A First Nations tribe, the Dakotas take their name from the word “friend” in their language. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Dodge Dakota looks nice enough to call a friend, but is it a very friendly deal?
In the historical constructs of social status, a marquis slots above barons and counts (sorry, Count Chocula) and below dukes and princes. In automotive parlance, a Grand Marquis was the top dog in Mercury’s lineup, and we had an especially fancy-pants 2002 Grand Marquis Montigua edition come our way yesterday. That car had low miles, a clean presentation, and a $9,995 price tag. Many of you found that price a noble gesture, giving the Grand Marquis a grand 62 percent Nice Price win.
While these United States have given us both North and South Dakotas, the native people for which those states were named were generally divided into eastern and western enclaves. In 1987, Dodge introduced a new mid-sized pickup truck, calling it the Dakota after the people, the states, and perhaps even the New York apartment building where John and Yoko once lived.
A parts-bin build, the Dakota was initially powered by a choice of a weak-kneed four-cylinder or more muscular V6 engine and could be had in six or eight-foot bed configurations. The model proved popular enough for Dodge (and later Ram) to continue production—gaining additional bodystyles and a V8 engine—over two more generations for a total 25-year model run.
This 1994 Dodge Dakota SLT is one of those V8-powered editions, rocking a 230-horsepower 5.2 Magnum under its hood. That’s mated to a four-speed automatic and drives the rear wheels exclusively.
Like yesterday’s Mercury, this Dakota appears in great condition and looks remarkably clean for its age and 99,000 miles. This is a top-o-the-heap SLT model, so it’s pretty well-kitted too. That means that power windows and locks, A/C, and cruise control are all on board. Being an extended cab means there’s plenty of room for all that, although the back bench is pretty cramped for anyone other than the kidney beans.
On the outside, there’s some fancy two-tone paint with accent stripes and, glory of glories, brand-new white-wall tires on the factory six-lug alloys. This is a California truck, so the undercarriage is just as clean as above and suffers from almost no surface corrosion at all. Also, unlike John and Yoko’s New York City apartment, this Dakota has never been smoked in. It has an accident-free history, comes with a clean title, and has the seller’s boast that it “Runs and drives like new!” The asking price is $8,500.
We must now decide this Dakota’s fate at that $8,500 asking price. What do you say? Is that a reasonable enough amount to ask for an old truck that still looks new? Or does that price put this Dakota on the down and out?
You decide!
San Diego, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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