hey guys, my buddy is looking for a 2nd gen, and we came across this one

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/3240876897.html

we took a look at it today, and door rust has been covered up(poorly) on all 4 doors. rear main is leaking, timing cover gasket is leaking, and rear end pinion seal is leaking(thinking bad pinion bearing too). truck has the death flash(found the software update sticker) and the plenum has never been addressed. cat has been replaced, as well as the o2 sensors.

truck was originally the same color scheme as mine, but was painted over when rust was covered up. engine runs ok from the sounds of it, but something on the belt drive was making a noise i didnt like(think it was the a/c compressor).

my buddy offered him 3k cash, but he wouldnt really budge on price. lowest he would go was 4500.

so what do you guys think? overpriced, or what? i personally wouldnt pay 5500 for it. has alot of frame rust too for the mileage.

 

Average trade-in is about 3900.00...... I think he is asking too much.

 

No way Jose. Rust aside, the other stuff is all relatively cheap, but pretty labor intensive to fix. I honestly don't see the point in buying a 1500 2nd gen 4x4 in the first place. 2500's are better in every way, and when you prowl craigslist often you can find a deal. Also, don't be scared to drive a couple hundred miles for the right truck.

The only way I would buy a 1500 is if it was a 2wd and I wanted to drop it or something.


Or if it was this one. http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/ctd/3223299748.html

 

I think the first thing I would do on that is SERIOUSLY upgrade the brakes....

 

I try not to think. It makes things easier that way.

 

I'm with 2x. don't buy a POS 1500.

2500 or 3500 and not a rust bucket.

get a damn loan if you have to and pay it off quick. that's what I did with my truck. had a 3 year loan and paid it off in 1/2 the time.

 

i appreciate your insight on it, however, the truck isnt for me, its for my buddy. he doesnt want a 2500, or 3500. he wants just a plain jane 1500. he isnt going to be towing anything, or plowing(for now) he wants a 4x4(we do live in New England) we are in the beginning stages of starting up a landscaping/snow removal company. so a plow may be in the future for him. but for now, im going to be the one upgrading first. need a bigger cab. so a 3rd gen is in the near future for me.

 

Thats honestly to much money if its as bad as you say... I wouldnt budge off of that 3g he offered..

 

My truck had similar problems (except mine doesn't have cancer) and I paid $3400 for it, just for a comparison. It is a 4x2 with 201K miles so I don't know how much of a price difference that would make, but I think $3000 was a reasonable offer, and $5500 is ridiculous.

What's his justification for such a high price? that's pretty far above market value.

 

So sell him your 1500!

My first rule: Never buy a used vehicle showing any signs of neglected maintenance. All the money the previous owner saved by neglecting the thing will come out of your pocket ten times. It's just not worth it. It's always cheaper to pay more for something that's been well maintained throughout its life, and you're far less likely to end up walking down the shoulder of the road.

My second rule: Chances are that all previous owners were morons, so never buy a modified vehicle. Buy unmodified and then do the work you want done. It's one thing if a guy upgrades sensibly, but if you see a low dollar loud exhaust, cheap wheels, etc. it's time to move on.

My third rule: Never, ever violate the first two rules. You might spend months searching for a vehicle that has been properly cared for but that's far, far better then spending weeks fixing up someone else's broken 5h17.