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Dakota Performance
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slomaro
Dodge Dakota
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7/16/2003
16:52:42
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 Subject: '99 RT vs. bolt-on 5.0 mustang...
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Hello all. Things are a little slow at the shop today so I thought I'd post a lil' racin' story that I've planned on writing for some time.
My dad had just purchased his solar yellow club cub RT and I decided it was time time to add the vortech to my Z28 (that darn thing was killing me setting in the box.) Anyhow, I borrowed the RT while my car was in the shop (the first of many visits it would spend in that wretched place.)
My roommates and neighbors in college were all gearheads of one sort or another (not many import guys, but just about everything else.)
There was a little semi-abandoned four lane in town where we would all go and misspend several hours a day that probably should have been set aside for studying, but heck, we all graduated.
My roommate had just returned from the Army OTC to find his 1990 blue and silver fox body breathing a little better, thanks to a new set of shortys and an off-road h-pipe, courtesy of his uber-cool girlfriend. His car was already armed with flows, 3.55 gears, a 9" K&N cone filter, advanced timing, MSD 6AL ignition and a full steeda suspension kit.
After riding with me to get a burger, the mustanger was not very impressed with the RT. "It's okay for a truck, I guess, but trucks just aren't that fast. Looks cool though." Remember, this was before the Lightning woke the street racing world up about factory hot-haulers (the Gen 1s weren't all that fast and the syclones weren't well known enough.)
Taking offense, I replied "I bet it'll give that beater five-point-slow a run for it's money." The next thing I knew we were at the four-lane lined up under the bridge with a small audience of fifteen or so. I was certain that I had allowed my mouth to write a check that my butt couldn't cash. Feeling somewhat less intrepid than I had at the onset, I rolled down the window and got his attention. "Say, if this this truck is so slow, and since it is bone stock and a little heavier than your buggy, why don't ya' give me the move?" His very cocky reply was, "Man, I'll give you the move AND one car (length). Do you want me to start in reverse, too?" Needless to say I took him up on his "generous" offer of the move and one car.
Since I had the move, there was no need for anyone to start us off. Therein was his downfall. I revved it up as much as I could, careful not to "accidentally" discover the the maximum holding capacity of the brakes and nudge forward...and BOOM, I let her rip for all that she was worth. I even left the gear selector in Drive and turned off the OD. I took advantage of his overconfidence and put about four (car lengths) on him out of the gate, as he was, by his own admission, surprised at how the dodge jumped out. I'd love to say that the distance between our two vehicles widened even further, but that would be a lie. He did close up the gap by a car or two, but when we hit the quart-mile marker, his headlights had not caught up to my rear bumper. Score one for the RT. Now for the crappy part. He wanted a rematch...heads up. This was definately a bird of a different feather. We both knew the outcome well in advance (as I'm sure you all do), but hey, I'm a sport. Sooooo, we went at it again, this time from a dead even stand-still with a flagger, and the RT lost by about two car lengths (still a little better than I expected.) The great thing was, when we got back to our little gagmaggle of our starry-eyed onlookers...okay, so they were drunk and would have probably watched paint dry...it was almost as if we had not run the second time. To listen to everyone talk, you would have thought we hadn't. Everyone DID, however, take much more interest in this little stock pick-em'-up truck with the big motor that had beaten (albeit in a biased race) a mildly modded mustang. Funny how perspective affects such things.
Laters,
B.J.
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Turkeyhead
Dodge Dakota
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7/16/2003
18:44:54
|  RE: '99 RT vs. bolt-on 5.0 mustang...
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Good story, B.J.
Granted, Dodge Dakotas are trucks, but even in stock form they are surprisingly quick and useful. Some trucks can go faster, some can haul more; the Dakota is one that does both very well.
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