Hi all, new to this section, but I frequent the 1st gen dakota section. I'm currently looking at a 318, 5 spd, 4wd, ext cab, short bed 1500. It needs a few things, some are more important than others, but heres the deal:
Its got a new clutch and looks to have been maintained ok. 170k on it. Body has scratches, one big dent in the passenger side bedside, and some light rust underneath. However floors, frame, and rockers are solid. The doors, all 4, are shot. It needs brakelines too, some are worse than others. None are leaking but they are very crusty in some spots. Also the dash is completely crumbled. Here's the big one that worries me; it's making a whiring grinding noise under load (acceleration) or coast down from speed while in gear. The second you either get on the gas just enough to maintain speed or put the clutch in/put it in neutral it stops 100%. I'm thinking trans/transfercase/rear. What do you guys think? And with that noise being an unknown, what do you think its worth to purchase? Better yet, as a driver/work truck that is not planned to be a project, would you buy it?

Thanks!

 

Does the noise change with speed, or what gear you are in?

 

Sounds like it's speed based. However clutch/neutral interupts the sound. I'm leaning towards a transfer case or rear. The trans itself feels perfectly fine shifting.

 

Yep, check fluid levels in both, see where they are at, if fluid levels look good, check the rear pinion seal for leaks, see if the pinion is sloppy in it's bearings.

 

If I weren't looking for a project I'd just keep looking. That one's going to be time consuming.

 

What would you value this truck at in the shape I'm talking?
I'm looking at $1800-2200 coming with new ball joints, new caliper, and a $350 new tool box included. Not to mention work done to the truck. The hard thing around here is finding a solid one, I've been looking for YEARS for one in my price range, and this is the first one I've considered. Normally these stick 4x4's go for some big money with 200k miles and no floors.
What I wonder is what a used trans or transfer case goes for for these trucks. The rears don't really bother me much if that is the issue. I can even 1 ton swap it pretty cheap as long as 25/3500 front suspension is the same as 1500 if a rear is needed. My point of "not a project" is more like 'not a money pit' than a fear of working on it.

 

I wouldn't buy it from what it sounds like you're looking for.

Sounds like it'll need brake lines soon (+ anything else that's bad with the brakes that you will most certainly find), body work, a new dash (heater core too), and bearings replaced somewhere in the driveline or a complete rebuild ($$$).

Keep in mind that's not accounting other problems and things you don't know about it yet. Nor does it factor in normal things required of any truck that has 170k miles on it (unit bearings, ball joints, steering components & joints, plenum gasket, tune-up, lube changes, sensors etc...).

The only way I would get it is if they had receipts documenting the other things have been replaced/serviced properly and all I had to do was fix the driveline. This is unlikely... Most likely, those other things are about due for replacement!

I'd pass.

 

The whirring sound could just be a u-joint in the driveshaft. Mine just went last year and made that sound when I was at about 165K. Also, the dash is fully replace-able from LMC. If the engine purrs and the trans shifts well, then check all the front end parts. I would expect 2k to be a decent price. A good truck on a dealer lot will still get 5-6k. Especially being the extinct 5spd!

 

Looks like I'm seriously into looking for one now. I need a new daily and I don't wanna buy more stuff I don't like.
If anyone knows of a manual 4wd ram with a back seat long or short bed in the NJ area (ny, pa, del, ct, anywere in a ~2 hour ride) let me know! I missed out on a beautiful truck at a dealer by 1 day, and there aren't many out there for sale with the options I need.

 

There are some outstanding second gen Rams to be had, but if you're not serious about bagging one you'll always be too late.

I actually scored mine off of a new car dealer's lot where it's really very rare to see a 2g Ram. The ad wasn't online a half hour when we got there, and before the paperwork came back I met two others who'd rushed in to look at the same truck. I'd already handed over the cash before they got off from work.