Supercharged RT 5.9 Dakota

[Epitome]

This story is similar to my Lightning kill last year. I had taken a pretty good look at this red Supercharged RT 5.9 Dakota truck at a very large car show that happens on Wednesday nights by where I live. It had a pretty big supercharger, 3 or 4 gauges sitting on the dash in front of the driver and the rear tires looked like they had a few work outs. It was a very clean truck. At the end of the night I took a little different route home, as I knew there were a bunch of good two lane straightaways and lots of nice cars on their way home Well I'm cruising at 35mph and who comes rolling up next to me real fast and hits the brakes to go my speed, but this Supercharged Dakota. He revs his motor and that thing was loud. I drop it into 2nd gear and when he hears the rpms bump up, he must think I am going so he hammers it. When his back bumper was at my front bumper I nail it, fly by and put heaps of cars between us. I slow down and he comes up past me and flashes his lights at me and I flash mine back, then he continues on and wants no more of me. That was the only performance vehicle I saw the whole rest of the night. Man I love race gas, I just wish it was a little cheaper lol

 

[blackbuick87]

I'm sick of these idiots in supercharged trucks. They think they are so fast but they are still 14-15 sec vehicles. They are good for cooking rice but that is about it. Why do they think they can beat a true musclecar?

 

[1WE4]

I agree to an extent......... but before I switched to the "darkside", I had a 99' R/T that ran 12's with POOR traction. It was a very fun truck that suprised alot of people around here.

 

[86brick]

I wouldn't say ALL supercharged trucks are 14 and 15 sec vehicles considering the newer Ford SC Lightnings are running mid to high 13's right off the showroom floor and they weigh 4,300lbs+ and can tow with a respectable payload!!! I've seen some with slicks that were running low 12's @110-113mph with minor bolt ons, so I'd say that's pretty damn impressive for a TRUCK To tell you the truth I'd probably buy a newer Lightning before I'd buy an LS1 f-body cause they are awesome when you consider what they can run and what they weigh and just in case you take the Buick to the track and something breaks you can tow it home with the Lightning and you can't do that with the ls1 f-body!!!! Unlike the f-body the Lightning is a practical vehicle IMO and also has better build quality when you consider the rearends in the f-bodies are made of glass and the trannies are also junk.

 

[NEARING]

I have to agree on the transmissions, they are hit or miss
mine was a miss, didn't like the 150 shot of gas
The 6spd's are the same I've seen guys break ones with bone stock motors, and seen guys running low 11's for 2+years with no problems. I think they started making the M6's in mexico in 97 or 98 and they have more problems.
The rears are only 7.5 but really are pretty tuff if you DON'T CHANGE THE GEARS OUT!
most A4 cars will live a long time pulling mid 1.5 60ft times
it's when you start getting into the 1.50 range bad stuff happens
I personally don't know anyone with an A4 car who broke a rear with stock gears unless they got into the 1.4's 60ft range.
But lots of guys with broke 3.73's and 4.10's!

 

[KendallF]

I have a 2000 Ext. Cab Dakota R/T...it's the slowest thing I own. I did take it down the track one night for kicks; it ran a 15.5@88 spinning through first (2.3 60'). With a careful launch, it might've been good for 15.0s...

I bought it to tow the Buicks and carry my family though so I'm perfectly happy with it. Great looking truck, sounds good, roomy...I just wish it got more than 12 MPG.

 

[blackbuick87]

I am not talking about the guys with 12 or 13 sec Lightnings. I am talking about the guys like my buddy with an F150 that lights up his one tire all the damn time and is always screwing around trying to race everyone at every light.
And I like Lightnings but I have yet to hear from someone who does serious towing with one. Everyone I have seen buys it for a daily driver and most of them dont even have a trailer hitch ever put on one. I am old school where a truck is a truck, and they are made for work. They are made to take a beating. If you want a hot rod buy a car

 

[RBE17]

Originally posted by blackbuick87
...And I like Lightnings but I have yet to hear from someone who does serious towing with one. Everyone I have seen buys it for a daily driver and most of them dont even have a trailer hitch ever put on one. I am old school where a truck is a truck, and they are made for work. They are made to take a beating. If you want a hot rod buy a car

A friend of mine bought one. He was using it as his daily driver and a tow vehicle when they were running NMRA. He also towed a '94Z28 parts car for me. Three of us in the truck, going uphill pulling a trailer loaded w/ a car this thing was accelerating as soon as he squeezed the throttle. He had zero problems towing w/ it although it was squatting quite a bit w/ the Camaro on the trailer.

Later,


Steve.

 

[86brick]

Well the two guys I saw at the track running low 12's both had trailer hitches, but I know what your saying cause most I've seen are pretty much daily drivers or weekend toys. I'm not much for having a truck unless it's a work truck, but the market for hot rodding trucks is growing pretty well cause not too long ago I saw a Dodge Dakota with a 426 Hemi on Hot Rod TV and that thing was pretty bad ass looking and it definately hauled ass I think if I was looking for a fast truck a Lightning would be hard to pass up, but the Syclone would probably be my choice cause they are much lighter than the Lightning and are turbo powered with AWD.

 

[blackbuick87]

The new Dodge Rams are going to have a 350 Hemi

 

[Big Paul]

Don't put down the trucks

I met a guy and saw his truck run at the illegals a couple weeks ago.

F-150, ext. cab, LONGBED, with a 5.4, bolt-ons and 100 shot of the gas, running 13.7's!!! He stayed with a Lightning that was out there a while back, awesome truck.

My truck runs 18's, whatcha gonna do now???

 

[SITHV6]

Here we go again...

Well i got my 5.2 ext cab dakaota sport to tow my buick to Moroso. Granted i got the headers and 3" exhaust for it the week eldebrock was done with them, it was STILL slow as molases @ 15.96 at 91 mph. For anyone who followed a thread i left about a friend who twin turboed a v6 dakota, well here we go again...Now theres a local 2000'ish ext cab 4.7 dakota driver who's put on the very same turbos that were on the v6 one! It's an attractive orange with huge 20" boyd billet rims. He swears up and down he could take a 02 lightning as he wss STOCK! so now he's hoping to be the only nationwide twin turboed dakota...=P well anyway, he's expecting to do 10's with it. LOL We'll see! oh BTW they hope on planning to use nitrous as an intercooler...Pray for them.

 

[myclone]

Originally posted by blackbuick87
If you want a hot rod buy a car

Why would I wanna go slower??

 

[Big Paul]

Seriously.....

.....trucks can be good racers. It's more interesting to see trucks run 12's, 11's, even 10's (i've seen it).

But in my opinion, the only "real" good factory race truck, was the Syclone and/or Typhoon. Small, torqey engine, good setup, and history behind it (reason to build it, sorta like the GN, and you don't see em all the time)

What I mean to say, is that the Syclone was built, as the GN was with something that came before it.

Syclone: came to be from the LSR S-15

This gives it a racing heritage, and a purpose, which makes it my candidate, forget F**d, and M*par, we're talking pure GM!

 

[blackbuick87]

Syclones are cool because they are AWD and can be fixed so they can HANDLE. Just dont try to go cruisin with two of your 200# in it You may get some strange looks

 

[ALBERTAN]

Good kill Epitome. There are some fast trucks out prowling the streets. The scariest ones IMHO are the little black ones , but there are others as well. Development on the Gen 2 Lightnings has progressed rapidly and we should see some in the 10's this Fall...didn't take them long to get there. Gen 2 Lightnings, all BS aside, seem to be a mid to low 13 second ride at sea level from the factory. Yes there are exceptions. SyTys on the other hand are just plain scary on the street. Many, many are in a poor state of tune. But Heaven forbid you ever come across a strong runner at a red light...

 

[Death to Rice]

My brother has a Syclone with 18000 well kept miles on it and a few bolt ons. The thing likes to ping under hard acceleration but can still put up 12.6sec quarters without turning a tire. Riding in it, it's deceptively fast. Acceleration is so smooth you don't realize how fast you're going and it goes wherever you point it. Awesome vehicle. He still knows better than to mess with my 71 GS 455...............

 

[ALBERTAN]

Originally posted by Death to Rice
The thing likes to ping under hard acceleration but can still put up 12.6sec quarters without turning a tire.

Tell your brother his little black truck is about to go Kaboom some day soon and cost him lots of money. BTW "well kept miles" and "pings under hard acceleration" is an oxymoron.

 

[blackbuick87]

I think the rule is that by the time you can hear it you have over 20* of KR!!

 

[Death to Rice]

So would it just be a matter of needing better fuel or what?