My Work in Progress Dakota

[JerryLSX]

My 4x4 V8 Swap | Piecing Together 1 truck from 2

Here's my 2nd vehicle, a 1997 Dodge Dakota. This is gonna be more of a build thread.

I love these trucks, this is my 3rd Dakota in 2yrs, always wanted a Regular Cab 4x4 V8 and I finally got it, and or $800.

It's a V6 4x4 with the 5.2L 318 V8 swapped in. The truck also has a "rebuilt" 44re transmission and llimited slip rear diff.

It needs tons of work but I'm gonna tackle it little by little. I've had it for 3 days now and it's being taken apart. I'll update as I go. Plan at the moment is to patch up rust, paint it, get it running right, and modify it to my liking. Once this gets running good (which by next year should be done) The Caprice build will commence.

Click to read more...

 

[JerryLSX]

Intro

Here's a video introduction to what I'm working with and a small hint at the plans for the truck. Lots of patching and making things work.

 

[RICH17]

Mods planed?

 

[Euro]

I don't know what it is about them, but always liked the styling of those trucks the best over the same year S10/Ranger.

 

[JerryLSX]

Mods planed?

After I get it patched up:

• Full exhaust (headers, glasspack, high flow cat)
• Electric fan
• Intake

That's all I got as far as mods, it's already a 318 V8 in a small truck. Should get up and go. It's got the limited slip rear diff too.

I'm not too familiar with mods on the Magnum V8's, any suggestions I'm all ears. I may swap the 318 for a 360 if the motor is not too healthy.

I don't know what it is about them, but always liked the styling of those trucks the best over the same year S10/Ranger.

I LOVE Dakota's. We've owned plenty of them, this is my 3rd Dakota, and it's a keeper.

I've had a '91 Ext Cab w/ 318 4x4

And a '98 Club Cab w/ 318 4x4.

My folks had a '01 Quad Cab w/ V6

And they recently picked up this after the other one was totaled, 4.7L 4x4

So.... Dakota's are popular with us


Also Mod; thanks for fixing the title! I started writing it out and didn't realize it was not finished after I submitted it.

 

[BeerOrGasoline]

Had a 360 Magnum jeep, Hughes is where you'll be spending coin. Have fun!

Hughes Engines

 

[JerryLSX]

Had a 360 Magnum jeep, Hughes is where you'll be spending coin. Have fun!

Hughes Engines

Neat, I'll look into it. I mainly get my parts from RockAuto and Amazon at the moment.

 

[Euro]

That's a nice fleet you all have had. I like that red quad cab the best, too bad it was a 6. Looking forward to some updates!

 

[JerryLSX]

That's a nice fleet you all have had. I like that red quad cab the best, too bad it was a 6. Looking forward to some updates!

The Red Dakota was with us for the longest, we had that since I was a kid until 2yrs ago when my mom crashed it during the winter and bent the frame. The 3.9L Magnum V6 was gutless but it was very very reliable. As I update this thread and finish posting stuff think I'm gonna unbolt the seats and pull the carpet out.

 

[Outlaw]

I love Dakota's... I want a extended cab 4x4 5.2 5-speed that isn't rotted so bad... But, that's a needle in a haystack.

 

[JerryLSX]

I love Dakota's... I want a extended cab 4x4 5.2 5-speed that isn't rotted so bad... But, that's a needle in a haystack.

Extended Cabs are plentiful, 5.2L 4x4's are also not too rare. A 5-speed with no rust is VERY difficult to find. This Dakota was hard enough to find. People who have them with little to no rust overprice them.

 

[Outlaw]

Yeah, the trucks themselves are easy enough to come by... It's a clean one with a 5-speed that's a pain.

 

[Spivitz]

Very cool!
I had a 1991 club cab, two wheel drive. 3.8 V6 Magnum Powa!

 

[DEEZUZ]

please dont glasspack it... we have enough garbage pickers running around with those

 

[JerryLSX]

please dont glasspack it... we have enough garbage pickers running around with those

Lol, where in NWI do you see garbage pickers with glass packs? I see them every now and then with trucks barely legal to drive around, but I doubt they have glass packs or even work on their trucks, probably rusted exhaust. I had a long thrush glass pack on my 91 and it was like a stock muffler. My 98 had a fat race bullet and the sound was great, very race car like. I'll probably do more of a race bullet rather than a glass pack.

 

[DEEZUZ]

Lol, where in NWI do you see garbage pickers with glass packs? I see them every now and then with trucks barely legal to drive around, but I doubt they have glass packs or even work on their trucks, probably rusted exhaust. I had a long thrush glass pack on my 91 and it was like a stock muffler. My 98 had a fat race bullet and the sound was great, very race car like. I'll probably do more of a race bullet rather than a glass pack.

Out here in the sticks. But up there, yea there just rusted off old exhaust...

 

[JerryLSX]

Update 2

Another update video:



My videos might not be the best but i'm working on a way to record stuff better.

Anyway here is some pictures to go with the video.

It just broke off....

Had to grind off the spare tire mechanism, bolts were completely rusted, my dad decided to take that task.

This thing is held together by ratchet straps and wire

2 piece lug nuts suck btw

Onto grinding metal and painting the frame.

 

[JerryLSX]

Should I do it?

Found a complete roller Dakota for $300. It's a '98 4cyl manual regular cab short bed with no rust, paint is faded though. Engine is shot, no trans no driveshaft just mainly a body. I already priced it out, Just the fenders alone cost me $200 on eBay, plus buying $100 worth of patch panels for the bed. It's kinda a no-brainer problem is getting it from Indianapolis to Hammond.

Think I should do it?

 

[Euro]

If you can find a way to go get that, I say it's worth it.

 

[daturbosix]

i always like starting with something rust free vs. playing with something that was once rusty

 

[boostedguy05]

do it!

 

[JerryLSX]

If you can find a way to go get that, I say it's worth it.

Yeah that's what I'm trying to figure out, it's too cheap to pass up, he's had this for sale for some time.

i always like starting with something rust free vs. playing with something that was once rusty

Yeah that's the ideal thing to do, problem is we live up north where rust free is rare. Even my 2012 Caprice has a bit of surface rust on the underbody. Dodge especially is horrible when it comes to rust prevention, I've seen newer Ram's with the bedside eaten away.

 

[daturbosix]

yeah. thats why i buy stuff from down south.

 

[JerryLSX]

Removed the nasty carpet today and took out the bench seat.

No answer from the ad. Had an idea just to use some diamond plate behind the cab to cover the rust. No one is gonna see back there anyway. Found also that rockauto sells the cab corners, rocker panels, and bed side panel for cheap. I'll have to find either how to weld them in or someone to weld the panels on. I'm gonna look into removing the gas tank some time too since I'm afraid of sparks igniting the gas fumes.

 

[Lead Pipe]

I loved my Dakota. 95 or 96 SLT 5.2 2wd. I remember picking on civic Si's in the mid 2000's with that truck. It went pretty good for what it was.