Closing - What happened to the 1st gen market?

[JRussell3176]

I have two in the drieway that have lived just that life, along with several others I've owned in the past. I'd rather have one that has been used (though maybe not abused like these two) than a creampuff that has never worked. (kinda similar to qualities you'd want in a girlfriend :-laf) They just dont seem to run as well when they reach 200-300K. But that is my preference.



And high mileage is another near non-issue. I got as much from my 91 with 315K on it as I paid when I got it with 240K. You get them often at a lower price, and have an excuse to BOMB or plain upgrade (PSC steering box, Brogenson shaft, Dana80, etc) stock components. By the time it's all said and done, you have all these new goodies, that bring your grand total in the rig to what you'd give for a lower mileage stock pickup with 15year old components.



Daniel

Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I wasn't so concerned with the Cummins at 200K+, it was more the rest of the truck (ie. transmission).

 

[Sri Ram]

Yes, thanks for reopening, PB. I feel that I got my rig for a fair price at $4500 several years ago, but that's only because the cosmetic condition was very good. The truck has cleaned up nicely and I have over $10k in it now.



I agree with Daniel about high mileage trucks. Whatever I do to my rig at nearly 250k is only going to make it better; so there's no money wasted. Are these trucks are going to become "classics" or collectors items? I'm wary of getting so much money into it or increasing power so much that it's no longer economical for daily use.



My other CTD, a 93 club cab 2wd, I bought for $7000. It had only 119k when I sold it. It had some new paint and an immaculate engine, body, and interior. I got $8000 for it even though it had the canopy rear window out and needed a new clutch. And that's exactly why I bought it in the first place: it's a good place to put your money when it comes to vehicles.



One more thing and then I'll shut my trap. I think the time of year you sell your truck can affect the sale price and demand. I notice a lot more truck use around here in the spring/summer than in the winter due to RV activity. So, I planned to sell in the spring to take advantage of the increased demand and billed it as a good towing truck (which it is). Is there a "truck season" in other parts of the country?

 

[dpuckett]

Truck Season

Yes, 4x4s sell better and for more in late summer/ early fall in areas lucky enough to have a decent winter, and hence, possible snow and/or ice.



Though it was a Ford, I had a diesel I bought for a good price, even with a worn fuel system, and I drove it 10K (by then it would only start with ether, no matter the temp), and sold it for $500 more than I paid for it. This was an 84 in 99. Bought in April, sold that September.



So, yes, to a point, there is a season for trucks. One may be better off selling a 2wd (esp in good condition) in May or June. Snow will be far enough behind, yet far enough away still, for winter maneuverability to not be much of an issue. Or if you live here, spread that out to March through September. Only snows here Nov-Feb.

-DP

 

[jimnance]

In my neck of the woods 4X4 are more desireable. I'm not sure why as on my '99 4X4 I only use it maybe once a year.



I understand the demand for the Getrag, or even better a NV4500.



Still, I think all clean first gens are in demand. Clean is the operative word as those who understand this truck and are likely buyers understand that the body will fall off before the engine wears out.



I think this explains why less than pristine trucks are a little harder to sell. I saw a couple of Rustoleum rigs before I found one that was essentially rust free.



Not to despair, because most first gens have some rust. We appreciate them because they are super reliable and get great fuel mileage. When a new one is 35-40K and all you need is a work truck why spend that much when you can pick up a 1st gen with 150K and the engine is just broken in??

 

[mazdarotary]

Still not sold. I am convinced this truck will never sell. I am about ready to donate it. I guess nobody wants a nicely optioned 1str gen anymore. Anyone else having this trouble?





Chris

 

[SKargo]

I love that truck, nice hotrod if you ask me

 

[mazdarotary]

A little update on this. As some of you read about me selling my truck. I used fleabay,and got $5500 for the truck. I guess the market isn't dead,but man did it take a while to sell it. I guess I should have gone on ebay sooner.





Chris

 

[BPaulsen]

It isn't easy to say WHY exactly people like the 1st. Generation Rams, as there's more than one reason. Let me try to make sense of it, from my very own perspective.



First of all, I'm doing well financially, and before I got my '92 D250 half-a-decade back, I had a super crisp '98 Ram 1500 Sport in black with the 360 Magnum gas engine. I had to clean it all the time, as it simply was too pretty. Too pretty for being a truck.



I also am lucky to live in sunny SoCal, so rust is a non-issue for me. My 1st. Gen frame is still black with all factory marking clearly visible and the cab's and bed's undercarriage is still virginal white. Not even a hint of surface rust, save for some washers on the exhaust. (That also means I have no use for a 4x4. )



Personally, I am fed up with computerized vehicles. My cell phone usually breaks before the 2-year service period ends (just did again); my home and work computer crash frequently, and so on. If I could, I would order a new car with air, power windows, locks, and maybe cruise. I don't need, no . . . I don't WANT memory seats, airbags, not even ABS, let alone stabilization control, ASC, ASB, tire-monitoring system, and all those black boxes that will eventually die silently and NEED to be replaced for big bucks.



But I can't buy such a car, or truck. For that reason, new car buyers are trapped in buying new cars, over and over and over again, every few years, and it will only get worse! Who will be able to afford replacing computers and screens in those electronic devices on wheels, a decade from now?



The 1st. Generation Ram, and I have to say specifically the Cummins-powered one, is a non-computer truck. It's an old fashioned truck, featuring a design that goes back to the early 1970s, when they still had metal dashboards and started working on the successor of the Fleetline trucks (of which I have two really nice ones).



But although the 1st. Generation Ram looks like a 1970s truck to the casual observer (especially mine does, as I backdated it sensibly), it does have everything I desire, meaning a/c, power windows and door locks, cruise, and--God forbid--even rear-wheel ABS!



Mine has 180K on the clock now, and has been reliable like a Swiss watch until a few weeks ago, when the injection pump failed (which brought me to THIS Web site).



Although I retired from auto racing (the main reason I bought the '92 way back when), I still LOVE my truck and will probably never part with it. Ten years from now, it will be worth the same as it is today (no rust in SoCal, remember), even with slightly over 200K miles then. What other DIESEL-powered truck would you have to buy, to be able to achieve the same? Is there any non-Diesel powered truck that will not depreciate at an alarming rate as fuel prices continue to rise?



That, my friends, is the reason I love the 1st. Gen Ram. Nice ones, especially with low mileage, will be getting harder and harder to find. That means their prices will NOT go down for a long time. I also believe that the first 2nd. Generation trucks, meaning every Ram with the 12-valve Cummins, will be solid purchases.



It's the back-to-the-basics, no nonsense approach that appeals to buyers and owners of the 1st. Generation Rams.



Just my two cents.

 

[Wiredawg]

1st Gen Fever

Fellow Rammers:



I bought my '93 (see sig below) last year in Del Rio TX for $4,500. The price was really good... I've seen 1st Gen 2wds going for $7K plus and 4wds going for as much as $12K. It had 127K original miles on it and came from the original owner. Cruise control quite working on it, I think it might be the clock spring. It had been in a bad hail storm and the paint is bad on the hood and roof, but no rust. I installed a borgesen steering shaft and steering is great.

I plan on doing some suspension work, fixing the clock spring, doing the body work and painting it a bright red-orange (same color Ford Ranger Splash had in the 90s).



I like Dodge Cummins Trucks, so I really don't really have a preference of any one over the other. They all have attributes that make them special in their own right. I do my own maint work and don't find working on one any easier/harder than others.



As I perform more maint on my '93, I'll be using this forum to get advice from the membership.



Happy Trails, Wiredawg