>Subject: Re: Obsevation/engine swap
>
>You may try Jules at Magnum Performance. I remember about a year
>ago seing an ad in a Mopar magazine that said "Retrofit a Magnum 318
>or 360 into your pre-91 Dakota" As I understand it, there were no
>v8 engines before 91. The magnum v8 came in 1992 with an increase
>of around 60 horsepower. I thought that the Shelby Dakota was a
>3.9L with exterior and various enhancements. I'm not sure, I've been
>known to be wrong before!
>
>John Walker
Carrol Shelby's Dakotas were powered by 318 engines. That's one of
the things that made them a "collector's item" (well, sort-of). The
318 wasn't available in Dakotas back in the old days. I remember
looking at a Shelby Dakota on a dealer lot in Milwaukee. I told my
dad he should buy one but it was pretty expensive at the time
($18,000). Dear old Dad has stuck with 3.9L Dakotas the whole time.
Yes, there were also a number of "appearance" items that
differentiated the Shelby Dakota from the rest of the pack. I
remember some sort of spoiler-thing (a real technical term) that
mounted on the side of the bed where a roll bar or light bar would
go. The seats also had something (Carrol's signature?) sewn into
them. And there was a cool plaque on the dash with a special serial
number.
It was cool to look at but something that you be afraid to beat on
(for fear of losing your investment in a collector vehicle). :^)
=Scott Vieth http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/~scottv
'68 Camaro RS, 327/PG
'97 Dakota Sport 4x4 Club Cab, Magnum V8/5-spd
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