1999 Dodge Dakota R/T Sport

1999 Dodge Dakota R/T 5.9 — Rare Shaker Hood, Rumble Bee Edition, 360 Magnum V8

Why This Car Is Special

The 1999 Dodge Dakota R/T is one of the more interesting performance trucks to come out of the late 1990s, and this particular example takes it a step further with a rare shaker hood setup and a Rumble Bee Edition package — two features that put it in a category well above the standard R/T. To understand why this truck matters, a little context helps.

Dodge introduced the Dakota R/T in 1998 as a direct response to the muscle truck movement that had gained serious momentum during that decade. The concept was straightforward: take the compact Dakota platform, drop in the 5.9L 360 Magnum V8 from the full-size Ram lineup, lower the suspension, add four-wheel disc brakes, and wrap it in sport-specific trim. The result was a rear-wheel-drive, two-door pickup that could run the quarter mile in the low-to-mid 14-second range depending on conditions — faster than many sport coupes of the same era. It was the only compact pickup on the market at the time offering a 360 cubic inch V8 as a factory option, which gave Dodge a genuine performance credential in a segment that was otherwise all show and no go.

The Rumble Bee name, used here as an edition designation, draws on the classic Dodge Super Bee heritage — a nameplate that dates back to 1968 and was always about maximum performance at an accessible price point. Pairing that heritage with the Dakota R/T formula created a truck with a clear identity: it's not a work truck, it's not a daily hauler dressed up with a body kit. It's a purpose-built performance vehicle that happens to have a bed.

The shaker hood on this truck is the feature that separates it from the rest of the 1999 Dodge Dakota R/T population. The shaker scoop draws a direct visual and functional line back to the muscle car era — specifically to the 1969-1970 Dodge and Plymouth performance cars that used functional shaker scoops mounted directly to the engine's air cleaner assembly so that the scoop moved with the engine, independent of the hood. On this Dakota, that same principle is applied: the scoop protrudes through the hood and is connected to the engine rather than the body, meaning it visibly shakes with engine movement at idle. It is a rare and period-correct performance statement on a late-1990s truck, and it is not something you find on most surviving Dakota R/T examples.

The VIN on this truck decodes to a two-wheel-drive, regular-cab configuration with a 6.5-foot bed — the correct platform for the R/T, which was not offered in four-wheel-drive or extended cab configurations during this generation. That keeps the weight down and the rear-wheel-drive dynamics honest.

Features List

- 5.9L 360 Magnum V8 engine
- 4-Speed automatic transmission
- Rumble Bee Edition package
- Rare functional shaker hood
- Dakota 5.9 R/T exterior decals
- Factory hood scoop
- Factory alloy wheels, 17-inch
- Four-wheel disc brakes (front and rear)
- Dual exhaust
- Toyo performance tires
- Mopar Magnum 360 engine dress cover
- Factory air conditioning
- Cruise control with steering wheel controls
- Tachometer
- 120 mph speedometer
- Power windows and power locks
- Power steering and power brakes
- Reclining bucket seats with integrated armrests
- Floor console with cupholder
- R/T floor mats
- Overhead console
- Rear sliding window
- Tinted rear glass
- Factory sport mirrors
- Front fog lamps
- Hood pins
- Bed mat
- Roll pan
- Receiver hitch
- Aftermarket Pioneer stereo
- Clean undercarriage

Mechanical

The heart of the 1999 Dodge Dakota R/T is the 5.9L 360 Magnum V8, a pushrod engine displacing 360 cubic inches that Dodge had been refining since the early 1990s. In Dakota R/T trim, the 360 Magnum was rated at 250 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers look modest by today's standards, but in a truck that weighs considerably less than a full-size Ram, the power-to-weight ratio is genuinely effective. The