Should I trade my 2000 Chevy 1500 low miles 15 in lift for a 2012 ram 2500 Cummins,PLEASE HELP?

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Off-roadoutlaw

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Ok so my truck is posted for 15000 it's a 2000 Chevy 1500 with straight axle swap 15in lift 38x15.50x20 tires 120000miles runs like a top has dent on passenger side bed not done by me
Should I trade for this sorry copying this text

Trade for a 2012 dodge ram 2500 Cummins 4 door pre def needs about 2k in work has smog and registered clean title in hand.Needs a steering knuckle needs ball joints one brake line and needs the windshield replaced a long with one door glass and one back glass on the slider.I have a new fender for it already and tons of other parts like new hubs brakes track bar new turbo truck itself has about 210k motor was built about 60k ago and trans was done about 20k ago all new stuff. So do i
 
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Off-roadoutlaw

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Please help me out y'all
So I'm not knowledgeable about dodges but if I get it I will be because all I ever do is cruise forums and read
 
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Off-roadoutlaw

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Also
For sure there a lot of info on this truck it's got a four stage programer be flip hitch in bed air dog air bags in back with wireless controller full lighted with factory style switches not some hokey thing afe intake and exhausted fully deleted 110 over injectors and new pump system
 

BossHogg

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The answer to your question is how much pain are you willing to go through. No one but you can answer the question.
 

Papa Red

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Welcome to the forum.

The answer is yours to make. How much work do you want to do?

Red
 

Daw14

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It’s a gamble with any automotive purchase or trade . Doesn’t matter what brand or year . If you really need the extra strength of a diesel then go for it .
 

gofishn

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Keep your chevy. only oing up 12 years newer and that truck ahs iussues your chevy does not,. If y ou truck runs good, looks good, keep it and have fun with it. No greater joy than a toy you can destroy.
 

G0S7

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Any pictures of 2500? I guess the real question you would have to ask yourself is how much are you willing to invest in the Cummins to get it in top shape, or at least as reliable as your Chevy currently is.
 

Mittens

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KBB is not great, but here's my thought.

The diesel is worth about $23k in good shape (KBB). I know nothing about the drivetrain but new engine at 150k and new trans at 190k are red flags... especially since diesels are supposed to be half million mile engines. I immediately lean toward pass cause of that

Your truck is 5k (KBB). I'll double it to 10k cause that sounds really low for a truck nowndays. I have no idea about value of your upgrades... buyers might not either. Honestly they could hurt resale.

If you really think you can get $15k or if KBB is significantly low on the $23k, I'd probably pass. But there's allot more info needed tho.
 
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mikeru

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What is your motivation for doing this? Is your current truck insufficient for your uses? Sounds like it's in great condition. So you'd be "upgrading" from a fully-functional truck to one that needs quite a bit of work. Doesn't seem like an upgrade to me. Sounds more like a project. If that's what you're looking for then go for it.
 

BadHemi2014

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Welcome!
Depends what you want out of a truck. Anything wrong with your current Chevy? Just tired of it? Need to haul or tow heavy? Just want a project?
Just from what you wrote, I would keep the Chevy. If the miles are low, the age doesn't matter unless it's really rusted out or something. I also tend to not trust vehicles that have been extensively modified.
 

smiley

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I love the Cummins myself. I am not certain about that emissions system in the pre def units. If I recall they get crappy mileage compared to deleted or def unit. I would be cautious of that. The transmission will be an issue if they tuned and beat on it. I have around 194k on my 2014 but that came with def. I had issues with the EGR cooler getting clogged up and had to clean it up.

I did brand new injectors around 180k. They are great trucks but just keep in mind repairs you come to as they age. I don’t think previous owner took great care of mine as doing my injectors at about 180k seemed earlier to me. This isn’t some throw away engine you just swap out. It is very expensive and you need to commit to keeping it going or you will be very sad.
 

SmarteristGeenyas

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Ok so my truck is posted for 15000 it's a 2000 Chevy 1500 with straight axle swap 15in lift 38x15.50x20 tires 120000miles runs like a top has dent on passenger side bed not done by me
Should I trade for this sorry copying this text

Trade for a 2012 dodge ram 2500 Cummins 4 door pre def needs about 2k in work has smog and registered clean title in hand.Needs a steering knuckle needs ball joints one brake line and needs the windshield replaced a long with one door glass and one back glass on the slider.I have a new fender for it already and tons of other parts like new hubs brakes track bar new turbo truck itself has about 210k motor was built about 60k ago and trans was done about 20k ago all new stuff. So do i
If I were to buy a gasoline powered truck I would look at Chevy or Dodge.
But which?
Not an easy call.
My gasoline powered Dodge is a 1982 B250 van with a 360 V8.
We also have a 1988 GMC G2500 with a 350 V8.
Here is the difference: the Dodge needs more frequent repairs than the GMC does, but work is a LOT easier on the Dodge as things are generally better designed.
Perfect example: oil change process: the one service that we will do the most of.
Dodge = open 710 cap (kidding) open oil cap, then the pan drain plug, drain the pain, then take out the oil filter carefully if we do not tip the oil filter we can get it out without spilling a drop.
Chevy = same thing except that there is an oil reservoir above the oil filter and we will get about a quart of oil gushing out in addition to the filter. In just about every repair that one could ever do on a Chevy there is some similar ridiculous absurd BS that we have to deal with. I have decided that Chevy were designed and engineered by sadists who hate mechanics.
But the GMC rarely needs repairs, so there is that definite trade off. So if you go Dodge, you will have to fix a lot more stupid little parts but the repairs are super-easy by contrast.
Things may be different in 2000 to 2012 series (most likely less durable).

Now diesel is a whole new ballgame. I am a senior citizen who has had more than 4 decades experience with vehicles and has learned a few things. This part should be taken very seriously. The ONLY engine that we should EVER consider should NOT be a bi-metal engine. That means iron block mated to an iron head or an aluminum block mated to an aluminum head but NEVER EVER under any circumstance do we want an iron block mated to an aluminum head. I made this mistake with my 1988 Dodge Aries K car wagon which is sitting out on the farm because the head gasket is blown.... AGAIN. It is a major pain in the #$%^& to change a head gasket every few years.
Why this happens is that aluminum heats and expands a LOT more than iron during engine use; then shrinks a lot more during cool down. The different swell rates will cause premature head gasket failure. One thing that I learned with the Aries was that the factory gasket would last 5 years tops. But with a Mopar Performance or Cometic racing gasket that I MIGHT get another 2 or 3 years SOMETIMES. But as often as not the added performance gasket discovery came late in my engine mileage and twice correlated to valve problems which had me prematurely opening the head anyways only once did I actually get 7.5 years on a Cometic. As a contrast, my 1982 Dodge B250 has had 1 head gasket change in 2004 and the 1988 GMC once in 2018. (Both the 350 and 360 are all-iron).
Well the Chevy and Ford diesels even before bi-metal were not as good as the Cummins diesel but they were worth consideration. But with both Ford AND Chevy now only making bi-metal diesel engines and only aluminum heads: so iron heads and parts for both Chevy and Ford iron heads are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. Today if you want a diesel, you want a Cummins period, full stop.

But now the question of gas vs diesel?
Both have their uses, I have both; they both get me around and haul stuff.
Bought the diesel because of cargo carrying and towing capacity vs the 3/4 ton van. Van is great for small stuff, but I cant haul my tractor or bee hives with it. Plus my upfit is pretty much a studio truck, 12' x 8' flatbed with 4' stakebed and 8' x 4' Waltco lift. The Cummins can tow and pull a lot more. IF you are planning to buy an RV or a boat that is a great justification for a diesel. But if it is just for commuting then IDK that is a real tossup.
 
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Truckmike

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Ok so my truck is posted for 15000 it's a 2000 Chevy 1500 with straight axle swap 15in lift 38x15.50x20 tires 120000miles runs like a top has dent on passenger side bed not done by me
Should I trade for this sorry copying this text

Trade for a 2012 dodge ram 2500 Cummins 4 door pre def needs about 2k in work has smog and registered clean title in hand.Needs a steering knuckle needs ball joints one brake line and needs the windshield replaced a long with one door glass and one back glass on the slider.I have a new fender for it already and tons of other parts like new hubs brakes track bar new turbo truck itself has about 210k motor was built about 60k ago and trans was done about 20k ago all new stuff. So do i
That’s a tough thing to think about
Lots of work to do on it
What is wrong with your 1500 GM
 
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To me if I'm trading I'm trading up in years, down in miles, down in repairs. I prefer my headache to someone else's especially when you have a pretty long laundry list of items to address if you do the deal. Put a $ amount on each and it does not sound like you're getting a good deal to me. There will be other opportunities. My 2 cents.
 

JHoward

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To me if I'm trading I'm trading up in years, down in miles, down in repairs. I prefer my headache to someone else's especially when you have a pretty long laundry list of items to address if you do the deal. Put a $ amount on each and it does not sound like you're getting a good deal to me. There will be other opportunities. My 2 cents.

I agree, but they already might have made it a done deal?
 

justtruckn

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im no chevy guy so its worth nothing to me for that reson alone. however... it seems you have alot of time and money into it you will never get out of it. 15k for a 6k truck even in todays market just ain't going to happen. trading it even up for the dodge even tho it needs work mite not be bad seeing how much trucks are getting these days. thats why in rebuilding my 02 2500 (not restoring) from the ground up. il have about 10k in it and have a better truck than any new truck made today.
that being said. i can only think of one reson it has had a engine and trans swapped out. ... its beat to ****.... and im betting you will be putting a ton of money in it in the end and will never be happy with it. keep the chevy and buy the dodge out rite if ya looking for something to tinker with. .. who knows. maby ya will get lucky and a oak tree will fall on the chevy. inc company mite give ya 5k for it .... (joking)
 

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