The first generation Dodge Dakota came with a couple different V8 engines that helped make them a blast to drive but compared to the modern Hemi V8 – the 5.2L and 5.9L engines offered in the early Dakota pale in comparison. With that in mind, taking the compact form of the 1st gen Dakota and packing the mighty Hemi V8 under the hood would make one nasty street truck and that is exactly what DF member 69rrbruce did with his regular cab short bed 98 Dakota.
While installing the 5.7L Hemi with around 350 stock horsepower would make a 1998 Dakota one quick little truck, 69rrbruce went a step further and added the camshaft from the 6.1L Hemi, a painted LX intake manifold and a dual exhaust system to get even more power from this hefty Hemi. The scary part about this project truck is that with the hood down, this Dakota doesn’t look all that different from your run of the mill 1st gen Dakota so there is a good chance that 69rrbruce has caught more than a few unsuspecting muscle car owners off guard at a stop light.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
