As the pages over the last year of Sport Truck illustrate, Dodge's midsize Dakota is rapidly gaining wide acceptance as a platform for increasingly wild sport truck buildups. There are many reasons for this. First is the wide availability of the current generation to choose from, with some models dating back to '97, making them very affordable. Second, there's the wide variety of models to choose from: standard cab, Club Cab, and since '00, the Quad Cab with four full doors. They are also available in 2WD and 4WD versions and best of all, a high percentage of Dakotas are V-8-equipped, including the high-output 5.9L Magnum. All of this adds to the Dakota's growing popularity among sport truck enthusiasts.
The Dakota's popularity has not been lost on the mobile electronics aftermarket as there are several application-specific products available, especially speaker enclosures that make upgrading the A/V system exceptionally easy. While there are not as many options as mainstream fullsize pickups, the number of components available compares favorably with those available for compact Ford Rangers and the GM S-twins.
Since the Dakota falls squarely in the affordable category, this month, we're going to concentrate on selecting components that typically fall on the budget side of the price spectrum whenever possible. Given that we're assembling this list just prior to SEMA 2003 for publication early in 2004, some of the models selected will be replaced shortly, meaning that if you shop carefully, you'll be sure to pick up some great deals.
Audio Source Units and Satellite Radio2003 will go down as the year satellite radio busted out of the niche category and into the mainstream. XM Radio now has more than 1 million subscribers, and Sirius, by the time you read this, will be nearing 1/4 million. This means that you should only consider source units that are XM- or Sirius-capable. Thankfully, from most manufacturers, that means all but the most entry-level units will offer this capability, meaning that adding an external tuner - normally $200 before activation rebates - will get you tuned into 100 channels of near-CD-quality digital sound; most music channels sans annoying advertising; and on those channels that are supported by advertising, it's less than five minutes per hour on XM (music channels on Sirius are 100 percent commercial-free, thus justifying its $12.95/month subscription fee as opposed to XM Radio's $9.95 monthly subscription fee.)
Since our focus this month is on budget units, we're seeking out units with the best balance of features and performance at the best possible value. This eliminates both the entry-level units as well as the top-of-the-line units offered by most manufacturers. Fortunately, the $250 to $400 sweet spot is populated by a wide variety of units with a bewildering array of features.
Before we go into specific units, it should be noted that the GM/Chrysler-style 1.5-DIN head units have been discontinued by Alpine and Pioneer, meaning that all the units we've selected this month are conventional single-DIN units that will require an installation kit for proper installation. Also, when buying your head unit, inquire about a universal-to-Chrysler wiring harness. This will simplify installation by eliminating the need to cut off the factory power and speaker plugs.
If you think you have no interest in adding an integrated satellite radio system down the road, but are willing to spring for $370 for a unique head unit that allows you to upload your own images for the unit's front-panel display, take a look at JVC's KD-LH3150 AM/FM/CD, part of the company's high-impact Arsenal line. Not only does it feature MP3 playback, it also provides an AUX-in, great for inputting the audio from an external video source.