Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Over the past 4 years or so Ive owned and worked about 8 or 9 of these trucks.
Ive had

The flat black ext cab '92 4x4 318
a baby blue ext cab '90 2wd 3.9L
a bright blue '96 2wd 3.9L
a '89 Blue/Silver std cab long bed 4x4 3.9L
a '88 Gray std cab long bed 3.9L 4x4
a '91 Black std cab short bed 2wd 3.9l
a '99 black ext cab 4x4 3.9L
and now a '98 ext cab 4x4 3.9L
and a few more that I didnt have long enough to count as mine.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotas2.jpg)
the 92 has been my baby ever since I bought it its been through hell and back.
Its a 318 auto 4x4 sitting on 31/10.50's with 3.90 gears. It had a plow on it for 2 years and everything on it has been rebuilt. It has a modified manual CAD locker for a jeep on the front, detroit true-track out back. dual exhaust and a bunch of other goodies.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotas-1.jpg)
The 99 is my workhorse and main daily driver. its a 3.9L 4x4 sitting on 32/11 TSL's with 3.55 gears I traded my 94 ram for it and this truck for being a v6 has quite a great deal of grunt. Since Ive had it its pulled a 87 chevy G20 van, 18ft car trailer with a 96 z71 on it out of a ditch and also a 2.5 ton Grumman bread truck out of a ditch also. Im very impressed
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/newkota.jpg)
This is the newest addition. Its a 98 with 3.55's a junk 3.9 that Im in the process of rebuilding. It has some potential. But the guy I got it from said it had blown head gaskets.... Well he was WRONG!
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotor2.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotor.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotor3.jpg)

I ended up picking up another 3.9L out of a 95 ram from a junkyard that was far better than the wannabe 7 cyl 3.9 that came out of the truck (LOL)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotoe.jpg)

Theyre fun trucks hah

Whatcha think?

It's a Dodge....................................................

Sweet merciful , what happened to that engine?

...Although I suppose that crud in the lifter valley kinda tells the story, doesn't it? Not much maintenance done there...

I've always liked the Dakotas too, although I've only ever owned two (an old '89 4X4 reg cab long box and my current '03 Club Cab, both V6 4X4's).

Here's my first one. Box was too rusty to save, and since I was doing renovations to a 100 year old house I decided the stock box wasn't wide enough anyway, so I made a wooden one. This thing was a slow pig, but could it ever handle weight. It had the 1-ton suspension package, and I carried enough drywall to know it lived up to that promise...


...And the new one. I just bought this a month ago and love it. The first thing I did was crank up the torsion bars to level it out - it was way down in the front when I bought it, as you can see in the photo. I don't find the 3.9 particularly fast, but I didn't buy it for speed, I bought it for truck stuff (and shot a deer the day I bought it, so it's my "Lucky Truck"). I've also installed a new radio with USB port, and will be installing projector headlights so I can then add real HID's because the stock headlights SUUUUUUCK (and I won't install true HID's in non-projector housings, especially when they delete or make useless the high beams).

I've also been thinking "Hemi Swap", just casually, but I know I'll probably never do it because I'd never have the time. A person can dream though, and this is the only truck I've ever had that was nice enough to justify doing something stupid like that...

Never messed with the Dakotas but a local company had a few 1st gen 'kotas.....3.9L (I think), 2wd, stick shift.  They went 200K+++ miles and were still running last I knew.

Rangers were my addiction....had 15+ for drivers and parts.  Only have two now....both V8 trucks.

i'm not a dakota fan at all, i actually hate dodge, but my buddy brian's dakota has over 300k on the original, untouched 3.9.. it's in the process of killing it's 3rd trans, but i've never had to touch the motor, other than tune ups and a water pump.. it's pretty funny, with the belt off, you can grab the crank pulley and slide the crank back and forth 1/4", but the stupid thing still runs without a knock or any kind of engine noise.. i painted it a few years ago and since then, it's been eaten by rot.. the rear wheel wells and lower front corners of the fenders are GONE.. but here's a pic of it, the first time it came out of the garage with her new skin

(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225583_6443242651_667957651_353472_4537_n.jpg)

Well I've always kinda like em... I have always (and still) wanted a 3rd gen since the day they came out. I instead wound up getting my Raider. Which is 95% dakota underneath. 3.7 though, but it's got enough power to make me happy. It is awfully fun with the 6-speed.

I don't know if you've heard, but Dodge, (or Ram/whatever the hell they're calling themselves now) has decided to drop Dakota for 2012. They are planning to bring it back, but possibly under a different name, and definitely on a completely different design. Sad really, what they plan to do with it. Here is on rendering of what they might do with it... I don't know if this is the real plan, but this is a real picture, there are more than one pic of this vehicle
:barf:

http://www.allpar.com/trucks/ram/dakota-2012.html

and here is the news that they will be ending it next year...(the above article is older):

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2011/163_news110822_ram_drops_dakota_for_2012/index.html

ew.. it's like an outback on crack.. but if that's what they're going to make the dakota look like, than the durangos will actually look decent for once.. looks like they're finally going to dump the hideous 'drop down' fender design

Both of my kotas that I have now put some full size chevys to shame. I love it. theyre not as small as a s-10 or ranger but not as big as the fullsize trucks either. both of them can pull their weight. Actually sort of funny I hauled the newest dakota home on the back of the 99 with a heavy 18ft car trailer didnt have one single issue besides I drove almost an hour away to get it up hill down hill back and forth. she didnt even squat.

The flat black one on the other hand has at one time hauled a complete chevy 350. turbo350 tranny and a NP205 trasfercase along with a GM 14bolt rear diff dana 44 front diff and 2 33" courser MT's on 16.5 steel rims. Yes she was squatting but unbelievibly did not touch the overloads... I was astounded.. but since then its hauled quite a few over weight loads of gravel

Theyre tough trucks and I swear by 'em.

LOL my buddy's dakota is the complete opposite.. it squats pretty bad with 400lbs in the bed, sucks at towing and gets beat by little ring  4 cyl rangers

the 90 I had was as base model as you can order besides tilt and cruise. it has a pack of maybe 2 or 3 leafs out back... it'd get a bedfull of water and squat.. that truck was a shame lol.

My Raider's like that. Literally no options AT ALL. I did get AC though but I think that counts as base on everything made nowdays.

I've got to change the shocks on it... I hit any bumps and it bottoms out in the back.  And anytime it doesn't bottom out it floats like a boat. It's kinda nice though. Makes for a comfy ride lol. I have no idea what it can haul... its kind of annoying. I can't find any specs on what the 3.7 can handle. Not in the manual, not online, nowhere. All I can find out about is what the bumper is capable of holding, and what the 4.7 model max payload is. I reckon though, if you can pulled what you did with your 15 year old 3.9, mine oughtta be able to at least pull my cougar up to the exhaust shop next week....:evilgrin: Only problem is I'd have to get a class II installed since the bumper isn't capable of pulling more than 1000 pounds or something like that.....

I find the third gen (05 up) Dakotas are like that. My father bought an 05 4x4 v8 Dakota brand new and I was never impressed. It's got plenty of power but can't handle weight at all. The arse drags on the ground with just a couple hundred pounds in the box. He wanted to sell it to me and I wouldn't buy it for that reason. 3rd gens also share many front end and braking components with the larger Ram and therefore suffer the same problems (wheel bearings, ball joints, tie rods, stabilizer links, etc). I know 2nd gens have their issues too, but I'll take a 2nd gen over a 3rd any day. The only feature third gens have that mine doesn't that I wish it did are the suicide doors...

That(those) is THE reason I bought mine. In fact, I really wanted a Frontier, but a frontier was much further out of my price range.

I love my Ram, but I despise Dakotas. A previous friend is on his third. He loves the 4.7 and I think it's junk. His current one is all modded out and lowered. I don't like them. If I want a truck, it either has to be a small truck or a big truck, not the awkward in between.

i can second the 4.7's being trash from multiple experiences with the same truck and 2 motors!!!!

Got quite a bit done. Got the block back from CNP machine last week fresh dipped with new freeze plugs and cam bearings installed ready for assembly
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotorrrr.jpg)

Cleaned all the parts up real nicely and shot it chebby orange for good luck (lol) and it was the only thing that I had a large amount of here to paint with cause 99% of my friends and family are chebby fans.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/kotamotores.jpg)

When I get a day off that Im not working 3rds anymore probably next week shes going in and I hopefully bolt eveything together once and for all and dont have to touch the motor again aside from routine maint.

painting a dodge motor chevy orange.. I APPROVE! it'll probably run longer now LOL

Oh ya. these little 3.9L's need all of the luck they can freakin get

2 Updates. 1 The purple 98 runs and drives now, need to screw with the timing its a little hesitant still but is driveable and running strong.

2........ I went junkyard hopping the other day with the girlfriends dad looking for a rear yoke for his z71 and we did our rounds walking the lot and found about 7 87-96 dakotas with 5 speeds all of which are 2wd... so being the smarta$$ I am I started looking at the 97-up dakotas and durangos went through the paces, 2wd auto, 4x4 auto,2wd stick, blah blah blah. Well the last truck on the end of the line as I was walking up to it I turned to pops and said "bet its another 4x4 auto" then I opened the door.... well as of yesterday I have EVERYTHING to convert my 99 over to 5speed. I dont know about you guys that have any familiarity for dodges trucks and suv's to be more specific if its an automatic you best have 1500 or mnore stashed away just for a tranny for one. They  out all the time its just a given. Well, soon as summer comes around and warms up I will take the 99 off the road and commence the swap so I will have eliminated the weakest point under this truck.

The only thing I could do aside from a dana 44 and 9" SAS is drop a 318 into the old girl and call it a day. and that is totally on the to do list.

BUT the bird will fire before I spend cheddar on another 318... for now.

nice score.. and everyone knows dodge can't build transmissions to save their lives lol the 5 speed will definitely live a lot longer

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/Tcj429/koooota.jpg)

Cleaned the old girl today

A clean 4x4? That's.... that's.... BLASPHEMY!!! :mullet:

I've been making plans for mine recently. Gonna do a 3" body lift, 2" suspension lift, and buy an old Durango and do a 5.9 swap. Hopefully the Durango would have a nice loaded up leather interior because I'd like to option up my truck while I'm at it. Not gonna do anything until at least November though, when the warranty runs out (in fact I've been scheming on how to get the engine swap at least partially paid for by the warranty company :evilgrin: )

Lol. its actually a pretty easy. I am going to find me a nice 318 and a harness for it for the 5speed also.. then swap it all in and call it good. I cant hold a candle to my 92. ive built and driven some pretty gnarly trucks but for being 99% stock that old dakota will hold corners at 60, go almost anywhere off road, and out smoke some guys mustangs and shes got 192k on the clock origional motor and tranny.

Dakota thread on a tbird/cougar board......why not.  :)

In 2002 I bought a 1994 2wd regular cab short box 5.2 with a 5 speed for $3000 with 88k miles on it.  I believe is had 3.55 8.75 rear in it.  Not one option, black.  I beat the unholy hell out of it.  It would start off in third if you wanted.  Lots of fun in that truck.  I put a K&N hi-po air lid, some flowmaster 40 series ler.  Sounded great.  It just worked.  Funny thing was I had to change the plugs every 10k and use 93 octane or it would ping.

It was such a rare truck that it didnt have a clutch safety switch or a speed limiter.  I started the truck in 1st or 2nd to many times to tell.  I buried the speedo many times.  The bench was so bad.  I drove it up to 140k.  Was starting to rust.  Never let me down.  With the simple speed density setup, wasnt much to mod.  Looking back an adjustable FPR would have been helpful.  Looking at the wiring harness it was simple....just a couple of wires going from the firewall to the engine. 

I did put some cool 16" wheels the last year I had it.

I would recommend one if you are looking for cheap speed.

I went 15.5@92 with it.

Travis

dakota gurus, i have a question for you.. my buddy has a 93 dakota (3.9/2wd auto) that just melted down ANOTHER transmission.. being a 93, there's something with the trans that i've been told is a '1 year only thing'.. isn't it just a sensor on the outside of the case? can i simply just remove said sensor, swap them and use a trans from a different year truck? our supply of 93's has run completely dry and he doesn't have the money for a rebuild kit

I dont have any idea. as far as i knew the 42RE and 46RE tranny was the same from 87 on up to 96 I dont see why you couldnt swap in a good tranny from a 87-96. 97 on up, however, dont have tranny mounted speed sensors like the formers. (no gear drive like the T5 and aod, yadda yadda. Its powered by the ABS sensor on the rear diff, which in my honest opinion is the most RETARDED thing Ive heard of.

you should be gold from 90-96 for a tranny, v8 and v6 alike all share the same bell pattern. the 87-late 89's were tough to get overdrive with. they did come with it but were optioned kinda like our birds...

i'm hoping the sensor is just an easy swap-over and done deal.. i really don't want this thing sitting in my shop any longer than it has to.. lol

Have you checked for codes?  Do you by-pass the tranny cooler with a new one.  If the old tranny leaves  in the lines you will quickly kill another tranny.

Travis

with the last trans, it had the lines replaced, a new rad and an external cooler put in.. the lines had been bent by someone working under the hood and almost kinked, typical rounded fittings and the rad was filled with gunk and corroding away.. so no old fluid could have been left behind

5 speed swap????

Travis

if it gets any kind of swap, it won't be a dodge trans and it won't be a dodge motor.. lol plus, he's a wimp.. he 'doesn't like manual transmissions..' pansy.. lol