Another thing that just popped in my head, thinking of new trucks. When they were closing a bunch of dodge dealers, he almost bought a '09 ram 1500 crew cab big horn with a hemi priced from $35,000 ( if I remember correctly) dropped to $22,500.

 

well heres my logic in getting a newer vehicle.

Ive dumped about 7K into the past 2 years...and thats ALL parts no labor because i did all the labor myself.

Now with 2256xx on the clock, i know shes tired. I did a compression check back in June when she had about 207K...NONE of my cylinders had more than 100psi....the highest one if i remember correctly was about 90psi....then id dump oil into the cylinder and get around 130psi....so my piston rings are fried.

And heres the laundry list of crap it needs now.

-Brakes
-Rotors
-calipers
-Front pinion seal
-Control arm...one is bent and cracked, about ready to snap in two...and the bracket its on is tweeked to that will need to be straightened
-All control arm bushings
-oil leak- my oil pan is soaked
-tranny leak (where the tranny bolts to the transfer case....last time i did the transfer case, i put rtv on, and had to bench press the transfer case back into my truck, (since i did it in my driveway with no lift or anything)...and the rtv hardened a little before i could get it bolted up



What i can see it needing within the next 3 months...

-transfer case...somethings broke on the inside and its not the snap ring.
-Oil pump...tonight she started acting very weird on my way home...when i started it...it had no pressure...i revved it, came up a bit then dropped again, and after it warmed up a little it stayed at about 50psi consistantly
-Full exhaust...my exhaust is about done... both flanges fromn the cat to headers each have one bolt that broke, and the pipe is slipping out..and lots of other exhaust leaks



Thats not even getting into what it will need to get another sticker...but i have 6 months until thats due....i need to weld a few patches on the frame...sway bar end links and those are $75 EACH..... and who knows what else...


Im worried that if i do start putting more money in, the motor or tranny is going to go...Im in a real predicament...the truck runs and drive fine...i do my 125 mile round trip to work everyday, and she doesnt skip a beat but im still worried

 

Is the frame cracked? Or just that nasty Yankee rust?

 

at the very front where it has the curve in the frame near the bumper...well at the curve on each side theres holes the size of a pack of smokes...maybe a bit smaller...the rest of the frame around it is good (ive hit it with a hammer) but the rest of my frame is MINT, no flakes, all smooth steel, well use to be, i undercoat the frame before winter and after winter...but literally the rest of my frame is MINT

 

If the frame was bad I was gonna say trash it. Not worth fixing to me.

With the amount of miles on the truck, and the fact that it's having oil pressure problems and leaking from an undisclosed location, I think you might have a rear main seal leak. I replaced this on my truck soon after I got it, it is a dirty job, but not too difficult, since it is a 2 piece seal. Just gotta loosen the mains, drop the crank a bit, and shimmy it up in there. The seal itself is like 4 bucks.

Other then the exhaust, the rest of your list looks like fairly regular maintenance items (apart from the low cylinder compression). If you really like the truck, do all the maintenance needed, (progressively as funds allow) and when you get the little stuff buttoned up start saving your pennies for a low miles motor or one of these (towards the bottom is the listing for $1200 rebuilt magnum 360 long blocks).

But if it's worth it to you to trade character (and something to do) for peace of mind and a payment, sign away

 

i dont want the payment and insurence, been there done that...not gunna pay $530 a month for a car again...thats what my payment and insurence totaled to a month...im all set, i just may need to upgrade...im going to sleep on it, tomorrow ill decide if im doing the breaks, or start ressurecting my car i bought...

i do have a 96 chevy corsica i bought frm my best friend...ran excellent from his house to mine (10 miles) but the fuel tank sprung a hole, and fuel pump shat the bed....i bought it for $300 and it needed windshield, brakes, two rear shocks, brake lines and a muffler....then these went, so im looking at about $900 to get that road worthy again...i might fix it, park my truck, and fix my truck....the frame could be fixed in a 1/2 hour, its not as bad as you think, i just need to get ahold of a welder

 

I am entirely sick of my payment + insurance costing me around $470 a month and I bought the car only 2 months ago...

 

i bought a 07 ford focus....was dead at 19K, started acting up at 200 miles, kept bringing it in and they would say "its fine its normal" well it kept getting worse, and i have 17 invoices of it going in for the same thing, and i was trying to get the lemon law on it. I was a delivery driver at the time and put over 150 miles each shift on it....well after 18k miles its no longer eligable for the lemon law. I brought it in at 19, 2xx miles and they were like "oh yea some of the teeth in the transmission where the cv shaft rides are broken, you must have beat on this car we arent going to warrenty it anymore"...they voided my warrentee and i threw the keys in their face and walked out, i had a spare vehicle but it wasnt a delivery car, it was a 96 pontiac sunfire with a full body kit and a loud fart can.

 

Wow. Sounds like they knew the issue existed before they sold it to you.

I bought a 2004 Lexus IS300 at the beginning of the year, and I love the car (basically a 4dr N/A Supra) but I have to keep reminding myself that it is going to be the lady's daily driver when we get married, because I keep wanting to sell it and have more money to play with my truck haha.