There's always been something about a dakota for me, this is my second one I've owned since I was 17 (I'm now 25). The first, my parents gave me as a graduation present and I just took over the payments on it. My dad had a truck (dodge) and a work truck he could drive anywhere so my mom didnt need the dakota. I loved that truck it was a 00 slt so it had power everything and the 4.7. When I sold it to my brother I had put on a bbk throttle body, airaid intake, dual cat back super 40 series flowmaster, high flow cat, and superchips programmer. Even with 100,000+ miles that thing would kill just about anything off of a red light. Then I bought a toyota fj, loved the vehicle EXCEPT it didnt have a v8. Then last year I was browsing the local dodge dealers website and I found my now current 08 dakota sport fully loaded. I did a straight up trade for my FJ and the dodge had 4,000 less miles with way more options so for me it was a no brainer. I've got the bug again, it has dual cat back spintech super pro street with slp tips, today I just bought a k&n intake and superchipes, and I also put on the 07 r/t stripe but it says mopar instead of r/t. Nothing ever replaces the sound of a DODGE v-8

 

i wanna hear that thing^

 

and

 

I come from a family of dodge owners, and they have been great trucks for us. I am the only one of us that wants to mod it in any way, but even though there aint much aftermarket support for our g3 dak's, I still love it. Even after all of the other trucks i have test drove (full size, mid, compact, american, foreign), i love the dakota. It has done my family well for many years, and i hope that they will continue to do so for many more to come.

 

Give it time bubba, I have 40k miles left on my warranty, and then I will be putting down more power than that truck with a manual, and WITHOUT a blower. (lets just say that you have convinced me on the hemi)

Hmmmm sounds like fun to me. I always look at drag cars with autos as the wuss mans drag car...no offense to anyone.

 

Automatic transmissions are becoming the thing of the future though, and actually are becoming faster than manuals .... but not in anything of this class.

I was reading my motor trend when the Porshe Panamera was introduced, and they had the specs for the manual transmission and the dual clutch automatic. They were claiming that even with the best stick shift driver, that the dual clutch automatic would lay a faster 1/4th mile. Now obviously this is a luxury vehical and not used at the tracks for dragging, but it will be interesting to see if automatics make their way on to the track more with the younger generations. Hell, most of them dont even know how to start a car unless it has a start/stop button on the dash .... cant imagine how many of them dont know what stick is.

Either way, stick will always provide more enjoyment while driving, IMO.

 

Due to the cost of moding a 4.7L and the aftermarket support available to the 5.7L and 6.1L (soon the 6.4L also) I believe its the most effective $= hp you can get. You can get a complete 5.7L out of a junkyard for around 1,500 to 2K.

An 2007, 5.7L Hemi Ram puts down around 265 hp to the wheels stock. With intake, exhaust, long tube headers and diablo tune around 288 rwhp.

A 2009, 5.7L Hemi Ram with Intake, exhaust, MSD Ignition and Diablo tune put down 348 rwhp.

My truck with ho cams, Paxton Novi 1000, SVT #39 injectors, and SCT tune put down 301 rwhp on my stock 3.55 gears.

For what is cost to go turbo or supercharged, i.e. the blower, mounts, plumbing, injectors, tuning etc I think the best option is a Hemi motor swap.

 

I know, why do you think that you cannot buy a stick shift truck anymore unless you go dodge 2500 and up. Heck even the ford 660's don't offer one anymore.

Sure automatics are the wave of the future. And I can see that one can be faster. I just find especially drag cars that have auto's hilaroious. I mean really, you are going to take so long tuning and building, and designing, just so that you can hop in and punch the gas. Weak man, you gotta be able to have some fun with it. Clutch all the way.

Oh as far as wet or slick driving, I am also of the personal opinion, that a stick is much easier to work with, I can control the torque to the wheels a whole lot better than any person driving an automatic.

Not to get in a flame war, but it is simply that people prefer to be lazy when driving. I have found that when I drive a stick, I am much more alert than lazing back and just working the brake and gas.

Plus, I have engine braking by default lol!


Oh and 287, I have already started saving for the hemi swap. I am hoping that the day that the dak goes out of warranty, I can put it up on stands and do some major work. Got about 6k ready for that project so far.

As of now, I am planning on the following.

Solid front axle w/locker and 4.10-4.56...unless a decent suspension lift is put on the market by then, but lets be realistic, if it aint happened by now it aint gonna.

Locker the rear axle and 4.10-4.56

6.1l hemi swap w/440 rotating assembly, srtmax cam (gotta check spacing on vlave/piston clearance), ect electronics are still in research.

Either have the gertrag built up, or swap it for a richmond 6 speed or g56 (think that is right)

Put a dual plate clutch in.

Delete the electronic transfer case, and put a manual locking one in. Preferably with a tera low 4:1 conversion kit.

Finally get some tires that give some room to work.

Find a way to mount a winch (whether that means I have to fab a bumper or something else.)

It will be expensive, but when companies don't sell what you want, you have to build it.

 

I agree 100%. I used to pay a lot more attention in my stick shift 94 chevy with a manual trans.

Automatics are just fun suckers.

 

No doubt about it brother. I did the same thing, the day the drive train warranty was gone on mine I started taking stuff apart. Let us know how it goes. I'm going to dyno and run the track again once I finish my current mods. If my numbers aren't where they should be I'm going to either switch to an 08+ 4.7L or go Supercharged 392.