Hey guys,

Been thinking about getting a 12v lately and have been looking at for sale ads on the net, auction results, etc. to get a handle on what this may end up costing me. What I really would like is a '96-early '98, reg. cab, preferably 4wd and single rear wheel, manual (thats pretty much a must). I've found a few of those, but with super high mileage (350-500K+ km). I've also found a few with a less perfect configuration but lower mileage. Example: a 1994 reg cab 2wd dually with 180K km.
So anyway what I'm wondering is how much more power potential do the later years have? ie. 94 vs 96 (rated at 175 vs 215 hp). And also, how much life is left in your average 400'000 km 12v?

I want the truck for street driving (fun) and maybe some small towing jobs. If I got the time and money I'd also be interested in making a drag rig out of it.

All opinions and thoughts welcome, thanks.

 

44 views and nobody wants to say anything?
Going once...

 

300-400 hp shouldn´t be that hard to get, and if you take care of it, it´ll go another 400.000.
Tranny will need to be rebuild/ changed, but look around this site, see what others have done, the power potential is there for sure.

Slev

 

I have almost 300,000 miles on my 97 dually and I have it turned up to 400 HP. I wouldn't be afraid of a high mileage Cummins if's stock and you will have to beef up the tranny for higher HP.

 

What the others have said, if you are considering a Drag truck, save yourself the grief and get an Auto, sticks suck on the strip.

 

Hey thanks for replying guys.

One of the reasons I wanted a manual is because I was under the impression that its cheaper to make it handle higher power, like doing a clutch instead of a TC, Valvebody, flexplate, etc etc

 

I bought mine at 365Kms...It has 441Kms now and runs like a top..Haven't done anything to the motor,except the KDP..

 

Drag race + manual = really slow. gotta choose one or the other. if its just to bomb around like mine, i got a truck thats stock, that was the biggest thing for me. didnt really worry about the mileage as its not much of an issue, as long as someone didnt do some cheap unmonitored mods and ratbag it. if ur buying a already modded truck, id say b careful....way more potential of it not lasting, especially if the guy was a "home mechanic that likes tinkering". getting power requires money, simple. but u can get 300hp or a little more for next to nothing....like pulling the plate and getting gauges to keep an eye on things. will cost u around $250 or so, throw in a 3kgsk like i did and im running with stock 06 duramaxs. after that itll cost a little more to go the next step....but its all for reliability and better fuel mileage so its worth it in the long run lol

 

It generally is, but you kill the boost every time you shift with a stick. I have come close to keeping her spooled with my shifts, but you don't do that long before the $$ start spitting out your NV case.

 

Yeah I'm ok with that. Right now I have to focus on keeping costs down, and if I ever do start a drag project the tranny won't be my only worry.

 

My dually, I'm quite confident it was over 700hp when I had the twins on it. I have a bone stock NV4500 out of a '94 in it that had 400k km on it when I swapped it in (original lost 5th gear). Only upgrade driveline wise is a 3600 lbs. DD clutch.

If you're looking for a fun street truck, I'd say get the manual if thats what makes you happy. Thats what I've done/am doing. Dedicated drag racer is another story. But thats a lot of coin for a street truck that rarely sees the strip. Reg cab 2wd dually would be fun as well. The traction won't be as good, but again, you need to decide if thats a big issue for you. If you're racing it, a set of tires will fix that right up.

As far as 175/215 pumps, the 215 has the higher capability right out of the box with simple mods, but they will all generally max out around 500-600 CC of fuel (depending on who does the work and style of pump stand). Brad Ponci is probably the best example, running low 11's or high 10's on a 160 pump that has never been off the truck. The capability is there, in the right hands.

Finding a '98 reg cab 12v was a challenge for me. Reg cabs in general were hard to find. I eventually did find one, glad I did. It was 3 years after I started looking and had already bought my dually. It was a fluke I started looking after a snow storm I had gotten stuck in, and decided I wanted a 4wd.

 

Hey thanks Tate, that answers my question on whether the lower-rated pumps will be a major limitation in the long run.
I'll have to wait until after my winter work season and then see what I can find. Or maybe I'll decide to beef up my 07.

 

I found out with my small 175 pump...You could really get them to fuel if you want...I got mine to fuel so hard that I had to thighten up my AFC a long ways..poor 215 injectors..

 

those p pumps can dump TONS of fuel hrough em and really do a number to your numbers lol so punny i am

 

You may not have to worry about high mileage on the motor, but you should worry about high mileage on the rest of the truck, plus components like lift pumps, starter, alternator, injectors etc.

My 96 was unmolested, but have had nothing but problems with it. I checked all the right things before I bought it, but have had my starter go, a lurking TPS problem, a rear axle seal go (which also meant I had to redo my rear brakes), ball joints go (that had been "replaced recently" according to the previous owner), all u joints, a poor lathing job on the rear drums, the starter......etc.

Anyway, just a word of caution, lower mileage trucks are a much wiser purchase lol