Chrysler - Dodge - Mopar

[R J]

I just heard that the Dodge Dakota has been discontinued.

Anyone else heard this?

Supposedly sales were down and they were going to announce the NEW Durango so something had to go.     Now I wish I would have kept my Dakota.  Oh well, it isn't the 1st time I've been bitten in the butt on a car/truck deal.

[JerryB]

RJ,read an article about the Dakota being built with a body style of a Elcamino later on.........JB.

[flcjr]

I wouldn't worry about it after all its a Dodge      Al Bundy drives a Dodge

[PAVALKER]

I wouldn't worry about it after all its a Dodge      Al Bundy drives a Dodge

    Yea, it's not an F150 or GMC Sierra so no biggie.




Actually I kinda liked the styling and ride of the older Dakotas, not the new ones.  And I'm not a RAM fan either.

[Fatboyman05]

HEY, what the he..,
I drive a DODGE, ........ well this week until the new owner gets her.

I've had three Dakota's, a 4, 6 and 8 cylinder. About 450,000 between the three of them. Always liked them. Now the resale value is another issue  .   

[flcjr]

I've had three Dakota's, a 4, 6 and 8 cylinder. About 450,000 between the three of them. Always liked them. Now the resale value is another issue  .   


  They have a resale value??

[JerryB]

No cars have any resale value anymore with all the incentives around 

[MacDragon]

No cars have any resale value anymore with all the incentives around 

You're abolutely right... Pre-owned vehicle values have decreased due to the incentives on new.  Since you can buy the new ones for cheaper, the used ones of the same make and model are also cheaper.  I'm a Jeep-Chrysler Dealer Finance Mgr.

[Master Blaster]

Dont knock Dodgesl, My 04 Dually has been super. It has the 600 Cummings, and is the first automatic truck I ever owned.  If I could justify it I would swap it for the new 800.  Mine even gets diecent fuel milage.  Hate to hear the Dakota being dropped, always liked them.  I remember yours RJ and thought it was a sharp machine. 

[R J]

Thanks good buddy for the compliment on the Dakota.    I traded it for this Hemi that I just had to have, well my fun is over, I can't get in it anymore, too high off the ground with those firkin stock 20" wheels.  I can't even get in with a step stool and running boards.   For $10,000 I can put Air Lift System on it.  It would lay on the ground when parked.    Thinking about it but got to get past Red 1st, she says it takes up too much garage space.   LOL.......   She has trouble squeezing her fat butt into the Highlander and the outside garage wall.   LOL.  Has to leave room for me to get in the Ram.

My salesman said the guy who bought my Dakota, said I bought the Ram he wanted and this was the best looking truck on the lot.    So he is going to see if he is still interested in the Ram and we just pull off a trade deal.

Would work for me.......   I still have the exhaust off of it and the Cold Air Ram.
Would take like 30 minutes to change out the exhaust, and I liked how it talked  to ya with that little Mitsubishi V8 under power.   Got my fingers crossed.    If no trade, I'll just have to wait and see what Dodge does, cause there is no way in 4377 another Ford or Chevy will be in my stable again.........    Had too many and had too much trouble with them.............   Bought my first Dakota in 1993, then a damn Ford F150 in 1997, drove it off the lot and stopped to eat.  Went out and had to have it towed to the dealer, it wouldn't start.   It took them 2 days to figure out why, never would tell me the reason.  It failed again in 4 weeks, towed in again, 2 days in shop, the 3rd day when I got it back I took it to a Dodge dealer out of town and peddled it for another Dakota.    Been in Dakota's ever since except for twice I went to Ram's and then came and or going back.   Only bad luck I had with a Dakota was in 2000, bought it on year end clearance.  Daughter took it to school so as to move to here Sorority House.  On the way home with it, she was "T" boned in the right door hard enough to knock the front seat and her out into the highway.   Yup it was totaled, just lucky the kid wasn't hurt too bad.  She was laid up about 5 weeks and almost didn't graduate because of the wreck.    Oh yeah, other driver was drunk, no license, no insurance due to being drunk.   He still has a lien on anything or everything he will ever own till she is paid off..

Now back to our regular programming.

[JerryB]

Gotta agree with you on the Dodges.The Challenger was a sign that the quality was right up there with anything on the market.I then thought I would give the trucks a whirl.Power is excellent on the trucks......JB

[Spirited-6]

Back in the "day" I had a Dakota with a 318, the first in the market that I drove as my Demo. We sold that HOT Dakota to a wild child in London , Ky. He claimed that he was never put down other than a 5.0 Mustang. I think he is dead now.
Kidding.  But this guy was WILD. The little truck was a joy to drive, would burn @ 3,500 all thru top out.
Don.
 

[R J]

I had a 318 in a early Dakota, it was quick, but not that quick.

I had a posi and it would only chirp the tires as she went through the gears.

Even got pretty good gas mileage if I remember correctly.

Then I think it was the 360 I got in the next one.   Been too long ago to remember.   Now, that one was a bad assed truck.

[ArmyValker]

Dont knock Dodgesl, My 04 Dually has been super. It has the 600 Cummings, and is the first automatic truck I ever owned.  If I could justify it I would swap it for the new 800.  Mine even gets diecent fuel milage.  Hate to hear the Dakota being dropped, always liked them.  I remember yours RJ and thought it was a sharp machine. 

Dodge has it's best models in the diesel's as far as I'm concerned. They are making some nice muscle cars now, but everybody I know who has a dodge diesel swears by em. Now the small passenger cars.... another story

[Hook#3287]

My 03 Dodge Dually works everyday and never asks for anything but diesel, oil changes and reg maintenance items.  The Cummins should last 300K or so.  I saw a older 3500 at a gas station and asked the driver about it.  He worked for an RV and trailer place, said it had over 250K and described it as "A Workhorse"  My last F250 made it about 120K before starting to fall apart and 1,000 dollar me to death.

My 74 "Snofiter" made me a ton of $$ plowing snow and the only weakness it had was the reverse band would break every 3 years or so

[DarkMeister]

Wouldn't drive anything else. Chrysler / Dodge designs are just miles ahead. I do wonder about quality control, though...
Traded my 300C last year for a new 2010 Ram. Brand new truck - with the front bumper showing surface rust. Had it fixed once, it's back again. That kinda blows me away.

[MP]

My 97 Dodge has 300,000 farm miles on it, and is still going strong.

I just bought a "new" 04 with 145,000 on it, with auto to pull my 38' toyhauler.

That Cummins is miles ahead of the other two engines if you are going to work them.  Just to run around and look and sound cool, get what you want.

MP

[fudgie]

My father inlaw-the good one- has a 90's Dakota he dropped a old Charger (I think) engine in it last year. Had to make mounts and everything. That think really pulls the front end up.

[Sodbuster]

My experience with Chrysler has been trouble with their auto transmissions. Have heard others having same trouble .... any of you folks have that ??

[Hook#3287]

The small town I live in bought a 1ton Dodge when they first came out, back when Dodge first put the Cummins in and the low end torque chewed up the tranny(s).  I understand that problem has been fixed and I've had no trouble with mine.  I pull my work trailer of 6K around like it's not even there.  My Bobcat and Volvo go about 7 to 8K and it pulls them around effortlessly.  I took a 36’ trailer to Dover last fall and she handled it without a sweat.

[Hook#3287]

Wish I could get one of these!!