I am planning on buying a 2000-2004 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab in the new year. I have a lot of choices in my area and if I drive a few hours I have a lot more. One web site I am using for looking for a Dakota has about 280 within a 7 hour drive. I am happy to drive 7 hours there and back to buy the right truck but I cannot drive that far just take it for a test drive. So I am looking for some advice from the experts.

I want a V8 standard in blue. I have not found any. I have found a blue V8 4.7L/287ci with an automatic and a blue V6 in a standard that is six hours away. I found a silver Dakota that has a V8 standard that is more then a 7 hour drive from here. If I by that one I think I would buy it sight unseen and have it shipped.

So help me out you Dakota experts.
Does driving a V6 standard feel more peppy/snappy then a V8 4.7L/287ci automatic? The specs do not really tell much in this area. I drove a V8 automatic but there are no manual transmission Dakotas close by.

What is easier to do, change the color or the motor? Should I buy the V8 and have it painted a custom blue or would be easier to by the blue V6 and swap in a V8 when it warranty is up. If I swap a V6 for a V8 would I need to swap the transmission also or are they the same?

 

mess load of questions for one answer. the v8 automatic is defiantly going to top the v6, whether the v6 is auto or stick. ive heard the v6 is a dog in 5th gear. i got the v6 as an automatic and i generally think she can get out of her own way most of the time. generally when you swap out an engine, so goes the transmission, t-case, wiring harness, computer, etc. the 3.9 v6 and the 5.9 v8 come from the same engine family. used to be known as the LA engine family, renamed the magnum family because of redesigned cylinder heads. the 4.7 v8 and its later cousin the 3.7 v6 are originally the powertech family. dodge did away with the LA/magnum engines and renamed the powertech engines, magnum. my guess is that the magnum is a more familiarized name. as for painting the truck versus doing an engine swap. painting is defiantly going to cost more, but you most likely will run into issues swapping out powertrains. my advice is to either take a dive on one of the trucks your looking at, i personally will always choose performance over looks any day. or wait out until you find your dream dakota. the automatics behind the 3.9 and 5.9 are generally garbage unless rebuilt with heavy duty internals. however the engines are near bulletproof. the 4.7 is a fairly decent engine and their automatics are good. the 5 speeds are all generally the same, no problems there. 2004 was the end of the 3.9 v6 and introduction of the 3.7 v6, which has little to no aftermarket support. the 3.9 v6 can use aftermarket parts that will go with the 5.9 v8 ( intake, exhaust system, rockers, etc). hope this helps, message me if you got any further questions