport. Quad cab, 5.2 V8, Auto trans, 4X4, cloth interior, pwr windows locks and mirrors. Has a Pioneer CD player ( that will change soon LOL ) and I need to get a remote start alarm installed ASAP. I'm hoping this weekend on my alarm. Maybe even install a sound system Pix are taken from the Craigslist ad I responded to today...

j

 

congrats!

 

Very cool. I have a 98 dakota R/T and just love it. I'm sure you will love yours as well !

 

Looks exactly like my 2000 that I had (except mine had the 3.9L).

Looks good though. These trucks go real good with the Magnum V8s in them. Nice thing is, you can swap out the motor to a Magnum 360 later on if you want and just change out the computer or flash the one that you have.

 

Congrats on the new ride... One good lookin truck!!!!!!

 

looks like a clean truck

 

Haven't had much of a chance to drive it...the GF wanted to take it to work today LOL! I'm taking it tomorrow to put an alarm in it My lead wants me to order a specific Viper for it, that we don't carry. If I can get it cheaper than the top of the line one we carry, the install will have to wait If not, I will be putting in my first remote start alarm. Wish me luck!

Motor swap. 5.9, or Hemi? I was giving some serious thought to a Hemi What do y'all think?

I have always liked the lines of this body style Dakota, and am all giddy about what I want to do with it. Audio, performance...I'm looking at all my options as I move forward with this truck.

Suggestions?

j

 

My Dakota starts from a distance Good news is, I didn't fry anything putting it in So...I have my first remote start under my belt, and I learned a LOT. Now I want to start upgrading the sound system.

After I get some money set aside, I saw where there were motor swap parts for the older Dakota, but not the one I have. Anyone out there have any experience putting a 5.7 Hemi in an older Dak?

If not, it looks like a built 5.9 is my only option.

Unless I go 440

j

 

i had the same idea. i wanted to put the hemi in but also put a stripe down the back and a big spoiler to make it look like a mini daytona truck. how cool would that be

 

My Dakota is much older than yours, it's a '90 and came originally equipped with a 4 banger and a 5 speed manual tranny.

I bought it with a 340/727 already installed but am kinda amazed at the room under the hood. The only clearance problem I have is the steering column leaves little room for headers.

Yours being a 4x4 probably already has 3.55 gears or larger in the rear, ?

I really have taken to my to my truck (our truck) as it is a father / son project which has mostly turned out to be more father than son. But the boy is entering drivers education next month so I suspect the interest will increase soon

Good luck with your project, anything I can do to help, please let me know.

Here is a link to my photobucket page that has some pics of the truck and under the hood shortly after we got it. Looks a little different under the hood now.

Joe.

 

Not really sure what the gears are, but Ima try and find out this weekend. If this weekend is good to me, I will repaint the bumpers, and hopefully install my amps. Soon as the funds allow, I can get the Kicker separates ordered, and it won't take long to get them in. Then I need to build a box for the two subs going under the back seat.

I'll see if I can find the build sheet for the truck. I should be able to get the gears off that if I can find it.

Wish me luck!

j

P.S.

Oh...and PICTURES too LOL

j

 

Thank you PNW weather for not letting me get anything I wanted to get done this weekend, done.

I found out that i have 3:55 gears tho, so that's a plus. I also picked up some Kicker KS600 speakers for the rear of my truck, cause it was fiscally irresponsible not to LOL! Depending on what my lead says tomorrow, I may just install my rear speakers and two of my amps at work tomorrow. Someday, when the weather co-operates, I'll get my bumpers repainted...

So, the current plan for the audio in the truck:

• AVIC X920/30 BT ( transition time )
• Kicker QS65 Front separates
• Kenwood KFC-7205 2 ch amp
• Kicker KS600 6" Coaxial speakers
• KFC-7204 2ch amp
• Kicker Solo Classic 8" X 2 woofers in a custom box under the back seats
• Alpine MRP-M1000 amp
• Kicker wires for amps and speakers

j

 

The 3.55 gears will be very nice with that 5.2L. You should be able to get some decent mileage but towing will be a bit sluggist.

 

Gas milage isn't a big concern for me at this point, as my dad gave me an '88 Honda Accord that gets 30+ MPG. ( Hey, would YOU turn down a free car? ) I'm actually seriously considering doing a Hemi conversion. My semi annual "bonus" just got an extra layer of difficult added to it, so my projects are going to take longer do accomplish April will happen on time, but after that I have to wait a year for each one But, hey...maybe that will help make it a bigger "bonus" in the long run

I picked up the primer and paint so I can repaint the bumprs, but the weather hasn't been exactly cooperative

More as it happens...

j

 

Congratulations! Nice truck!

 

Well, I am having to go a bit of a different direction with my audio. Since my 8" woofers won't fit under my back seat, I will have to sell my 8" woofers and get shallow mount drivers. Hopefully I can get enough money from what i have to get the ones I need. I'll also probably sell off some of my other audio gear to get the front speakers. I SO want to get this done...I hate this waiting part

j

 

I went with a 10" shallow Rockford in my 2000 dakota. Fit pretty well after about an afternoon's worth of work.

 

Gonna continue this discussion here. I'm coming up on bonus time, and am looking at options for replacing the motor in my Dakota I'm leaning toward the 5.9 as the Hemi conversion would be a PITA. Is the 5.9 similar to the 360 in that it is externally balanced and requires a different flex plate than the 318? Would I need to change my converter, or maybe even the motor mounts to swap in a 5.9?

j

 

A couple more pix...

The truck, and the dash bezel I'm modding for the DD deck I hope to one day get...

j

 

Guess I should update the thread, huh LOL!

I installe a new deck, till the GF gived me the OK to get the AVIC I want, an MVH P8200BT so I can have blue tooth in MY truck. So, the project stands at:

• Pioneer MVH-P8200BT
• NO CD changer ( the 8200 doesn't controll them )
• Focal 165V30 separates for the doors
• Stocker 6.5" speakers still in the rear
• Alpine MRV-F540 briged running the Focals
• Kicker ZX400.1 running the stockers, as subs

Will get the Pioneer Satellie tuner hooked up in the near future, but I'm kinda disapointed with the sound quality of what I have heard lately. Might have to rethink that.

Upgrades planned:

• sound deadening
• replace stocker rears with real subs, and build an enclosure
• AVIC!
• ...

more later

j

 

dakotas rule... nuff said

 

...in a different direction...

We are trying to buy a place out a bit from the city. I'm considering trading my Dak in on something like a Subaru Forrester, or an Outback, or maybe even a Volvo V70XC for my GF to drive to and from Bothel. I end up driving our Durango to work till it's paid off. Once that happens, I'm looking to replace my Dak with either a 98-01 Ram 2500, or 3500...maybe even a Dually...Diesel of course

j

 

If all goes well, we will be signing the closing documents on our new place in the sticks middle of next week. We bought a 34' Fifth Wheel and I'm now looking at maybe trading my Dak for a 3/4 or 1 Ton truck that can pull it. Might even try to pull the trigger on both...Dunno yet...

More later...

j

 

Where ya movin too?

 

Sultan WA Thinking I may work on replacing the current pump house with a larger pump house/shop/garage ( think 4-5 wide, 2 deep ) and if I can talk my GF into it, building the house on top LOL

j

 

Nice truck and now some new property. Hit the lotto next and it will be a very happy day for ya.

 

We are now land owners Gonna be livig in a fifth wheel trailer for a while building back up our funds to build our house. I think we may also try to keep the 'kota and pick up a 1 ton this summer to pull the trailer if we go to Montana to see her parents. Dunno yet. If I keep the 'kota, it gets a 5.9. If I don't, the 5.9 goes in the Demon


j

 

Got the 5th wheel and the Duster to the property today. Also got a bunch of stuff into the fifth wheel. Also, the Dogs got to run around the property too. They liked all the space, and even met the horses...this should be interesting

Still gotta get power, water, and septic situated. I haven't been able to talk SWMBO into a Dually yet, so we can't just haul it in when it needs to be emptied

Cats are going to be another issue...not much room for that many kitties. Some of them are going to become outdoor cats...gonna be tough on all of us ( well, me and the cats that is )

We might reposition the trailer as the guy delivering it didn't seem to understand what we meant buy "Right Here" and it's kind of at a wierd angle. The tenant is also talking about moving his hot water heater so we dont' have to use the on board all the time...

More later...

j

 

if you do end up keeping the dak, the 5.7 hemi swap is way too much work, and those who have done it say its not worth it, just swap a 360 into it and grab a pcm out of a 5.9 ram or dak and hook it all up, they have great power!

 

Got approved for the Ram today. Kinda have mixed feeling about it tho, as the Dak has been an excellent truck, and I hate to part with it. But, OTOH, it would have never pulled the load I need it to pull now...

Probably take a few pix to remember her by...

j