I currently own a 97 Ram 4x4 but will be getting rid of it because I am getting ready to go to college and need something more reliable and better on gas mileage. I will be taking over a 2003 Dakota SXT 2x4 withthe 3.9 in itfrom my mom. From the year or so I spent on the Ram forum here I learned all of the cons and problem spotsof my 2nd gen Ram and learned of all the best performance mods that best suit it plus all the really cheap DIY mods. My question is just, what are all of those things for these Dakotas?

 

a good place to start is the V6/V8 tips and tricks thats stickied at the top of the page

 

get a v8, the millage is better than the v6 because you don't need to have the foot buried into the gas... lol

 

don't buy a dakota if you want gas milage, once you get past that ull be fine. gas milage is for ricers and cars...

 

Well I would get a honda or something but I dont want a car. I gotta have a bed. Plus I am gettin a steal on it. My mom is giving it to me and when I sell my truck I will give her all the money. Hers is a 03 Dakota with 40,xxxx miles on it and my truck is a 97 Ram w/ 150,xxx that I am selling for $4,800 so thats pretty much what I am paying for the dakota. Plus I know the Dakotas complete history. She bought it brand new and shes 53 years old so you can imagine how she drove it. Plus my truck gets about 11 mpg vs whatever the 3.9 gets which I figured would be around 18 or so, but you guys are the owners of them.

 

my 3.9 gets 17 city. Good trucks, there is not much worth doing to the motor besides a larger TB the once from the 5.2, 5.9 L motors works it helps the top end.

 

i have the 4.7 v8 and i can barely get 16-17. from what i have heard, the majority of the v6 owners get less than that because it is a smaller engine doing the work less efficiently as a larger engine not having to work as hard. dont get me wrong, you will love your mom's truck but my first performance/ modification would be to drop a new engine into that sucka... lol

 

yea i get horrible millage in my v6, i wish I could get a v8 and get better millage...

 

well i am also the only one that does not complaine about the motor power. All i need is a little more top end power for the freeway.

 

i would definitaly say go for it thats a steal and you can 't beat knowing everything about its past. you will no doubt get better mileage than the ram so thats all that matters its not like your switching from a V8 dak that gets better. i would say go for it because your ram is getting up in mileage and you would be getting a more reliable truck that i'm sure will be able to do everything you need it to.