This information is for all the folks considering a '98 Dakota.
Went to Hudson's at the Lakeside Mall in northern Sterling Heights,
Michigan on Saturday, June 14th @ 1130. (to purchase US 500 tickets).
When I came out to the parking lot I noticed there was a Flame Red
Dakota parked very near my new Dakota. As I walked by I did a
double take....Manufactures plates. It was a prototype or corporate
test vechile of the 1998 Dakota R/T. The basic truck has changed
very little. The 1997 Sport has the black front bumper and the black
and red (or whatever color) rear bumber. Those are gone on the '98 R/T.
Front and Back bumpers are painted the same color as the truck.
This was a ClubCab with a Dodge bedliner and no cover. There were no
360 C.I. tags. Just the Magnum V8 logos. It was automatic and the
interior was full of instrumentation boxes and wiring. The '97 sports have
the decals on the doors that read DAKOTA SPORT. The '98 reads
DAKOTA R/T. The tires on this vehicle were the P23570R15 although
Sean Meldrum tells me that the production version of the R/T will have
a bigger tire. There were on the factory aluminum 8" wheels included
in the Tire and Handling Package. It had single exhaust that looked
identical to the Gibson 3". The truck was so dirty I could hardly see
in the windows. It had both front and Rear Sway Bars. I was going to
crawl under the truck and check the ratio tag on the axle but I really
didn't want to spend the weekend in jail. Nice truck but I do not personally
care for the painted bumpers. By the looks of it, somebody is beating it
to death. Probably lots of fun.
David R.
Sterling Heights
Michigan
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