School me on 2nd. Gen Dakotas

What years are 2nd gen? I have an 04 with a 4.7, love it. 250k miles at present, needs a heater core. Tranny sometimes locks in 3rd.

 

97-2004

 

lmao... at the time a 4.7 was the equivalent engine option to telling Mopar nuts to not kiss their sister or 1st cousin. I spent alot of loot hopping up the 318/360. Ultimately that 46re trans ruint what the R/T was. It should have come with a 360 & 5 sp getrag manual. 3 pedals make it more fun

 

Ehh, they aren’t terrible. Until it overheats and drops a valve seat, or blows a head gasket and costs you $3200.
I like the size of them and most stuff about them. Other than the whole Dodge thing that makes me know it’s gonna cost me more than it’s worth over the long run.
If you can find a 318 or 360 truck that would be the way to go. Those trucks are just really old now…

The bad part about all old trucks is, it can cost a lot of money to keep them on the road these days. Even if you can do most of the work yourself. It’s not like it was 30 years ago when you could keep an old truck working for almost nothing.
In the late 90’s things got a lot more complex and plastic that just doesn’t last became more common on trucks.
JMO

 

I bought a 2002 4.7 Dakota in 2005 and to this day it’s the one vehicle I wish I still had. No problem putting a boat or two motorcycles and all the race stuff. Just don’t try to drive it in wet grass or mud.