Dude it's got fungus on it. You could expend about 1/10th of your usual project car energy on this, flip, and do everyone including the truck itself a favor. They made dozens of these things and this one is going to return to the Earth otherwise OR someone who really doesn't care about it will get it and put it into the ground himself.
I'm sure you don't need another project but if you could put this one on a slow, like few hours a week over a few months level of effort, I bet it'd be awesome by the time you're done.
I actually want another one, I had a BesTop convertible Dakota in the late 90's that my dad and I built and I've wanted another since. I'd happily off my current Dakota for that one
edit: I'll actually send you the money if you'll hold it for me for a bit?
In reply to chandler :
This is like watching the GRM version of Love Connection
gumby (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to chandler :
This is like watching the GRM version of Love Connection
Hehe, I'm so gonna score...
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:
So, assuming that i buy it an don't like it, does it make me a dick to flip for good profit? I just fear being "that guy"
The guy that gets paid for his time and effort?
If so, yes....yes it does make you that guy
See, i told it it would sell really quick on here with out doing much.
Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:
Magnum v8 should be super straightforward. It should have a hydraulic (governor) 4spd auto a500 in it which has v8 bellhousing and unlike the magnum 5.9, the 5.2 is internal balance so you wouldn't need to weld a stupid weight to the torque converter to just bolt a 5.2 to what you already have and not even have the computer involved with it. Mounts and accessory drive should be transferable other than maybe lengthening a couple of things. You doing carb or efi? Carb is annoying with magnum heads because there aren't a lot of intakes that bolt to them that aren't 300 bucks but you can drill for old style manifolds if you want. I have an assault racing chinesium air gap carb manifold that does but i think they are discontinued which puts them right up there with the pricier stuff. EFI should be pretty much direct harness swap from a 92-96 truck or standalone. The magnum uses a crank sensor mounted on the back of the block but it fits a notch in the bellhousing so you'd need to notch your bellhousing for it and run the magnum flexplate. As far as i can remember i dont think the computer will do anything but post codes about the lack of trans electronics. Could even just drill a tbi manifold for the magnum heads and swap a v8 computer to the harness you already have (since on tbi more cylinders doesn't mean more wires) and run a tbi magnum.
The other way around that is to use the much easier to find 96+ 5.9 balanced flexplate. However, you have to account for the difference in the TC to FP bolt pattern by either:
A) Sourcing a 96+ TC for whatever trans you're using (A500 or A518)
B) "Oval" out the hole in the flexplate that doesn't line up with the offset TC bolt hole on the pre 96 TC
That said, I like the 5.2 swap for 3.9 87-96 Dakota's because you can usually get a running and driving 92-96 donor for a few hundred bucks and have everything you need and then some. Where as the 5.9 requires some work with that whole balance thing and potential for some extra parts hunting (depending on where the motor came from, and especially if you're sticking with OBD1). I was slowly working on a budget 5.9 swap for my 94 3.9 Dakota. Then a buddy of mine came into a really ugly but running and driving 95 5.2 truck that he sold me for super cheap. I just swapped the 5.2/A518/PCM/Harness from that over to my truck and then focused on finding some of the better bolt on power adders that have been long NLA (like headers that aren't "shorty" and hard to distinguish Mopar PCM's for OBD1 Magnum motors.)
In reply to shelbyz :
A friend of mine had (maybe still has?) a 1995 Dakota Sport 5-speed with the 5.2 Magnum. That thing was a hoonin' machine! Did epic burnouts, donuts, Rockfords, etc. A warmed over 5.2 Magnum would a blast in the Dakota.
Tony Sestito said:
In reply to shelbyz :
A friend of mine had (maybe still has?) a 1995 Dakota Sport 5-speed with the 5.2 Magnum. That thing was a hoonin' machine! Did epic burnouts, donuts, Rockfords, etc. A warmed over 5.2 Magnum would a blast in the Dakota.
Oh I can imagine. Mine's a single cab, shortbox RWD auto Sport with a 5.2 that's got I/H/E, a Mopar PCM, some other minor stuff and some weight reduction done by myself and mother nature and it's a riot. Especially considering the truck, swap and all it's extra goodies is probably still under $3k in terms of total investment. It's also as reliable as gravity while being the thirstiest and most impractical vehicle I own.
In reply to shelbyz :
Well if you come across an obd1 mopar pcm for a 3.9 let me know! I'll plug it right into my conversion van. 
Also, I had a student with a 95 ext cab auto 2wd 5.2 Dakota that ran 14.7 in stock trim with drag radials.
My brother had one one of those. We put a Magnum 318 and 518 trans in it useing a '94 donor. It was a 95% bolt in affair. Do it -do it -Do it.
Even if you just clean it up an sell it you'll make a tidy profit.
In reply to maschinenbau (I live here) :
It's in my driveway pending pickup and restoration by another forum member who will/won't identify themselves.
Its cool, and would have been fun for a minute, but im comfortable with the decision i made to pass. Needs everything to be up to my standards, and wouldn't be half the truck the stepside is. This one requires loving it for its uniqueness, not its capacity.
That's me, looking forward to it.
In reply to chandler :
If you wuss out dibs on next
