Must Watch: Doug DeMuro Reviews Quirky Dodge Dakota
In his most recent webisode, famous YouTuber Doug DeMuro reviews a weird 1989 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible pickup truck.
Would you like to own a V6-powered convertible pickup truck? Then you are in luck because a 1989 Dodge Dakota convertible is currently listed for sale on renowned YouTuber Doug DeMuro’s auction website Cars & Bids. Last Year in March, we reported that this unusual pickup truck can be a great project car as long as you are willing to put in the work that is needed to restore it to its original glory.
The pickup truck featured in DeMuro’s latest video is an excellent example of the breed. Interestingly enough, Dodge sold the Dakota Convertible with its “quirky” body type from the factory. There have been quite a few unsuccessful attempts at rebooting the convertible pickup truck segment since 1989. For instance, the Chevrolet SSR that was introduced in 2003. DeMuro also shared an interesting insight into the Dakota Convertible pickup’s pièce de résistance, the drop-top.
“These were built as normal Dakota’s and then sent to ASC, which stood for American Sunroof Corporation,” said DeMuro. He further added, “ASC would make the Dakota into a convertible and then send it off to Dodge dealers, where it could be sold as a new Dakota with a convertible top that meant the windshield was just the regular one from the normal Dakota, which wasn’t structurally reinforced. So it couldn’t really support the truck’s weight in a rollover crash.”
With the popularity of crossovers, pickup trucks, and SUVs at an all-time high right now, we won’t be surprised if this Dakota Convertible fetches top dollar on DeMuro’s auction site. The truck is propelled by a 3.9-liter V6 motor which produced 125 HP of maximum power in its factory tune. The engine came mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox, and customers also had the option of equipping their Dakota Convertibles with a four-wheel-drive setup from the factory.
The engine bay of the Dakota Sport Convertible also offers plenty of room. This means one can easily swap the V6 for a bigger powerplant or even switch to electric-only propulsion by using a large lithium-ion battery pack and electric axle technology from companies like Magna. The possibilities are endless. In the end, we agree with DeMuro, who eloquently stated, “The Dakota Convertible is absolutely bizarre, but the weirdness certainly appeals to me.”
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