Should I buy another Truck?

David Stifle

David Stifle

Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
10,188
I'd like your thoughts, guys. I have a Dodge Ram 1500 regular cab short bed with 150,000 miles on it, and it still runs fine. It does have some rust, especially at the bottom of the drivers door. But, I figure I can easily get another 100K out of it.

However, a guy I know has a Dodge Ram 1500 regular cab long bed, with 51K on it. It is in absolutely beautiful condition, almost like new.It's been garaged for it's entire life. In fact, I'd say it would be in like new condition, except it has a few stains on the carpet. The blue bood value is $6700., and it's possible I could get it for around $6K or less. (He's got two daughters starting college).

I don't need two trucks, but have you ever been torn by a deal that's almost too good to pass up? My wife says it's up to me, and ...well, what do you guys say???
 
I would say buy it. I am a hoarder of vehicles though. I once had four trucks, two stayed at my parents cause they would not fit in our driveway.
Go for it.
 
Thanks, Chris. It is a Nice truck, I'm really tempted. Old trucks in this condition don't come around too often.
 
Buy the new one sell your old one and upgrade for about 3K.No Brainer.

Stan
 
I currently have a '01 Ram with 136,000 miles and still love it. Bought it a year old. Four inch lift, 35" tires and some other goodies later it has not let me down.
 
SBuzek said:
Buy the new one sell your old one and upgrade for about 3K.No Brainer.

Stan
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Stan, nah no way would I sell my old truck, just couldn't do it. But I'm only kidding myself, I guess, as I'm pretty darned sure I'm going to give the guy an offer.
 
I would. Way I look at it is the rust will continue unless you fix it which is expensive usually. Another aspect is I am sure it runs great now but look at the maintenance for things that will start going out at 150k vs a truck with 50k miles on it. The motor may feel like it will last another 100k but to be honest gas truck motors, good ones, sseem to average about 200k before you need to think about rebuilding it.

Now that being said my dads old truck (gasser 351 ford 350 flatbed dually) we rebuilt the motor twice each at 200k miles and finally sold it at 550k miles. It didnt have any rust to speak of though. I guess it depends on how much money you wanna put into it and your ability to do maintenance for more indepth stuff.

Ill go with Stan on this one.
 
I have a dodge P/U 1500 1999 quad cab and it has about 180,000 miles on it. I would not trade it in or sale it unless I came into a very large bunch of money. I would look for a quad cab one. Believe me you will use the quad cab a heck of a lot.
 
Keep the old truck and buy the other truck. The reality is that any vehicle that is driven on roads where salt is used during winter months need a good rust proofing program. It get mine rust proofed each year, its a 94 F150 which sits outside all the time and only gets washed 4 times a year. There is no rust at all on it, all the lines, tanks etc look new like is was driven off the lot.
 
Bufford said:
Keep the old truck and buy the other truck. The reality is that any vehicle that is driven on roads where salt is used during winter months need a good rust proofing program. It get mine rust proofed each year, its a 94 F150 which sits outside all the time and only gets washed 4 times a year. There is no rust at all on it, all the lines, tanks etc look new like is was driven off the lot.
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What kind of rustproofing do you use? Since mine does have rust, isn't it too late to apply rustproofing?
 
Never too late to rust proof, as treatment will stop the rust from going any further. Any rust will absorb the oils and hold it like a sponge effectively killing it. I go to Rust Check and get their annual oil spray applied each year and have been doing it each fall since I bought the 94 new. First trip I took with it was from the ford dealership to Rust check for treatment. Krown is another good rustproofing company, I don't know if they operate shops south of the boarder. I am sure there are other companies that use the annual spray method, but this is by far the most reliable and cheap ways to stop rust. Replacing lines, tanks and body work is expensive, and given the cost of replacing a vehicle rust proofing is cheap.

Working on a vehicle that has been rustproofed is much easier, bolts will remain at their factory torque settings, everything is perpetually lubricated and there are no corroded bolts/parts to deal with other than exhaust system which cannot be rust proofed due its high temperatures.

Just as building exteriors need protection from the elements, so do vehicles, the paint and metal are very thin and it takes little to start corroding.
 
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I wouldn't buy that truck, only because the truck you own you know what work has been done to it, and what needs maintenance . New truck may keen new problems? I know it's low milage, but it happens. If you where to sell your current truck, that's fine, but I find selling vehicle to be a pain in the arsh. Nobody want to pay the amount you want, you get low balled, and beat up on prices, bunch of bogus calls, wasting your time looking at it. It's frustrating to me in less you sell to some dealer or professional, then you really will get beat up on price.

If it were me, right now, I would keep this truck, put a nice stereo system in it, if you don't have all ready, get the rust fixed , if it bothers you, and buy a nice knife.....
Wallah
 
Krav said:
I wouldn't buy that truck, only because the truck you own you know what work has been done to it, and what needs maintenance . New truck may keen new problems? I know it's low milage, but it happens. If you where to sell your current truck, that's fine, but I find selling vehicle to be a pain in the arsh. Nobody want to pay the amount you want, you get low balled, and beat up on prices, bunch of bogus calls, wasting your time looking at it. It's frustrating to me in less you sell to some dealer or professional, then you really will get beat up on price.

If it were me, right now, I would keep this truck, put a nice stereo system in it, if you don't have all ready, get the rust fixed , if it bothers you, and buy a nice knife.....


Wallah
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We were not able to agree on a price. He took the blue book value as a starting point, and we ended up over $850. apart. I don't mind really. I was looking for a deal, and he was looking for the max. I like my old truck, I've kept it religiously maintained, and the rust can be fixed. Even if it's true that I can only get another 50K out of the engine, as Quint mentioned, that will still take me another five or six years. By that time, I'll be seventy or older, and I'll probably get myself a nice little SUV.
 
Plus who knows you may get more. That old truck I was talking about pulled alot of horse trailers and full loads of firewood all over the place. Many many trips between California and Wyoming so we were usually happy to get 200000 out of a motor.
 
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