Before I buy, I'd like some opinions.
 

Heres the ad for the truck.

02 DODGE RAM 3500 QUAD CAB DUALLY BLACK ,

long bed, 83000+ orig actual mileage, has CUMMINS H.O. turbo diesel 300HP engine,K&N air filter, performance exhaust,6-speed manual transmission,3:55 rear-end gear ratio,pw,pl,pb,ps, 6-brand new tires,new brakes,brand new polished aluminum wheel covers,factory am/fm casette radio,class 5 trailer hitch+wiring, gooseneck trailer ball hitch in bed + brake controller wired, RHINO lined bed asking 12,500 firm(bit negotiable)cash,serious work truck, runs hard and strong all day long, cold a/c, serious work truck

So I've driven it, checked it out and am pretty interested. PO dosnt know about lifter pump failure, the windshield has a slight crack in one corner, the dash is cracked, and there seems to be a bit of oil on the oilpan next to bellhousing. Heres a picture.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...l/P1010114.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...l/P1010119.jpg
You can see the crack in the glass in the picture above.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...P1010106-1.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...l/P1010103.jpg

http://a.im.craigslist.org/99/ae/HRr...HVYOl0nf98.jpg

truck is dirty as hell as its been sitting under a tree, but overall the paint aint that bad. the 6 speed seems to be in pretty good shape. only warning light was airbag light. Would you buy it? what should i do?

I think I would do a bit more research. At first glance it looks like a decent truck. The pic of the oil around the pan doesn't bother me that much...I've got similar seapage from the pan gasket. The pic of the front of the truck looks more like it has a HOLE in the dash. That combined with the airbag light being on makes me think it may have been in a wreck. I could be wrong, but check to see if it has a salvage title(terminology???) Maybe even take it to someone who knows what to look for and can go over it mechanically and give you a more informed opinion as to it's condition.

Other than that it looks pretty good. Nothing a bath and a little wax won't take care of.

the dash cracked when the guy was cleaning it, he told me his hand just crashed down through the dash and he was ****** as hell. I guess the florida sun makes it brittle. but the airbag thing may have something to do with it.
I'll have to get the vin #.

Check the drivers side of the engine and on top the steering box for oil just to make sure the vacuum pump hasn't blown a gasket and sent all that oil down there. Mine did and it cost about $700 to get it rebuilt. I think a new pump is about $2k.

Also is there anything I can do about injection pump going bad because of dead lift pump? I cant really check besides hooking up a fuel pressure gauge right?

You should be able to cycle the key 3 times and look to see if any codes come up in the odometer display. May or may not tell you something useful.

Also, it was described as being a 300 HP engine. It's not- should be about 245.

For the price it seems great. Couldn't get a 96 dually that cheap around here.

will this work on a '97? my airbag light is on since i got the truck, and i dont know whats up. it hasnt been wrecked or anything, and i havent had time to get it on a code reader.

4,5, or 6 sp? Prob. not 6 sp.

If it's a 6 speed it's the 245hp engine like mentioned. The oil maybe from the vacuum pump and the kit to fix that from fixingrams.com is around 50.00 to 60.00 bucks. No big deal. Have you ran a carfax on it yet?

Who say's it's 300HP?

I would defineatly check the codes, see if the guy knows the history of the fuel system, or call a dealer with the VIN and ask them to check what warranty work has been done?

The dash issue is VERY common, I would bet 1 in in 200-2003 have at least a crack if not a few (never seen one like that though?)
I would also wonder how "negotiable" he is, that is a pretty decent asking price as it is in my opinion!

It's a 6 speed. Im waiting til this weekend to go out and see it again. I'll get the vin then.

I'd find out where the oil is coming from. Check to see if it's a 53 block. It's not 300 hp unless he did mods himself. Who cares about it being dirty?? As long as the paint is good. The dash is no big deal, you can always get a new dash for relatively cheap. Find out about the hole, maybe he had a Scotty intake on it. You can get upgraded lift pumps. Seems like a clean, low-mileage truck for a good price. As long as there is no mechanical issues, sounds like a good deal to me, especially for the year.

Looks pretty good for 12,500 and not many miles. Definitely a tow rig. good tires. HO 6 speed, quad. You couldn't find that up here for less than 18000. The dash can be replaced/covered. It looks like the exhuast has been redirected and there's some wiring running to the fuel tank that doesn't look 'factory'. The oil looks like my truck does in that area. Is there a puddle under where its parked? Mine seeps but doesn't drip. Get it checked by a good mech and check the title history, you don't want somebody's Katrina survivor! Kurt

No, that trick won't work on anything older than 00 or 01. It's tough to retrieve airbag codes; you can buy a $10,000 Snap On Modis scanner and it won't do it on many vehicles. Chrysler just won't release the information.:( 80% of airbag faults on a truck like yours is a failed clockspring, but it's nice to actually diagnose it before spending the $$.

Mind if I ask what a clockspring is?