‘Dodge Forum’ Marketplace Dakota Is a Great Budget 4×4

Dakota has high mileage but its engine and transmission are freshly rebuilt and barely broken-in.

The Dodge Dakota is an excellent option for someone shopping for a used truck with a smaller price tag than the Ram 1500. The second generation Dakota offered solid power from the same 318 V8 from the Ram 1500, along with plenty of passenger space in the Club Cab design and lots of room for cargo in the bed. The problem with these mid-sized trucks is that they are in the area of 20-years-old, so when shopping for one, you are likely to find lots of rough, worn out pickups.

Fortunately, “CheddarLaw” posted this 1999 Dodge Dakota SLT 4×4 in the DodgeForum Classifieds and for a truck with relatively high mileage, it is in great shape. More importantly, the engine and transmission were rebuilt recently, so the key items that require repairs have already been addressed.

Dakota Introduction

When the OP first posted this 1999 Dodge Dakota SLT 4×4 for sale, he provided the following details.

Rebuilt engine and trans
New A/C compressor
New torque converter (new rebuilt)
Shorty Headers
New rear shocks
New rear brake lines

Good running truck, running boards are solid, were replaced by the previous owner. interior is clean, not rip or tears, no smoking in the cab. 127k original miles, 2k since rebuild. Has Has some rust and e-brakes arent working (I just havent had time to get them working).

30 miles west of Green Bay WI.

$3,000

The OP also included the three pictures shown here, providing a quick look at the inside, outside and gauges. Some additional images would be a good idea in enticing buyers, but we get a good enough look at the interior and exterior.

Perfect Daily Driver

If you are looking for a nice, clean four-wheel-drive pickup with V8 power, this 1999 Dakota SLT is hard to beat. Unlike most 20-year-old trucks, the body looks to be in great shape, with the only obvious damage being a dent and a scuff on the chrome front bumper. The actual sheet metal looks clean, as does the paint. On the inside, the seats, dash and door panel look great. The seats are a little dirty, but everything inside looks to be in great shape. Some of the interior panels from trucks from this era cracked as they aged, but everything in this Dakota looks really sharp.

This truck is the perfect daily driver, especially if you live somewhere with a snowy winter and/or rough, unpaved roads. At $3,000, it is well within the price range of Kelley Blue Book in “good” condition and for a strong-running truck in good shape, that is a very reasonable price.

Ultimately, the second generation of the Dakota was the most popular and these trucks are getting to be very hard to find, especially in the condition of this truck. For those folks who love these trucks, this is a great chance to score one in really nice shape.

Join the Dodge Forums now!

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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