UPDATE: Joe Wagner's 2000 Dodge DakotaThere are two things you should know about Joe Wagner; he's a sales coach at StylinTrucks.com, and he owns the most badass Dodge Dakota in all of Ohio...probably. Last time we checked in with Joe, he had only owned the Dakota for a short while. The previous owner did a lot of suspension work to lower the truck, (even getting in an issue of Mini Truckin' magazine) but the body and interior left a lot to be desired. Joe was fast on his way upgrading, fixing, and changing almost everything about the truck. Fast forward two years and this Dakota is at a whole 'nother level!    Alakhazam! Joe took every major component of this truck and did a complete switcheroo. Beginning with the lighting, he added a Fire and Ice light bar to the rear, turned his rear cargo lights into LED turn signals and upgraded his interior with a Putco Universal LED Dome Light. He also added an Alert 2-way alarm system and remote start. Other interior upgrades include a set of Catch-All Premium Floor Mats and Cal Trend Tweed Seat Covers. Other tweed accents include custom embroidered door panel inserts, a custom tweed wrapped 12" speaker box and center console. He also wrapped the complete dash in charcoal tweed - a killer look. The truck already had a custom air suspension, but Joe has upgraded nearly every piece. The bags and brackets have been replaced with units from Air Ride Technologies, with two Viair 450 compressors and two Firestone 5-gallon tanks supplying the air. A Sanden 709 engine-driven compressor assists with air supply, especially when Joe blasts his Hadley Semitruck Horn. "These compressors work great together. I can be completely empty and my tanks'll be full within 2 minutes, which comes in handy because I really like to lay into the truck horn. It's a blast." (Ed. - Nice pun, Joe.) He also bolted on a set of Belltech Nitro Drop 2 shocks to keep the suspension under control. A major change to the truck was the addition of a raised, false bed floor to hide the suspension. Joe took some poor fool's bed floor and chopped it up to make his own. He then covered it with a nice coat of Herculiner. The whole bed is covered with a paint-matched hard tonneau cover. Other exterior mods include shaved door handles and tail lenses, a shaved tailgate handle and the addition of a black powdercoated billet grille. The Dakota rolls on a set of Limited 800 18" wheels with Kumho rubber.      
Awards: Aside from this daily-driver looking killer sitting in the parking lot, Joe's truck takes home trophies from plenty of area shows.
We want more Joe! Also, you can find him featured in our Herculiner Bed Liner product video. Related Links: |