I dood it ! (96 Dakota)

From: CSiano@banyan.com
Date: Mon Mar 04 1996 - 12:43:03 EST


>Well, in spite of the new body styles on the way, I did it !

Good for you!

> RBN - Casette / G.E. w/4 infinity speakers (wanted the CD,oh well)

Don't worry, you'll soon be sick of the poor quality of this system and
install a real radio. A 6-disk Alpine changer fits nice under the rear
seat!

> J5 - Bucket seats

I love these. Better fit for me than the Flofits I had made for my last
4x4.

> DDC - 5 Speed Manual Trans.

Yea, another stick man!

> GFD - Sliding rear window (I thought this was standard on SLT ?)

It was in '94

> Color - Flame Red (not my preference, but I'll live) w/quartz interior.

Ouch! Hope you like to buff, that red shows scratches almost as bad as
black.

>- MP Chip (how do I install / will it void warrantee / emmisions / what
> kind of horspower/torque gains / will I like it ?)

Installation is as easy as connecting a printer to a PC. Instructions come
with it to detail the job, but it is basicly a couple of screws and an
electrical connector.

>- Hood Protector (J.C. Whitney vs. Mopar ?)

I prefer the Lund models, especially the clear. You can order a $15 can of
spray paint from the dealer in Flame Red, and then paint the backside of
the clear deflector and it will be the body color, and because the paint is
on the back, it won't chip or loose gloss. Lund attachments are also very
strong. With a liberal dose of silicone to seal the screws, rust will
never be an issue.

>- Bed Liner (I'm looking for a really good buy, and I don't want rust to
> build up under the liner)

I still prefer the Rhino liner, but a cheap ($50 - $100) option is to just
get a bed mat. This will protect against 80% or so of the load dings.

>- mud flaps (has anyone put a clean looking front and rear set on, or
> tried the 'molded' units sold by JC Whitney ?)

Be VERY careful with front flaps, the tire comes so close to them that it
is easy in rough terrain to drive over them and rip them from the truck
when backing up. As for the best flap, it really doesn't matter much. As
long as it is not a generic flap, but cut for the Dakota wheelwell, it
should do the job.

>Other suggestions - comments ??

Forget the cost, enjoy the truck, and start racking up some miles!

>I didn't get the extended warrantee - will I regret it ?

Wait and see what happens in the next three years. If you see a trend of
failures occur (I'd be surprised), then it might be good to extend the
warrantee. If not, you saved that money. The extension can be bought at
any time. You are covered for 3 years, so why worry about it now?

Anyone want to make an offer on this truck, in case I get buyers remorse ?

Why bother? You'll let it go when someone prys it from your dead cold
hands.

Christopher Siano | "How do you control this thing?"
CSiano@Banyan.com | "Who Cares, Go FASTER!"
                     | -Suicide
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