Quote:
Originally Posted by outafocus
I saw a very nice 1987 or 88 Dakota today. It was in excellent condition. It was a single cab model. I haven't seen one of these in years. It was bigger than I like but wasn't a garish "dig me" behemoth that clog the highways today.
|
I drove an '89 Dakota as a commuter truck for 5 years. It had the 2.5 liter 4-banger, which held up well, but I had a lot of trouble with the running gear. It had the 4-speed manual with OD, and the synchro gears locked up and stuck me on the freeway. The differential pinion seal kept going out. I replaced it 5 times in the first 100,000 miles, before I tried PFTE gear lube. That seemed to solve the problem. I replaced the clutch twice, because the tines bent and the clutch would not release.
Still, it got 28 mpg on the highway, which I thought was phenomenal. I paid $8600 for it with 10k miles on it and sold it for $1000 with 168k miles on it and the hood paint peeling off in sheets.
For a while I drove an '84 Nissan with the 2.4L engine and 4-speed manual. It was a better working truck with more power and a stiffer suspension.
Then I bought my current 2003 Mazda B3000 Ranger clone. Not great mileage, but it's a good hauling and towing truck. It cost me $16k new. It really needs the 6-ply tires I keep on it. I'm hard on pickups, and think the rear suspension has softened up a little over the years. It will be ready for its 150,000 mile checkup this summer, and I may put booster shocks on it.
I'm really ready for someone to put a decent small pickup on the market. With 90 acres, I really need a pickup, and I'm not going to buy a 5' bed.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
