1995 auto 2WD, 1500, the kind with no back seat.
Interior is very decent, all electronics seem to work, including the power windows, mirrors, lights, blinkers, heat & gauges.
Glass all intact, nothing majorly wrong body or interior wise.
Is red, decent tires on it. Has a few dings and rust spots, overall not too bad.

Took it for a little spin, starts up and runs nice, shifts through gears no problem.
Brakes were a bit spongy, but I looked later and the master cylinder was only half full.
Tranny fluid on dipstick didn't look all that healthy, a very pale, murky red.
Mud all over the engine compartment, was apparently driven pretty roughly.
161,000 miles, its got a broken rear shock, a pretty bad pull to the right and the exhaust needs repair.

Other than that, it seems very functional - Of course, drive it for 2 days, and more repairs may pop up.
Broken shock will cost me nothing but an hours labor, I got a new set in my garage.
Front end work ,,, Who knows ?
I'm thinking tie rods and alignment at the very least, $150.
Exhaust, unless its something fairly simple that I can patch/rig up, $200.
Don't know if there is a brake fluid leak, I'm presuming a cylinder leak at this point, so lets say $150 for new cylinders and brake pads.

So thats around $1,300 to get a decent drivable truck, what do you guys think ?
I'll post some pics tomorrow, if the guy still has it.
I'm just worried about getting stuck with 2 driveway queens, 1 is enough for me.
Seems to me though I could part this thing out if worse came to worse, and make my $$ back.
2nd gen Rams are pretty rare in the salvage yards around here, I know that because I have looked for them, the ones you find are picked clean quickly, right down to the frame.

 

I would get it!

Josh

 

it doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. like you said, you could always part it out if it is too much work to fix.

 

same i say get it.. at the very least you could part it out

 

try to take it on a 15-20 mile test drive to let the trans get good and warmed up. start and stop a lot and make it shift up and down. if it develops ANY shifting or slipping problems then your likely to need a major transmission repair of about $1500.

also, ask the seller if its got any problems that need repair. pay attention to his answer and post it back here if you don't understand it.

in general, i think any truck that runs and is drivable is worth a $1000.
just be very careful that you don't spend 800 and then discover it needs another 2000 or 3000 to be drivable. if you or a buddy can work on it, most repairs can be done yourself (except transmission). if you have to pay someone else to fix everything, it can add up fast.

 

In a half a heartbeat. That is your perfect truck project. Tear her down to the frame and build her back up like you want.

$800 truck + $2000 parts, + 6 mos. of time = $10,000 truck.

 

i would get it, but yet you should expect problems for $800 and the engine compartment is full of mud, its a 2wd driven like a 4x4, i did that with my GMC Sierra, like you said though if it came down to it part it out, the engine and trans alone would cover the cost of the whole truck.

 

God no, not a project.
Besides, not sure a 15 year old Michigan frame would be the ideal platform for such a venture.
I'd like something half way reliable for the summer, as a backup for my main squeeze, which I am not abandoning yet ... And an occasional driver for others in my family.

The guy who has it I knew since high school, and recently met up with after all these years.
Hes an honest, nice guy who owns a union construction business - Bought it at an auction up north and towed it here, so he doesn't know anything about its history, and is not that mechanically inclined.
When I saw all the mud in the engine compartment I was thinking maybe it was submerged for a while ... I remember that one country concert up north last summer where 1,000's of vehicles were flooded out and abandoned for days, theres a thread about that here. But the interior shows no signs of being under water, I would think it would be next to impossible to get that smell out.

He seems happy to cover his costs and maybe make $100, I can't help but feel if I got it it would break down 2 days later.
Then again maybe not, but she needs some TLC thats for sure.
I think I'll go for it, post some pics later if its still available [hes got some other guys looking at it too].

 

Not likely you are going to get a daily driver for $800. That is just too good to be true.....

 

I'd buy it just for parts, Oh And Let me know if you care to Sell the Red Seat, if Its not Torn Like Mine