harrisonm
Well-Known Member
This happened in 2016, but I just found this picture. In about 2011, after a long search, I found a 98 Dakota at a used car dealer about 300 miles away. I called him, and he talked for several minutes and gave me a very honest appraisal of the truck. Good running 4 cylinder, 5 speed, OK interior, back seat, 2 main doors with the half doors on each side, no major damage, just a few rust spots, AC blew ice cold OK tires and faded paint. He wanted $2700. I told him I'd be there by 1:00 tomorrow, and if it was what he said, he had a deal. He said if it wasn't exactly what he said, he would refund me for gas money, and he would hold it for me. I got there at a few minutes before 1:00, the truck was exactly what he said, I drove it around the block, and without asking he dropped it to $2500 for me. I drove it for about 3 years, and then I did a complete paint job on it. It was black, and I decided to keep it black. I fixed the rust spots, and the dents. Then I spent several months making the body as perfect as possible. I even shaved the Dodge emblem off the front of the hood. The paint job came out pretty good, I sprayed a base clear with Dupont Nason paint, Then I got new tires. The tire place took the tires off and let me take the wheels home to powder coat them gloss black. Then I powder coated the bed rails with wrinkle black. I drove it like this for about a year, and then the lady across the street backed into it HARD. It was in the street, but NOT across from her driveway. It was a good 50 feet up the street. She almost had to do it on purpose, and she hit it HARD. Her DOGSHIT insurance company (I don't remember the name, but the word 'green' was in it), screwed me over SO hard my butt is still sore. They totaled it and offered me $2500 for it and, they kept it. The KBB on it at the time was $4200. It would have cost me more to hire a lawyer than it was worth. I fought them and eventually got $3200 and got to keep it with a salvage title. I drove it for a while with the left side caved in (mostly the bed) and eventually sold it for $1000. I MISS that truck. I was getting ready to have the interior done.
