Well, today I sold my old '97 12 valver to my good friend's son Gary.

Ever since the boy was a little kid he loved my old truck and said he wanted to buy it if I ever sold it.

My good friend and old neighbor's family was up here in NH for a visit from North Carolina and I had agreed to sell his son my old leaky smoke machine.
The paint on the hood was all cracked and peeling, rust on a lot of the body, two old junk yard red fenders where the old silver ones use to be ... but the kid looked at it like it was the greatest thing in the world.

He scrimped and saved over the past year and I agreed to take a down payment with a year of monthly payments to finish it off ($3,500 ... I could have gotten more, but that wasn't the point).

He spent a lot of time learning how to drive a stick on his mother's old car, and he did prety good on the test drive today.

It was a tearfull goodbye today for me to see my old friends leave to go back home to NC ... especially my old faithful rattlely 12 valver. But the smile on that kid's face and his promisses to take care of it like it was his own son was worth the sale.

I know its in good hands and will make the trip back to NC, my friend is a marine diesel machanic and him and is son are going to find a nice non-rusty southern donner 2500 for the engine/tranny.

Good bye old friend, safe journy, and take care of your new boy.

FATCAT.

 

sounds like an emotional story but looks like its going to give many more good years of service. What are you going to replace it with

 

I got my 2008 Ram 4500 C&C (almost have it paid off). Yeah, it is not as economical as my old 2500, but it will do A LOT more than the old girl.

I get my old girl will get to retire to the south before I do. No more below zero days on end, no more salty snowy road, a nice retirement I hope.

Though the kid did like to make it puff black clouds of smoke, but his old man will be all over him if he does it too much. The kid knows to take care of it because it has to last him a good long time.

 

was it high miles when he took it

 

A little over 251,000.

 

I know what you mean about a rusty truck. Up here in NH all we got is salt on the roads. Where in NH do you live? I am over near Keene. Are you going to get a new one?

 

it was just broke in at 250k

 

I'm over in Northwood.

I currently have a 2008 Dodge 4500 with an 11' dump body. Very nice truck. One truck is enough for now ... but the new one just doesn't sound like the old one or put out the nice black smoke if you punch it.

 

Well, it was leaking oil kind of bad in the front (cam seal) and would be of $2,000 to fix.

The truck itself probably would not pass inspection this coming December as is and would need a lot of body work to pass inspection.

I just don't need those expenses now.

Plus when I see my friends in NC next year it will be interesting what the new "donner" truck looks like and all the repairs they make to it.

Once my friend gets the engine out on a stand, he will be able to take care of a lot small problems, primarly the cam seal and timing case.

 

I hope your 4500 serves you just as well