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Perhaps you can find a Toyota Tacoma or a Nissan titan. Maybe a bit too expensive but either of these two trucks are Assembled by union labor in the good ol USA
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Cheap vehicle questions.
- Thread starter shotgunner11
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- 2,978
You should be able to find a good, older Dodge pickup with a 5.9 Cummins in that price range or real close..... if you take your time and look and wait for one.
If you can find one that has been treated right through the years it would be money well spent to get it. You are buying the engine really, if it checks out and the truck is half way decent..... jump on it.
Don't be afraid of 200,000 plus miles on it either.
I bought a 1993 model back in May 2006, it had 236.000 miles on it. It now has 282,000 on it. It doesn't burn any oil, gets between 20 & 22 MPG, and runs great. I gave $5100.oo for it.
All I have done to it besides general maintenance is replace the brushes in the alternator and replace the serpentine belt tensioner.
Find a good one and you will be ahead of the game.... IMO. :thumbup:
Rideshared (is that a word?) a 10 hour drive in a titan (each way), all on highways. Must have driven at least 8 hours- solid truck. Took me a little while to adjust to it, but very capable.
Zero
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- Nov 5, 2006
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- 868
I like Toyota and Nissan. But I had a Ford nothing but problems . I had a Gm co trunk was crap. But my New Gm is really nice. I would look at something that offers 0% finacing
Ah shoot. I just sold my F150 for five hundred bucks. 200,000 miles, 4x4, great engine but an untraced radiator leak somewhere. And the front quarter and door were smashed in. I'd of been happy to sell it to you for $5,000. 
Seriously, you should be able to find a mid-90s F150 in your price range or less. They're easy to work on; practically any shop could do it. Parts are readily available. The four-wheel-drive is pretty good if matched to some inexpensive all-terrain tires. And they're just the right size for an average person's trucking needs.
Have you searched AutoTrader?
If you want something a bit newer, the early-2000 F150 trucks are really common. Nice to drive and very reliable, but not as "manly" looking as the older or newer models. Probably can't buy a nice one with 4x4 for $5000 cash, but that'd be a heckuva down payment.
Good Luck!
Seriously, you should be able to find a mid-90s F150 in your price range or less. They're easy to work on; practically any shop could do it. Parts are readily available. The four-wheel-drive is pretty good if matched to some inexpensive all-terrain tires. And they're just the right size for an average person's trucking needs.
Have you searched AutoTrader?
If you want something a bit newer, the early-2000 F150 trucks are really common. Nice to drive and very reliable, but not as "manly" looking as the older or newer models. Probably can't buy a nice one with 4x4 for $5000 cash, but that'd be a heckuva down payment.
Good Luck!
tyr_shadowblade
Gold Member
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- Jan 3, 2006
- Messages
- 12,688
Jeep Cherokee & Grand Cherokee are problem vehicles. They break. A lot.
Ford makes lousy cars and SUVs, but the F-150 got great reviews.
Chevy S-10 got mixed reviews.
Dodge & GMC, not so good.
Nissan pathfinder is hit or miss -- some are great, some have electrical problems.
Toyota trucks are probably your best bet.
Ford makes lousy cars and SUVs, but the F-150 got great reviews.
Chevy S-10 got mixed reviews.
Dodge & GMC, not so good.
Nissan pathfinder is hit or miss -- some are great, some have electrical problems.
Toyota trucks are probably your best bet.
go for an older tundra. you may have to search for them and you may have to pay a little more than 5K for them but of the full size pickup line they have the less issues.
my dad has a 97 or 98 f150 4x4 with the 302 ( i think) and he has nothing but issues iwth it and he NEVER drives it. just replaced the rear end at 88k miles. brakes are bad even when brand new the 4x4 switch works when it wants to, etc etc... he is thinking of selling it and getting an older tundra since i have had NO issues (knock on wood) with my tacoma at 157k miles on her..great great trucks
my dad has a 97 or 98 f150 4x4 with the 302 ( i think) and he has nothing but issues iwth it and he NEVER drives it. just replaced the rear end at 88k miles. brakes are bad even when brand new the 4x4 switch works when it wants to, etc etc... he is thinking of selling it and getting an older tundra since i have had NO issues (knock on wood) with my tacoma at 157k miles on her..great great trucks
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2005
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- 7,809
Well, I'm not much of a follower......
The wife and I just drove around all morning looking at a bunch of different trucks. Didn't really drive many as I drive all different kinds of trucks for work. I know how they handle and drive and all that so I was just looking for something that was in decent shape with the lowest mileage I could find in my price range.
Looked at a bunch of F-150's, a Dodge, a few really beat Toyotas even a Land Rover.
Well, I came home with.......
Yea, I didn't listen at all.....
It's a '97, 4.0, 2wd but the kicker and the thing that made me buy it was it only has 87,000 miles.
Read a ton of reviews online, talked to alot of people and the general feel I got was that the Cherokee was the best of the Jeep offerings and that the 4.0 inline 6 was just about as bulletproof an engine as you can get. Not to mention that I was searching them online and found ALOT of them up over 250,000mi. and a few up over 300,000.
I realize that I'll be fixing other, smaller stuff but as long as the engine holds up for me I'm a happy man.
The final decision making factor is that I got it for $3000. Paid it outright, it's mine. If anything goes wrong, I can park it and go and get something else. It'll make a fantastic project truck someday when I have extra cash. Body is solid, there's no rust what so ever.
So, anyway, thank you all for your advice. I really did take it all into consideration but I took my own road like I always do.....
The wife and I just drove around all morning looking at a bunch of different trucks. Didn't really drive many as I drive all different kinds of trucks for work. I know how they handle and drive and all that so I was just looking for something that was in decent shape with the lowest mileage I could find in my price range.
Looked at a bunch of F-150's, a Dodge, a few really beat Toyotas even a Land Rover.
Well, I came home with.......
Yea, I didn't listen at all.....
It's a '97, 4.0, 2wd but the kicker and the thing that made me buy it was it only has 87,000 miles.
Read a ton of reviews online, talked to alot of people and the general feel I got was that the Cherokee was the best of the Jeep offerings and that the 4.0 inline 6 was just about as bulletproof an engine as you can get. Not to mention that I was searching them online and found ALOT of them up over 250,000mi. and a few up over 300,000.
I realize that I'll be fixing other, smaller stuff but as long as the engine holds up for me I'm a happy man.
The final decision making factor is that I got it for $3000. Paid it outright, it's mine. If anything goes wrong, I can park it and go and get something else. It'll make a fantastic project truck someday when I have extra cash. Body is solid, there's no rust what so ever.
So, anyway, thank you all for your advice. I really did take it all into consideration but I took my own road like I always do.....
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2005
- Messages
- 7,809
Well.......
She's history. I'm back in the running.
I found an old bill of sale in the glovebox for my Jeep and it was last registered at 140,000miles. The "dealer" had replaced the gauge cluster to lower the miles.
I called him first thing this morning and literally brought him to tears on the phone explaining to him what exactly would happen to him if I wasn't refunded my money immediately and the mileage changed back.
I now have a package ready to go to the district attorney if and when needed and my canceled check in hand for my purchace price plus gas and labor (I spent most of the weekend detailing the truck and repainting the bumpers and wheels).
Back to Autotrader I go......
Here she was after a full days work.
Really liked that truck but who knows how many miles were really on it, could have been 300,000 for all I know.
She's history. I'm back in the running.
I found an old bill of sale in the glovebox for my Jeep and it was last registered at 140,000miles. The "dealer" had replaced the gauge cluster to lower the miles.
I called him first thing this morning and literally brought him to tears on the phone explaining to him what exactly would happen to him if I wasn't refunded my money immediately and the mileage changed back.
I now have a package ready to go to the district attorney if and when needed and my canceled check in hand for my purchace price plus gas and labor (I spent most of the weekend detailing the truck and repainting the bumpers and wheels).
Back to Autotrader I go......
Here she was after a full days work.
Really liked that truck but who knows how many miles were really on it, could have been 300,000 for all I know.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2005
- Messages
- 7,809
Well, you know Hoop, tampering with the odometer is a federal felony punishable with pretty massive fines and up to 18 months in a federal prison.
The dealer in question, while being a scumbag in this particular instance, is very new to the game (opened the doors in Feb.) and honestly seems like a decent person. He was in tears on the phone when I explained the possible penalties. Never tried to feed me excuses and was more than willing to take the wrap on the entire thing, completely denying that anyone but himself and his brother in law were to blame. He never argued with me on it, refunded my money plus without a blink and accepted that I would be back without notice to check that the odometer in the Jeep in question was fixed.
Now according to the sheriffs deputy that I spoke with last night, I don't have any legal recourse until that check that I wrote to him was cleared and money had acually changed hands. I canceled the check before he had a chance to cash it.
So this one is kind of on me. I plan on holding this over his head for awhile. I'll be stopping in there from time to time. He's completely afraid of me at this point. My reserve is that he has a 15month old at home. I don't know how good I would feel about myself putting this guy in jail over that and leaving a child fatherless for 18 months.
Yea, I know, taking the law into my own hands....yada, yada, yada....
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2007
- Messages
- 1,607
I like my Xterra, so that might be a good choice for you. I have a 2004 XE that I bought new for about 25% off MSRP because it was the previous model year. Only 13 miles on it, which made me happy. I was never under the value of it, so that was nice.
I've never had to do anything to it other than basic maintenance. Everything has held up well and it still gets the same mileage as the day I bought it. I did have an electrical issue earlier this year, but that was thanks to a crappy Uhaul hitch install, not the factory.
My only complaint about it is the leg room. I am 5'11", 185 lbs, so not particularly huge, but I do like a gangster amount of leg room. My legs do not hit anything, so it's not a big complaint, I just can't stretch out like in some old sedans I have driven.
I've never had to do anything to it other than basic maintenance. Everything has held up well and it still gets the same mileage as the day I bought it. I did have an electrical issue earlier this year, but that was thanks to a crappy Uhaul hitch install, not the factory.
My only complaint about it is the leg room. I am 5'11", 185 lbs, so not particularly huge, but I do like a gangster amount of leg room. My legs do not hit anything, so it's not a big complaint, I just can't stretch out like in some old sedans I have driven.
Well, regardless of the mileage issue, that jeep was in pretty good condition.
We used Jeep Cherokee Sports, early-mid-90s models, extensively when I worked as an archaeologist. Yep they had plenty of repairs, but few other vehicles have that level of traction. There are always trade-offs: price / durability / reliability / design...
My favorites Cherokees were the models with the straight-six engine matched to a five-speed manual transmission. Those aren't very common though. I also preferred the two-door models - the front door was a bit larger on those as I recall, and the back seats weren't worth a crap anyway since they were so low to the floor. The Troopers were much more comfortable and maybe a sliver more reliable, but they would get stuck if you looked at them funny.
We used Jeep Cherokee Sports, early-mid-90s models, extensively when I worked as an archaeologist. Yep they had plenty of repairs, but few other vehicles have that level of traction. There are always trade-offs: price / durability / reliability / design...
My favorites Cherokees were the models with the straight-six engine matched to a five-speed manual transmission. Those aren't very common though. I also preferred the two-door models - the front door was a bit larger on those as I recall, and the back seats weren't worth a crap anyway since they were so low to the floor. The Troopers were much more comfortable and maybe a sliver more reliable, but they would get stuck if you looked at them funny.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,355
(jumped to post here)
You CANNOT go wrong with a 4.0 period......... I had an '88 camanche for years couldn't break it if I tried, and I tried.....
had 190K when I sold it to my bro, who in turn got it ripped off..
loved that truck..
the thing is regardless of how reliable things (appear) to be anything can be thrown in the mix, I've had about 5 toyota's one was a brand new '98tacoma the thing was a lemon from the start.. dumped it.. 2 others had issues as well....
If you like the jeep cherokee I say go for it, and shop it out you can get the 4x4 and you should have cash left over....
I'd love to have one myself........
You CANNOT go wrong with a 4.0 period......... I had an '88 camanche for years couldn't break it if I tried, and I tried.....
had 190K when I sold it to my bro, who in turn got it ripped off..
loved that truck..
the thing is regardless of how reliable things (appear) to be anything can be thrown in the mix, I've had about 5 toyota's one was a brand new '98tacoma the thing was a lemon from the start.. dumped it.. 2 others had issues as well....
If you like the jeep cherokee I say go for it, and shop it out you can get the 4x4 and you should have cash left over....
I'd love to have one myself........
Well, I'm not much of a follower......
The wife and I just drove around all morning looking at a bunch of different trucks. Didn't really drive many as I drive all different kinds of trucks for work. I know how they handle and drive and all that so I was just looking for something that was in decent shape with the lowest mileage I could find in my price range.
Looked at a bunch of F-150's, a Dodge, a few really beat Toyotas even a Land Rover.
Well, I came home with.......
Yea, I didn't listen at all.....
It's a '97, 4.0, 2wd but the kicker and the thing that made me buy it was it only has 87,000 miles.
Read a ton of reviews online, talked to alot of people and the general feel I got was that the Cherokee was the best of the Jeep offerings and that the 4.0 inline 6 was just about as bulletproof an engine as you can get. Not to mention that I was searching them online and found ALOT of them up over 250,000mi. and a few up over 300,000.
I realize that I'll be fixing other, smaller stuff but as long as the engine holds up for me I'm a happy man.
The final decision making factor is that I got it for $3000. Paid it outright, it's mine. If anything goes wrong, I can park it and go and get something else. It'll make a fantastic project truck someday when I have extra cash. Body is solid, there's no rust what so ever.
So, anyway, thank you all for your advice. I really did take it all into consideration but I took my own road like I always do.....
hope yer a good shade tree mechanic
... good buy through, really. for 3K and 87k miles.. not bad.. the 4.0 is the best thing dodge / chrystler ever developed. why they got rid of it i dont know. i put mine through hell and back and as long as you change the oil regularly it will last longer than you. now that you bougt that. i would change ALL fluids. esp tranny (flush that puppy you will thank me later).. this way you start fresh. you have to take care of that tranny. its hell on tranny fluid and the fluid will shear and go bad quickly so every 30k get her flushed or prepare to buy a new tranny in a year or so.... hell i would almost find a good synthetic tranny fluid (amsoil) and use that. it will hold up a lot longer.
EDIT: just read about the odo being tampered with.. i would still send that to the DA regardless of what he gives you back. thats just wrong. he knew better and should be punished for this. no telling how many he has sold / ripped off... you know damn well he will do it again once you are out of the picture.
either way good luck to you. sorry this happened.
- Joined
- May 16, 2006
- Messages
- 174
Dodge and Chrysler didnt develop the 4.0. AMC did.
Last edited:
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- Nov 9, 2005
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- 2,714
I own a dodge 1500 1999. It has 165,000 miles on it. I had to replace the transmission. The radiator. The alternator and the water pump. But what do you expect in a truck with that kind of mileage? I used it for construction as was not nice to it. I still have it today and I am not giving it up. Runs like a champ. I have put over 100,000 miles on it my self. Also since I bought it I have been pulling a big cargo trailer with two axels and electric brakes. There is only one thing I do not like about it. I have the king cab so I only got a 6 foot bed. I really wanted an 8 foot bed but could not find one so I bought this one instead. Oh well.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,355
shotgunner,
sorry man I jumped to post, didn't realize you already bought something and had such a hang up.. that sux..
don't let this bum you out about the jeep thang, they rock... do yourself a favor if someone refuses to give you a carfax on their dime DON'T buy it... !! if they have nothing to hide its no biggie for them.. although carfax has flaws as anything does, its better then nothing..
NOTHING ever happened to the motor on my jeep, and did you know that a 4.0 HO with a turbo kit will smoke a stock vet?? '88 stock vet and an '88 jeep camanche with turbo kit raced 1/4mile the truck smoked him 3 times.. it was in a magazine back then.. they're bullet proof, if it were me I'd get a jeep, be patient the right one will come around, besides, dude you have CASH......!!!
cya
sorry man I jumped to post, didn't realize you already bought something and had such a hang up.. that sux..
don't let this bum you out about the jeep thang, they rock... do yourself a favor if someone refuses to give you a carfax on their dime DON'T buy it... !! if they have nothing to hide its no biggie for them.. although carfax has flaws as anything does, its better then nothing..
NOTHING ever happened to the motor on my jeep, and did you know that a 4.0 HO with a turbo kit will smoke a stock vet?? '88 stock vet and an '88 jeep camanche with turbo kit raced 1/4mile the truck smoked him 3 times.. it was in a magazine back then.. they're bullet proof, if it were me I'd get a jeep, be patient the right one will come around, besides, dude you have CASH......!!!
cya