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Gen I Dakota Owners Roll Call!

99K views 190 replies 114 participants last post by  rjheckman 
#1 ·
Just trying to get a feel for how many currently active 1G Dak owners we have here on DT. Post up your truck's specs, and a pic if you got one!
 
#141 ·
More old Dodges.

Hello there, Jim Wise from Saskatchewan, and I have had my '92 2wd extra cab 5-speed with a 3.9 for about 10 months now. I bought it for $1300 an now have about $4000 in it now with more repairs to come. Thanks to an old thread or two I found out about the distributor bushing problem with this motor and how to fix it. I did as suggested and tapped the bushing out to 9/16 coarse and made up a puller with threaded rod and pulled it out and tappped another in there. A remanufactured distributor, cap and rotor, and plugs and it runs good now. I also took advantage of the tip to index the distributor by turning it until the relay clicks when the V6 mark is on the TDC pointer. I don't like poking around with a multimeter so I was glad to learn that. There are very few parts vehicles in this area and I suppose I will have to buy four new steel wheels to mount snow tires on this fall. It has new 215/75 summer truck tires on it now which is about 5% bigger than stock and I find they work with my gearing just fine for a work truck. Next year or earlier I will put a new timing chain in it and drop the pan and put a new oil pump in it because I read the pickup gets all gunked up on these models. The wires look good and have been replaced some time but I will put new ones on soon. I am a home handyman and will be getting my OAS (old age pension) this fall when I turn 65 so I hope this truck runs for another 5-10 years. I plan on working part-time for as long as I can. First standard in years and I like it on this vehicle. Rolls along very nicely in 5th with cruise control. Right now with small-town and country driving I am getting about 22 mpg. I also have a '93 Grand Caravan and even though I am well aware of the problems they can have, I really like that boxy style and find it super convenient for many things. I like my old Dodges and will keep patching them up as long as I can. I also have a dead-in the-driveway '98 Grand caravan with a tricky electrical problem thet neither I or a local mechanic can find. If worse comes to worse the 3.3 motor and transmisssion can go in my '93 if I need it. So I find this forum very helpfull, thanks. One more note, when I left BC in '07 I gave away a running '72 Fargo that was still a usefull vehicle with a 318 that had never had the heads off. Everything on the outside of the motor had been replaced and the compression was a little low but it is still working around an acreage.
 
#142 ·
Here is my post:
1994 Dodge Dakota
5.2l V8
4 Speed Trans
Dual Spectre Air Intake
FlowTech Shorty Header's
Magnaflow true dual
Stock everything else.... for now haha

pics coming soon of headers, intake, and the soon to be completed project truck...
 
#143 ·
its funny cause i think body lifts are a waste of time, because if your going to bottom out your going to frame out first thats the reason for truck and most cars to sit on frames, not the tires... i think people just to body lifts to fit in bigger tires, which is fine dont get me wrong... i am actually lowering a 2wd 318 dakota, in the back only! the front is just perfectly fine, it just sits too F'ing high in the back like it got F'ed in the a$s end or something, but this is also my first truck... technically speaking because i had a jeep for about 3months, had plans to lift it and make it badass, but well i rolled it before those plans went into effect... i was fine and the motor (straight,inline, whatever everyone calls a 6cyl motor that not in teh shape of a "v") 220k and still purred like a kitten lmao...
 
#144 ·
Hi there I am assuming MI means Michigan. I have drag raced at Port Huron and used to go to the big car shows in Detroit in the '60's when I lived in Ontario as a young dude. Since my '92 V6 has adequate power I imagine your 318 moves along very well. Interesting that you are going to lower the rear of your Dakota to level it out. Here in SK it seems every other vehicle is a large pickup mostly 4X4 and I sure notice how much lower my truck is. I am going to coil-over shocks on the rear because it needs new rear shocks anyway. I replaced the front but being long wheelbase (for a Dakota) the rear is a bit bouncy. I hope the overloads don't raise the back at all or at least more than an inch so the truck remains fairly level. When I got the truck it had a dull black primed hood as the previous owner backed a piece of farm machinery into it and primed a white hood as a replacement. I rolled black Tremclad on to the hood even though the truck is mainly blue with silver "dodge rash" on the side panels. There is black elsewhere on the truck so it looks okay. I knew rolling it would leave a texture because I painted my whole Fargo like that. Interestingly there is a group on the net who paint their vehicles with rollers, sanding in between coats and doing a fine job. Painting is part of my living so mine turned out good and I may do the roof later. I run a handyman business, practice electric guitar, and on the net every day do Weatheroffice, Globe and Mail and other newspapers, email and Kijiji plus other research so I am not on the Dodgetalk forum every day but I will check from time to time for your pictures as you make progress on your vehicle.
 
#145 ·
'92 three tone(red/silver/rust) 3.9 magnum, LE extende w/cruise, 4 wheel auto 170k.. owned 10+yrs
LockRight ( use 2 wheel drive through most snows) Rearend
1" higher K&N , Magnaflow duals[rusted off last year, just after catalytic] weld broke at Y-pipe months ago{ best it has ever run or sounded **
brushguard( cut down Ram junkyard piece) chrome/rust
'98 dodge mags w/31.10.50x15 Goodyear kevlars(50k and thinking Goodrich TA/KO'S)IF I can find body mounts- bed started shakin yesterday!!!
E3's months ago seemed to have bumped from 16mpgs to bout 20..
spring clamps coilovers on shocks and torsion bar jackup.(never been aligned)for tires
spray foamed roof and kickpanel supports/kick panels, etc. and filled extra cab with Styrofoam and and old pool foam raft, double kersey in floor padding
R-12 freon still, even after heater core- well has a # of compatible new refrigerant
6 months ago ,got the last steering dampener in existence(and Bronco mount,for centerlink), after a pitman arm and in slight need of an idler..
oh most importantly , synthetic fluids in everything but the radiator which won't keep pressure yet runs cool, and I've tested both caps I have? thanks to a spin on trans filter and old toyota trans cooler for second AAMACO rebuild, oem stall speed and no tech bulletin upgrades
 
#146 ·
forgot hellwig rear sway bar- I don't articulate too far or fast but drive it like my Fiero some times and cornering is fun with the locking rearend :) and I do mud, climb and crawl some coal roads. have not installed yet my tuff country add-a-leaf; then good shocks to match the Ranchos on front..

anyone know if the polyurethane cab mounts will work from the 2wheeldrive regular cab after I get the 2 extra ones needed.? dealer wants 350 for oem rubber:(
 
#147 ·
Hello. Interesting about the '98 Dodge mags. Being as the Dakota is 6-bolt, are you meaning 3/4 ton rims that are 6-bolt? I am buying a set of new aftermarket steel rims and snow tires in October as there are very few generation 1 Dakotas in this area for parts. Seems every second vehicle here in West-central Saskatchewan is an enormous full size pickup. Also the Lockright rear end would be great for my 2-wheel drive, was that a Dodge or aftermarket item? Is the rearend ratio lower than stock for those tires? Reason for filling the extracab with styrofoam?
Haven't been in the US for years, but I know Cincinatti is in Ohio, had some relatives around Warren, Ohio we used to go see at Thanksgiving when I was a kid. Their name was Batton. Last contact when my family broke up last saw my cousin Billy in'62. The truck sounds like a blast.
 
#148 ·
Hey there, I'm in west Virginia now visiting warren/Cincy tomorrow

I soundproofed the walls with the foam(guess it does sound funny), she is no fun now with a bad body mount. tracking down aftermarket OEM's are a small fortune.
I think they were durango/dakota 1998 or so 6 lug, all I had to do was grind a hair off the tie rods and when new brakes touch the fronts they ground a bit, no harm though. I left the stock 3:55's in so I have a highway gear now with the big tires- only touch the fender well on full wheel turn on one side occasionally.
you'll love a Powertrax aftermarket street locker. made a heck of a racket clicking at first now it's quiter and I'm deafer..
 
#151 ·
Recently purchased a 1989 Dakota convertible. Almost new tires,black paint ,new top.Am installing the following,rack and pinion,p.s. pump,front brake lines,air pump and belts.Next week-water pump,intake manifold gaskets and valve cover gaskets. 70k miles. Will be for sale soon. Have too many vehicles!!
 
#156 ·
Checking in before I start the rebuild of my 1995 Sport extended cab with the 318.
 
#157 ·
sorry no pix, 90 v6 extended cab with 200k, it has survived my son, mr. no maintenance and my 92LE std cab 5.2, chip, cat back dual exhaust 176k. i am gathering parts for a major effort on mine. it'll be," that can't be your whit truck, is it?" have to do a before and after. some really sweet trucks on here, glad to be here.
 
#159 ·
Got my '95 running and so far I've put 100 miles on it. It's a great little DD!

 
#160 ·
1)94 reg cab shortbed 3.9 auto 115K miles owned since last Sept bought at almost exactly 100K miles; getting a rest now til I get a chance to put the A518 in to replace the dead A500

2) 93 clubcab 318 130K miles owned since April just got on the road this week; auto to manual swap put NV 3500 and M/T computer from friend's wrecked 94 reg cab shortbed
been driving the snot out of this week, still "de bugging".
so far 1st 2 tanks of fuel it appears that even towing my utility trailer its better on fuel than my 94 is with empty bed and no trailer, just cruisin around... see what happens when I get it to quit intermittently showing Code 51.... (lean running)
 
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