Dodge Dakota (1st gen) 1986-1996

[Man of Steel]

The Dodge Dakota, known as the Ram Dakota for the final two years of production, is a mid-size pickup truck from Chrysler's Ram (formerly Dodge Truck) division. From its introduction through 2009, it was marketed by Dodge. The first Dakota was introduced in 1986 as a 1987 model alongside the redesigned Dodge Ram 50. The Dakota was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2000. The Dakota has always been sized above the compact Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S-10, but below the full-sized pickups such as Dodge's own Ram. It is a conventional design with body-on-frame construction and a leaf spring/live axle rear end. The Dakota is the first mid-size pickup with an optional V8 engine. One notable feature was the Dakota's rack and pinion steering which was added as a part of the 1997 re-design, a first for work trucks. Dakotas have been used by police and fire departments, as off-road vehicles, patrol trucks, or even brush trucks.

First generation (1986–1996)
The Dodge Dakota was developed by Chrysler as a mid-sized pickup. To keep investment low, many components were shared with existing Chrysler products and the manufacturing plant was shared with the full-sized Dodge D-Model.

The first generation of the Dakota was produced from 1986 through 1996 (for the 1987 to 1996 model years). It was slightly updated for the 1991 model year. Inline-four and V6 engines were offered along with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive was available only with the V6. Both 6.5- and 8-foot beds were offered. Fuel injection was added to the 3.9 L V6 for 1988, but the output remained the same.

In 1988, the Sport package was added as a mid-year release. Exterior colors came in Black, Bright White, and Graphic Red. Available in both 2WD and 4x4.

The N-body platform was the result of operational efforts by Harold K. Sperlich, who was in charge of Chrysler's Product Planning in the early 1980s, in which Japanese-inspired compact pickups of the time lacked the size and features necessary to meet the demands of American buyers. In the late-1970s, Chrysler was still recovering from their near-bankruptcy and resources were in short supply. Sperlich challenged the N-Body team to search for all opportunities to reuse existing components to create the Dakota. The resulting highly investment-efficient program enabled Chrysler to create an all-new market segment at low cost. Key individuals involved in making this product a reality included Glenn Gardner, Glen House, Robert Burnham, Don Sebert, Jim Hackstedde, and Clark Ewing. The basic Dakota vehicle was ultimately used as a foundation to create the Dakota extended cab version and the Dodge Durango SUV.

In 1989, the unusual Dakota convertible was rolled out. The first American convertible pickup since the Ford Model A, it featured a fixed roll bar and a simple manual top. Roughly 2,482 were sold that first year. The idea came from Jerry York and they were manufactured by ASC (American Sunroof Company, now known as American Specialty Cars). Another important addition that year was Carroll Shelby's V8-powered Shelby Dakota, his first rear-wheel drive vehicle in two decades.

An extended "Club Cab" model was added for 1990, still with two doors. This model allowed the Dakota to boast capacity for six passengers, though the rear seat was best suited for cargo, children, and shorter adults.

In 1991, the front of the Dakota received a new grille and hood which extended the engine compartment to better fit the optional 170 hp (127 kW) 5.2 L V8, which was inspired by the earlier Shelby Dakota V8 option. By 1992, the standard square sealed-beam glass headlamps were phased out for the aerodynamic-style molded plastic headlamps attached to the grill components. It was equipped with halogen lights, making 1991 the only year for a unique front-end for the Dakota, though it is mechanically possible to fit sealed beams on 1992 to 1996 model years, as this model year was an overlap between new grille introduction and new headlamp introduction. Also debuting in 1991 were six-bolt wheels (replacing the earlier five-bolt wheels) based on Dodge's marketing attempting to differentiate the Dakota from competing manufacturers' trucks and the upcoming introduction of the redesigned Ram, and 1991 was also the first year for an optional driver-side airbag (made standard in 1994) and the last year for the Dakota convertible.

To fulfill the Dodge division's commitment to the American Sunroof Company (which was responsible for the modifications to these trucks), production of the "drop top" Dakota was extended into the 1991 model year. Production was extremely limited, with just eight produced in total, making them the most rare of all Dakotas. Unlike the previous years, colors and options varied more than before, as the manufacturer picked each of these trucks in a somewhat random fashion. No advertising was given to these trucks, and they do not appear in sales literature. This is most likely because the majority of them were sold before getting to their dealer lots.

Both of the V-configuration engines were updated to Magnum specs the next year, providing a tremendous power boost. Along with the introduction of the Magnum engine came multiport electronic fuel injection (EFI). The EFI computer (called a PCM by Chrysler) was partially responsible for the improved performance. The new engine/computer combination produced about 230 hp (172 kW).

The 1994 model year had a few minor changes, with the most notable being the addition of a driver's-side airbag, located in a new, two-spoke design steering wheel (also found in the Ram). Other changes included the discontinuation of the "SE" and "LE" trims. In following with the all-new Ram full-sized pickups, the top-end trim was renamed to "SLT", with these models (along with select others) wearing the new chrome finished, styled six-bolt steel wheels styled similar to the five-bolt type found on the larger Ram. Other changes included revisions to color and overall trim options. SRS airbags were also added for 1994. A CD player became optional, as did a combination cassette player and CD player unit. Leather seats were also available on LE models. New alloy wheels were available.

In 1996, the first generation's final year, the base K-based 2.5 L SOHC I4 engine option was out of production and had been considered vastly underpowered compared to the competition, so Dodge replaced it with another 2.5 L I4 engine; this being of American Motors heritage with an OHV valvetrain and rated at 120 hp (89 kW). This was the only major change for 1996, and the AMC 2.5 L would also be carried over as the base engine in the new, larger 1997 model.

Source: Wikipedia

[Man of Steel]

Li'l Red Express Dakota and Dakota Warrior
Two special editions of the first were constructed with step-side beds. Both were constructed by L.E.R. Industries of Edwardsburg, Michigan. The step-side beds were constructed out of fiberglass and galvineel. Wooden bed rails were also available.

The Li'l Red Express Dakota was made to resemble the original Express, which was based on the Dodge D-Series. It featured the classic-looking step-side bed and also had dual vertical exhaust stacks just behind the cab, which were purely cosmetic (though they could be made to be functional). The Dakota Warrior was made to resemble the Warlock trucks of the late 1970s. Warriors featured the same custom bed as the Dakota Express, but lacked the vertical exhaust stacks. Both the Express and Warrior Dakotas had a graphics package made to resemble those of the original Express and Warlock, respectively.

Production numbers for the Expresses and Warriors were very low, in the hundreds. The rarest of those came with the 5.2 L Magnum V8 engine, which was only an option during 1992, the final year of Express and Warrior production.

Models
The 1987-1996 Dodge Dakota came in three basic models:

The Dakota was the base trim level. It included the following features: base vinyl seating surfaces, radio delete package and audio system delete package (later, an AM/FM stereo with a two-speaker audio system became standard equipment on the Dakota model with a two-speaker audio system), a heater with fan control, vinyl flooring, a black front grille and front and rear bumpers, full-faced steel wheels, all-season tires, and manual "roll-up" windows and door locks. This model wasn't typically seen as a Club Cab model, and also wasn't available with a V8 engine option like the other Dakota models were available with.

The Sport was the mid-range trim level. It added features such as vinyl-and-cloth-trimmed seating surfaces, an AM/FM stereo with a two-speaker audio system, sport-styled steel wheels, body side cladding delete, a tilt-adjustable steering column and wheel, and "sport" interior accents to the base Dakota model. Later, it also added chrome-clad steel wheels, as well as a color-keyed front fascia and front grille, and Sport decals that adorned the doors and pickup bed sides of the Dakota. V6 and V8 engines were available on the Sport model.

The Sport Convertible was the only convertible Dakota available, and was only available until the early 1990s, when it was finally discontinued. It added the following features to the mid-range Sport trim level: sport-styled alloy wheels, cloth seating surfaces with vinyl inserts and accents, an AM/FM stereo with cassette player and a four-speaker audio system, air conditioning, a manual-folding vinyl convertible roof, and Sport decals on the doors of the Dakota. The V6 engine and two-door regular cab was the only available configuration of the Sport Convertible,

The LE, later renamed SLT was the top-of-the-line trim level. It added features such as cloth seating surfaces, air conditioning, an AM/FM stereo with cassette player and a four-speaker audio system, alloy wheels, body side cladding, a leather-wrapped premium steering wheel, carpeted flooring, and power windows and door locks to the mid-range Sport model. V6 and V8 engines were available on the LE or SLT model.

Source: Wikipedia