My 1st Dakota was a 90. V6 5 speed OD, limited slip 3:55 rear gear, 2 wheel drive. I liked it so well I put an old car body on top of the chassis.
In 91 when Dodge added the V8 to the lineup, they had to curve the front bumper to gain the extra couple of inches the V8 needed over the V6. The curves nose was acceptable, but I sure liked the straight front bumper better. The redesign in 97 killed the Dakota's unique look as far as I was concerned, and that was before we knew the fact the quality also went down the crapper.
Yeah, 1991 was first year 5.2 LA TBI on those trucks. They curved the front to clear for a better cooling system compared to the 1989 Shelby Dakotas. I myself prefer the 1987 to 1990 front end. 1997-2004 Dakota is subjective and don't mind the styling. I'm not a fan of the 2005-2011 Dakota with regards to styling and other things.
