I bought my Dakota used from a Ford Dealer over 2 years ago and I love it.
I put about 25K a year on the truck and it runs great. I have done some
things to give it a little better mileage and power. I researched and
purchased a Tornado Air Management device, which I installed last year just
before Christmas. The improvement was immediate and, in my opinion
significant (no, I'm not a dealer, just a satisfied customer) My daily
commute is over 90 miles round trip and running at 62 MPH for the most
part, I was getting right at about 19 MPG before the Tornado went in. The
day after I installed it, I left on a trip from my home in Delaware to
North Carolina and I got nearly 25 MPG running at 62 MPH. Right now, I run
between 65 and 70 MPH for the most part (thank you Whistler) and I'm
getting over 22 MPG. I have also installed a K&N permanent air filter (the
one that fits in the existing air box) and it not noticeably improved
mileage or horsepower but will pay for itself in not having to toss one out
and replace it every oil change. I do change my oil about every 5,000 miles
so this chore gets done about every other month. I occasionally tow a boat
(about 1,800 pounds loaded) and the Dak handles it with no complaints. I
have had a few problems but nothing too bad. The cat converter had
something break loose inside, the cover on the center console flip down had
a rip in it, one of the appliques on the front fender came loose, and the
air conditioner quit working. My local Dodge dealer fixed everything under
warranty even though it wasn't purchased from them and the coverage for the
repair of the A/C was questionable. I recently had a problem with my
electrical system. The truck started cranking slow (like the battery was
low) but after running for a bit, would crank normally. The next weekend, I
started the truck (same slow crank) and after it started, the engine just
died. I had to keep the engine rpm up to keep it running. I checked the
charging system and it was working fine. I load tested the (original)
battery and it was showing shot. Not too bad for 4 years and over 72,000
miles. Replaced the battery, I went with a Deka, and no more trouble.
Unfortunately, I have to park my Dak outside and I'm starting to see some
severe oxidation of the paint on the hood. I have tried waxes and polishes
to no avail. Short of getting the entire truck repainted (flame red), I
don't know what else to try. Any suggestions on how to help this situation
would be appreciated. I have over 76K miles on the truck now and I do take
good care of it so it should last me for quite a while yet. When it does
give up the ghost, I'm considering a swap to a V8, either a 318 or 340
small block. Now for the big question. I am considering hanging on some
headers and a cat back exhaust. I want to find a set up that will allow me
to bring the exhaust out the sides of the truck not directly out the back
(remember I tow my boat) and so far no luck. I might have to go to a custom
shop and have the pipes custom bent. Trouble is, I'm not sure if the V6
will sound like a sewing machine on steroids or if it will have a nice
throaty rumble. Before I spend that much money, I would like to know if
anybody else has installed headers and or a cat back exhaust on the V6 and
how does it sound? Please let me know. I also tried to check out the mIRC
chat room (#DakotaTruck) but either I wasn't joing the correct channel or
the channel isn't registered. Anybody else chat online in that channel? I
figured it might be a quick way to get some answers to some of my
questions. Thanks, Ray
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