Dakota Convertible Is a Great Basis for a Unique Project
Dakota is allegedly rust-free, but it needs plenty of body work and a V8 wouldn’t hurt.
While scrolling through Craigslist Dodge truck postings, we came across this unusual 1989 Dakota Sport. What makes this truck so unusual is the fact that it is a rare factory convertible model, making it one of the most unique pickups that the market has ever seen. Dodge didn’t make many of them and some of them didn’t survive, making it rare to find one used and available for sale. It is even rarer to find one for sale that isn’t rusting to pieces, but this Dakota Sport convertible is surprisingly clean.
Mind you, this 31-year-old Dodge pickup needs plenty of body work, but it appears to be solid front to back. Also, it has the original V6, which is kind of boring, but while the body work is being done you could drop in a V8 crate engine to make for a real head-turner.
Dakota Sport Convertible
The Craigslist post for this 1989 Dodge Dakota Sport convertible is brief, running through the key details of this rare pickup.
1989 Dodge Dakota Sport convertible RUST FREE with 108k miles for sale located in Gaylord, Michigan. These are very rare with only 2.482 produced, you don’t see these every day. They were the first convertible pickup produced since the Ford Model A!
It’s American Classic and collectible, part of great heritage line of Dodge trucks. Older they get ,the value goes up.
Always been garaged and well maintained with 3.9-liter, 125-hp V-6 engine mated to the four-speed, column-shifted automatic transmission.
It should be noted that while the body may be rust-free, some of the body panels didn’t come from the factory on this particular truck. The red paint on the front fenders and the trim along the rockers don’t match the paint and trim on the doors, so they appear to have been replaced. The hood appears to match the fenders, so we think that the entire front clip was replaced.
However, there are some dents and dings in those fenders, so they will need to be replaced or repaired by the buyer. Considering that it needs new paint, new fenders shouldn’t be a huge issue. It also needs a new soft top, but the key point here is that the body is rotting away.
How About a Hellcat?
Now, someone who wants an unusual mid-sized convertible pickup to serve as a nice summer cruiser, the only thing that the buyer would really need to do to this Dakota Sport convertible is the body work. Remove the dents, paint it the original colors including the trim and decals and you have a cool truck from the ‘80s.
On the other hand, this Dakota could be so much more. Imagine if the buyer pulled the V6 and in its place installed a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat Hemi crate engine. With 707 horsepower, this would be one of the coolest convertible pickups that we have ever seen and it would be built all with Dodge parts.
If you are in the market for a Dakota Sport convertible, click here for a closer look at the Craigslist post.
Join the Dodge Forums now!
