Need Help, Advice, and/or General Knowledge

[ALoneStarTexan]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and needed to get opinions and/or advice. I'm looking at several different brands of trucks within the 96-05 time frame. I owned a 1997 3.7 Ram about a decade ago and it was a pretty solid truck, actually one of the best I've ever driven, but it fell apart pretty quickly (motor blew around 150k)

I'm planning to buy a used truck in October and judging by what's available in my price range (especially being in Texas where trucks are in demand, thus values are high) which is roughly between $3,000-$6,000 I've found that almost all of the trucks range from between 100k-250k miles.

Most used vehicles aren't reliable with maintenance records and obviously most people aren't honest about their history, so what should I look for? How many miles are too many for this truck? I've read that putting a new motor in the truck could run between $3-5k, which I could theoretically do sometime next Spring, would the Ram be worth the hassle? I'm looking for something that can be my daily driver for the next 10 years (obviously it won't be perfect that long, but doing small repairs and getting things fixed when they break aren't a big deal for me.)

I'm not really a fan of foreign trucks, so I'm most definitely looking between the Rams 1500's, Silverado 1500/2500's, and F-150/250's.

I know this forum is the authority on Rams and would really welcome the advice if anyone is kind enough to provide any. When it comes to stuff like this, I'm amateur at best.

Thanks!

 

[Ares_288]

With that price range you won't be able to be too picky while shopping for a full size truck.
However, the basics will help you when checking one out before purchase.

Check fluids.
Don't be afraid to get under the truck, does it look like someone has been under there and maintained it?
Ask to have a mechanic check it out before purchase. I can't understand why people don't insist on this. If nothing else, just mentioning this might get a reaction from seller and set off red flags for you. If they aren't ok with that, move on.

 

[ALoneStarTexan]

With that price range you won't be able to be too picky while shopping for a full size truck.
However, the basics will help you when checking one out before purchase.

Check fluids.
Don't be afraid to get under the truck, does it look like someone has been under there and maintained it?
Ask to have a mechanic check it out before purchase. I can't understand why people don't insist on this. If nothing else, just mentioning this might get a reaction from seller and set off red flags for you. If they aren't ok with that, move on.

I bought a Saturn with 78,000 miles on it for my ex wife once for $2300 off Craigslist, I asked the guy if I could take it to a mechanic and he reluctantly agreed, I guess people just don't like the idea of stangers taking their vehicles for extended periods of time (inspection took like 5 hours due to it being a busy day) car was in good shape and is with a different relative today 4 years later with 156,000 on it. Only thing replaced to date was the AC unit.

I think if I'm not able to buy a full size truck for $5-6k I'll just focus on an SUV, there are several Durango's, Explorers, and Trailblazers with less than 100,000 miles in my price range.

 

[JPT]

I got my 2003 1500 regular cab long bed 4x4 83k miles, stick for $5,999 in CT. I paid extra and got an aftermarket warranty (which I have used for a heater core replacement).

Other than that, I have had to replace the radiator, clutch (2 weeks ago), and stuff like plugs and fluids.

So you can get one in that range, but expect to have to put some money in. 80k+ miles is right about when some of the stuff goes bad, but it is early enough that if the previous owner only did oil changes the truck wont be too far behind where it should be.

 

[ALoneStarTexan]

I got my 2003 1500 regular cab long bed 4x4 83k miles, stick for $5,999 in CT. I paid extra and got an aftermarket warranty (which I have used for a heater core replacement).

Other than that, I have had to replace the radiator, clutch (2 weeks ago), and stuff like plugs and fluids.

So you can get one in that range, but expect to have to put some money in. 80k+ miles is right about when some of the stuff goes bad, but it is early enough that if the previous owner only did oil changes the truck wont be too far behind where it should be.

Thanks for the reply, I've noticed that out of the F-150, Silverado, and Ram here in Houston, the Ram seems to be generally cheaper than the other two (asking price wise) and usually you can find a couple with less than 110k on them. What are the best years and motors to get?

 

[JPT]

Thanks for the reply, I've noticed that out of the F-150, Silverado, and Ram here in Houston, the Ram seems to be generally cheaper than the other two (asking price wise) and usually you can find a couple with less than 110k on them. What are the best years and motors to get?

That I can't answer. I don't know enough. I'm sure someone how knows better will answer soon.

I got the 4.7L, it seems everyone is really impressed with the Hemi. And it also seems that people suggest staying away from the 6 cylinder.

 

[caderoderick13]

im not very knowledgeable. but i will tell you the few things i know. i have the 4.7, you might hear some dark stories on them, but if well taken care of they can and will last. my best friend has a very similar truck except newer and the hemi. he hasnt had any problems with that motor.now performance, he only outperforms me with acceleration and speed obviously. both tow really good. and when we get on it running down the highway (kinda racing) he obviously pulls away from me, but it isnt like im sitting still. so it isnt to crazy faster. and mine gets about 3-4 mpg better than he does. so personally if i were looking for another truck id go with another 4.7. just telling you my opinions

 

[codered]

well if you want to go back to dodge the 318 is a good engine my 94 has about 166k miles. Chevy I would try a 350/ 5.7 liter or even a LS3 engine they hold up pretty well. Ford I would try for a 4.6 I had my run ins with one and they are good engines. the biggest issue for the 2nd gen ram are cracked dashes, transmissions, and rear axle with the spicer ones. GM has a build quality issue the bits of interior cracked dashes, terrible cloth seat qualities, and plastic pieces just about everywhere on the car even in the gear levers. Ford has electrical issues the 1993 year model of the Lincoln and others cruise control wires will cause an electrical fire under the hood. I would most definitely do some research and look st recalls before buying a vehicle

 

[ALoneStarTexan]

I know it's been awhile since I posted but after quite a bit of waiting; I finally bought a new (to me) Ram a couple days ago. I bought a 2001 5.2 extended cab. I wanted a 4x4, but I managed to find this one that was owned by an old rancher in Waller County, TX that passed away.

Only 67k miles on it, got it for $5k.

 

[hotkarl]

Ram's in general are great trucks. They have issues like any and every other truck brand out there. As previously mentioned the 4.7 needs special from birth to last the long haul. Should you be looking at a 4.7 truck pull the dipstick, open the filler neck, check for signs of sludge and grunge build up. If it ticks while cold I would pass. Now some have had the cold tick for 1000 ' s of miles trouble free, but for the majority this a sign of catastrophic damage on it's way.
The 4.7 has under sized oil passages which allow significant sludge build up if the oil has not been changed religiously from birth. The 4.7 has bad timing components as well. Dodge shot just outside the goal post on this one because this motor had tremendous potential. It's basically a baby Hemi (Hence the nick name of "Semi-Hemi"). The good side is the reman industry has improved on these design flaws to bring a durable and dependable motor to the market, making them what they should have been originally off the assembly line.

The 5.9 is a very durable and dependable motor, but essentially a gas sucking boat anchor bone stock. The plus side is it's plenty mod - able and with a few bucks invested you can pick up some horse power and mpgs.

Oddly, even with 4.7 option and being a new model year, the 2002 Rams are touted as being the most dependable and the 2003/2004 being most problematic. 2005 and up are generally a good pick with only normal wear and tear issues.

All Ram's love to rust.
Can't go wrong with a 5.2.

 

[xb1230]

I bought a Saturn with 78,000 miles on it for my ex wife once for $2300 off Craigslist...

Note that she is now your "EX" after this...


to RF !

 

[ALoneStarTexan]

Note that she is now your "EX" after this...


to RF !

LoL to be fair, she only drove that Saturn for like 5 months before the AC died. After that It became a "gimme car" that was passed around the family to anyone that needed it. The ex ended up in a 4.7 Jeep and became an ex for far greater reasons!

Thanks for the welcome, I'm looking forward to being a contributing member.

 

[xb1230]

Glad to see you a good sense of humor.

Looking forward to your contribution.

BTW I bought my '02 last summer (august) for 2.5K$. Had to give her a lot of TLC as I believe she was left sitting for a while which still shows in some area. I just love the truck and she is getting closer to what I want. I am running the "not-liked" 4.7L but after some TLC the engine is running far better than I expected after reading around these engines. Maybe they only require a little more TLC than other engines like the Hemi.

The Hemi's are great but mods are little pricier than with other engine because of popularity. On the plus side there are far more aftermarket options on the Hemis for the exact same reason.

The 5.9, even though less popular because it has the reputation of being a Gas hog does offer some very interesting options in regards to modding. Also with a few $$$ it can be made into less of a Gas'aolic. The 5.9 is probably one of the most reliable engines in the price range you are looking at. The downside is the tranny that is attached to the 5.9. The 46RE has less than rave reviews and the 45RFE that is offered with most Hemi's and 4.7L is far better in both reliability and performance.

Be on the lookout for what could seem like too good of a deal... There have been reports of water damage rigs after Sandy that are being sold allover the country. They look good, are on the cheap, but will empty your wallet trying to maintain them in a decent running condition, not accounting for the rust factor.

Listen to the engine, get a compression test, and I sometimes go as far as getting an oil change BEFORE I buy a vehicle. That has surprised a few owners but I go to the nearest Quick Lube station and bring a paint strainer. When the guy dumps the oil, I ask he strains the oil... That can reveal a lot about the condition of an engine. If the strainer get filled with metal shavings, stay away from that car/truck.

Good luck on your quest to find what you are looking for.