I have the same truck but 2003. Mine is basically in the same shape used as a work truck all it’s life. Mine just turned 294k miles. Trust Me I beat the hell out of this truck and it just doesn’t give up. These dodge dakotas are amazing. When mine finally gives up I’m gonna buy a parts truck just like that and swap the engine trans and transfer case
Damn right David dos Santos!!! I ORDERED a '95 3.9L V6 back May 95 & I still have it. SoCal. 155K miles now. Ordered w/bucket seats, cruise, AC(of course) & anti-spin 3.55 differential. fantastic truck, quite comfortable for a regular cab truck, wish I had ordered the xtra cab. VERY, VERY RELIABLE TRUCK. NEVER FAILED TO TURN OVER IN THE MORNING. Just wondering if I should try to go back to 4cyl for a rebuild. or just chg the differential for increased mileage. I watch the oil industry trade pubs & though oil is dirt cheap now 4/25/20 we are close to peak production for texas permian basin. will be going up in the future. My biggest problem with my generation Dakota is that the motor mounts were junk, Dodge just expected the motor to stay in the frame by shape & force of gravity, I took a hard bounce up on the Pine Ridge reservation on a trip I made but did manage to drive it back home 1200 miles home with no problem. few weeks later had the motor mounts replaced & found welder who made aome chain hold downs for the motor. No problem ever since. fairly good mileage out of the 3.9 too, 22/23 on the road w/o using AC even @ 75/80 mph. 18.5 mpg w/ AC. 15 mpg around town. poor turning radius though. 6 1/2 foot bed is good, long enough to sleep in. And low end torque from the Magnum V6 is unbelievable, like a small V8. Much better than ford 4.2 L V6 in F-150 I bought to replace it. F-150 is 5 spd 4x4 but driveability is NOT there, like the Dodge.
I have a 2003 that’s always ran fine with hardly any maintenance, only time it sat in a shop was for ball joints in the front, just rolled over 213k miles and is getting its first rust even after all the weather changes in illinois
buy one now that it's cheap as heck since they're available all over the place and slap it in storage? just a thought since i know how rare parts for certain cars can get quickly.
I just bought an 02 in mint condition. It looks like new inside and out. It had regular maintenance by milage by the only previous owner. At 220,000 miles it runs and drive great. I really like my new truck.
Lmao yeah I am in southwestern Ontario. We are both used to rust. I always laugh when people will say a vehicle is rusty when it is just surface. This dakota is pretty bad though to be honest. Nakes no sense that they salt our roads still. It's 2020 and there are so many other options.
Dakota’s are awesome. I have one with 119k on it. Runs good, really durable. The transmission switches go bad on them pretty easy. You’ll shift sometimes and it’ll just go straight to neutral.
All I’m saying a Toyota from that time would be in much better shape and worth 5 grand (assuming they followed the factory recall and got a free frame with proper under coating)
@@mattsmith8217 "assuming you followed the factory recall" they didnt even do a recall until the 2010s, if your frame rusted out before that you were shit out of luck. Toyota went down hill quick after the 80s and 90s but the price tag doesn't reflect that.
545RFEs seem to be quite good, got an original one paired to the original 5.7 Hemi in my truck which has over 200k miles on it, just change the transmission fluid and filters on interval and you won't blow it up.
My grandmother had a 2004 Dodge Durango with that engine. It was good but after 11 years it started overheating and she had to get rid of it. I also don't think it was maintained well so take it with a grain of salt.
Ricky Davis Lots of people don’t understand that the GMT400 and 800 trucks have really good engines, but the rest of the truck falls apart like you wouldn’t believe it. When I was shopping for cars a while back, I found a 1999 Suburban. It ran and drove, but the rest of the truck was falling apart. I ended up buying a 1999 Ford F-150 with the 4.6. It runs and drives perfectly and the truck isn’t falling apart.
I have an almost double of this truck, but mine is a 2003. Best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Bought it in Maryland, moved to California and have had to replace parts every few years. The salted roads killed the undercarriage. Drove it a few times up to Vermont (my ex was born and raised there).
Spent a ton of time in Barre and that part of the state. Went to NU in Northfield, love watching your videos and seeing both VT and the cars. Keep up the good work!
I bought a 2006 Quad cab from my ex-employer for $1... had to go pick it up, 5 hours away. Mechanic quoted them $3000 to fix it...I got it home and had it running 2 days later... broken wire coming off the computer. One butt splice and I had a runnig truck. I still have it.
Mike Maes People will pay good money for the stock 15s off of those Dakotas and Durangos, the Dakota and Durango truck community is the only community that I’ve seen that mostly prefers the stock rims, I was able to sell my stocks with some Goodyear Wrangler Radials on them for $550
That's really low miles for a dodge. I always see those things getting at least 200k. In my experience those transmissions almost always go out at exactly 200k lol
Tip- Start the van while you’re jump starting the Dakota. It’ll give more juice to the Dakota (or whatever you’re jumpstarting) and it won’t drain the battery of the van since the alternator will be charging it.
Aaawwwh man my mom used to have a dodge Dakota with a sliver paint job. That truck was awesome and I loved how I looked. Sadly whiles my mom was driving drying summer we got into a car accident and the truck got totalled.
Must suck having inspections in Vermont, in Michigan you could slap a v8 in a shopping cart and they'd give you a plate. Let alone the rust on the dodge hahaha
I'd think that drivetrain could drop into a third gen Ram 1500, as long as it originally had a 4.7. Definitely should keep a look out for any of the Chrysler/Dodge 545RFE/4.7Magnum vehicles with a blown engine. No hate to the Dodge Dakotas but I do think fixing up a Ram 1500 could fetch more profit in the end.
I'm sure someone has something different to say but personally I think the third gen 2002-2008 ram trucks are the best ones you can buy. Decent interior quality, reliable enough transmissions if you take care of them (545RFEs are at least) and as you mentioned solid engines, at least the Hemis.
Just not the Rams with the 4.7s too much weight for the motor, exactly what the sales guy told me about the Dakota and the V6... "a Dog" 545s are great I think the 46re was the issue. Think some Dakota's had the 8.75" rear end and some like mine that has the 9.25" rear end. Year to year varies, trim engine etc but yeah don't overheat it,change the oil... its a 200k+ mile truck easily
Ha! In our little mountain community, about every third truck you see on the road is a gen 2 Dodge Dakota. They're cheap and surprisingly reliable (except, as noted, the transmissions). My 2004 has 128k (and zero rust). If you take the transmission out of the equation, I probably have spent $700 on non-maitenance items over the last 10 years. Then again, we have snow out here - but don't salt the roads. Good luck!
the Transmissions arent even that bad if you take care of them. and this one id paired with a 45rfe and which hella reliable we never see them at my transmission shop.
We stopped at Montpellier and Burlington on our honeymoon towards Canada from Nyc. I was amazed how little Montpellier was, is smaller the the Montpellier in France!
To find anything in Vermont that's not as bad as you have would be kinda hard unless the unlikely event you find a southern truck they junk out and sell for scrap cars and trucks with clean bodies that we up here in the rust bucket state would kill for the issue is transporting for a reasonable price.
I had bought a 2002 Dodge Dakota 2wd 4.7 V8 automatic the motor went out tried to replace it with a 2003 4.7 V8 got aggravated and gave it away for free to a friend of mine!
My grandpa has a 2005 2500 dodge ram that was from Georgia and he never drives in Wisconsin singer it has not a spot of dust on it for a 15 year old truck it's in perfect condition
I have the same truck 02 V8 2 wheel drive 88k miles on it. I'm in California drive it every day. Just cant sell it. I want a Chevy Colorado ZR2. But not ready to let my Dodge go.
I own a 02 Dakota sport with the 5.9L V8 140k miles and the only problem I had with it was replacing the water pump. Planning on doing a 408 stroker swap
I will be keeping a dakota on this channel, but not this one. I am only taking the engine and trans out of this one and gettin rid of the rest, but I already have another dakota lined up to put the engine in
If you're worried about overheating a 3/4 ton truck by pulling a Dakota, you might want to get a beefier radiator and trans cooler. That truck should handle the weight no problem.
Other than all the rust, you've got a good truck there. I had a 2001 from 2010 til 2019 and it was really good. The main problem eventually was that the rear leaf shackles rusted off and had to be replaced, also brake lines same story. I sold it to my nephew for only :$500 and his check bounced - supposedly he has cash for me now but I haven't seen it. My Dakota had the 4.7 V8, which was an excellent engine. A shame it's been left to rot so badly; my brother was a service writer at a Dodge dealer and this driveline INCLUDING the trans is bullet proof. These trucks easily go 200K if they don't rot out.
Save the engine and computer/electrical harness. You can save a better pickup if it has a manual transmission. Oh, and save the radio. Can't get those anymore. Ebay for sure.
I got a 2003 dodge dakota 4.7 SLT and i got it for 1200$ best car i ever driven. previous owner had underbody sprayed 2 times which is crucial because i reside in illinois. Expecting 250k+ miles and thats only 80k away piece of cake
Except for the transmission, as u said they do not hold up as well. going to junkyard swap trans or have rebuilt by buddy until truck wont move anymore at all
If you could get to Texas you can pick the up for 300 to 500 dollars all day long. I just rebuilt a 02 dakota with 345000 miles on it for my son. I think they are put together pretty well considering the wreck mine was in and a couple hours with a hammer and a portapower and it is good to go.
Such a shame! That color was only made in 2003 for a short time! Quad cab makes it even harder to find. (Look at my channel I have a red one I adventure with!)
I got the opposite problem. my Dakota looks mint (for a Minnesota truck) but the engine is blown. I'm bouncing around the idea of diesel swaping it for fun
It's worth a few bucks the reputation for problems is not deserved I've seen Chevys and ford's with the same issues and no one screams there unreliable you pretty much got a free engine and transmission
Man I have a 2001 Dakota and I need four interior pieces and I have a 2 foot hole in my bed and need a grill piece rear and front bumper, Hood and I could probably use every part you got that's good except for rocker panel and frame, the only other problem I have is I don't have any money and I live more than 300 miles away I basically live in another state.
Before you climbed under the truck, I was thinking of asking you about the frame. I have a 2000 Dodge dakota with the 4.7l v8 and 5 speed manual transmission, it's a 2 wheel drive. I was wondering if the frame could've been swapped to make mine 4x4, but the frame on that one is frightening to say the least. About the only things mine needs is a paint job, and a condenser for the a/c to work. It has182 thousand miles on and still running strong.
lol, yea this frame is shot. I tried to jack it up with my floor jack when I was pulling the engine yesterday and i went right through the main frame fail
Crazy man, car fixer extraordinaire. I worry every time I see your best squirrel impersonation when you scamper up on the bumpers to get into the engine (battery) @6:16 I do remember at least 1 or 2 "crash N burn" episodes when u made less-than-graceful exits from your perch. Ouch. :-( I see the poor man's mechanics pit is working out for you lately. Would it be worth the effort to put some concrete in there or something more permanent? I know u got (construction) skillz, mr. nameless vermonter. :-)
That Silverado could handle two Dakota's easy, I towed a 12k 5th wheel trailer with my 04 Silverado 2500hd 6.0 all the way from Daytona Beach FL to pigeon forge TN and didn't even break a sweat I love it and it just recently turned over 100k
Dog on that 4.7 all you want I towed a foxbody on a 3200 pound trailer with my mom's Dakota and it did alright, definitely would not have liked the hills though.
Woah! A friday video. Yer right the engine does sound good. I wonder if that drivetrain would fit a Durango. I mean I don't have one just wondering. Great find honestly.
Thank you to all who reached out to me! I have found a beautiful red dakota to swap the engine into.
Sorry to make it so blunt. But you have to take in the reality part. Truck is a 2002 18 yrs old I guarantee that motors miles have been rolled over.
Let's see you make that Dakota shine!
Josh La Voye ? Most 18 year old vehicles don’t even have 350k miles I don’t know where you got that from
Josh La Voye it take a million miles for most speedometers to roll over unless it is super old
@@joshlavoye9429 that is not true, 133k miles at 18 yrs old is very common
Dude cars just seem to fall into your lap. You are the cat lady of cars..lol. Looking forward to seeing you swap the engine.
lol, thanks
I know, right? I wish cars just fell into my lap like that.
I have an 04 with a 4.7 and it simply works. Nothing but regular maintenance. The power/weight ratio is great. It's like the little truck that could
I have the same truck but 2003. Mine is basically in the same shape used as a work truck all it’s life. Mine just turned 294k miles. Trust Me I beat the hell out of this truck and it just doesn’t give up. These dodge dakotas are amazing. When mine finally gives up I’m gonna buy a parts truck just like that and swap the engine trans and transfer case
Damn right David dos Santos!!! I ORDERED a '95 3.9L V6 back May 95 & I still have it. SoCal. 155K miles now. Ordered w/bucket seats, cruise, AC(of course) & anti-spin 3.55 differential. fantastic truck, quite comfortable for a regular cab truck, wish I had ordered the xtra cab. VERY, VERY RELIABLE TRUCK. NEVER FAILED TO TURN OVER IN THE MORNING. Just wondering if I should try to go back to 4cyl for a rebuild. or just chg the differential for increased mileage. I watch the oil industry trade pubs & though oil is dirt cheap now 4/25/20 we are close to peak production for texas permian basin. will be going up in the future. My biggest problem with my generation Dakota is that the motor mounts were junk, Dodge just expected the motor to stay in the frame by shape & force of gravity, I took a hard bounce up on the Pine Ridge reservation on a trip I made but did manage to drive it back home 1200 miles home with no problem. few weeks later had the motor mounts replaced & found welder who made aome chain hold downs for the motor. No problem ever since. fairly good mileage out of the 3.9 too, 22/23 on the road w/o using AC even @ 75/80 mph. 18.5 mpg w/ AC. 15 mpg around town. poor turning radius though. 6 1/2 foot bed is good, long enough to sleep in. And low end torque from the Magnum V6 is unbelievable, like a small V8. Much better than ford 4.2 L V6 in F-150 I bought to replace it. F-150 is 5 spd 4x4 but driveability is NOT there, like the Dodge.
I have a 2003 that’s always ran fine with hardly any maintenance, only time it sat in a shop was for ball joints in the front, just rolled over 213k miles and is getting its first rust even after all the weather changes in illinois
buy one now that it's cheap as heck since they're available all over the place and slap it in storage?
just a thought since i know how rare parts for certain cars can get quickly.
That 4.7 will fit any grand Cherokee, or commander that has the same 4.7 engine in it.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the transmissions and engines will work for the durangos too?
Mopar baby!!!!!
Do the windows and neutral safety switch work!??!?!! Bahahahha
@@codecamo1688 yeah
Sound like the engine is still healthy!
I just bought an 02 in mint condition. It looks like new inside and out. It had regular maintenance by milage by the only previous owner. At 220,000 miles it runs and drive great. I really like my new truck.
Desirable truck though here in Michigan that's peach everyday driver but we're lucky dont need inspection
Lmao yeah I am in southwestern Ontario. We are both used to rust. I always laugh when people will say a vehicle is rusty when it is just surface. This dakota is pretty bad though to be honest. Nakes no sense that they salt our roads still. It's 2020 and there are so many other options.
That is Why you have inspection so not complete rust Buckets are on the road
Boy dee howdy, that road salt is like another tax on you guys.
You have no idea... I had a Chevy rot out in about 12 years 117k miles... and I'm in PA, salt is bad here, but not like up there!
I will admit I was skeptical of the practicality of a diy inspection trench when you first showed it, but now I kind of want one
Dakota’s are awesome. I have one with 119k on it. Runs good, really durable. The transmission switches go bad on them pretty easy. You’ll shift sometimes and it’ll just go straight to neutral.
I have a 2011 model with 99k on it
Rams are good.. I agree about bad trans but that thing was abused to hell not the companys fault it diddnt fair well ok minus rust but
It also isnt the companies fault that they build their trucks with more plastic than metal...
cole jarrett does plastic rust? Also gm and ford at the time were the same if not worse
I never said gm and ford were much better. Especially then. Gm had stronger transmissions in my opinion, but they weren't much better than dodge.
All I’m saying a Toyota from that time would be in much better shape and worth 5 grand (assuming they followed the factory recall and got a free frame with proper under coating)
@@mattsmith8217 "assuming you followed the factory recall" they didnt even do a recall until the 2010s, if your frame rusted out before that you were shit out of luck. Toyota went down hill quick after the 80s and 90s but the price tag doesn't reflect that.
Wonder if that "Black Ice" air freshener still smells like "Black Ice"
I always though black ice is he dumbest name for a scent
swap the volvo since you have everything. 4wd Volvo wagon would be sweet
Best looking Dakota model in my opinion, congrats sir!
but “junk” is actually fun for four wheeling I have an old Jeep Liberty and Chevy prism that I beat around my farm
I have a Ford ranger that seems to fix itself
them doors and hood seem in pretty good condition minus the driver side door, you could probably get so decent money for them
Just wanted to share I have a 2011 3.9 and it's my daily. Best truck I've ever had and I've had many all makes and models. Ps has 108,000 on it now.
I have a 2011 to 99k on it is a monster same 3.9 but it has been beaten to a pulp by a ram 3500 and came out on top
I have a gmc Sierra with some rust but still running like a champ it's my daily transportation
The 4.7 was an okay engine but the transmissions paired with them are actually very decent
545rfe
545RFEs seem to be quite good, got an original one paired to the original 5.7 Hemi in my truck which has over 200k miles on it, just change the transmission fluid and filters on interval and you won't blow it up.
Wheels n tires looking good, somebody can use those, nice interior too.
Those Magnums are pretty ok
My grandmother had a 2004 Dodge Durango with that engine. It was good but after 11 years it started overheating and she had to get rid of it. I also don't think it was maintained well so take it with a grain of salt.
Those are good engines. Just have to make sure to use nothing but full synthetic in these motors otherwise the oil pickup tube and oil guides plug up.
They are the best dodge engines
The 5.2 is the best magnet engine
@@rickydavis5541 They definitely aren't the best that dodge has done.
I recently bought a 98 K1500 and it also came with remote start. I love it haha
Brady Long these years of Chevy is worst than dodge good engines but the whole thing are junk
Ricky Davis Lots of people don’t understand that the GMT400 and 800 trucks have really good engines, but the rest of the truck falls apart like you wouldn’t believe it. When I was shopping for cars a while back, I found a 1999 Suburban. It ran and drove, but the rest of the truck was falling apart. I ended up buying a 1999 Ford F-150 with the 4.6. It runs and drives perfectly and the truck isn’t falling apart.
I have an almost double of this truck, but mine is a 2003. Best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Bought it in Maryland, moved to California and have had to replace parts every few years. The salted roads killed the undercarriage. Drove it a few times up to Vermont (my ex was born and raised there).
I have a 06 dodge Dakota quad cab 4x4, 4.7 v8, 195k still going strong
Pretty cool getting that truck for free, at least the engine and transmission are still good! Looking forward to see the truck you swap it into!
Spent a ton of time in Barre and that part of the state. Went to NU in Northfield, love watching your videos and seeing both VT and the cars. Keep up the good work!
I bought a 2006 Quad cab from my ex-employer for $1... had to go pick it up, 5 hours away. Mechanic quoted them $3000 to fix it...I got it home and had it running 2 days later... broken wire coming off the computer. One butt splice and I had a runnig truck. I still have it.
Wheel, tires, seats, steering wheel w airbag, $1000+
Mike Maes People will pay good money for the stock 15s off of those Dakotas and Durangos, the Dakota and Durango truck community is the only community that I’ve seen that mostly prefers the stock rims, I was able to sell my stocks with some Goodyear Wrangler Radials on them for $550
That's really low miles for a dodge. I always see those things getting at least 200k. In my experience those transmissions almost always go out at exactly 200k lol
That would pass inspection in MN considering we don’t have one car as Ik
Tip- Start the van while you’re jump starting the Dakota. It’ll give more juice to the Dakota (or whatever you’re jumpstarting) and it won’t drain the battery of the van since the alternator will be charging it.
Aaawwwh man my mom used to have a dodge Dakota with a sliver paint job. That truck was awesome and I loved how I looked. Sadly whiles my mom was driving drying summer we got into a car accident and the truck got totalled.
but you're both safe, so that truck did it's job right to the end. :)
Must suck having inspections in Vermont, in Michigan you could slap a v8 in a shopping cart and they'd give you a plate. Let alone the rust on the dodge hahaha
I thought we got screwed with the road salt here in Wisconsin but holy moly that thing is crustier than my 03 dakota with 210k
i just picked up an 02 dakota sport quad cab with the 4.7. fully loaded with leather. great truck
I learned to drive stick in a old decotor
In ct that truck would be running for another 10 years like that, gotta love no inspections, or emissions after 95.
lucky
Just like mine kkkk. Only emission. Mine has been like that for 5 years and I’m still driving it
Wow that's pretty sweet for free! Definitely worth it for the drive train. Might could even drop that drive train into a Ram.
I'd think that drivetrain could drop into a third gen Ram 1500, as long as it originally had a 4.7. Definitely should keep a look out for any of the Chrysler/Dodge 545RFE/4.7Magnum vehicles with a blown engine. No hate to the Dodge Dakotas but I do think fixing up a Ram 1500 could fetch more profit in the end.
Dodge Dakotas is back for the fender rusting out I love them not bad against them
You'all need to look down south like Texas or Ok for one.
Your friend seems like a very cool guy
8:52 Yes.
gotta love livin with salt
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 It's the worst. This thing is def a bit past wire wheel and undercoat time!
lol yup
I'm sure someone has something different to say but personally I think the third gen 2002-2008 ram trucks are the best ones you can buy. Decent interior quality, reliable enough transmissions if you take care of them (545RFEs are at least) and as you mentioned solid engines, at least the Hemis.
Just not the Rams with the 4.7s too much weight for the motor, exactly what the sales guy told me about the Dakota and the V6... "a Dog" 545s are great I think the 46re was the issue. Think some Dakota's had the 8.75" rear end and some like mine that has the 9.25" rear end. Year to year varies, trim engine etc but yeah don't overheat it,change the oil... its a 200k+ mile truck easily
I have a 1992 dakota, 328,000 miles . Runs like a clock
Ha! In our little mountain community, about every third truck you see on the road is a gen 2 Dodge Dakota. They're cheap and surprisingly reliable (except, as noted, the transmissions). My 2004 has 128k (and zero rust). If you take the transmission out of the equation, I probably have spent $700 on non-maitenance items over the last 10 years. Then again, we have snow out here - but don't salt the roads. Good luck!
the Transmissions arent even that bad if you take care of them. and this one id paired with a 45rfe and which hella reliable we never see them at my transmission shop.
We stopped at Montpellier and Burlington on our honeymoon towards Canada from Nyc. I was amazed how little Montpellier was, is smaller the the Montpellier in France!
I'm amazed at how much the road salt destroys cars there. That was a good looking truck once.
Get you a needler for the rust scale
there wouldnt be no truck left
Finally some variety to this channel 👍.
lookin for a ford next!
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 Theres plenty on the road dead
A Rural Vermonter Can’t wait. Are ever gonna get an Asian cars on this channel?
To find anything in Vermont that's not as bad as you have would be kinda hard unless the unlikely event you find a southern truck they junk out and sell for scrap cars and trucks with clean bodies that we up here in the rust bucket state would kill for the issue is transporting for a reasonable price.
Some TLC, maintenance, and a new bed
unfortunately the frame is also rusted through so the only useful stuff on it is the engine and trans
I had bought a 2002 Dodge Dakota 2wd 4.7 V8 automatic the motor went out tried to replace it with a 2003 4.7 V8 got aggravated and gave it away for free to a friend of mine!
My grandpa has a 2005 2500 dodge ram that was from Georgia and he never drives in Wisconsin singer it has not a spot of dust on it for a 15 year old truck it's in perfect condition
You got a nice fleet going now. Hell yeah
I have the same truck 02 V8 2 wheel drive 88k miles on it. I'm in California drive it every day. Just cant sell it. I want a Chevy Colorado ZR2. But not ready to let my Dodge go.
I own a 02 Dakota sport with the 5.9L V8 140k miles and the only problem I had with it was replacing the water pump. Planning on doing a 408 stroker swap
Bobcats are my favorite truck
Long time subscription to you, plz keep this Dodge and paint in the 90s Dodge emerald green make it nice
I will be keeping a dakota on this channel, but not this one. I am only taking the engine and trans out of this one and gettin rid of the rest, but I already have another dakota lined up to put the engine in
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 plz paint the one you get 90s emerald green and make a wood flatbed a "classic" kind of build, keep up the good vids
If you're worried about overheating a 3/4 ton truck by pulling a Dakota, you might want to get a beefier radiator and trans cooler. That truck should handle the weight no problem.
Other than all the rust, you've got a good truck there. I had a 2001 from 2010 til 2019 and it was really good. The main problem eventually was that the rear leaf shackles rusted off and had to be replaced, also brake lines same story. I sold it to my nephew for only :$500 and his check bounced - supposedly he has cash for me now but I haven't seen it. My Dakota had the 4.7 V8, which was an excellent engine. A shame it's been left to rot so badly; my brother was a service writer at a Dodge dealer and this driveline INCLUDING the trans is bullet proof. These trucks easily go 200K if they don't rot out.
Save the engine and computer/electrical harness. You can save a better pickup if it has a manual transmission. Oh, and save the radio. Can't get those anymore. Ebay for sure.
Will do, except it has no radio
I got a 2003 dodge dakota 4.7 SLT and i got it for 1200$ best car i ever driven. previous owner had underbody sprayed 2 times which is crucial because i reside in illinois. Expecting 250k+ miles and thats only 80k away piece of cake
Except for the transmission, as u said they do not hold up as well. going to junkyard swap trans or have rebuilt by buddy until truck wont move anymore at all
Loved being able to relate
Would make a good farm truck
I can confirm
Good work on getting on TFL! Keep up the great videos!
If you could get to Texas you can pick the up for 300 to 500 dollars all day long. I just rebuilt a 02 dakota with 345000 miles on it for my son. I think they are put together pretty well considering the wreck mine was in and a couple hours with a hammer and a portapower and it is good to go.
I have the same exact truck but in way better condition, it’s always fun to drive , hope you enjoy it
Such a shame! That color was only made in 2003 for a short time! Quad cab makes it even harder to find. (Look at my channel I have a red one I adventure with!)
I daily a 1989 Dakota with the 3.9 V6. Great truck. Never gives me a lick of trouble (granted its only sitting at 128K
did you install the remote start yourself? im looking to do the same to my 2500..
no, it was like that when I got it
I got the opposite problem. my Dakota looks mint (for a Minnesota truck) but the engine is blown. I'm bouncing around the idea of diesel swaping it for fun
Bro a Chevy guy like you got dodge lol
It's worth a few bucks the reputation for problems is not deserved I've seen Chevys and ford's with the same issues and no one screams there unreliable you pretty much got a free engine and transmission
Pringles and poptarts are the best snack on the planet. Throw a Mtn Dew and you're all set
Man I have a 2001 Dakota and I need four interior pieces and I have a 2 foot hole in my bed and need a grill piece rear and front bumper, Hood and I could probably use every part you got that's good except for rocker panel and frame, the only other problem I have is I don't have any money and I live more than 300 miles away I basically live in another state.
A free vehicle that runs and drives is always a good deal! Looks like there's pleanty of good parts to make some $$$
I love those dakotas
You boys ever heard of a winch?
Quick mount front of the trailer?
Fun Vermont fact Montpelier Vermont is the only state capital without a McDonald's
i had an 01 dakota.4.7L and 5 speed manual trans..it was a great running truck but the frame rotted out so I got rid of it.
This channel is 100x better than any of the "cartuber" twats in their Lambos and such. Why? The common man can relate. Looking forward to the swap!
SOCIAL DISTANCE FROM THE PUMP
lol
Before you climbed under the truck, I was thinking of asking you about the frame. I have a 2000 Dodge dakota with the 4.7l v8 and 5 speed manual transmission, it's a 2 wheel drive. I was wondering if the frame could've been swapped to make mine 4x4, but the frame on that one is frightening to say the least. About the only things mine needs is a paint job, and a condenser for the a/c to work. It has182 thousand miles on and still running strong.
lol, yea this frame is shot. I tried to jack it up with my floor jack when I was pulling the engine yesterday and i went right through the main frame fail
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 Working with all that rust.
Crazy man, car fixer extraordinaire. I worry every time I see your best squirrel impersonation when you scamper up on the bumpers to get into the engine (battery) @6:16 I do remember at least 1 or 2 "crash N burn" episodes when u made less-than-graceful exits from your perch. Ouch. :-( I see the poor man's mechanics pit is working out for you lately. Would it be worth the effort to put some concrete in there or something more permanent? I know u got (construction) skillz, mr. nameless vermonter. :-)
Use the running gear and build an off road buggy. That would be awesome.
That Silverado could handle two Dakota's easy, I towed a 12k 5th wheel trailer with my 04 Silverado 2500hd 6.0 all the way from Daytona Beach FL to pigeon forge TN and didn't even break a sweat I love it and it just recently turned over 100k
Dollywood?
Pretty sad that body would pass inspection in Upstate NY haha
Andrew camarata defo would use it, after screwing that arch trim back on with tec screws.. "there that's fixed"
I think you need to buy a trailer lol
Great find! I like the bodystyle, hope you find a clean truck for the swap.
thanks!
boy as much as you move cars around finding a cheap car dolly on craigslist might be beneficial good vid
The 4 door Dakotas that body style are hard to come by
dime a dozen in the all pieces of junk
4.7 = valve seats. Use synthetic oil and don’t let it get hot.
Dog on that 4.7 all you want I towed a foxbody on a 3200 pound trailer with my mom's Dakota and it did alright, definitely would not have liked the hills though.
Cool vid btw. Still have my 2000 intense blue 5.9 in my basement. One day i need to get it out and sell it.
Woah! A friday video. Yer right the engine does sound good. I wonder if that drivetrain would fit a Durango. I mean I don't have one just wondering. Great find honestly.
It does, my Grandmother had a 2004 Durango with that engine.
thanks! (Isn't it thursday btw)
A Rural Vermonter dsdcain might be from Europe???
@@ARuralVermonterQqjmcb182 Yes it is. I've had a long week. I thought of that after, but left it.🙂
I would kill to have the body of this truck to fix it. Dakota is my favorite truck of all time
Hello from the U.K. @7:50 what’s that yellow thing with chains, some sort of animal feeder? Cheers
You need to look in Texas or Louisiana. Plenty of non running trucks with no rust.
Great process, like this video.
My dodge durango is a 1999 beat the thing to death everyday but its probably more reliable than any new one it has the 5.2
It's old as hell and has almost 200k miles
I’ve got a truck looks just like ur silver one ,, only mine has a 5 sp ,, has almost 350,000 mi still runs great