Suggestions on what to do with a 87 dodge dakota
Hello guys,
Since my knowledge is rather limited, I would like some other opinions on this subject.
I bought an 87 Dakota single cab extended bed, 2WD with 120K miles for $375. And to my suprise it runs, I drove it from Ozark, Arkansas to Tulsa, Oklahoma the day I bought it. It has a 3.9L V6, while this suits my needs for right now, I would like to get some more power. Since I got the truck so cheap I have a decent budget to spend on it.
Now I would like to drop a 318 in it, I was wondering if there is something better I could put in it, or if this one works fine, and what else would I have to do to go along with it. And I would also like to convert it to AWD, I would like to know if this would be possible at all, or am I just being silly.
Thanks for any and all advice.
Since my knowledge is rather limited, I would like some other opinions on this subject.
I bought an 87 Dakota single cab extended bed, 2WD with 120K miles for $375. And to my suprise it runs, I drove it from Ozark, Arkansas to Tulsa, Oklahoma the day I bought it. It has a 3.9L V6, while this suits my needs for right now, I would like to get some more power. Since I got the truck so cheap I have a decent budget to spend on it.
Now I would like to drop a 318 in it, I was wondering if there is something better I could put in it, or if this one works fine, and what else would I have to do to go along with it. And I would also like to convert it to AWD, I would like to know if this would be possible at all, or am I just being silly.
Thanks for any and all advice.
Its all possibly but easy no. The best bang for your buck to gain the most HP is to get a 93-03 V8 5.9 Magnum or 92-02? 5.2 V8 Magnum, both from Dakotas, Durangos, Ram, Ram Van. The easiest for electronics would be 92-95.
As for the AWD you can do a custom axle swap or get a 4wd frame exact body style as yours and drop on you bed and cab, if you go this route it would be good if it was the 92-95 for the Magnum engines. Then you can drop in an AWD transfer-case. The FAQ2 in this section has all of those swaps listed.
As for the AWD you can do a custom axle swap or get a 4wd frame exact body style as yours and drop on you bed and cab, if you go this route it would be good if it was the 92-95 for the Magnum engines. Then you can drop in an AWD transfer-case. The FAQ2 in this section has all of those swaps listed.


