ctd purchase-seeking advice

[Jim McCarty]

I'm going to look at '94 reg. cab automatic with 65,000 and one owner. It has 4. 10 rear end gears and is bone stock and supposed to be like new and has always been garaged. He might be willing to take $10,000 for it as he needs to sell it and everyone wants an extended cab according to him. My questions are: Is this a good year? Did this year have any special problems because it the first year of the new body style? How about the rear end gears, too low or ok? I will just be using it for work and transportation. What kind of mpg might I expect? Are there any other issues I need to look for or know about. I'm a little leary buying the first year model of any new vehicle. He's an older man and he says he changed to oil (Rotella synthetic) every 4,000 miles. Also seviced the trans. every year. Is there anything that might make this a better truck without overstressing the trans? I was thinking about a tst plate and gsk and guages only. I want to keep whatever truck I end up with a long time. Thanks in advance for any advice you might have. Jim



'95 Ram V10 reg. cab 75k miles(looks like new)

selling it because I just gotta have a cummins

 

[DU516]

I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago. Well I bought a 94 with about 45,000. I thought I could't go wrong but here is the list Of Problems I've had so far. First the brake switch went, then the starter, Lift pump , Then the Injector pump went had to have it rebuilt then then radiator sprung a leak, still limping by with that one. But now except for the leak the truck runs strong. The fuel milelage is pretty good about 17 mpg. I haven't done any mods yet because I'm running out of money.

 

[rrausch]

Yes, the '94 year did have some problems, most of which were addressed by recalls or TSB's. You might ask the owner if he has had all of them done, or take the VIN to the dealer. It sounds like a good truck.



Personally I like my 3. 54 rear end gears. I like the mileage I get--about 21+ mpg on the highway with a lot of tools in the bed and the AC on. But if you love the truck, and 4. 10 is too low for you, you can always change the rear end gears. I wouldn't let just that stand in the way of a good truck.



You won't be sorry you traded the V-!0 for the Cummins! Good choice!



If you are going to bomb it you should look at upgrading the automatic trans.

My automatic ran fine for over 100,000 miles, most of it bombed and towing a 5'er. But it was starting to slip, and so I did upgrade the trans, and after a lot of homework went with ATS out of Denver. If you are going to upgrade the automatic, you can probably just get a Torque Converter and Valve Body for now, as 65,000 miles is a moderate amount of miles for a good trans. Do some homework on this site on the major trans re-builders if you are going that route. Call them all, and go with the ones you are most comfortable talking to. For me that was Clint Cannon at ATS. They are family owned and the customer service is wonderful.

 

[bmoeller]

Here's a list of the TSB's for the '94's- http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1994-index.htm

 

[dpuckett]

Jim,

Personally, I'd pass on the auto, but you obviously can live with it, so I can too. One thing I'd be lery of in a truck approaching 10 years old is the low mileage. Let me explain. Unless it was driven daily, seals harden, oils seperate out, changes get passed up because it isnt driven much; "it can wait till next week. " Look at all the gear boxes, seals, etc, and see if they are hardened or show signs of leaking. I've had two vehicles that averaged in the 5K a year range, and they werent near as good as those in the 10-25K a year range. ASk how many miles ago the brakes were last done. WHo did the transmission service? etc, etc. I personally wouldnt pay that much for a vehicle just because of the odometer reading; but if it was taken care of and kept clean and not abused, it may well be worth it to you. I have less than $5000 in my 91; that includes purchase price. It will outrun, out mpg, and outpull a similar truck with 90K, or at least keep up.



Daniel

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

10k sounds pricey for a 94 reg cab. I'd do a little more shopping if I were you and go with the 5 speed if you dont mind shifting Good luck

 

[OnlyCummins]

I too think that's a bit pricey.



FWIW, I think you'd be better off looking for a vehicle with higher mileage. Not only will you get a 'discount' in pricing but I also think you'll probably get a vehicle that's possibly been better maintained. My thinking is that anyone putting high mileage on their vehicle will have more likely maintained it properly. I know you mentioned that the current owner said he did regular maintenance but like another poster mentioned I think that with a vehicle that isn't driven much there's a tendency to defer maintenance or repairs.



In case you haven't done so already try some of the online pricing guides to get a rough estimate of a vehicle's worth. My favorites are car.com's "Black Book" & edmunds.com's "TMV" (True Market Value). I used both extensively when I was shopping for used vehicles ~2 yrs ago & at the time they both produced lower values than the more commonly known price guides such as "Kelly Blue Book" & NADA. FWIW, the "Black Book" pricing guide is supposedly a dealer favorite so it'd give you an idea what the owner would get from the dealer on a trade-in. The "Black Book" price guide lists 2 values: Trade-in & Dealer while the TMV price guide lists 3 values: Trade-in, Private Party & Dealer.



Don't know the trim level or whether it's 2500/3500 but using BR2500 with LT trim level the online "Black Book" price guide produced:



Condition-----Trade-In Value--Retail Value

Extra Clean---N/A----------------N/A

Clean----------$6,420------------$8,525

Average-------$4,770------------$6,450

Rough----------$3,550------------$5,175



Good luck.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

If it is a 4x4, the spring buckets on the frame for the front diff tend to crack. Be sure the recall was done and stiffeners were welded on.

Overall, this truck has the "weaknesses" of the automatic and the smallest P7100 injection pump, the 160 hp version. You can build the auto, but you will spend several thousand to do so. The 5 speed isn't perfect either, needing the mainshaft upgrade (www.standardtransmission.com), and a better clutch if you add a lot of power.

At the age of that truck, 10 years, condition is important. The price ($10K) would be consistent with a premium quality truck that is optioned exactly the way you want it.



At $10,000 per 160 hp, maybe I could interest you in Sickly