hmm.. didnt know there was a truck version of the tempo, i'll have to check that one out.. meanwhile, lets all ignore the topic of the thread!

 

Well I just don't get your reasoning. You want gas mileage. Why would you look at a truck?

 

Well, the steering rack is a pretty cheap fix if you are mechanically inclined and have the tools and space to do it. If you are going to have to pay someone to do it, then it isn't going to be cheap at all.

For $1000 plus the cost of making the truck drivable (since I consider steering to be essential, I am looking at this as a "it must be done" repair), I think you could do better. Especially if you are concerned about gas mileage as well. And, I don't necessarily think that 130,000 miles on a 4 banger truck is really all that low mileage.

To me, it just sounds like there are too many known problems for the thing to be worth spending a grand on. For everything that is known, you have to figure something unknown is likely to pop up as well.

My '99 V8 with 165,000 and four wheel drive would probably only fetch about $3000. It has no mechanical issues at all, minor cosmetic issues (read - rust on the front fenders that is starting to bubble the paint), decent tires, and a spotless interior. I am not sure the truck you are looking at is worth the $2000 or so it is likely to cost you.

 

I say pass on it with 1,000 plus money you are going to have to put into it I dont think its worth it around me there are some nice dakota going for 2-3,000 its pretty bad mine is like 90% perfect and im only getting offers on it for 3-4,000 thats with 86,000 miles and v8. You looking for mpg and a 4cyl dakota is not the thing u want

 

seriously, have you even read my thread? you start off by saying its a 3.9l, which nowhere in my post did it even imply i had it, and then you go off and say since i want decent gas mileage i shouldnt get a truck? are you serious kid? if you can't read, please stop posting, at least in my thread.

i didnt come here to ask if you guys think i should get a truck or car. if i did i would've named my title "should i get a truck or car?" I asked if it was a decent buy.

i am in a good mood and usually dont type long posts to people that **** me off, but you and the 2 others take the cake..

i should be able to pick up a power steering pump for cheap and while not experienced in cars i think im smart enough to install it. until then im a big boy and can drive without a steering assist .

yeah it has a lot of problems, but at least i know the guy and know for a fact he wouldnt lie to me to make a buck, so if there was anything else wrong with it he would tell me.

i don't plan on spending $2000. right now i have $300 and just started my job, so i really need transportation and i dont know many dealerships that sell for $300 down payment with no credit(while also being 17).

I'm planning on buying it, paying it off, and saving up 4-5k for a vehicle i can be proud of. Who knows, if i am so inclined i might fix it up and sell it for a profit.

for a running vehicle that has no major defects and not high mileage, i would think 1000 would be ok since it usually gets 3000+ offers. like i said in my earlier post, the main reason im getting this is because he is probably selling it to me with payments.. its either this, or wait a month and buy a ****ty car from a car mart with jacked up interest rates and ridiculous insurance.

23mpg isnt that bad for a truck, i mean i was only getting high 20's with my 2.2l camry and it had like a 14s 0-60 lol.

 

Well I guess at your age anything to get you to work to make money is good. I was 16 and I started out with a 85 power ram I got it for free and was a pos with 247,000 miles yes thats correct 247,000 miles but I loved it. Then saved up my money and got my dakota(big step up lol) Its really up to you dont let us change your mind if you think you can handle the work and its reliable then go for it. Plus its a manual so it shouldnt really have a problem hauling its heavy *** around be thankful its not a auto.

 

I drive a 4cyl 97 Dakota daily about 45 mins one way, so about 1.5 hrs total. I get decent mpg. Right now, about 22. I get 25+ on long freeway trips. In the 1.5 years I have had this truck, I have probably put about 1k in repairs, and I initially spent 1k on the truck. My truck had a salvage title, and it was brought to Wisconsin where I live to title wash it (found out after I bought it). I wouldn't doubt it has a bent frame.

If I had to choose again, I would go for a v6 or v8. If you must get a 4 cyl truck, get an s10 or something smaller.

 

If you're set on buying it, just buy it and be done. You asked for an opinion, and people took the time to share theirs with you, and you seem agitated that they had different ideas than you did.

If you already think it is such a great deal, you really just wasted our time asking us if we thought so too under the guise of getting some feedback, didn't you?

 

feedback.. is pretty much what i posted it for... but people answering a question i didn't ask is wasting *my* time

 

First of all, I never said it was a 3.9L.
My first post was the one about a Tempo.
You said you couldn't get better than 23MPG for that price, I just provided you with another viable option.
From the way it was sounded to me, you are looking for something that can get you to and from work while being cheap on gas. If you want that, a truck isn't your best option. No matter what engine it has.
You want something reliable to go to and from work, and you are looking at a truck that has a lot of problems by your description. That is the reasoning I don't understand. For $1000 you could find a car, such as a Tempo, Civic, or older 4 cylinder, and get better MPG, and more reliability than a truck that has been in an accident. You wanted our opinions on this particular truck. That is what we are giving. They are all going to differ so there is no need to get frustrated with our answers.