WE the Wife & I need your Help! I*M a retired long haul Trucker but my wife still works three days a Week WE have an 88 Dodge 4X4 w/ a Fisher Plow a Nice One but it uses lots of GAS & WE need to Cut Back & I have Driven Cummins for many yrs! & must admit I know the Big Diesels--but Dono? crap about the Small ones??--heres Our Problem!--WE can only Afford an Older Diesel Pick Up--& locally there are not very Many!--as a Retired Trucker I see Labor costs Rising--so WE need an Older Model that I can Work On! if its Necessary! as I can still Turn a Mean Wrench! I hear the 12 Valve from 89 up to Mid 95? is NOT Computerized? ad removed as WE can*t Afford New!--WE prefer a Reg CAB--two wheel dive--One in need of Tinkering & a little body Work is OK!--& Were new Bees--so Heres our UP Date!--WE have Found several--& gone to Our Bank & made Out all the Paper work & Returned to BUY w/ Check in Hand-only to be Infomed Its Been SOLD!!--& Yes! were getting a Little Discouraged!--to say the Least!--& to make our Looking Worse--our Future Diesel has to be very In-Expensive in Price--so WE have Multi Problems! as YOU all can See!--& Most Likley I*M posting this in the WRONG FORUM?--So PLEASE FORGIVE? --Ole JIM & LINDA GOD BLESS!

 

Jim,

Take a peek at the link in my signature. There are new trucks being added almost daily. We will be rolling out a new service shortly that let's you request an email update everytime we get a new listing. You can even enter different search parameters that you're looking for.

Odds are if you keep an eye on the site for a while, you will find something that you're looking for. Good Luck!

 

If you have not already, go to Traderonline.com. Search your truck using your zip code and 300 mile radius. If that does not work expand the search to nationwide.

96's 95's don't las long. They are almost bullet proof. They have front end problems, leaks around the front window and rear stop signal on the roof.

My Son has my ole 96. Best truck I ever owned. Its now got 273K on it and runs the streets of Tampa at 17mpg back and forth to his job. Runs from New Orleans to Tampa without stopping for fuel.

Hope you find something.

Dave

 

The cheapest and eaisiest to work on trucks are the rotary-pumped 1st gens, which were available from 1989-1993. 12 valve, machanically-controlled engines were around until 1998.5, but the ones after 1993 are going to command a higher price due to a "better" injection pump and body style.

The first gens are very easy to work on and are bulletproof. And clean ones can be had for under $3,000; if you want a regular cab, 2wd, beat-up truck that might have mechanical problems, then you can probably get one for around $2,000, if not less. (Mine was only $2,650 in perfect mechanical condition and no rust.)

If you do find a first gen, there is a very active community on this sub-forum, so we can get any problems that you may have sorted out in a hurry.


Good luck to you and the missus.

 

Well, assuming that you are close to the zip code of 04330, I've just skimmed through www.eBayMotors.com, www.Cars.com, and www.Recycler.com and haven't found anything too good. I'll try to keep an eye out for you over the next few days.

Don't be discouraged; the bad thing about these trucks are that hardly anybody ever sells them. The good thing about these trucks is that you'll never want to sell it after you find one.

 

maybe this one?:
ebay Item number: 190024537238

 

THANKS! Guys a new Bees to the small diesel engine world & on a Fixed income as WE tighten our Budget our serch for ONE all around Vehicle & many inquires We were infomed by all our local mechanics that DODGE was the Diesel Truck We should look FOR! & in our Search very discouraging--WE found Two Both SOLD before WE could finialize the paper work & were Confussed? as I*M from the Ole School where a Mans Word is His Bond--& Today I assume? the Younger generations Word is NOT worth all that Much? Our Discouraging Part Is wasting Time getting the Vehicles Data to our BANK w/ all the running around finilizing all the paper work & w/ Check in Hand & returning! & being Greeted by {Sorry its been SOLD!] Especially when they Told ME a Down Payment was Not Necessary! as they would Hold the Truck?-- Live? & Learn?--so Our Search Goes ON! Sorry for the long explanation but thought You all should Know & WE can*t THANK You all enough for taking the TIME in Todays RUSH RUSH World in Assiting US! & having our 88 Dodge 4x4 Gas Eater? that Runs & looks like New which We will Keep to Plow our Yard With! & in our Search I Am Awed by how People Beat up their very exspensive Vehicles I DONO?--Ole JIM--

 

Thanks Begle WE really Appricate That Ole JIM

 

No problem.

Could you tell me what you're price range is, though? I've been searching for trucks below $4,000; I know they're out there, they're rare though. If you could pay $6,000 then there's a lot more options available.

Take care.

 

--BEGEL--WE just checked our Budget & the last of Nov I*LL have One Loan Paid OFF--small--& Jan another a bit larger--so If it ment? Us getting a much better Dodge Diesel say in your Quoted $6,000 Range!--We could EAT alot of Paster & Beans--for a few Weeks & end UP w/ a Really Nice One?--the Perfect Truck for US? would be a Reagular CAB as theres just the Two of US!-& Our Two Lap Dogs--which Lay in mothers Lap as we Ride!--Single Rear Wheels--regular Rear Bed--as most here are Club Cabs In later Models--I wouldn*t turn Down a Really NICE Inexpensive Dually--& We don*t Mind Manually Rolling Up & down our Windows & Mother has a Breathing Problem when its HOT Out! so Air would be Nice for Her! ME My AIR is I roll the Windows Down & drive a little Faster! We know Out Trucks out There! Finding It our Problem! I had a GMC Diesel Pick Up a few yrs Ago! & Don*t want another! I Don*t know a thing About the FORDS??--Except The Starters & injectors Cost an Arm & a Leg! & Here locally all my Mechanic Freinds tell ME to Get a DODGE Diesel--as I take pretty Good Care of My Vehicles as Our 88 Dodge 4X4 still looks New!--& I*M the Only DODGE Freak in this Area! w/ a Back Yard Full of Ole Mopars!-- WE getting Confussed as WE have looked at so many newer Models that their starting to Blend Together We can*t THANK You enough for Looking for US! GOD BLESS Ole JIM & LINDA

 

Just a thought OleJim, you said you've got a yard full of old Mopars, being in your area, rust is probably prevalent, but if you have anything worth selling, "cleaning out " your yard may net you some more $$ to put towards a Cummins.
Another thing, up by you, most of the older trucks are getting rusted out. Check out autotrader.com or other sites for trucks for sale in Southern areas, or the Southwest. If you can wok it out w/ the bank and find someone in that area to check out the truck you want ( there are many nice guys on this site that would do that for you I'm sure), you could find a pretty nice older truck w/ no rust in the $5-8k range.

 

Not much luck today; only one that looks really good to me is this 1996; at $5,000, it seems like a steal.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...en&cardist=300

I'm assuming that you don't want the dump trucks...

There's also this 4x4 in DTR's classified, but it would cost at least $1,000 less if it was 2wd.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...&cat=18&page=1

 

Grit DOG as a retired trucker I have a pretty well equipped garage & used to Do repairs for additional Income as customers left ole mopars & bought some thing else I ended up w/ several converts but I have advertised them & many Tire Kickers but NO $$--here--the Wife & "I" took several to a local clasic car show! & No One even looked at E*M? so WE gave that UP! as this is CHEVY & FORD county I guess? our BANK is as Discouraged as We are? to DATE making out all the paper work & the ones We interested in BUYING--SOLD before We could get back to Buy E*M as the Bank takes a couple of Days! Now our Banker says She will give US a BANK Check so ALL I have to Do is Go look & fill the Check out & WE & the Truck are Gone! I dono? but $5,000 ought to get US a pretty Good Truck? YOU know WE know! theres One out there! owned by a Mopar NUT--thats Really NICE & would like to find a MOPAR NUT that takes really very Good Care of their Vehicles & thats US! as We get Compliments on our 88 Dogge 4X4 every where We GO! but BOY! it uses a lot of GAS! so we going to keep to Plow our Yard! as its worth a lot more to US than the Book says! so our search is ON! for a DODGE Diesel--I told Mother WE have until Thanksgiving --as that about the Time Jack Frost starts doing his thing here locally so WE should find One by Then?? Hopefully?? --Ole JIM & LINDA

 

You mentioned in your first post your '88 4x4 takes alot of gas. Don't know what the fuel prices are in your neck of the woods, but here, today, gas is $2.59 and diesel is $3.17. That's 58 cents per gallon more for your new truck when you find it.

You might want to rethink how bad you need a diesel if cost are your main issue.

 

Jim,

I know of one, it belongs to a member here. He is around Nashville, Tn so I don't know if that would do you any good. He said it was a 92 club cab, 2wd automatic with 98k miles on it. He said it is in awesome condition and was wanting $6500 for it. I don't know if that is in your range financially or distance wise. Let me know and I can message him and see if he still has it if it would work out somehow for you. I know the southern trucks will be far better than any northern trucks. I used to live in Western New York, so I know all about salt and vehicles......