I'm sitting here at work trying to make a decision I don't wanna make, and would like to hear some opinions. I love my current truck, but I'm more and more worried about the VP44 everyday (especially since my truck is about to get a WVO kit installed). I love my sport package, I love my tan leather, and I know it's more or less mechanically sound (I've done a lot of suspension/brake work). The next thing on the chopping block is going to be the auto. Though it's in tip-top shape and holding great, I want more power. My truck also has rhino liner which I really would not wanna pay 600 again for.

BUT...

I've found two different trucks I'm considering buying.

One is nearly identical 99 like mine except it's a red sport package, it's a 5 speed, and it needs an injection pump. I could pick the truck up for 6-7k, it's in pretty good shape, and would need a little bit of rust repair. This truck would either get a p-pump swap, or an entire engine swap. Would also need a bedliner.

The other is a 98, QC SB 12V 5 speed, grey leather interior, good shape, recent brake work done, new shocks, etc... I'm not a big fan of the grey though. This is the ideal engine for my WVO conversion, wouldn’t require costly repairs or engine swaps, which I’d hopefully spend about as much as I could sell my truck for. The things going against this truck is no fog-lights, no sport package, and it would need new tires. All of these would need to be added (or the tires could be swapped from my 99 if I could swing it right). Only issue I'm foreseeing is trying to sell it. The used diesel market sucks right now.

I’m in no need of an immediate running truck (I have a commuter/beater), so down-time is no biggie to me.

So what would you guys do? Buy a truck for cheaper and do some costly swapping, or buy a truck for more and do the aesthetic stuff? You can PM me for info/photos but I’d rather not post the ads/photos publically.


Thanks,
Shawn

 

Well, I've heard that you can't run the veg through the vp44 cause you have to keep it at a temperature around 160-180 degrees. If your thinking of doing a p-pump conversion why not do it on the truck you have already? Why buy another to "swap" engines. I know of a guy that was working on a p-pump conversion in an 02' 24 valve. It was a low budget swap. I can give you a guys screenname on here and you can ask him about it, he was involved in it. Don't know if they got it done yet or how it has progressed but it was'nt gonna be insanely expensive.

Convert your current truck, then you can keep all the good things you like and run the veg......obviously your gonna make sure you pay tax on the waste veg you use.....

 

Plenty of folks are running around with veg and a VP44, and a few have 100k miles or around there on them. It's not "recommended" but it isn't really bad for it either. Fuel pressure is the most important thing.

My other big issue is the auto tranny. Not really happy with it. Doesn't suit my needs as well I thought it would. A built auto would be a ton better, but I'd be just as happy with a 5 speed.

I really just want to get one "reliable" (as reliable as you can get) truck that won't let me down, and will run on veg oil. This is especially important since I plow during the winters as well. Another reason why I don't want to p-pump this truck is due to the horror stories of getting them tuned properly on a VP truck (the injectors in these trucks run at different pop pressures). Finally, I like my cruise control. I refuse to give that up.

It's a toss up though. I just drove home for lunch thinking to myself the whole way man this is a good truck which just makes finding a decision even harder.

 

A little saying I'm fond of: A known truck that's mostly right is better than that "possibility" with an unknown past.

i'd stick with your current rig until a 3rd gen is in your price range...