Dodge Dakota - III

mrb9

Sorry everyone that is still waiting. I ordered on 2/19. Called talked to DC today, Went D-1 gateline, scheduled build date 3/29, A wednesday no less, heard all the jokes about monday and friday built cars. Shipping date is confirmed and should be here (west coast) around the 13th-15th of April. 2000 QC 4.7L, 5spd, LSD, 3.92 ratio, Buckets, power seats, Heated mirrors & rear window defroster, Overhead conv., tire and handling, Forest Green. Dont know what the hold up is on some others that seem to have very similar equipment as mine does.? Anyway was considering cancelling because I have to a vehicle by the last week in April and it seemed as though this would not happen. But if there is anything I have Learned here, is that "it aint over till the fat quad sings". So still I wait. MRb9

themacguy

absolutely.

zonk

bigal31 and tgr1- Thanks for the info. Bigal31 - was your mileage city (16+), hiway, or combined? I initially thought I wanted a 3.9L for a compromise between power and economy, and this was before the gas prices went through the roof. Some folks say they get pretty good mileage withthe 4.7L and some say they get lousy. I just don't want to regret the decision I make.

ferous

I have the 2wd Quad w/4.7 5spd 3.55lsd. My first tank I got 19.1, the 3.9 won't do any better, but the 4.7 gives you that passing/pulling power when you need it. Oh and the 4.7 sounds great too.

knkresort

My dealer just called. Truck showed up last night and is ready for me. I am cutting out of work to get it and will be let everyone know the skinny when I get home.

BTW, themacguy, how is the quad handling with all that rain?

KnK

bigal31

My first 2 tanks were combined(city-highway) around 16mpg..My last was 14.5 but all city,not much over 50mph. Plus I have on occasion spun the tires...Ok most of the time.Hay what can I say It's my only real toy!!
Allen

themacguy

What rain. We didn't get no stinking rain, it spit mud & muck for 10 minutes - that's it. I washed the truck & everything beforehand so it would really come down, then - zippo. We need a good hurricane down your way... ;->

bja4

Picked up our new club-cab 4x4, 4.7, 5spd, sport/plus, speed control, 1800# load, and 3.92 lsd. The truck was ordered 2/4, built 3/6-7, and arrived at the dealers 3/21. Paid $22042 total - this includes $150 over invoice, $199 dealer handing -$500 Farm Bureau, and about $600 for 3% tax. Did not purchase any optional B.S. $$protection: paint seal, ext. warranty, undercoat, and interior protection. Took about 1.5 hours before the keys were handed to us. 95% of this time was spent explaining the truck's operating features.
This truck seems a lot bigger than my previous 92 Dakota. It is some what of a tight fit in a 20'x 20' garage (only one foot to spare). Visibility out out the front window is not as good as past truck (wind-shield not as tall). The new truck is much quieter on the road, even with the larger 31" tires. The ride is about the same, given the new truck has the 1800# load package. The bigger the bumps the better. Drainage bumps don't even phase this truck. This new truck is NOT as fast as old 318. Of course this new one is hauling more weight, larger tires, and no automatic. I think the automatic is faster, unless you power shift (not a good thing). This new truck should haul heavy loads a lot better.
I didn't think I was going to like the new light switch, but after using it I like it better than the old. The inside/outside air selection lever is gone on the new truck. I really miss this feature. The locking glove box is gone (only used this a couple of times anyway). Can't defrost the windows without runing the air conditioner. On my 98 Toyota Corolla there is still a choice to defrost the windows without using ac. There seems to be a lot more plastic built into this new interior. The front differential looks bigger and better. The steering is very nice with the rack-in-pinion vrs. the old power steering box. The sheet medal seems thinner. The engine compartment seems a lot more cluttered (wires everywhere compared to old truck). This trucks shifts easier than my Toyota Corolla. The truck doesn't heat up as fast as my old Dakota, but works good. My old truck worked to well - always turning the heat off or down. To cold to try the ac (Colorado). The ac in the old truck worked very well, even after 8 years without a recharge.
I suppose I will grow to like this truck more and more in time. One thing is for sure, it looks a hell of a lot better than the old. **I did notice the box if off about 3/8" to the cab.** Father-in law (straitens frames for a living) says they are all that way. Not only Dodge, but Ford and Chevy as well. I wounder if it's even worth having the dealer fix??

twill84

has anyone else ever had the problem of the cable on your parking brake going? (standard) now, the brake is always on according to the peddle and the warning on the dash. However, it doesnt drive any different.

wetwillie

HUH?

gallen1586

I have had my quad 3.9L 2wd auto for two months the gas mileage per tank has been from 15 to 17.
This is combined rual driving mainly short 5 mile
trips to work. For the the past 15 yrs I have drove a 1986 Nissan truck with a 2.4 engine. The
3.9 has plenty of power a lot more than I am used
to. You might need the 4.7 for towing heavy loads
or hot-roding your truck but otherwise the 3.9L is
just fine. I just have 2,000 miles on the truck I
hope the mileage will improve a little more. I love the way the truck handles and the ride is real smooth! No problems with the truck so far.

dbhfd

Hello again. In regards to the Jet chip, I called Jet again and they were not aware of any problems hooking up to the 4.7 ecm. I also called numerous local dealerships and talked to there service departments about warranty conflicts. For the most part, they said their should be no conflict unless the chip was the reason for shorting out the board, which they have never seen or heard of. There is a pretty large group of us that continually modify our vehicles every time we get a new one and are always concerned about warranty issues. Everyone I talked to that has had warranty work done with modified exhaust, airflow intakes, and computer chip add ons, have had no conflicts with warranty repairs or service even when the service centers were aware of the modifications. To answer a question I saw, the Jet chip is an add in module. Also, thanks for the info on the DC (mopar) chip. I will check into that. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. Does anyone know if I can add a defroster to the side view mirrors....I did not order the rear window defroster which apparently omits the side mirrors also. Thanks

mrb9

I went to the parts dept. today at my dealership and talked to them about the new ECM. It will not be out until mid summer. There Mopar Performance Book.( $5.00) has lots of add ons for dodge trucks. All of the ones for the quad wont be out until this summer. ECM cost about $430. + install, But according to the book it adds, Hope your ready for this, 58 HP. I took a double take and asked if that was correct, He said YES. So if my math skills are any good- 235HP (4.7L stock) + 58 HP ( new ECM )= 293HP and better gas mileage. 293HP will flat burn the tires off this thing, good thing I work for a Tire Store. Mrb9

andy_jordan

Oh boy, now I am in trouble - my reputation is really going to suffer so promise not to tell anyone, but I don't know!!!!

Amazing isn't it.

Anyway here are some thoughts.

The parking brake is a mechanical device that is designed to lock the wheels (rear only I think). If it was engaged you would know it because when you drove off the truck would feel extremely sluggish - it's like trying to accelerate with your left foot planted on the brake pedal.

The parking brake is operated by a cable which can stretch and often requires adjusting, so this may be what has happened here. However it is also possible that the cable has snapped entirely, whichever is the case I would get it checked out straightaway.

In the meantime make sure that you leave the truck in gear just in case.

tgr1

Mr B9, I would take that 58 hp with a large grain of salt. If you check the other chips, such as hypertech and jet, they wont claim anywhere near that. I might believe 58 hp, if you also ADDED headers w/full blown performance exhaust, k&n filter w/ cold air induction kit, and a tweaked throttle body.
Anyway, I'll probably wait til after the warranty is up to add a chip, not so much because I'm afraid they wont honor the warranty in case of problems, but more because by that time, I'll probably need a little something extra to keep the honeymoon going with the truck, if you know what I mean. Besides, right now I don't want to spend that extra money for 93 octane.

96g11

Help. Does anyone know if there would be a problem with changing to a lower temp thermostat in a 4.7 engine. I noticed mine runs about 195 degrees and here in Houston a change to a 165 or 170 degree t-stat usually helps performance in the summer. I just don't know if the computer would allow the change and if it will what is the low limit it will allow?
I made a performance modification to the stock air box, removed the excess plastic inside both top and bottom and used a die grinder to smooth the inside of the box. Then fashioned a crude but functional cold air intake from 4" dryer hose (I will make it from flexible aluminum tubing soon) Routed from the front passenger grill area, around the passenger headlight and under the frame rail. Works wonders on the highway. With a K&N air filter and flowmaster muffler, 21 mpg at 65 mph. only 500 miles on the truck so I expect it to improve. 3.91 gear, auto 4.7 engine.

96g11

I don't know how important this is to anyone else but Fabtech motor sports makes a 3" lift for the new generation 2wd Dakota and is currently working on the lift for the crew cab!!! If only someone would manufacture lift spindles it could be lifted 6". I don't do any 4 wheeling but we get a lot of water her in Houston sometimes and it is not uncommon to have the need to drive through 2' of water just to get to work. Check them out at www.fabtechmotorsports.com Drop them an e-mail if you are interested and maybe they will work on those spindles. The lift spindles are the easiest way to lift a 2wd and you maintain stock ride.
Thanks!

andy_jordan

There shouldn't be a problem in changing to a lower temp thermostat. You will probably find mileage suffers a little, warmer temps usually mean increased effciciency. Can't think of any reason why computer would get upset.

Just be careful about getting air into the system if you are going to change - the t-stat without draining the fluid - you know the routine.

bja4

I lowered the tire pressure of the 31.5" tires to the light-load spec., after reading previous posts. Factory had them set at 42 pounds. The ride is much improved. Still have 1/2 tank of gas left after 160 miles of driving (50% city). I have gotten used to second gear starts now. I only use first for hills and faster acceleration. I wish I could afford to buy another one of these trucks and get rid of the car. The next one would be the quad-cad though. I bought the club-cab because of my Northstar pop-up camper.
Car and driver magazine buyer's guide stated the 2000 Dakota was the best riding/driving vehicle in it's class. The Toyota may be built a little better, you will pay a hell of a lot more money for a truck with fewer options. Plus their V8 only comes with the automatic. Ground clearance doesn't matter to me. I don't plan on taking a $20k plus vehicle in no-mans-land. I will use an ATV or a beat-up CJ5 for this. I can still get my truck with camper on it through a 7' garage door. This can't be done on any other make of truck with 31.5" tires.
I would recommend the 4.7 V8 to those planning on buying or ordering a new truck. The engine is so smooth and quiet. The axle ratio is a toss-up. I had 3.92 in the old Dakota and got 16-17 mpg. I have a the 3.92 in the new one. My Dakota will usually have the 1400 pound camper on it. There is probably slight fuel advantage to the 3.55, but it is small.
Make sure you check the bed alignment before you leave the lot. My was off 1/2" to the cab. Dealer will have this fixed under warranty this next Tuesday.

tgr1

The 58 hp gain claim by mopar is for their performance kit, which includes new plugs, wires, control module, full exhaust and performance cams. This kit also costs well over $2000! The module alone is about $400, and should add about 24 hp. As I said before, add an $80 muffler, and about $350 for the K&N filter & QuickD throttlebody setup, and you should add another 25 horses or so, for a total gain of about 45-50 hp, at a cost of about $800-850. Theres no end in sight if youre really into performance, as you could also start talking about superchargers. %-)

bigal31

I am interested in lifting my 4x4,and there isn't a single one out there.I tried 10-12 different places. I want to use at least 33" tires maybe 35". So I'll need at least a 6" lift. Problems,6-8 changes over the "1999" club cabs. #1 the rack-en-pinion steering, among others. I know its a quad but you'd think the changes wouldn't be all that different.
96gll, I hope you have better luck than me with your 2w drive.
Allen (frustrated)

bpeebles

(96g11) I'm curious, What, specifically, do you mean when you say changing to a lower-temp t-stat improves performance? Performance of WHAT?

If you mean engine-cooling performance...be careful! The 4.7L has a totally-different cooling design than past mopar V8s.(And most others too) The 4.7L uses a 'bypass' system that constantly allows at least 50% of the coolant flow to bypass the radiator and just flow back into the engine. The thermostat is mounted in the BOTTOM of the engine and constantly controls the temp. of the coolant ENTERING the engine by mixing the proper proportion of 'radiator-cooled liquid' with the 'bypass liquid'.

Another word of caution... the on-board computer runs diagnostics on the various systems of the vehicle. Many of these diagnostics are directly based on a specific engine temperature, how fast it is reached and its effect on the exhaust-gas oxygen content. I can get some info from the service manual on these specific temperatures if you are interested.

ozark

Dang! You really have been reading the shop manual! As always your information is to the point and helpful. Keep posting. Us right brain types appreciate your input.

96g11

To Bpeebles
What I mean by performance is fuel mileage and power. Yes I know much about the computer function on the obd III systems. I just don't know what tolerance mean engine temp the Dakota system will accept. I guess when hypertech or some other manufacturer comes out with a new "chip" I will see if they recommend thermostat change. My home made pressurized cool air intake system really works! I am just one of those car guys that cannot leave anything alone. Everything the manufacturer does is usually a compromise, so I like to make things fit me better. Next on the list is to extend the seat belt buckle end higher. With the center section down it is difficult to fasten and release. By the way I am a police officer and wearing a gun belt (sam brown rig) really makes it difficult!

bpeebles

(96g11) Sounds good to me! Just wanted to make sure you were aware of the possible drawbacks. Sounds like you have considerd these allready.

I really like the idea of the cold-air intake from the passenger-side of the radiator to the the air-filter box.
I thought of this the first time I opened my hood. The filter-box almost looked DESIGNED for this upgrade. I also thought of just going thru a K&N directly to the throttle-body. (bypassing both the airfilter box and the other goofy box on the engine) It serves NO purpose except to muffle the intake sounds. (Just as the 'ribs' in the filter-box did before you nipped them off.)
We all know that anything that muffles must reduce power/MPG ;-)

BTW
I can relate to your delema of the seatbelt buckle being too low when the center console is 'deployed'. All winter while wearing a bulky coat with thick gloves in the pockets I struggled with that &*&%$$% seatbelt buckle.

spike50

I too am one of those "tinker types" that keeps customizing things and I'm interested in improving gas mileage (MPG). I'll have a 4WD Quad with the 5 sp. and a 3.55 rear after that I've been reading all of the postings that talk about chips, intakes, and exhausts. Many of the posting note the increase in horsepower (HP) each modification produces. Can an increase in HP translate into an increase in MPG if you have a steady foot?

bja4

The first three days of driving the truck the engine was super quiet. On the forth day a very very faint ticking noise could be heard when driving slow. I first thought it was the fuel injectors/ground-strap problem as stated on earlier posts. So I decided to check to ground straps. They were fine. Then I found a orange "FACTORY O.K." tag wired to front of the engine between the ac pump and the alternator. This 4" x 2" tag with it's wire had been hitting the fan. Someone had forgotten to take this tag off. I removed the tag and the little noise is gone. This is one quiet engine if I can hear the fan hitting a small piece of paper.

tgr1

Some people claim that any increase in power leads to decreased mpgs. Their arguments make good sense. For instance, a ported and polished T-body allows more air to flow, more smoothly, thus, you'd figure the computer controlled injection system, sensing more air, would inject more fuel. True, -- maybe. Then again, seems just about everybody swears they get better mileage from just about any of these "bolt-on" improvements. I cant tell any improvement from my only bolt-on to date, a Dynomax muffler. Makes more noise though! I will be doing the K&N filter/T-body route soon, and since I keep pretty exact records of my mileage, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

themacguy

In racing many different cars over the years I've learned that: air & fuel in / good combustion / efficient extraction makes for hp. But for the first part: air & fuel in, you usually have to 'up' the fuel pump rate - as the computers have a 'ceiling' for amounts past a certain point. Most of the chip manufacturers have several different designs to help the racer apply the proper chip to his current configuration (ie - mod. exhaust, air cleaner tubes, various ignitions, etc.). A general market-use chip, however, will probably not handle very many different modification combos. Plus, the Quad (just my opinion) needs some help in the mpg dept. - hp / torque is spot on for most users.

Porsche took a really neat approach back in the early 'S' days (circa 1973) by using a 'pulsed wave' air tube + a higher fuel rate & higher comp. ratio to sort of supercharge that engine with spectacular results. Enhanced fuel flow, combined with the accelerated pulsing or ram air effect (induction), really made these engines special. I'm working an a similar project with my 4.7 Quad, as other processes I've used (and spent over $1k on to date) have yielded little in mileage increases for my truck. If I'm right, some increase in power will be noticed; and if I'm not, I should at least yield a good 10% to 20% mpg increase in the truck with what will turn out to be a few hundred bucks of modification. I'll post.

REMEMBER, the factory computer has its limits. Even if someone (Jet or whoever) makes a mileage chip, it will still probably hurt the performance characteristics somewhere else. My goal is to 'skew' the results towards mileage without hurting basic performance. Ain't nuthin easy these days.

andy_jordan

which of you is closest to me - I've got one very hot XJ-S whose cooling system needs your attention - beer's on me!

sawdoctor

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to find out if people bought their bedliners through the dealer, and if so, what they paid for the liner & installation. I've looked back and seen prices in the $250 range??? The finance guy tried to sell me one, but he said $340 , which -
a) seemed high
b) I didn't think I needed

Well, I've changed my mind on point b, but I think I'm still right on point a.

Any info would be appreciated.

Kevin

andy_jordan

Mopar bedliners are a rip off. The same can in fact be said for most Mopar accessories.

Dodge brands all of its accessories as Mopar but does not produce any itself. Without exception Mopar are rebranded third party merchandise. In the case of your drop in bedliner you are actually looking at something called a Pendaliner made, not surprisingly, by Penda. The only difference is that the front of the Mopar liner says Dodge, the front of the Penda one says Custom.

Not sure on US pricing but $250 sounds about right, maybe even a little high.

carls5

In Northern Calif you can but a Duraliner for $199. Another liner made by Dura but one step down goes for around $159. The Dealer prices are considerably higher.
Carl

bigal31

The $250.00 price you were given is the price right out of the Dodge accessories catalog.If you bye one from your dealer they should give you a break on it. I bought the bed rails listed $180.00 in the catalog(Aluminum)paid $130.00. At the same time I bought the bed liner,listed $250.00 and paid $225.00. My advice,get to know the parts guys,theywill give you a break if you bought your Quad there. At least they should.
If you live near a penda dealer they are a little cheaper,but if you don't the shipping will kill you.So go make some new friends at the dealership,it can't hurt.Hope this helps..
Allen

tpmiller1

DC customer service advises, (after a long time on hold) that the 4.7L is on "restriction".
Check back next week.
Any waiter get a different story?

themacguy

Agree with 'bigal31' on the prices you get on the Dodge stuff (and buying from your originating dealer - I did). Agree with you on third party pricing being much lower. My reasoning for getting this stuff at the dealer is that it comes 'warranted' from Chrysler. I am now in the same boat as Jim Buckingham and will have to have my dealer paint the top of my tailgate due to the scratches caused by improper installation. He got Penda (third party) to pick up his tab. My feeling is that Dodge will pick up my tab - PLUS the paint warranty will still be in effect for the future, without having to go through a lot of bs to get that point across. I've been through this with every Corvette I've owned and it's MUCH easier to get a 'well-fed' dealer (whom you've bought the parts from that caused the problem in the first place) to honor the claim & fix it. AND when resale time occurs - inevitably - I've made out very well over the years by having the 'make only' claim to any of my problem resolutions. This includes stereo, outside bolt-ons, engine 'performance parts,' etc. Also, my discount levels were fabulous with the Corvette. With Dodge who knows, but I'm sure my dealer is paying close attention to these Topics - and my posts). ;-)

spike50

Talked to Ernie today and my truck was completed over the weekend (3-25) only problem was that it came through with the multi-speed that I had dropped on 3-13. Although I switched to the 5 sp. prior to going D-1, it didn't take.

Called the dealer and I guess through experience he had seen the problem coming. He had already reordered for me last week. Have a new VON with all of the same equip and the 5 sp.

So close but still far away.

henne

i have a penda bedliner from an accessories dealer, and it scratched up the outside of my tailgate also, i argued wiht penda for aobut 3 weeks and they finally paid 193.00 to repaint my tailgate, and the bad thing is, i paid about 160.00 for the thing installed.

robert

knkresort

I want to buy a soft tonneau cover. I often carry lumber and plywood in the truck and want the ability to roll up the cover as needed.

My neighbor is buying an Extang cover. Anybody had any luck or knowledge of these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks,

KnK

themacguy

I figured since about 60 quads showed up at the dealerships around here over the weekend, that I'd take a look and see if I could find the weird right rear alignment problem alluded to earlier in one of these topics. Wellll, I checked the first one with a steel tape measure and 'Voila!' it's certainly shifted to the right about 1". Then I started checking ALL of them.

My findings: 55 of 60 were shifted to the right - meaning that the right was sticking out further than the left. Of the five that weren't, all five had the standard wheels (like mine when I first got it). Mine is 'even.' There was a mixed bag as far as anti-slip rears or not. It didn't matter. ALL of the 8" (vs. 7" like mine) were sticking out further on the right than the left - but vary in the amount of 'stick out' from 3/8" to 1 1/4".

Then, on a whim while leaving the lot - it was 90 degrees and I was in jeans - I decided to spot check all of the regular cab Dakotas, the Super cab Dakotas, the Regular Dodge Rams and a few of the Durangos.

My findings: the 8" wheeled Dakotas (every one on two different lots) had the problem. NEITHER the std. equipped (7" wheels), NOR the R/T's (w/ 17" wheels) had the problem. The regular Dodge Rams were all perfect. Now the interesting part. All of the Durangos with 8" wheels are off. BUT, not always to the right. Some were to the LEFT!? And the regular 7" wheeled ones were OK. The wheel flare equipped models didn't make any difference.

The front wheels of all of these vehicles is too difficult to check easily, and I imagine the security camera(s) film loads of me are on the way to the 'car cops' even as we speak...

tebuu

Group, I ordered my Quad, 4.7l,4x4,5 speed, on the 3rd week of January. It was built on the 25th of Feb. and still hasnt shipped!! I must have talked to all the customer service people at DC by now for a reason, and keep getting different stories. The one reason I got more of than others is that DC randomly pulls a sample off the line for QC. I have tried to elevate the issue with DC and get no where. I cant get passed the customer service people. Mind you, some of them have been good enough to investigate further and call me back. One guy told me that they had to replace a door????? Last week I was told it was red flagged and would ship that week. Called this week and it still hasnt happened with no reason given. Anyone know of any issues that may cause this? Sure wish I hadnt sold my old truck so fast,....at least I would have something to drive.

tpmiller1

Obviously the people at DC quality control don't pack measuring devices in their inspection tool kit. I would emphasize that when you apply for the managership of that unit.
I'm amazed that you weren't approached by anyone at these dealerships to try and sell you something or at least ask what in the world you're doing.
Don't stop now. You got to go on to the ford, chevy and toy lots. I see "60 minutes" feature story in your future.

andy_jordan

Good point about the warranty from DC, should have mentioned that.

I went out and checked my club cab as I have the larger wheels and I don't have any problems - maybe I have been lucky, maybe I have been doing enough fast cornering to put it back in line :-)

bobemoto

Why'd response 198 get hidden? Doesn't seem to have an questionable words.

tinyivan

Maybe I missed something but what is this alignment thing? The truck's bed actually sticks out past the rest of the frame? So it's crooked?

This seems like it'd be obvious, especially when we're talking a whole inch or more!

Good Crooked

| | | |
| | | |
| | | | (A)
| | | |
---- ----

Is this a basic idea of whats going on (exaggerated for sure) or is it more like this? (ie. is it on at an angle or is it on straight but offset by a half inch to the side?)

---- ----
| | | |
| | | |
| | | | (B)
| | | |
---- ----


I should take delivery in a few weeks and I want to make sure I know what to look for! Thanks.

ozark

Themacguy has a good point about buying accessories from the dealer. I recently purchased a bedliner and a tonneau cover from a place that specialized in caps and pickup accessories. They scratched the side rail(inside the bed)when they installed the lid and they didn't seem too concerned. I already paid for the lid before I saw it. Not sure yet what I will do. It is not a major scratch but it is noticeable. It is this sort of thing that makes the dealership a little easier to deal with.

Do any of you have a Leer tonneau cover? Mine newly installed lid leaked around the lock area after the last big storm we had. Also appeared to have some leakage near the cab. I am calling the dealer, and if I have to Leer, but I was wondering if any of you have had this problem. I will see how both the local dealer and Leer handle this and I will keep you posted. I love the looks of the Leer tonneau but at this point I would not recommend buying one.

Now I have about 1600 miles on the truck and with the 4.7 4x4 5spd 3.55 am getting 17mpg. I have not checked mileage since the addition of the tonneau.

Still love the truck.

balser

No talking me out of it this time - called the dealer this morning and cancelled my 4.7/auto 4x4 QC. Ordered 11/23, still in 'BG' and tired of waiting. Too many other good cars and trucks out there I could be driving, and Dodge never put anything extra on the table to keep me interested (even though I asked repeatedly).

This forum provided a wealth of information, and I appreciated everyone's help and opinion, even when we disagreed.

Hope all of you have good luck with your Dakotas.

haddon

SORRY to hear you are leaving balser. I'm going to hold out for a while. Dodge has not offered me anything for waiting but my dealer has been pretty good. He said he feels bad but he doesn't get a lot of help from Dodge either. If I still want my truck when it finally arrives he will sit down with me and work out a deal I can't refuse so I'm going for it. Keep us posted on how you make out in your new shopping adventures. Good Luck

tpmiller1

but I'm six weeks behind yourand haddon's orders and 3 behind bookitty and I'm starting to get frustrated. Fortunately I have a back up car, so I'm going to hang for a while. Good Luck and keep in touch.

themacguy

tp - the dealers are closed here on Sundays. Sports & stuff I guess, or more likely the Texas Blue Law. But to tell you the truth - I wouldn't care what they said anyway, the way they treat folks like balser, bookitty and everyone else. And they '[non-permissible content removed]' when we buy imports... and they threaten (with bubba Bill C.) to use trade restrictions on the [non-permissible content removed] when they came out with a larger truck that can compete successfully in the US market (we paid 25% 'tariffs' on the T-100's!).

bobe - I hid the response because of the length - just trying to go by edmund's requests.

balser - good luck, and I hope you don't see one you like when you drive by a lot. If I can help in ANY way; either here on the Texas lots or thru my dealer to help locate one for you --RIGHT NOWWW!-- don't hesitate to ask, even if it's just to complain LOUDLY. And we're (very) sorry to lose you in the topics. Bookitty, you and others have to be sick of this - we are. There are so MANY on the lots in TX that this should NOT be happening.

balser - I'll turn over every stone within 500 miles of this place to help you find one that suits you - at my expense. And I'm NOT kidding.