Well, there she is.

1998 Dodge Dakota Sport 3.9L V6 Magnum Auto.

She's a bit old, has some miles, few dings, few scratches, leaks here and there, and has a random stutter at idle... But she's mine. Gets me from point A to point B.
Feel free to toss out your thoughts on it.

ToDo:
New smoke headlights/tail lights
Clean rims
Tinker with engine

The rims I'm thinking get cleaned, previous owner crappy rattle-canned them (you can see the flake). Opinions on keeping them clean alloy or re-blacking them correctly? (I have access to a spray-booth with marine grade epoxy black paint)

 

I don't see a pic.

 

Hm, your browser settings might be off or something. The image shows up for me on Firefox, Pale Moon, Chrome, and NoChromo on android. Did you accidentally block images on dodgeforum via adblock?
However here's a direct link: https://i.imgur.com/AjleqSB.jpg

 

I suspect I am just having some issues here. Having the site fully load has been rather hit or miss today. I probably just didn't wait long enough, as it is there now.

I think that they look really good in black with the red. Re-spray 'em.

 

Oh boy.. this takes me back.

Be careful, if you are like me, tinkering will become an addiction that can get out of hand..

Here is mine when I first bought it:


Installing a 2" suspension lift:



And recently:



Since this last pic I have done a 5 speed swap.. The insanity never ends, but it keeps me out of trouble.

 

Sadly tinkering a bunch like that requires time and money, both of which I lack often. Sadly I lack a garage and hardcore equipment for too much, I'll be happy to get it running good with no engine lights and some fancying up... Maybe a couple years down the road I can add those two cylinders back onto the 3.9 and see what it can do then...

 

What codes are you getting?

 

Just random bank 1 misfire codes if I run over 70mph. Also got a bit if stumble at idle. Got a crank sensor to put in when I get appropriate weather. However, this thread isn't about any problems I'm having, just an opinion on the truck and maybe suggestions.

 

Ah, gotcha.. Well in my honest opinion, I think your truck is awesome. But I might be a bit biased.

No visible rust or body damage, already has the tonneau cover which is a plus. As far as the rims go, if you are blacking out the lights, and plan on getting rid of the chrome, the wheels have to be blacked out too. I am planning on plasti-dipping mine eventually but haven't gotten around to it yet.

If you can work the gremlins out of the engine and keep them out with good maintenance, these motors are pretty solid. Much more durable than the 3.7's that Dodge replaced them with.

 

I like the flares on your truck, but I can't seem to find any that aren't stupidly expensive... I'm not spending 200-400 just for four plastic aesthetic pieces for the wheels.

I actually put the chrome grill on recently, my old one was color-matched to the truck. However, most of the insert tabs were broken and the insert was catching on my latch (making it almost impossible to open the hood), and half of the mounting tabs on the grill itself were broken. So I snagged a chrome grill new for $40. I would have went at least black except the simple fact: The bumper was the only chrome part on the truck. So I decided to at least match the grill as chrome so there was something else beside just the bumper. (previous owner obviously wrecked the front end a bit and put that bumper on it and had the thing painted, radiator included....)

So I plan to keep the chrome, maybe eventually chrome-match the rear bumper. It's a sport, but why not dress it up like an SLT since it's halfway there already? Previous owner also swapped in 40/20/40 bucket seats, factory was a bench. As far as smoking the headlights, I was thinking some Spec D dual halos (I have a way to wire them without modifying the stock harness ) or some blue smoke crystal lenses. The lens is smoked, but the reflective surface inside is blue and looks really nice. I figured the dark reflective blue would help make the tie between the chrome and black, and thus the red.

Here's the blue smoke:


Spec D:


And I'm set on the tail lights I'm getting, Altezza:



Sadly it's hard to find the blue smoke in stock, missed my chance when I went to buy them the first time. Sold the last one right when I decided to buy it, tsk. So either wait on new stock, or go with the spec d. Any opinions on which?