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My First Dodges


Z3CHYD

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Location
Lancaster, PA
Vehicle Year
03
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Drop
3 front 5 rear
Tire Size
225/60R15
Hey guys, I haven't been on here to often since I haven't owned a Ranger in a few years, I'm Active Duty in the Air Force and for the past 3 years I've been stationed in England. I finally got back stateside the end of September and immediately bought a 98 Dodge Durango 5.2L 4x4 from a friends boss, I'm the second owner :biggrin:
I swapped out the stock muffler on that for a cherry bomb extreme single chamber muffler, and kept the stock piping, and it has just the right amount of bark/rumble. Toward the end of October, and the end of my month of leave I took, I really wanted to find a Dakota for myself, and my wife was growing fond of driving the Durango (Just like I planned lol)
I found my Dakota at a dealer as a trade in, it's a 2001 Quad cab 4.7L 4x4, and it's one of the nicest trucks I've owned so far. When I bought it it had an 8 inch glasspack and 90 degree elbow dumped out the side, and that was just way too obnoxious. I had some spare exhaust lying around and fabbed up a muffler deleted exhaust that exited around the stock location.
Previous owner put in a Kenwood head unit, LED interior lights, and a Hot air intake (lol) Well we drove from PA down to NC to report to my next duty station and both the Durango and the Dakota did flawlessly. I love driving this truck and hope it stays that way. Only thing I would change is make it stick shift lol

After we arrived in NC

When I first picked up the truck

After I added a light bar to the Durango

Before the light bar, I replaced the original bumper with this chrome one from the junkyard, because the original was pretty rotted from having a bra on forever.

And when I first picked up the durango. It was used for family trips and business trips, hence the lettering on the door. That bra was taken off as soon as I got home as well.
 
Last edited:


85_Ranger4x4

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Looks sharp, FWIW I think the painted bumpers just rot out because they can. The one on my grandparent's '01 Durango crumbled away to nothing and I don't think it ever had a bra on it.
 

Z3CHYD

Active Member
U.S. Military - Active
U.S. Military - Veteran
V8 Engine Swap
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,342
Reaction score
17
Points
38
Age
33
Location
Lancaster, PA
Vehicle Year
03
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Total Drop
3 front 5 rear
Tire Size
225/60R15
Looks sharp, FWIW I think the painted bumpers just rot out because they can. The one on my grandparent's '01 Durango crumbled away to nothing and I don't think it ever had a bra on it.
I agree. My Durango's bumper was a painted one and there wasn't much left of it, also a friends Dakota's bumper is the painted one and is rather crispy. Glad I have chrome ones on both now. The Dakota doesn't have a speck of rust on the bumper or frame, it's actually still painted black on the frame, theres some rust on the bed of course, but that comes stock on dodges.
 

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