note:
this post has no meaning or contributing value to anyone. Just me flapping my gums here.

YEP! I must be totaly insane.
I just figured out how much money I have spent on pickup trucks
in the past 15 months.

Long story short, Bought a 1998 F150 XL ext. cab.
Was told it was a farm truck ( had the snot beat out of it! )
and was told the 14,000 miles showing on the odometer were
correct. No way. I installed new Mass Air Flow sensor, throttle position sensor, 1 new O2 sensor, found out the front end was wore slap out and then the transmission puked on it. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

So then came the 1988 Jeep Comanche pickup.
Had been sitting for over 5 years in a barn, but only showed 114k
on the odometer and overall looked fairly good. Then came the LONG list
of repair and tow bills. Water pump, fuel pump (electric in tank), 6 new injectors, new distributor, wires, plugs, coil, fuel pressure regulator, fuel rail (fuel rail from salvage yard) 4 new tires, steering shock dampener. all new brakes. Not just pads. Were talking calipers, rotors, rear drums, rear wheel cylinders, master cylinder, 4 new lines, ALL of it!
Got the Jeep in really good shape, but had both a want and a need for a larger truck.
So I traded it off for a 1996 Ram 1500 Extended Cab 4x4, 162,000 miles,
318 w. 5-Speed manual trans, everything works on it. Drives like a new truck. Looks about a 7 out of 10 outside (has a few small dents and had been repainted some years ago)
Here is how I figure I have "$12,000" in this almost 20 year old Ram:

JEEP COMANCHE CURRENT COST:
$1600 TRUCK
$375 TIRES
$800 BARCROFT REPAR
$600 O'REILLYS PARTS
$150 SEAT
TOTAL INVESTED IN JEEP: $3,525
-----------------------------------------------------------> TRADE IN VALUE: $1,000

'98 F150 CURRENT COST:
$4700 TRUCK
$550 TIRES
$200 O'Reilly Auto Parts, MISC.
$ 20 TRILER WIRE HARNESS
TOTAL INVESTED IN F150: $5,470.00
----------------------------------------------------------> SALVAGE VALUE: $1,000

1996 RAM 1500 4X4: $4,000
PARTS, TIRES, SERVICE, RECONDITIONING: $1,000
LESS JEEP TRADE: - $1,000
LESS SALVAGE F150 - $1,000

"ROLLED OVER" INTO RAM 4X4 TOTAL RAM INVESTMENT: $11,995.00 !

wow some of the crazy things I do!!!

 

Oh, and the RAM has a 4" Rough Country suspension lift and 35x12.50x17 tires on it, if that matters. With 2 new 35x12.50x17 Kumho All Terrains on the way here to be installed.

 

Do you still have the jeep, and the ford? Or did you indeed trade them off?

 

And worth every penny?

 

the dealer already has the Ford. I got to keep the new 255/70/16 tires off of the Ford. They have their own wrecker, so they picked it up from the back yard. They needed the good running 4.6L V8 for an Eddie Bauer 4x4 they had at another lot with a blown motor. The Jeep is still in my driveway and the Ram is in the lot's shop. They are installing a new heater core, and whatever in the dash makes the air flow change from defrost to front vent to footwell. But the deal is done.

 

Worth every penny? Well. Actually. As strange as it may sound. Yes.
Look at it this way: A new V8 4X4 Auto extended cab SLT (has to be automatic because new gas V8 Rams do not even offer a Manual trans anymore!!! :-/ ) is something like well over $30,000. Good for 300,000 miles, with some repairs along the way.
Now, Yes, this truck is old news, but body & frame are solid as new.
Lets say I have to rebuild the engine. Big deal. It is a 318. I have rebuilt 4 Chebby's, one ford 302, and one Deutz BF6L913C turbo Diesel. If I have to pull & rebuild this 318 at some point, with $2000 worth of goodies, it would be a heck of a motor!
So add in a clutch, and a few front end parts and over the next 10 years and $15,000 that only works out to $1,500 per year ownership (before fuel/tires/etc.)
NOW, lets say I bought a new 2015 Ram like equipped. Would have to make payments on it. I am not rich enough to pay cash for a new one. So looking at payments of $486 per month, the first 6 years of ownership would cost me $5,832 PER YEAR! 0_0
Lets say I was wealthy. And I could pay cash for this NEW Ram.
in 10 years, going by past Rams avg. resale value and 100,000 miles ( I drive about 10k/yr) the new RAM, by then, would be worth about $14,000 if sold.
35k - 14k = $21k depretiation over the 10 year period. Or $2,100 per year ownership (before fuel/tires/etc.) Of course, then there are other variables. Like, I would have to carry full coverage insurance on a new truck, and just Liability only on this old one.
If I were to get a Wal-Mart buggy ding or big scratch from actually using the truck , , for a truck, , on the new Ram it would bother me. On this used one, heck, it would just blend right in. LOL So, YEAH. I kinda Do think it is worth it.
This logic applies to any decent used truck someone buys, and provides a sound financial basis of convincing the wife why you have $12k in a 3/4 restored 20 year old Dodge! HAHAHAHA!

 

I like your thinking, and I'm right there with you... that's why I'll happily put money into my '98 RAM, as needed.

 

Cars are not an investment...




there ya go.

 

My wife has a '13 Dart... it is costing us a $300/month payment.
Whilst I will on occasion shell out more than $300 on something for my truck, I am not even close to a $300/month average, and a new truck payment would be a whole lot more than that.

 

Well, I have gone against my own logic. Sadly.
The 1996 " Black Beast " would not pull my 23 ft. camper
worth a flip. Think several things were at fault there.
Namely, 170xxx miles on it and the 35" tires.
Just not enough grunt. :-/
I was just before sapping the engine out to a good 'ol 360 and was
also going to swap the axles out to 4.10's. Then I had a nibble on a for sale ad I had posted on it that turned into a really good sale for me.
Made ALL my money back, PLUS a Remington Model 7 .308 rifle with a
Weaver 4X scope on it. :-D
.
BUT.
.
THEN.............
.
I went to the RAM dealership.
.
Oh Lord.
.
It, , , , it's just so, , , , , RED!
And, , , , , 4 doors!!!
It NEEDS me. Hmmmm. Will it pull my camper, lets look at the window
sticker and see.
395HP HEMI. Check. 3.93 Posi Trac axles! Check! 4x4! CHECK!
WRITE A REALLY BIG CHECK! 0_0
.
.
So, after a "OK" phone call with the wifeeeeee, a 2015 RAM 1500 Express
Quad Cab 4X4 Hemi 6 sped ( auto :-/ ) sits in my drive.
And I am $35,280 poorer.
BUT, it has a lifetime powertrain warranty. FREE!
$100 deductible. That's it. I read the fine print top to bottom something like 5 times looking for a clause. Nope. It's legit.
I have the dealership do all my service work per as the maintenance schedule requires, and that is it. No biggy, as I am getting to cantankerous to go crawling under trucks to work on them anymore.
lol
.
.
Ohhhhhh. The things I do in the name of Camping. :-D
.
Oh, and it is also my daily driver work truck as well. ( Self Employed so I get to write off $0.57 per mile while " on duty " )
.
toodles!