im lookin at a 90ish dodge dakota 4cylinder 2wd... standard cab.. needs a paint job.. has 73k original miles, new plugs brakes and some other shit i forget. i've been driving it around and love the shit outta it. are these good trucks? it would be my dd/motorcycle/dorm mover

the shifter shakes a little bit when i drive it around. not like my celica.. im thinkin this is just a thing with truck trannies though? no grinds or anything. engine runs like a champ.

let me know what you guy think about these trucks thanks

[Edited on May 9, 2006 at 7:11 PM. Reason : i think 1994 is the year.]

5/9/2006 7:07:58 PM

did a lil more research, has the 2.5 liter. i opened the hood, engine looks so small in there it's awesome looks like it's VERY easy to work on.. oil changes pulley changes pullin the head haha all so easy!

99 hp.. 135 torque what what (hahhahaha)

5/9/2006 7:15:07 PM

If you can get it for under $1000 (preferrably $500) then go for it. They aren't bad trucks...but they're no Toyota either.

5/9/2006 7:31:42 PM

the 2.5 is a chrysler engine, same as in the jeeps. they're pretty simple to work on. not sure on the tranny. maybe a np2500? i don't think they would have put the ax-15 behind the 2.5. rear axle i'm guessing in the chrsyler 8.25 which isn't too bad of an axle, i'm sure ur not gonna be throwin bigger tires and stuff on so it'll do fine.

i'd say if u can get it cheap, get it, routine maintenance is key.

5/9/2006 7:55:49 PM

Quote :

"the 2.5 is a chrysler engine, same as in the jeeps."

Would you believe that it's actually the same 2.5 as in the Chrysler FWD cars and minivans of the period? As in a single overhead cam engine with the distributor on the driver's side (front in the car apps) of the block. You can see heavy Volkswagen influences if you look carefully; the original Omni/Horizon platform actually used VW 1.7 fours in their first iterations.

The Jeep engine is a Jeep design, based loosely on the 4.0 straight six, originally born from AMC designs. Pushrod design.

5/9/2006 9:36:31 PM

pwnt. that is interesting as hell though. i could have sworn that when i was lookin up shit on em it said it was an amc design. cool to know though.

5/9/2006 9:54:27 PM

The Jeep engine is an AMC design...well, after a little bit of tweaking.

5/9/2006 10:00:32 PM

i knew the jeep engine is off an amc platform, but in my searches on dakotas it said amc i4 in some of the things i found. guess their info was incorrect eh?

5/9/2006 10:03:52 PM

I tell ya this: I've personally seen a bunch of these 2.5's, and they are indeed the Chrysler 2.5 SOHC engines.

5/9/2006 10:08:12 PM

scratch that idea then. where do you guys find these cheap ass pickups? i would like to pick one up hhaha

5/10/2006 12:03:12 AM

get a Tacoma, I've got one I'll sell you

5/10/2006 9:01:23 AM

zx nailed it on the 2.5... def. a chrysler motor. ugh, speaking of omnis i had one of those 1.7 powered pos's at one time.

kyle, i've got an 86 f150 i'm selling for my roomate since he moved to nyc. it's a 302, manual. engine was rebuilt shortly before he got it. solid truck for the age. he needs 1k for it. drop me a pm if you're interested.

5/10/2006 11:03:44 AM

pm sent, tacoma's are too much and i want something that will break .

5/10/2006 1:58:48 PM

oh they break, mine is in many pieces right now

5/10/2006 2:07:20 PM

haha what'd u break.

5/10/2006 2:10:32 PM

rear-ended by a box truck and pushed into an SUV...maybe not so much broken as compressed and twisted

5/10/2006 2:12:10 PM

are u the guy who just sas'd ur front end too that sux hah.

5/10/2006 2:17:50 PM

nope, no SAS

5/10/2006 2:21:30 PM

damn, that sucks. repairable or totalled?

5/10/2006 2:33:19 PM

insurance is still fighting over that, hopefully they decide soon

5/10/2006 2:49:04 PM

time to get a rover

5/10/2006 8:20:53 PM

my neighbor got an old 80's chevy truck with a new 350 motor in it with about 4k miles for 700 bucks. drives fine, but damn, its a shitbox and rust everywhere.

5/10/2006 10:07:34 PM

some guy wants to trade me a 94 1500 v8 5 speed for my r6. it's a nice truck what do you guys think/'?

6/27/2006 10:52:24 AM

oh yeah 318 v8

6/27/2006 10:55:53 AM

ill probably have my shit up for sale in a month or two if anyone's interested. not a problem in the world with it now that i've replaced everything on it. it's practically a brand new truck.

6/27/2006 9:22:18 PM

DODGES PWN AT LIFE

[Edited on June 28, 2006 at 1:10 AM. Reason : asdf]

6/28/2006 1:09:37 AM

The '94 1500 isn't a bad truck at all. The 5 speeds in them are the NV3500, which is a lighter duty, aluminum cased little brother to the NV4500 (one of my favorite boxes of all time, with the NP435, NP540, and Muncie 465).

the only problems I have with Dodge is that their interior trim quality is a little on the shitty side...but overall, I really do like their trucks. And the 318 is a Dodge mainstay.

6/28/2006 2:13:12 AM

I know the Auto tranny's in these trucks DIE at 70001 miles, not sure about the manual.

6/28/2006 6:19:19 AM

i read about the mani's they are pretty solid. this one is as well. the gears are long as crap. i cant use 5th till the highway at about 70 haha.

6/28/2006 9:35:44 AM