i need some help, need to know if this is a good deal or not thanks

1996 dodge ram 2500
2wd
v8 5.9l
180,xxx miles
body is good shape only minor surface rust on rockers
and one minor hole in drivers fender

over all truck looks good, but the trans is shot accordign to him, he towed with it and started to slip and here it sits, the fluid is burnt so i kinda agree with him.

Asking 500 for it, is it a decient buy or should i keep looking i found two others but both of those are more money one is 1500 and one is 900.

Thanks in advnace

 

Just keep saving your money till you can afford something better.

your looking at ones for 900 and 1500. What do think a tranny rebuild or used one will run plus all the other problems you'll wind up spending the same amount of money if not more than $1500 + $500 you've already spent.

 

yeah thats what i was thinking but i did find a rebuilt trans for 500, what else should i be looking to replace at that time

 

hard to go wrong for $500. if you can get a transmission that works for $500, you can put it in yourself, and with good luck, have a running truck for cheap. then either drive it, or sell it and make some money. try to get a warranty on the used transmission. if its a junk yard, they won't refund your money, but they'll usually find you another one. if it is a junk yard, the only problem is that its probably just another pos stock unit. it might last, it might not.

you definitely don't want to pay $1600 for a truck that old with a bad trans unless its a real beauty. $900 maybe if it had other things going for it such as 4wd.

 

according the the junk yard, it has just reciently been rebuilt so we will see what type of warranty they will give me on it. if not i mite try to get someone to rebuild it for a decient price yeah the one for 1600 wasnt a real beauty it was actually worse body shape then the one for 500 and the 900 one is only a 1500 2wd not the 2500 like i was looking at

 

Speaking from experience, I bought my 1998 Ram with a bad motor with 146K for $500. It also needed a new front end (bumper, grille, windshield, fenders) because the previous owner had a stroke while driving. I put in a new starter, battery, in the hope that it would fire up. No, such luck; I reluctantly bought the truck knowing it needed a new engine. I purchased a remanf. engine (plus new pumps, alt., hoses, belts, oil intake screen, salvaged/used fuel rail) Then the tranny, showed signs of issues. I had it serviced (bands adjusted, new fluids and interior filter) and put new HD Bilstein shocks on. 1000 miles later the tranny failed, as I was returning from my Gustav evacuation.

My $500 buy will cost me roughly $6000 after I pay of my charge card. The labor, the evaluations, the hotel stay, the unexpected parts...all ran up my credit card balance. I do like my truck, it's clean, very little surface rust from dings and rock chips (which I have been cleaning one at a time by hand and with the help of a Drummel tool). I only hope I don't get in a wreck before I've paid off the repairs and enjoyed the truck for a few years.

So, I would wait. Save some more money. I'd look for a truck in better mechanical shape, lower miles; cosmetics can be fixed as you wish.

I am also proactively looking to replace some bearings, service the rear pumpkin and suspension bushings before they fail, as I now have 151K on my truck.

 

yeah right. that's what they all say. whatever the warranty is, get it in writing.

 

if the trans i shot, you could allway try to rebuild it your self and if you can't oh well and have sumone else do it.. just a thought

 

that was also a thought but, i have no problem doin any other job, but i dont know how good it would work with me trying to rebuild it, any suggestions incase i do take it on

 

You could also just try changing the fluid and filter and adjust the bands, you never know it might work.