I am 18 and I am about to buy my own truck. It will be a 3500 duallie with a manual trans and 4x4 but i cant decide on a year model. I am leaning towards a 03' or an 04'.

Tell me what you think and why.

 

12v! Cheaper on ins, cheaper to mod and more reliable. JMHO.

 

Get a nice, clean and EXTREMELY reliable 12v, then do a couple of free pump mods to surpass a stock 3rd gen.

You know how good it feels NOT to have the check engine light come on?

 

12 valve and shovel some cash into the front end.

Better A/C than the 3rd gen, 4500 trans shifts better than the 5600, noisier than a 3rd gen, quieter than a 24valve better mileage. NO ELECTRONICS to control the engine. Put in a manul fuel shutoff and you can turn the key off and keep driving.

24 valves have the same crappy front ends I don't know what year they switched to the 5600 trans. Better A/C than the 3rd gen. Sounds like the LP is a major pain in these trucks if you buy one then change the pump. I'm not sure when they went to 4wdisc brakes.

3rd gen front end still sucks but not as bad as a 2nd gen. Crappy A/C (I'm just waiting for my blend door to break) quieter, crappy seats not as comfortable as the 2nd gens Drives nicer more power stock. Some people say thinner sheet metal. Unless you are loaded most of the time and pulling max the NV4500 is more user friendly.

You are 18 at the price of fuel you might look into a bus pass.

 

I have an 04 and am very pleased with it, I have had zero problems besides wear and tear, but still holding strong. The 305/555 are great motors too, the 12 valve of the 3rd gens IMO.

 

I forgot to add that i do tow a horse trailer or a loaded race trailer every once in a while and i will be doing some serious mods to whatever truck i buy. I want to be pushing over 600 Hp.

 

get a 3rd gen and you will love it...best of all worlds IMHO

 

I guess they all have their pros and cons. Its all up to how much you are wanting to spend on a truck, what body style YOU like the best, and what YOU are wanting out of a truck. I had a 99' 24v and loved it, but now that I have my 98' 12v I would never go back to a VP pumped 24v. I don't have much input on the third gens, I would love to have one but wouldn't get rid of my 98' for one. The 12v has awesome reliability.
Good luck on which ever one you decide to buy!
Cory

 

A 600 hp 12v isn't very tow or daily driver friendly. In that case a 3rd gen would be better since you can control how much power you have with a switch.

 

No offense but I hope you have a better job then most 18 yr olds. Unless you actually need a diesel 3500 for work you would be further ahead to find something more economical. You can have the sweetest truck but it doesn't do you any good if you can't afford to drive it. JMHO.

 

True... Lots of people have quit driving their truck. It just doesn't make as much sense anymore.

 

A 12v would be great, but most for sale are worn out. A second gen has the VP issues. A third gen 03 to 04.5 is the best fuel milage, and makes decent power stock.

 

I vote car unless you NEED a truck... Think $150 to fill up and it can get much worse... Make sure you have figured finances before buying.. expensive to maintain, expensive shoes, expensive parts, expensive insurance at 18, expensive everything... Do your homework first! and if a diesel truck is it than go for it!!

 

Ever thought about an ole first gen...I wish I could get a 2nd gen 12v 5sp 4x4 but I will never trade my first gen for anything, and I love 20+ mpg. Good Luck

 

What 12v's are you looking at? There are trucks out there with a million+ miles on them. The 12v get the best fuel mileage as well. The 3rd gens get the worst mileage out of all of them.