ok so i have set a price with a guy for a 1987 dodge power ram 4x4.

he wants $600 for the truck (which is pretty solid and runs strong) but its missing a lot of stuff (windshield wipers dont work, dash trim, door panels, air breather on engine, some gaskets, and other misc. stuff)
BUT he said today that the oil pressure fell and that it probably needed an oil pump or gasket. now originally he wanted $800 for the truck but since it needs oil pump he will drop it down to $600 and i could take care of it. is that a big deal and how much would it cost me with new parts? with junkyard parts?

also, the title isnt in his name, it was signed over to him but he never transferred names on it. he also said he never wrote his name on the buyer's spot so i could just write mine and put todays date. or i could pay 65 bucks for him to switch it to his name and then pay another 100 bucks to switch it to my name.

what do you guys think??
thanks!

 

I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole without proof that he can legally sell the truck since it is not in his name. If he is willing to sign the title over at the DMV and stand there while you get your legal title, I might consider it. Did you see that the truck had oil pressure before it suddenly dropped. When oil pumps fail they either slowly lose pressure or the fail totally. Sudden loses of part of the oil pressure don't point me towards the oil pump. The rest of the stuff is really low cost add ons you should be able to find in a junk yard or trouble shoot and repair.

 

he said he would go with me to the DMV.
yesterday i went there and it seemed fine, but today he told me that "i think the truck lost all oil pressure" which yesterday he didnt say anything about, so i think it might have been total failure. which would lead to what parts being replaced? any idea? thanks.

 

Ah, the 87 W150. I put 186,000 miles on mine before I sold it a year ago. It's still on the road. 600 for a solid one is not bad but you'll have to hunt down some of those interior,misc pieces in the boneyards.

Assuming that it has either a 318 or 360 small block, the oil pressure thing could mean a couple of things. A)that there is something seriously wrong with the motor - failing main bearings, ate an intake valve, extremely low cylinder compression, etc. Expensive. B)failing oil pump. Not too difficult to replace. Buy a new one, 50-100 bucks for an OEM replacement however a failing oil pump could be just the beginning of worse things - see A) above. C) faulty oil pressure switch (mounted on the top back of the motor). They do fail which will cause erratic or false oil pressure readings. Replace with new. Cheap fix.

 

well i am not sure if it is the false readings, because i don't know if he has an oil pressure guage. Most of the other guages and stuff don't work (speedometer, windshield wipers, some other guages?) so i don't know. i want an old dodge but i don't want one with a faulty p.o.s motor. oh and it's a 318

 

Yeah, that's a tough call. If the body is solid, a new motor can always be found and trim pieces gathered from a donor Ram but it depends on how long you want to be putting it all together, looking for parts, while not being able to drive and enjoy it. Unless it's a southern body, most of the well used 1st gen Rams end up being rot boxes but solid, comeplete ones do turn up occasionally for cheap bucks. Hec, I sold mine for 1350.00 and the body was solid, original paint, complete interior, everything worked and when it needed something, I would use NOS OEM parts from the dealer (although now most of those parts are unavailable unfortunately).

 

about the wipers there is 3 plactic pieces that has to be replaced.on my truck the pass did not work and had to buy the part and did it myself

 

yeah im just going to steer clear of this deal, this guy seems a mite shady for my taste. plus i dont want to be doing engine swaps and looking for parts for a year. and about the windshield wipers i think it need a new motor? i dont know but ill find another somewhere.

thanks for all of your help!

 

One of the first things I would look at in all of the non-operational items check the fuse box. As for the oil pressure situation, I would be curious how he determined the pressure dropped if he has no gauge. I know a lot of guys replace the electric, idiot gauge with a machanical gauge, if this is the case check to make sure the line running to it hasn't gotten pinched or broken somehow. Now if it still runs the electric gauge and it is possibly malfuntioning and you want to make sure one way or another and not really spend any money, and if the current owner is willing, pull a valve cover off and start the truck and let it idle. If you have oil flowing from the rocker arms then you have oil pressure, if not then you know for certian you have a bigger issue.

 

Ok so you posted while I was typing. If you search you'll find what you want, they are out there. Infact there is a guy parting out an 87 on craigs list in S.W. suburbs of chicago.