BKCowGod's Dakota
#1
BKCowGod's Dakota
Feel free to ignore or comment... I'm mainly doing this to keep track of all the stuff I am doing to the Dak.
1995 Dakota SLT Club Cab
Factory & Aftermarket @ time of purchase:
Condition at time of purchase:
Goals for this vehicle:
1995 Dakota SLT Club Cab
Factory & Aftermarket @ time of purchase:
- Four Wheel Drive
- Towing Package
- 22gal Gas Tank
- Limited Slip Differential
- Infinity Premium Sound
- Automatic Transmission
- 5.2 Liter V8
- HD Cooling
- Cab-height camper shell
Condition at time of purchase:
- Purchased January 2013 for $2000
- 145,000 miles
- Mechanically near perfect. Radiator clogged
- Radio malfunctioning
- Inoperable gas gauge
- Steering wheel worn
- Bad lift struts on camper shell
- Good tread on Goodyear Wrangler tires
- Faded wheel arch flares and airdam
Goals for this vehicle:
- 20mpg highway at 80mph
- Comfortable for two + one (12yr old son)
- As much performance as possible without giving up MPG or reliability
- Reliable enough to get in, turn the key, and go to Alaska if we want
- Should not stand out – no modifications should be visible
Last edited by BKCowGod; 07-01-2013 at 01:36 AM.
#2
Baseline
Whenever I purchase a vehicle, I like to get a solid baseline. My first project was simply to get it ready to upgrade. The following parts were researched extensively and chosen for their reliability, quality, longevity, and performance potential.
Thoughts: I honestly don't think the MSD stuff adds any performance, but it does idle smoother with the multispark box than without.
Whenever I purchase a vehicle, I like to get a solid baseline. My first project was simply to get it ready to upgrade. The following parts were researched extensively and chosen for their reliability, quality, longevity, and performance potential.
- Brass terminal cap and rotor
- STI spark plug wires (made in the USA and a lot cheaper than Magnecor)
- MSD ignition coil
- MSD StreetFire multispark ignition box
- Oil change with Mobil Super 10-40 & Purolator Gold filter
- Transmission flush
- Replaced camper shell lift struts
Thoughts: I honestly don't think the MSD stuff adds any performance, but it does idle smoother with the multispark box than without.
#3
Chasing the cooling system
My first big challenge was an overheating problem. I redid the entire cooling system to ensure reliability. An upcoming project will replace the clutch fan with an electric fan.
Thoughts: With the new cooling system, I have never seen it get to the halfway point, even idling on 95deg days with the AC on full blast. The future switch to efans is simply because I can't leave well enough alone and I want to free up as much rotating mass as possible.
My first big challenge was an overheating problem. I redid the entire cooling system to ensure reliability. An upcoming project will replace the clutch fan with an electric fan.
- New fan clutch
- New hoses
- Factory radiator
- 180 degree high flow thermostat
- New coolant with Redline Water Wetter
Thoughts: With the new cooling system, I have never seen it get to the halfway point, even idling on 95deg days with the AC on full blast. The future switch to efans is simply because I can't leave well enough alone and I want to free up as much rotating mass as possible.
#4
Breathing
The Magnum engine is plenty powerful, but I hate lost potential. The modifications below allow the engine to inhale and exhale much more efficiently. The next step in this department will be a switch to headers and a high flow cat and the Hughes intake manifold (shhh, don't tell the CARB).
Thoughts: It is disturbingly easy to break the tires loose. I can outrun Mustangs until physics realizes I'm driving a brick. I'm not sure why I would want more, except that more is often more fun. It also sounds very dramatic when I drive in tunnels, and I enjoy scaring little old ladies when I start it.
The Magnum engine is plenty powerful, but I hate lost potential. The modifications below allow the engine to inhale and exhale much more efficiently. The next step in this department will be a switch to headers and a high flow cat and the Hughes intake manifold (shhh, don't tell the CARB).
- Edelbrock hot-air intake with Edelbrock breather
- Ported & polished throttle body
- Aluminum intake manifold plate mod
- Dynomax Ultra-Flo stainless exhaust
Thoughts: It is disturbingly easy to break the tires loose. I can outrun Mustangs until physics realizes I'm driving a brick. I'm not sure why I would want more, except that more is often more fun. It also sounds very dramatic when I drive in tunnels, and I enjoy scaring little old ladies when I start it.
#5
Interior
This is where I spend most of my time, and I'm used to driving slightly more expensive cars... So I'm a bit spoiled.
Thoughts: I do love having an extended cab truck... Trying to figure out where to put the rifle out of sight. The Infinity speakers sound mighty good too, and I listen to everything from Zac Brown to the White Stripes to David Guetta. The Blaupunkt has an SD Card slot, so I just tossed a 16gb SD card full of MP3's in there.
This is where I spend most of my time, and I'm used to driving slightly more expensive cars... So I'm a bit spoiled.
- Blaupunkt San Francisco CD/iPod receiver plugged into factory Infinity amplifier & speakers
- Wheelskins leather steering wheel cover
- Invisible storage for my Benchmark maps, handgun, hatchet, Mag-lite, knife, and basic tools
- Baofeng UV-5R FRS/Ham/FM/etc handheld dual band transceiver
- TomTom GPS for on road and topo GPS apps on my old Android phone for off-road driving
Thoughts: I do love having an extended cab truck... Trying to figure out where to put the rifle out of sight. The Infinity speakers sound mighty good too, and I listen to everything from Zac Brown to the White Stripes to David Guetta. The Blaupunkt has an SD Card slot, so I just tossed a 16gb SD card full of MP3's in there.
#7
When I first got the truck, I did a drive from Half Moon Bay to Morro Bay down Hwy 1, then back up 101 to San Francisco... the first half was winding mountain roads. Averaged a GPS-confirmed 16mpg. On the drive up, with the cruise control set at 75mph (and getting passed by 18-wheelers), I averaged 18mpg. That was with a bad radiator and no upgrades. I know it's a stretch goal, but it would be pretty cool
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