need a tow vehicle/dialy driver at a good price

[sandmbmx88]

im looking at 96 and up dodge rams with around 100,000 miles on them. its not going to be towing all the time just maybe like 10 times a year my 3000 lb duster or whoever elses car.  I found out that the 1500's came with the 318 and had an option for the 360 4wd is not nessessary. is there a trans diffrence between the 1500 and the 2500? how good are they both for towing? can anyone give me a better suggestion?
thanks,
joe

[694spdRT]

Personally, I would look for an older 2wd 2500 cummins from that era if you want something with 100K on it. They are relatively affordable, get great mileage, will last forever, and will tow your car easily.  The 2500 diesel has a heavier transmission and I think the 360 was the standard engine in the 2500 series. I am not sure if the 360 got the heavier trans in the 2500 or not. I have heard a lot of stories about the automatic overdrives from any Dodge in that timeframe so that is something to watch for in higher mileage trucks.

[Todd Wilson]

Why 96 and up?  94-95 still had the RH tranmissions. A half ton 360 auto will pull your car just fine but a 2500 would be better suspension and brake wise. There are a lot of Cummins trucks out there now getting affordable if you shop around. Nothing wrong with the auto transmissions in that era of trucks. It was the driver NOT shutting OD off that destroyed transmissions.


Todd

[694spdRT]

It was the driver NOT shutting OD off that destroyed transmissions.

Todd

I agree they were not a bad tranny as it is basically a 727 with an OD unit on the back. The problem was drivers not using them properly and that is what you are often going to find with high mileage trucks. I did talk to the guy that builds our trannies and he said there is some type of cooling issue on them though. If was a realtively easy fix to do.

[Charger1973]

Man too bad you didnt ask about a month ago.  My buddy recently sold a nice 93 (i think) extended cab ram, it was the last year of the old body style.  It was 2wd and had the diesel engine...  Would have been good for you, it ran great and pulled a trailer like there was nothing behind him.  I think he got around 2k for it

[sandmbmx88]

yea id like to spend 5 or under i think. the reason i wanted a 1500 was because i have to drive the truck to school and around town. what do you think those diesel trucks get mpg wise? would anyone say that a cheby truck would be a better value for me?

[Todd Wilson]

And Older Cummins will get better MPG then any of the gas engines. For 5 grand you arent gonna find much out there though. Maybe a beat to piss 1st gen Cummins truck if you are lucky.


todd

[Charger1973]

Ive got a Ford id be willing to sell but its probably not what you are looking for.  Its an older truck.  A 1977 Ford F150, 2wd, 351 auto.  I havent done anything to it since I bought it, it sat for a couple years and ive been waiting for warm weather to tune it up and everything. It runs and drives but is not a daily driver at this point, has a gas leak from the fuel pump and its just been to cold to put a new one on.  Im not sure how well it would pull either being a F150.  Pretty sure its not what you want but thought id throw it out there cuz you never know.  

[694spdRT]

A '96 or newer Chevy is not really going to be any cheaper from the prices I see.

Here is my old 1991 W250 4 x 4 Cummins getting ready to plow last week. It has 250,000 miles on it, gets 20+mpg, and would beat my 2001 V10 on the hills pulling a trailer. They are more boxy and don't have all the creature comforts but, they are tough old trucks and I love them.

For $5,000 you might find an decent older(1994 and up) 2wd regular cab diesel. As already stated a diesel is going to get you better mileage than a 318 or 360. I don't really think they are any different to drive around town than a gasser. You might have to shut it off at the drive thru to order our food though.     

[sandmbmx88]

i found alot like this   

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=196670352&dealer_id=57497547&car_year=1995&search_type=both&make=DODGE&distance=0&model=RAM25002WD&address=60007&certified=&advanced=&max_price=6500&bkms=1140500202150&min_price=1&first_record=51&end_year=2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&pager.offset=50&lang=en&cardist=760

i dont think 180 is really that many miles for diesel is it?

[694spdRT]

My bet is the diesel will still be fine. The only problem is the rest of the truck still has 180,000 miles on it so you need to keep that in mind. Brakes, tranny, rear end, etc. may or may not be good. There are a few items on the diesel that may need attention like the fuel pump, injectors, and turbo with those kind of miles. It really depends on the truck and what maintenance has be performed through the years.

You can usually tell pretty easily when looking at older trucks which ones were taken care of and which were beat up.

[sandmbmx88]

yea i dont mind rebuilding suspension or rear ends or stuff like that., id prolly find a bigger turbo and boost controller for it anyways eventually.  I was thinking that getting more money together for a diesel might be the way to go because i live in chicago and might be able to make some money plowing....

[694spdRT]

You will need a 4 x 4 for plowing or a whole heck of a lot of weight in the back.    Plus, a good plow will add about $3K to your budget and if you do much plowing figure on a tranny every couple years. You would probably be farther ahead staying home and watching TV on snow days. 

[69charger2002]

you can buy my 1500 if you want. it is a 97, and i just bought a 2000 dually diesel. so i don't need it. gets 15mpg, pulls a car and trailer easily, and though the body has 192k, the motor wqas replaced at the dealership with a ma mopar crate 318 in 2002. has around 30k. engine is like new. body is in good shape. extended cab 2wd. i'd let it go for $3500
trav

[Telvis]

That aint a half bad deal.

[694spdRT]

 

A 30K 318 Magnum engine is probably worth a pretty penny on its own. Only problem is it is way too nice of a truck to rip the drivetrain out of for the Challenger. 

[sandmbmx88]

were are you located 69 charger 2002? that would leave me enough money to put a nice trans in it and maybe swap for a 3.55 gear or something if it doesnt already have it.

[PocketThunder]

He is in Gonzales, LA.  And he's a good guy.  Buy a one way plane ticket to Baton Rouge and drive it home!