My first ride was an '84 GMC. I currently don't have any digital pictures of it. It was a short box, manual with a 350, 4x4. Had superwinch hubs, a chrome brush guard, and aluminum wheels. It had a lot of issues, including burning oil. I ground the valves and replaced the guides, put an Edelbrock performer on it, and wheeled the crap out of it at the sand dunes back home. It was the first to tow my 14' parasail. I eventually rusted out one of the fuel tanks on that beast. It was black with blue under the lower trim, called it bruiser. It had the most comfortable bench seat in it, I got a lot of compliments, lol. It rode good too. I'd love to build a nice one someday, put it on 38" boggers, plump and round.

My second ride was a 1993 Ford Ranger. 4.0L, manual, 4x4. When I went from the GMC to the Ranger, I kept telling myself, I can't believe this is my truck, I can't believe it. It was the year 2000 and I felt like it was a brand new truck. I bought it with a 3" Trailmaster lift, Flowmaster exhaust and canopy. I had the bed sprayed with bedliner, made custom snow camo seat covers, put a centerforce clutch in it, Warn manual hubs from auto hubs, a front brake job, and Rancho shocks. I got so many compliments on the exhaust, it rumbled good.

I took the Ford to Truck Fest West at the Summit warehouse in Sparks, NV and did part of the jeep jamboree run the day before the event. Spent some time making Ford commercials too. I started having a lot of issues with the Ford, so I really just wanted to sell it and get it off my hands. Ended up spending on it as much as I bought it for in engine work. Had to have the cylinders cleaned up after overheating among other things.

My Mom begged me to come visit her the last weekend before college started in the Fall of 2003 and surprised me with a 1994 Toyota pickup. Extra cab, 4 cyl, manual, 4x4. Bone stock and it stayed that way. It did have a drop in bedliner and chromed wheels and I bought a canopy for it and had it painted to match. The extra cab was great for the dog I got. Sadie is a lab/heeler mix that my Dad is now the owner of. I put a Kameleon deck in it with an amp, 2 6x9's in boxes and a 10" sub. It bumped a little. With regular road tires, it didn't wheel good, was slow on the hills, but did good in the snow and ice. It was definitely sufficient to carry my 2005 YFZ 450 around.

Once I got a good paying job as a fire sprinkler system designer and could afford a car payment, I was quick to upgrade. I really wanted automatic for city driving and I hated the 4 cyl - NO POWER. I had actually planned to buy within a 6 month period when I took my friend Ben out shopping for trucks. He really wanted a Tacoma, but everything we looked at was either out of his price range or a piece of crap. We were at the Vancouver auto mall and I had pretty much decided on a quad cab Dakota, but hadn't even driven one yet. We took a couple for a test drive and the dealership ended up letting me take home overnight a 2003 Graphite quad cab. Auto, black leather interior...They had initially said take it to dinner and talk it over, but I mentioned that we had a birthday dinner to go to. They said to take it out and show it to my friends. So luckily I didn't rod it too hard, even though Ben wanted me to, because I took it home two days later. When I returned it, they asked what I thought, I said I loved it, but it was outta my price range. The sales manager asked what that was. I said you're not gonna like it. He said I don't have to like it, but tell me and I'll see what I can do. I told him $13K, all the while, thinking overnight that if they offered anything under $16K I would take it. At first I didn't like the leather, but it grew on me, and I still like it. He came back with $15,800. I was really excited cause they had shown me their retail price of $22K. I wasn't too quick to make a decision, so I slept on it even though I saw another customer looking at it. I went to the Dodge dealership where my co-workers uncle was the sales manager. We looked around at new, cause he didn't have anything comparative. He said he couldn't beat it and told me to not sign for more than 8% interest. So I went back and took it home for $15,800 plus taxes and dmv fees. I have since refinanced to 5.29% and it took a whole year off for about $12 a month more. The funny thing is my friend Ben ended up buying my Toyota!

It came completely stock except for the Rhino spray-in bedliner. I quickly went to work. I put a 3" Performance Accessories body lift on it. No one makes a suspension lift for '03 or '04 cause they changed the front brake components and there just is not a market for two years worth of Dakota truck lifts. I could change out my brakes to '02, but the '03-'04 brakes are better. I have 4 wheel disc. I did the 3" cat back Flowmaster exhaust the next day. I had heard a full size Dodge with MagnaFlow and I didn't care for it. The Flowmaster was a little louder. I have recently heard the MagnaFlow on a 2006 Dakota and thought it sounded like a ricer. I am proud of my choice. I do get some compliments, but not near the quantity I did on the Ranger. At the offroad shop they installed the lift, the Bilstein shocks I supplied and the wheels and tires I supplied. I initially put 33" Nitto Mud Grapplers on with 17" American Racing wheels. I have since put 33" Goodyear Wrangler MT/R's on it. You would be amazed how many people asked me if I was getting new wheels when I changed tires. I like my wheels and that's a waste of money, why would I do that? I ended up taking the Nitto's off early to recover some money from them for the purchase of the MT/R's. I would have replaced them soon anyway, so I ended up with $290 from the Nitto's. The original tire/wheel package cost me $1500. Yeah, I know people, haha. The MT/R's cost me $980. The body lift parts and install labor cost under $700. Shortly after I bought a Hypertech programmer. It has since been stolen, so the program is stuck in there and my stock settings are gone. Luckily it's on an economy program. I bought a $1200 canopy new for $600 used. He was the nicest guy. He had offers that were double mine, but he let me have first dibs for the price we had agreed on. It was color matched already - BONUS! I recently had the bed rails Line-Xed. I put a Yakima rack on the cab and just recently designed and built some custom running boards and rock sliders. The rock sliders are not quite all the way on yet. The purpose of the whole setup is to cover up the frame that you can see under the body lift, and provide some good looks and protection should I ever brush against rocks. I actually already have a really good ding on the bottom of the rear drivers side door from a dirt clod of all things I have plans to build front and rear bumpers, but design is yet to begin. I cut custom gap guards for the bed, and I have actually taken it to the drag strip. It's got a 5.9L, read that again, 5.9L 360 engine. So my best quarter mile time was 16.5 seconds. The only reason I drag raced it was to see the difference between stock and the Hypertech programmer which never happened.

I have to say, your Dakota is one of the best looking ones that I've seen. And it is super sexy now that it is sporting Goodyears

5.9 360!!! I have the same engine!!! Awesome dak!!! Great wheel choice!!! Future mods???

I'll be designing front and rear bumpers. An intake would be nice someday. An in-dash navigation unit and some speakers, amp, and sub(s), back up lights, CB, tow hooks....

And bigger shocks!!!

wow...little bit of a list..you dont have an intake yet????...oh...your gonna love the new sound your engine will make with it...i have the K&N and airRaid tube..with BOrla Xr1 exhaust.....sounds so sweet!!......whats the next mod that you have planned?

I need to finish my rock sliders. My running boards saw some damage already, Saturday night wheeling.

you gonna lift it anymore????