Would you buy it?

[cmjust0]

I'm looking to buy a decent old work truck, but I'm not looking for payments. That's code for "cheap." :lol: I put about 22-25K mi/yr on vehicles, so it needs to have some life left in it. I found one that might fit the bill, but I'd like some input.

1991 Dodge Ram 250, Cummins Diesel, 5spd, 4wd, 137K miles, G/N hitch. Ad says "need to sell!" and the guy's asking $3750.

Sound like a decent truck, or am I about to get hurt?

 

[flaboy-]

If it starts, runs good, and drives decent, I would think it would be an ok deal and I'm a Ford guy. Maybe some of the old Dodgers on here can give more input on this model though.

 

[cfpinz]

That doesn't sound like a bad deal to me, if the mileage is right that motor has a lot of life left in it, assuming the rest of the truck can keep up. If you drive that much, I'd want a higher rear end for mileage, but that's personal preference. Show up with 30 hundred dollar bills, cash talks.

cfpinz

 

[Cabo]

I'm looking to buy a decent old work truck, but I'm not looking for payments. That's code for "cheap." :lol: I put about 22-25K mi/yr on vehicles, so it needs to have some life left in it. I found one that might fit the bill, but I'd like some input.

1991 Dodge Ram 250, Cummins Diesel, 5spd, 4wd, 137K miles, G/N hitch. Ad says "need to sell!" and the guy's asking $3750.

Sound like a decent truck, or am I about to get hurt?

I bought one about like that one but it had 225K on it, I have pulled it hard with big trailer and that Cummins just keeps purring. I say go for it!

 

[cmjust0]

It's already sold. This makes three times I've let a good deal on a good truck get past me...

The first was a '92 F250, 4x4, 7.3L, 5spd w/ somewhere around 150K miles, asking price of $2,000..

The second was an '86 F150, 300-6, 4spd manual, 4x4 with a good heavy flatbed and just over 100K miles that I missed at a farm auction.. The auctioneer selling the household goods just decided he'd go on and sell it because it was parked near the house and he was running out of stuff.. :roll: His audience was about 90% female and 90 years old, so he probably had to pull teeth (or dentures) to get the $600 it brought.

And now this..

I'll tell ya, when I finally do find one, it better be something really special to make up for all this aggravation. :lol:

 

[EKUgrad]

Nope, sounds like a horrible deal to me. As a matter of fact, perhaps you should tell me where you saw that ad so that I can go straighten that guy out....

Seriously, though, that is a smokin' deal if there is no major problems with the truck. If you plan on putting that many miles on it / year, a first gen Dodge is probably not the first thing that I would be looking for. The motor is good -- weak by today's standards, but they can be tuned up some rather easily. They will jar your teeth right out of your head if you plan on driving it that much. I would seriously consider trying to find a newer model, even if you have to give more for it or it has higher miles. Low miles is not always good -- actually, it can be much worse than high miles.

Good luck, and PM me if you decide to look elsewhere. I need an old truck so that I don't beat mine up so bad all of the time.

 

[EKUgrad]

sorry... got so excited after reading the first post that I did not see where it had already sold.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Ugh, that was a screaming deal. 137K miles on that engine is just barely broke in. If you find another one, count on the front end needing to be rebuilt with those kind of miles. To have it done in a shop will be around $1000. And if you should buy one, overfill the trans by 1 quart of oil. The fill plug on the Getrags was too low for the orientation of the trans in the truck and fifth gear could give some trouble.

To give you a point of reference, a 1991 Dodge 250 Reg Cab in nice shape (strong engine, decent body, good front end) up here will sell for $8000 (Around $7K US. A little less if it wasn't the intercooled version. Half way through 91, they switched to intercooled). You can't beat those old 1st gen Dodges as work trucks. As was mentioned, they ride like lumber wagons, but there simply wasn't anything tougher built.

As a side note, should you find a 1991 non-intercooled, you can install the intercooler from a late build 91, and end up with more ponies than a 1994. The early build 91's used a bigger injector, and they responded very well to intercooling.

Rod

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Thats too bad, would have been a good buy

 

[Muratic]

Around here, the engine alone is worth what they were asking for the truck.

 

[Susie David]

What's the guy's number?
That engine is barely broke in and if the fenders have some metal left in them it's a deal.
Definately worth a test drive...be sure to have a pocket full of green folding dollars when you go look at it...(blue if you're Cannuck) and a someone to drive your present rig home for you.
Just my two bits worth Dmc