1988 Dodge Dakota Mopar Express

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I'm always interested in reading about young guys working on Mopars. Keep the thread updated and let us know how it's coming along!!
 
Ive seen a couple of these around . They have the same behind the cab spoiler or lght bar as my 89 Shelby Dak. Be carfull with the spoiloer there hard to find. I like the first gen Daks the best. I guess thats why ive had mine for 21 years.
 
Been busting tail last week, front bumper is restored and ready to instal, and from our donor AC truck i got this cool "wind flail" that makes the front spoiler functional, directing air at the radiator. Need to go get a CPU for the truck and some other misc parts from the junkyard tomorrow, im starting to lay out the wiring for it and i've been touching up paint and polishing stuff. Reflecting on the build so far I'm proud of myself. I've done all of the resto with the exception of building the engine, doing the rear brakes, and mating the engine/trans and a little bit of interior wiring. I did all of the painting and blasting myself, not to mention i turned most of the wrenches!

I also got a seat cover for it too, my old seat has some tears in it, it's matching blue and it's made of a saddle blanket like material. All of the wheels are almost restored, only have to finish the detail paint on one and find 3 other trim rings. I'd like to find a 1988 Jeep Cherokee steering wheel before the mopar nats. I've actually found 3 but i dont have the proper steering wheel puller for the job...

Plans for the remains of the week:
-Install filler neck
-Change Trans fluid/filter and install new chrome pan
-Install shifter linkage
-Wrap up pulleys
-Install Radiator
-Install fan
-Adjust seat cover

Also need to
-Add oil -Plate/Register
-Wire Fan - Trans lines
-Antifreeze -Wiring harness/cpu install/ignition
-Roll on bed liner -Mufflers/exhaust
-Paint steering wheel/get 88 jeep wheel

There's probably more that needs done but thats all i can think of right now

I'll do my best to update you guys nightly until I'm back at my moms! (parents are divorced)
 
Sounds like progress. My little Dak has been giving me some issues the last few days. May be time to off it and get something different.
 
It has an electrical issue. The plug going into the ECM is messed up and I don't want to worry about fixing it. So I will sell it and get something else. I have already dumped over a grand into something thats not worth $1500 and I am not in love with it, so off it will go. :) If it was something cool like yours, it would be worth it
 
that sucks, heres 1/2 of todays update

went to the junkyard and found 3 trim rings, which i needed, a horn, ECU, and coolant resivor

now its time to start busting @$$ for the day!
 
JUst found this thread, good job sobiecam keep up the great work! Hey if its any consolation to you, I have been getting grief from some members for posting pics of my Chev Truck. The thread just talks about the appreciation of a good reliable vehicle, unfortunareky its a 96 Chev. Most menbers were fine and posting their reliable truck pics of various makes, but some do not like that fact it is not a Mopar.
 
if its a thread just about reliable vehicles i dont see why it would be an issue, its not like you have a whole thread about your truck lol. I actually asked some guys in the chat room if it was okay to post up the truck.

nothing wrong with being reliable though! The odometer on my truck reads 213K
 
I posted last night about a virus that my computer has. That's WAY out in left field. :)
Your truck is pretty cool. 213k is impressive too. What engine did that model of dak come with originally?
I had a 92 Ram 250 that had 248k when I sold it. It was still a damn good truck too. I'm glad to see young kids still into these old things.
 
original 3.9L V6 truck. my uncle has a 96? Ram that just turned over 280K and it's an original owner, daily driver, and it still runs strong

as to your earlier post, that 87 Ram's hood is a challenger r/t style hood from AAR fiberglass
 
Thats what my Dak has. I was surprised at how peppy the little 3.9 is mid RPM range. But low and high, it is gutless. Your little truck should be pretty quick when done.

As for the hood. That is a sweet looking hood, to bad you can't get them anymore. There used to be a truck here in Utah that had a steel one that the guy made out of a real challenger hood. It was bomb! I also knew a guy that took a 70 cuda hood and grafted it onto a Dart. Looked sweet.

Maybe I missed it, but what trans are you using in your truck?
 
aww man, that is too cool, i'm an avid dakota enthusiast and have yet to ever hear of that truck, bad ***!! If you ever want to sell it let me know!

My first mopar, or any project at all was my Dak. When I was 17, i pulled the 2.5 out and replaced it with a moderate built 318. It Ran great, 14 second truck all day with only cam/car/intake and headers. I miss it so much, it still sits over at my parents house till I can grab the rearend out for the dart. I had an engine fire at a bracket race, put it back together at my buddies shop, and some idiot ran square into it.... needless to say I was crushed!

my Krylon Paint!
ryandak6.jpg

ryandak5.jpg


The krylon didn't hold so back to primer
dakmotor2.jpg

dakeng1.jpg

dakota1.jpg

dakint.jpg
 
Sweet truck man, this truck will stay with me forever! Never gonna sell it

J-mac, im using the stock A-500 OD trans with a shift kit

Todays update 2/2

Shifter linkage installed, all pulleys installed, radiator installed, electric fan installed but not wired yet, grille and front bumper are on again! Changed the trans filter and added a chrome pan.

Tomorrows plans:
Going back to my moms tomorrow, so i wont have much time to work, need to clean up the tranny lines and paint them... maybe i can finish gapping the bumper, not sure how much time i'll have though...
 
Basically, it's a four speed auto? I want to add on to my station wagon when I get it. Should make it a little more drivable.

I was looking for info on the web today and I noticed one thing. 90% of the info on the web came from you. :) Thats awesome! If I ever find anything out about them, I will pass it on. But chances are you will already know. I do know a guy in Nevada that knows tons of stuff about all the Dodge special edition trucks. I will try to find his email and pass it on if you want. He may have some info for you.
 
just an update here, turns out my dad and i have to bend custom trans lines, thanks to our Milodon pan.... huge pain in the rear, so we still have that to do, the hoses for the heater core, including the sending unit for my temp gauge, the actual radiator and bypass hoses, and wire the motor...

the bad: we've sorta lost steam on the project. I'm to the point that i cannot do much without my father's help, and with him working 40+ hours a week at the Ford dealership (don't nag him, they break alot so it's good money) and we are trying to finish the re-instalation of our 440-now-496 into my uncle's1967 Plymouth GTX, so it's done and we can go to the Mopar Nationals. He funds the trip, being an engineer, chances are that your light or window swiches in some of your vehicles (mostly GM) were engineered by him.

Anyways, best case scenario is that it's done by the Mopar Nats, which is right before i go back to school for my Junior year of high school. Worst case scenario, it gets finished by late September at the latest.
 
sobiecam, I am quite impressed with you! You are a very articulate young man. As a member of this website, owning an a-body is not required; a love for them is! Members restos can be anything Mopar. I am happy to hear you have an a-body as well, but really happy that you are on here sharing and learning! Plenty of the guys on here also have stock and modified Dakotas. The only new car I have ever owned was a 1996 Dakota and was probably the best vehicle I have ever owned. Guys, cut him some slack about this post not being an a body. When he gets to working on the dart, he and you'll be glad he is a part of Fabo! I am glad he is! I'll look for you there at the Nats. I will be in a silver ______ well it'll be a surprise! Watch for my posts to see!

p.s. what is that bad looking car under that cover????
 
You and your dad are doing some good work there sobie!! Looks like you may have to help dad with the shingles on the garage!! LOL. Hey whats dad got hidden in the garage?? Looks like a nice "B" body???
Have fun at the NATS!!
 
yea garage needs new shingles, the car under the cover there is the gtx mentioned in the previous post, it'll be in the fun field, it's dark green, almost black, with metal flake in the paint, we also have a 1968 GTX vert (#'s matching 440 auto car), an 1969 GTX (uncle's car in hs), a 1968 Dodge Charger, my uncle has a 1968 Dart drag car, superstock clone, which needs restored and we have numerous late model Mopars, including my Uncles original owner/paint/survivor 290k mi 1996?7? Dodge Ram 4x4 Sport.
 
Seems that there are always little hitches that get in the way. Just don't let it get the best of you. Thats what happened with my Duster, then I sold it and I still kick myself for it. Good luck on getting it done for the nats. I would love to go back there. I have never been. Once the ad car is done, it will make its debut there. So I should be there then. Good luck on your other projects too.

Also, I think its funny where people on this forum work. Your Dad works for Ford. Uncle GM? Scott (pettybluedart) who is always giving good info in the chat room works for Ford. I work at a Toyota, Scion, Honda Dealer and have worked with Toyota marketing for the Tundra street team, and I know there are several other members here that work for brand X. I honestly can't think of anyone that works for Chrysler here.

Jeremy
 
Never seen one of those. I've seen a few of the convertible ones from '87 or '88. Used to have an '88 (not convertible)
 
it is odd haha, i never plan on selling the truck, i hear all of you more experienced guys always going "damn, i shouldnt have gotten rid of that car" and i highly doubt that the true rarity of this truck will ever be appriciated, because to the government and many other places/people it is just a plain jane 1988 dodge pick-up with little to no value, and who's stupid enough to sell a "last surviving example" for a small amount of money.

so to sum up my sleep deprived rant, there is not, and probably never will be, a market for first gen Dakota's unless they are 'verts or Shelbys. I'd love to find out more about this package, which hopefully i will at the Mopar Nationals

Also, if you are working on or own a Dodge Dakota I'll have a table or bucket with free, left over parts at the nats, mostly small stuff like emblems, window cranks, ashtray housings. etc
 
Your doing a great job on the Dakota. I miss the '92 I had.. I still see it around town every now and then. It had 300k on it when I got sold it. I'll keep an eye out for you at the Nats to say hi. I get to drive down to KY., pick up my dad and head out ( It'll be his 2nd Nats.
 
sweet, i'll hope to see you guys, not sure how much time i'll be around the truck, as I love to check out the swap meet, just to see the cool stuff and great deals, if you see me in Heath or Newark at the cruise, don't be too shy to come up and say hi and check out the lil truck in person, given that its done

update for today:
well, mom's draging me back to her house, might be able to go pick up a steering wheel tomorrow.... just working on what we kinda can. Dad's going to get me a wiring diagram for the truck tomorrow. Hopefully that will allow me to do most of the wiring myself, which means that it'll be that more likely that it will make the Mopar Nationals for it's "Stage I" debut.

I say Stage I because hope to repaint the truck it's orignial PC7 Twilight blue metalic and have someone remake the graphics, i'd also like to add shorty-tube headers, alluminum heads, and maybe a Sneaky Pete nitrous kit, although that last one is doubtful
 
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