My cousin has a clean square body RT with a newer 5.9 in it he will sell me for $4k. I'm looking to buy something to race and his seems like a good deal to me but I'm not 100% on it. First my wife doesn't want me to drive it on the street but everything works (cruise/heat/air) so it's hard to justify removing all that stuff. Let me tell you a little about the truck. First it had the 318 that he blew so he shoved in a 360 out of a newer RT then the transmission blew so he dropped $2500 on a stage 4 Raptor with a 3k stall. It has the M1 intake and is already pulling low 14s on slicks. If I dropped all the accessories and hit it with a 150 shot I could get into the 12's but I hate to waste a good fast truck. I already have a clean '05 AWD Silverado SS and it's not much slower than this truck is now (actually faster on street tires)

So should I buy this truck and strip all the goodies off, finish all the bolt on for my SS (headers, tune, exhaust, CAI) or look for something totally different. I'm not a track junkie but I'd like to hit the track a few times a year.

 

that would be nice to have. the m1 thats almost 800$. and the motor which depends on how many miles are on it should be worth a little bit. then count the 2500$for the tranny.you should come out alright i think. is the body in pretty decent shape?

 

The body and paint are excellent and it has a drop kit with newer RT wheels on it. I think the motor had less than 60k on it when they dropped it in.

 

If it is a true R/T it could have never had a 318 in it so you might want to ask some more questions.

the major problems with the R/T's are as Follows:

-Auto Transmission that came in them is junk. no one i know has ever gotten more than 75000 out of one before they were buying a new one or having the transmission shop build theirs. (I had Mark Mickey in Jefferson City, MO build mine. He is known nation wide in drag racing, used to have the world record for the fastest car on a 10.5 tire)

-HEAVY, compared to a S-10 or a Ranger the Dakota is a FAT PIG!!!

-Expensive parts. once you get past the cheap mods you hit a wall that you will have to spend thousands to get tenths.

I am at the expensive point with my r/t. i am running 13.2's with headers, catless 3 in dual exhaust, Accell wires, NGK plugs, Accel coil, 24lbs injectors, CAI, Ported stock TB, and 125 NX Wet kit. my truck put down 304rwhp/ 415 rwtq ruffly off the bottle and 384 rwhp and 522 rwtq on the bottle


I will admit the truck is FUN AS HELL THOUGH!!!!

 

he said it was a square body. didnt they have a 318?

 

then it is not an r/t. R/t's were from 98 to 2003. all had 5.9L

 

Yup. 98 was the first year according to dodgedakotart.com

 

Let me re-word that...he has a square body dakota that had a 318 in it and dropped a 5.9 and wheels in it from an RT. It has a stage 4 raptor transmission in it now with less than 5k miles on it (for the guy that missed that).

 

If you want a cheap toy, I am still selling my Explorer

 

that is my bad bud. it is worth it then.

the only thing i would hate is that it is about maxed out with out spending alot more money in the heads, cam and valve train. dodges arn't cheap.

But if it is something you want the price is good