97 ram 1500
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,550
Likes: 4,230
From: Clayton MI
Pull number 8. It isn't too bad to get to, and see what it looks like. It *should* be a nice, even, tan color. If it is covered in ash, or blacker than the ace of spades, that indicates a potential problem. If there are pieces MISSING, that's an even bigger problem, and you should just walk away, or, consider that you may end up replacing the motor quite soon.....
On the flip side of that.... even if you DID have to replace the motor, you could probably get a lower mileage motor from the scrap yard for a few hundred bucks, and if the rest of the truck is in good shape, it would still be worth about what you had into it. (provided you could do the motor swap yourself)
Basically, it's a used truck.
So, look for stuff you would expect to see on a high mileage used car. Look at EVERYTHING. Wear clothes you don't care if you get greasy. Crawl around, under, and over it. Feel the carpets, SMELL the carpets. (yeah, I paint a pretty picture, don't I? ) Anything you don't like reduces what you are willing to pay for it. If the owner isn't willing to sell it to you for an agreeable price, walk away. There are more trucks out there to look at. No need to rush into something, and get stung. If he tries to pressure you, and hurry you along, as he 'has another guy coming tomorrow', just nod, and say "OK, call me if he doesn't buy it." hop in your car, and drive away. It may *look* like a sweet deal, and if it really is, another one will come along.
DO NOT BE IN A HURRY TO BUY. That is the BEST advice I can give you.
On the flip side of that.... even if you DID have to replace the motor, you could probably get a lower mileage motor from the scrap yard for a few hundred bucks, and if the rest of the truck is in good shape, it would still be worth about what you had into it. (provided you could do the motor swap yourself)
Basically, it's a used truck.
So, look for stuff you would expect to see on a high mileage used car. Look at EVERYTHING. Wear clothes you don't care if you get greasy. Crawl around, under, and over it. Feel the carpets, SMELL the carpets. (yeah, I paint a pretty picture, don't I? ) Anything you don't like reduces what you are willing to pay for it. If the owner isn't willing to sell it to you for an agreeable price, walk away. There are more trucks out there to look at. No need to rush into something, and get stung. If he tries to pressure you, and hurry you along, as he 'has another guy coming tomorrow', just nod, and say "OK, call me if he doesn't buy it." hop in your car, and drive away. It may *look* like a sweet deal, and if it really is, another one will come along. DO NOT BE IN A HURRY TO BUY. That is the BEST advice I can give you.
