Ok update time!

Here's how I'm going to do this: what I originally posted is below the line in this post. The first picture before that will always be a current picture and I'll list the date I updated the thread, scroll further down (or to a later page) to find the full update post. I'm also going to move my mod list up to the top here and keep it updated.

Current (1/15/12, ok ok the picture is from this summer but that's the current look other than winter wheels):



Update post is at the bottom of this page.
--------------------------------------------------------------
MOD LIST

Performance:

• AEM Brute Force intake
• MBRP 3" Installer Series Catback Exhaust
• Superchips 3865 Programmer
• Amsoil full synthetic in:
  • Engine
  • Transmission
  • Transfer case
  • Front Differential
  • Rear Differential
• Autolite 3923 spark plugs
• Springtech 2" rear lowering shackles
• Belltech 2212DD rear shocks (Thanks for the tip Blown287)
• Rancho RS5757 front shocks

Exterior:

• Factory door spear delete
• Debadged
• 35% tint all around (only a top strip on the windshield
• Paint matched grill surround with inner crossbars painted gloss black
• Figure Engineering gloss black grill inserts
• Paint-matched front and rear bumpers
• Paint-matched V-tech taillight covers
• Street Glow rear LED bar mounted under tailgate
• Rhino lining over the rails
• AMI 15" black stubby antenna
• Boss 335 Super Finish Black 20x8.5 wheels (Summer)
• Hankook Ventus ST tires (Summer)
• Stock 16" wheels (Winter)
• 265/75 R16 All Country Radial LXT's (Winter)
• Smoked license plate covers
• Dodgeforum.com decal on driver's rear window (passenger side window was replaced after rollover, I need to get more DF decals)
• DIY painted rear differential cover
• EGR slim in-channel window visors
• Mopar hitch cover

Interior:

• REN MyGig 20GB in-dash touch-screen multimedia head unit
• White LED overhead lighting
• Factory rear seats delete
• Polk db650 coaxials all around
• Python 990 two-way security/remote start with SST and LCD remote
• Weathertech Digital Fit front mats

Planned:

• DIY headlight HID retrofit (TL projectors, may or may not ever happen)
• Auburn LSD
• 4.10 gearing
• Some bass (want to keep it removable, unless I get a good tonneau cover )

Nominated for TOTM November 2008 (User2006 took home a well deserved win)

--------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL POST

First things first here's some quick now and then pictures. Keep scrolling down to read the Dak's story so far, you'll find my mods list at the bottom

BEFORE:


NOW:



I'm the second owner of my Dak, my grandfather bought it new off the lot as a leftover in 2006. At the time he was looking to downsize from his 96 Ram as he didn't think he needed the size and figured he could save a little on gas. He was looking for a V6 but luckily they gave him a better deal on the 4.7L V8. The truck is an SLT package 4x4 with the factory tow package. Winter of 2006 he decided he wanted a full-size and something a bit more luxurious, I was looking for a pickup at the time and he offered me a deal on it I couldn't pass up. Had right around 9,000 miles on it when I got her still pretty much stock other than a tonneau cover:





My first mod was replacing the factory speakers with something decent to tide me over till I can do a full-out stereo install (which is still off in the future right now). Picked up some Polk db650's on sale for 1/2 off and installed them in the stock locations running off the factory head unit:



Next order of business was fixing the factory rake. Ordered a Trailmaster 2" front leveling kit to bring the front up level with the back. I originally planned to install it myself, took the front suspension apart and pulled out the struts when I ran into my first issue. The strut compressors I rented from Napa could not fit onto the spring to safely compress it. Called up a local shop with a wall mounted spring compressor and brought the struts down when problem #2 decided to rear it's head. The nut holding the strut together on one side was cross-threaded from the factory and getting it off without snapping the stud wasn't going to be possible. So I called up the dealer and had them do the install, they of course snapped the stud which was then covered under warranty and my other strut was found to be blown and also warrantied. In the end I only had to pay labor on the extra work to actually install the spacers in the struts and warranty covered the rest . After that was finished and getting the necessary alignment she sat a lot better:



By now I'd had enough of the nearly inaudible factory exhaust, picked up a Hooker Headers stainless dual tip on ebay (beware the one I bought turned out not to be stainless but it was only $30 shipped so I won't complain too much). Went down to a local guy I'd used on past vehicles and had him remove the factory muffler and both resonators and run new 2 1/2" piping back from the factory 'Y' through a Cherry Bomb Vortex muffler and out the passenger side in front of the rear wheel with the dual tip. I don't have any driving videos but I do have one of it at idle (taken with my cellphone so it doesn't really do it justice):







Winter 2007 disaster struck. I was driving up to Lincoln, Maine with a few of my friends to visit a friend up there, about halfway up the weather started getting pretty bad, snow/sleet/icy rain mixture just nasty stuff. The highway stayed pretty good, once we got off the highway about 6 miles away from Lincoln the road seemed surprisingly decent considering the weather. Even so I made sure to keep it under 30.

We got within 2 miles or so and saw a Jeep Wrangler rolled over on the side of the road with a few cop cars there. We weren't even over the hill from it yet when the back end of the truck started coming around I tried to keep it in control but it just wasn't going to happen. Spun completely around and hit the snowbank on the left side of the road the truck flipped over, bounced on the roof, flipped again and cratered into the snowbank facing the opposite way we were when it started.









Luckily nobody was seriously hurt, needless to say I figured the truck was totalled. I never thought it was possible to roll it going 25, needless to say I know it's possible now. The tow truck driver took one look at it and said it was at least $14,000 in damage, when the insurance sent an adjuster out to look at it they got a quote from somewhere of $9,000 and decided to fix it. Maine law allows us to choose the shop that works on the vehicle so we had it towed back to a local shop that's known for doing very good work and had the necessary equipment to check the frame. I also put in some extra to get front and rear paintable bumpers and some V-tech taillight covers and had the shop paint them with the truck. Amazingly there was no mechanical damage, all body damage. Even so it ended up coming out to nearly $16,000, I'm betting the insurance wished they had totalled it by the time it was done. I also had them leave the black door trim and 4x4 stickers off and debadged the tailgate. Shortly after getting it back I swapped on some 265/75 R16 All Country Radial LXT's that were almost brand new from a truck my dad was getting rid of.









Summer 2008 I scored a REN MyGig head unit for $100 on ebay, installed it using a MyGig Lockpick Adapter from Coastal Electronics Technology. Actually a pretty easy swap if you have the right unit and the adapter the longest part was cutting the dash bezel to fit the MyGig. I noticed an immediate difference in sound quality from the standard CD head unit to this one, the MyGig is a much higher quality unit and actually drives my Polk's to their potential. Future plans involve the output from the MyGig through a JL clean sweep or Alpine Imprint unit, some amps and probably Alpine Type R components and a Type X sub or two. The MyGig has a few quirks but overall I absolutely love it, I've even watched DVD's on it during traffic jams on I-90 before.







I also changed my rear differential fluid to Amsoil full synthetic fluid. While I was at it I sanded down and painted the rear differential cover with some 500 degree engine enamel I found which was extremely close to matching the truck in color.







Most recently I installed a K&N 57 series FIPK, definitely noticed a difference in throttle response. A Fastman throttle body and a Magnaflow Y-pipe will likely be my next performance mods along with a Superchips tuner. Down the road I'm planning on a 4.10 gear swap and rear LSD, possibly a Detroit True-Trac.



For now I'll leave you with a picture of the Dakota's immense payload capabilities :

 

that head unit for 100 bucks? what a score!

 

nice Dakota. heres some more ideas. check out "johncngp" photo album

 

Yeah, the guy listed it on ebay starting at $100 with like $12 shipping so it was actually $112 but nobody else put a bid in on it. He said he bought it new from the dealer put it in his Wrangler and it didn't work at all, no lights, no power, etc. I looked it up and found out his Wrangler was high speed CAN-bus. The MyGigs are made for the low speed or high speed bus but you have to have the right one. If you try to put a low speed MyGig in a high speed vehicle it will be completely non-functional which is what I figured he did. For $100 I decided to take the risk and give it a shot, luckily I was right.

Thanks john, I appreciate it.

Eric I was kind of surprised too. Once I knew they were fixing it my biggest worry was that the frame was straight and right after that I was worried they'd never be able to fix it like it was. I've been extremely happy with them though, the guy who runs the shop is a really good guy. He fought with the insurance adjuster to use all OEM Mopar body panels and parts instead of aftermarket or junkyard and when I noticed a few small things after getting the truck back he had me bring it right back in and made sure it all got fixed right off. Caron's Body Shop in Lewiston, ME are the ones that fixed it, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anybody.

 

The color rocks.

 

Thanks! I like the color on yours too, saw a stratus the same color on campus yesterday, after seeing it in person I'd call it more of a "steel blue" than a "powder blue" IMO

 

Well I got the transmission, transfer case, and differentials all switched over to Amsoil today. The rear diff already was but the shop messed up and did that one too even though they weren't supposed to, free flush can't hurt I guess.

Working on another mod right now that will be on the truck soon, might have pictures tomorrow.

 

Alright now!
Updates 1 and 2 (7/3/09):

This one is really two updates rolled into one since I forgot to update this on my last mod.

The Metalcast paint was for my grill, it came out a little different than I expected but I like the result. This was done back in May, so far it's held up well.

Off the truck and waiting for paint:



All painted:



Back on the truck:




More recently I had the exterior detailed and decided to do a small photoshoot (truck is a little wet because it had been raining all day, just got a long enough gap to take pictures):



























Of course no good photoshoot would be complete without a shot of the DF decal :