looking at buying an 04 ram 2500 quad cab 5.9 cummins with 6 speed manual 4x4

[modru2004]

truck has 195k miles on it. its a quad cab and the interior is actually decent for its age. it definitely needs a new clutch. slips bad in first and second. has a chirp you can hear at idle and with a bit of gas in neutral. don't hear it while driving.

the truck actually drove and handled well clutch aside. brakes and suspension felt good. its got a few dings here and there. only asking $12500 and maybe willing to come off another grand because it needs a clutch. it maybe an early 04 because i don't think i saw a cat underneath. i thought i read somewhere early 04's didn't have em.

thoughts? what should i look out for? or should i be running away screaming?

 

[mtnrider]

Run away. Anyone selling something that obviously has issues probably has a lot more issue then that. Fix the clutch, something else will pop up, fix that and something else..

Tell them to fix the clutch and you'll come back and test drive it again and see where it stands.

Other then that have they been running a tuner? I would also jack up the front end and check for play in the ball joints and hub, also all the tie rods and steering box. Those year trucks had horrible front ends (I owned one).



.

 

[modru2004]

Run away. Anyone selling something that obviously has issues probably has a lot more issue then that. Fix the clutch, something else will pop up, fix that and something else..

Tell them to fix the clutch and you'll come back and test drive it again and see where it stands.

Other then that have they been running a tuner? I would also jack up the front end and check for play in the ball joints and hub, also all the tie rods and steering box. Those year trucks had horrible front ends (I owned one).



.

its actually at a dealership. evidently an older guy traded it for a new 19 f250. they just got it in. i doubt a tuner has ever been on it. trucks seen some work but on the test drive the suspension felt good (better then the 08 ram i used to have) and steering felt tight. brakes were great.

i asked them about fixing the clutch and thats when they started talking about dropping the price. if no one buys it in 30 days its going to auction. they don't seem to want to put any work into this old truck. honestly i can't seem to find any HD or SD trucks that don't have problems under $15k. i'm beginning to think ill have to step up to $20k to get a decent one.

 

[McBroom]

Does it have to be an oil burner?


- The Blue Mule

 

[mtnrider]

It's a crap shoot. You could get lucky and it just be the clutch or you could be getting yourself into a money pit.

I trust dealers about as far as I can throw them. That one owner little old man truck could have come from a 20 something kid that beat the crap out of it. What ever it takes to make the sale.

Good luck, if it's something you really like I would low ball them as far as you can go to give you some wiggle room for repairs. I'm betting they have a lot less then $12k invested in it

 

[Fishstickz]

if no one buys it in 30 days its going to auction. they don't seem to want to put any work into this old truck.

Thats how the dealership was with mine. Mine was in pretty bad shape but for 106k miles and $5500 we decided to get it. Its been 2 years and 40k miles and I'm still behind on all the repairs. Ball joints, control arms, tie rods, sway bar links, wheel bearings, idler pulley, headlights, taillights, and now its looking like the lower ball joints need replacing AGAIN after I replaced them 25k miles ago. Seems as if everything except the drivetrain has given me some sort of problem (knock on wood)

Would I change a thing? Nope, I'd still buy this truck because I enjoy working on it and replacing parts. But not everyone enjoys replacing faulty components every other Saturday.

If the clutch is bad, who knows what other problems it could be hiding. If I was looking for a low-maintenance vehicle, I'd run from this one. In fact, I'd stay away from any "As-is" vehicle. But, the decision is still yours. You could get lucky and it is in fact only the clutch

 

[modru2004]

decided to keep my options open. not gonna buy this one. found some other options that look more appealing. found an 07 ram with the 6.7 with deletes. 250k miles transmission rebuilt last year (still has 2 years on the warranty) and front end redone. truck looks immaculate and well cared for and they are asking $12600. also considering an 02 f250 7.3. ill keep on going ill find my truck eventually.

 

[Redtruck-VA]

Bought a high mileage 07 a few years ago a couple thousand below market. Replaced everything worn out and now I'm a few thousand above market. It runs good and is dependable, rides like a heavy old truck which is exactly what it is. PS.. old men use tuners on their trucks...