1989 Shelby Dakota
June 13, 2008 by John in Auto, ShelbyDakota
My new truck, arriving Tuesday, does not look this good…
(Lots more pictures that aren’t my truck, either.)
But that’s the color and model and it has potential. It is #1295 of 1500 made. It only came in white or red and white is more rare. The paint is experiencing the usual late-80s, early-90s Dodge lifting and peeling. The decals, which I don’t really like, are also coming off. I’m hoping a good pressure wash will take most of it down to the primer, and a mild chemical strip will finish the job. Eventually I’ll have it sprayed a nice pearl white. Fenske proposed a nice red stripe down the side, styled after the AAR Cuda but with SHELBY lettering. The red would match the red interior, which is in pretty good shape.
Other issues, for one, that funky targa bar thing behind the cab is missing. They are available on ebay but I think I will leave it off. Also, two of the Shelby rims are missing, replaced with steel wheels. I’ve got my eye on a set of these old Chrysler Police wheels or these Chrysler Rallye style wheels, which I’ve also see on old Barracudas.
The biggest question mark is the automatic transmission. Basically, the A500s are crap. The seller believes the overdrive (4th gear) unit is toast. Next week I’ll take it to a transmission shop and see what the damage is. But the truck runs and drives fine. The 318 V8 has TBI fuel injection and is reportedly bulletproof with mileages in the 300k before rebuild not uncommon.
I’ll post more, including pictures, as I know more.