A single-cab performance truck with 1,522 miles in Solar Yellow? Yes, please. We’ve seen two Dodge Dakota R/T pickups from 1999 here on Barn Finds, both written up by the senior member of the team (not by age), Jeff Lavery. This beautiful time capsule example is listed here on eBay in Abilene, Texas. The seller has a $24,000 buy-it-now price listed, or you can start off the bidding at $22,000.
Jeff knows a thing or two about the Dakota R/T; he owned one a while ago. He also showed us a Solar Yellow Extended Cab R/T here on Barn Finds exactly two years ago today. I’m a big fan of an extended cab pickup for the utility, but for looks, it has to be a single-cab body. I’m assuming someone bought this truck as either an investment and couldn’t resist driving it a bit, or there’s another story as to how it’s lasted 27 years with just 1,522 miles on it. The special 17 x 9 cast aluminum wheels were R/T only, and they look great. Today, there would be at least 19-inch wheels on this truck, and they would absolutely be black, not silver.
This is a cool angle, and the seller has included nice photos overall, even a non-lift underside shot, which isn’t easy on a truck that isn’t jacked up, as a lot of them are today. How’s this for a profile? Nice. Nice and simple, no boy racer wings, no fake tough-guy nonsense, no black wheels, no pitch black window tint, none of the current stuff that everyone has to have. We don’t get to see inside the bed; that’s about the only photo the seller missed, but I’m guessing it looks like new back there. Here’s a 1999 Dodge Dakota brochure.
Dodge’s second-generation Dakota was made from 1996 for the 1997 model year until the end of 2004. The R/T performance trim trucks were made from 1997 to 2003. A show of hands for those of you who wish it were still 2003. I know, so do I. Knocking 23 years off my age, 23 years of wear and tear on my worn-out body, things just seemed simpler back then, but they probably weren’t. You can see the plastic is still on a few things here. A column-shifted four-speed automatic is what buyers got with the big-engined 5.9-liter R/T.
You could do surgery on this engine, I mean, if you were a surgeon. It’s that clean. This is Dodge’s 5.9-liter (360-cu.in.) Magnum OHV V8, which was factory-rated at 250 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the four-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels only on the R/T. The seller doesn’t say how it runs, but I have to believe it all works like new. If the tires are from 1999, they have to be changed ASAP, at least unless you’re hitting the trailer queen show circuit with this low-mile truck. I’d want to drive it. Any thoughts on this time capsule R/T?
Solar yellow! What a cool truck!
Yep…sat in the same yellow one in the dealer show room in 1999…..was trying to justify the cost as I was already buying another property and my 1994 Dakota Sport extra cab was still suiting me fine with the little 318.
This is really a find but not sure it’s going to bring the money…..we’ll see.
Nice find! I’m a big fan of the 5.9 motor as I’ve had them in my 4×4 Durango’s and found them to be very dependable; more so than the 4.7 that Dodge eventually switched to. This truck is a “time capsule” as you say but a dilemma – “what do you do with it drive it or put it away?”
Decisions…decisions…decisions!
Given the cost of new vehicles today this is an easy choice – buy it and drive it till there is nothing left!
Dependable? I had the 5.9 in a ’99 Ram 2500. It was just getting ready to go out of warranty with 90,000 on it. Took it to CA from NJ towing a car hauler. There and back didn’t use a drop of oil. A few months later, took a trip to Niagara Falls from NJ. Went to change the oil when I got back and when I pulled the drain plug only about 2qts came out. The bad intake manifold gaskets they put on them went bad and sucked down 6 qts of oil in that short trip.
The 4.7 that I had in an ’05 Dakota I had picked up…never had a single problem with it.
I’ve had two Durangos – both 4×4’s and both with the 5.9 and never had a drive train issue. Regular maintenance pushed each past 225K with ease. The only issue was a heater core in one that set me back $1200.00 to fix – beyond that – excellent trucks and great motors. Am looking for a low mileage example on BAT now to replace one I sold last year. That said I’m using for skiing and “grocery getting” and not pulling as you are so there is a difference but again my experience remains the same – they have been dependable.
Given the price small pickups with high mileage are going for (try and find one with under a 100k miles for less than $15k), this seems like a pretty good deal.
This is the 3rd time the seller has listed it for auction with a BIN option. Bidding seems to die around $22k. Potential buyers would be wise to give it a thorough inspection including a test drive since the description leaves that information out.
Steve R
IIRC on of the motoring rags of the time called it one of the 10 best sports car buys that year.
Something tells me that the 1500+ miles this truck has on it has been spent smoking the rear tires. I can’t have clean examples like this because I would be driving it and enjoying it not just looking at it in my garage. Nice clean little truck it would be fun to have.
Well darn Scotty, I’m fixin to turn 70. Maybe I’m getting too old to comment. I’m mello yellow tho. Does that count? 🤣
for reason not worth thumb tapping, i had one for a summer, but it was 4x, red, and what an solid, agile and fast truck. Id happily buy one one day, and extended cab is a must, aside from P/Ws of course.
As has been said by a few others of this truck, all this for that price is a sweeet deal, better than most new trucks.
If the buyer is someone who hasnt had one previous, theyre in for a pleasant suprise :)
If im correct, this ’99 is when it was still a American product/company; RAM is an ‘import’ now.
Making this a rare and collectable specimen.
Chrysler became DaimlerChrysler (pronounced Daimler, the Chrysler was silent) in 1998. Later to Cerberus Capital Management in 2007 and then joined with Fiat in 2011. Our first car with DC on the window sticker was a yellow Dakota Sport Club cab 4×2.
My wife insisted I buy a 98 Dakota R/T. Regular cab, blue metallic, it was 2 years old off a lease. 2 guys were waiting to buy the truck but we had first kick at it.
Factory chipped, no rev limiter, it went like nuts. Put the factory cold air intake on it, just because we could.
Matching blue cap, it was a super sharp truck. Did I say it went like nuts?
Nearly 10 years of driving, and all I ever did was oil changes, and 1 ignition coil pack, a ground wire rusted off.
I have a 2016 R/T, 2 door short bed, with the 5.7 Hemi. I bought it 8 years ago with 22k miles on it, from the original owner. It now has 77k miles, and I absolutely love it. I changed the exhaust to give it a bit more growl, and with a bit over 400 HP, it’s a quick truck. I rarely see another one, and I’m always getting asked if I want to sell it. Sorry, this one’s a keeper for sure!
These Dakotas are starting to pick up steam in the market, especially these R/T’s. Someone is going to eventually grab this.
I have a 2000 rt with a lot of upgrades.i love the truck
why would somebody save this?
Because it’s cool…why not hairy??
Same reason somebody saves a Mustang…because they like it.
I have owned 8 Dakotas an 88′ a 93′ 94′ 2001(3) 04′ and 05′ . still have the 04 and 05. drove all the others into the ground 200k + miles on them all.
If I had the $ Id buy that one what a time capsule .
I have to admit that 225 horses does not get me going , neither does a single cab pick up , even less with only 2 wd , BUT this in the beautiful yellow shade turns this little regular truck into something great ! Price is in the ballpark for such a low miles combination
It sold $24,000 just got done looking, it’s a nice truck, congratulations to the buyer.
Auction update: this one apparently sold at the buy-it-now price of $24,000.
About what it cost new.