I have been searching for a CTD for myself for almost a year now , i HAD one for about a week , but it turned out to be in need of some serious repairs (had been totalled TWICE).

I can't seem to find any decent CTD's in my price range , so i am reduced to looking at cars (just can't bring myself to own another throwaway car).

I did some looking around at the dealers int he city today , and came up with one truck , a 2001 ram 1500 , 318 (i assume , it was saturday afternoon , so no sales men were around) looks to be in VERY good shape , it is on a chev dealers lot , 94 000 kms (not miles).

VIN: 1B7HF16Y31S165146
Make: Dodge
Model: Ram 1500
Year: 2001
Interior Colour: Grey
Exterior Colour: Blue
Transmission: Automatic
Engine: 8 Cylinders
Vehicle Type: Truck
Body Style: 2 Doors
Drive Train: Four Wheel Drive
Odometer: 94745 Km

I'll try pasting a link , but no guarantees that it will work : Truck

So what does a feller need to watch out for on these particular trucks? was one year a really good year , and others a really bad year ( eg - 98 12v)?

 

how much do you want to spend, you might be able to find a good deal on a truck that needs some work. and still save yourself a bundle..

 

Thats my problem , Most of the CTD's i look at need some work put into them in order to get them to the point where i could look at my truck , and be proud to say i own it, but i can't afford the truck AND to fix it up like i want it.

I am thinking something easier on the wallet to drive for now , so i can start saving and maybe buy my CTD in the future...

 

There is a 96 CTD dually extended cab 4X4, 160K miles, "new transmission", in the local newspaper for US$8500 - if I wasn't trying to buy another house it would probably be parked in my driveway.

Not sure how much work would have to be done to it but it would be a good palce to start......

There are some of these trucks out there but it is a search to find a decently priced one. You can find a cheap used CTD, or a good used CTD, but not both at the sametime it seems.

 

I would recommend spending the dough to get into the CTD first and then try to save the money for the "fixin it up" fund. If it's a diesel that you want ... don't settle for the 318 because you will definately not be happy. Plus ... you will spend your money on fixing up the gasser and then not have the funds for the truck that you really want.

The CTD will run for several hundred thousand miles ... plenty of time to save for bombs.

Just my .02 ... and I have been in your shoes many times over .

PISTOL

 

I am even just looking at the added maintenance of buying a well used truck ( that i can afford) I am scared that the truck may start falling apart around the engine , and i just won't have the $$ to fix it because i am trying to pay for the truck.

And with the price of diesel now ( 103.9 per liter , reg gas is 96.9 per liter) it would take forever and a day for the diesel to make itself worth the money, especially since i will not be piling on the miles, i have about a 5 mile drive to work , and maybe a 100 mile trip once or twice a month.

I need to replace what i am driving now , but i don't know what to replace it with

 

I had a 96 1500 with the 318 and got rid of it after a month or so. It was SOOOOOOO underpowered it aggravated me just to drive it.
If you have to get a gasser , at least look for the 360....

 

Yea i think you should do some comparing also. Gas is cheaper but i assure you i think the diesel will make up for it when you find out how much gas those magnums eat. I used to have a 95 4x4 318 sport. And oh my god, NO POWER, No Fuel mileage not a good combo. Cheaper gas isnt going to make a difference when your getting 11 to 13 MPG as opposed to morelike 20MPG in a diesel think about it.

A friend of mine just bought a 99 Q-Cab, SB, 5speed,4x4, with leather and aftermarket wheels and tires thats forrest green for 12,000. It had a little over 200k on it but heck it a great looking truck.

Plus know that those diesels really hold there value good so if you ever needed to get rid of it (cosidering it wasnt worse then when you got it), you should be able to get your money back.
The more miles you put on a gasser the less people want them. Whereas a diesel alot of people look for higher mileage ones so they can afford it.

just my .02$ Good luck

 

Diesel at 103.9 , gas at 96.9 , to find a diesel in the same kind of shape as that gasser , i am looking at , AT LEAST 20 000 ( if you double the kms for the diesel). That's about $5000 more just for the diesel, not to mention $100 oil changes (compared to probably half that for a gasser, i can change the oil in my car for 10 bucks when oil is on sale)

Assuming the gasser got 13 mpg , and the diesel 20 , that's roughly 16 cents per km for the gas , and 11.5 cents per km for the diesel, so it would take an extra 111 000 kms to pay for the difference , if the fuels stay at their current difference. I would be so much happier driving the diesel truck.

The flip side , is as me and APOC talked about , if i had a fuel card for the ultramar pipeline i could get diesel for LESS than i could buy reg gas.

That still leaves me with trying to find a decent CTD, somewhat locally if i can...

 

stuff like "new transmission" always scares me... I'd rather have one that needed a transmission and be able to put a GOOD one in there...

Forrest

 

I agree with Forrest.

 

In the real world a diesel will not like your 5 mile(km or whatever) trips. A gasser is probably your best bet for now.
Clark

 

That is the other thing i am considering , in the winter , it will take longer for the diesel to warm up enough that i can drive it , then it will actually take me to get to work.

 

Won't warmup during the summer either, to much mass, builds water which leads to acidic condition, poor fuel combustion, ect. Stay with gas for your current use. Now where did I put my nomex suit, mabey my FIRE wall will work.
Clark

 

Hmm

i have a good friend with a 1996 Ram with a 318, Nothing but problems he has had with it, bad body, transmission work, and underpowered to say the least. Still its agreeable, for what your needs are a gasser should do just fine for now, 5 miles to work and thats it? Hmmm diesel will last longer but it will never get up to operating temperature fast enough..

Best of luck

Tx