Cummins Freak

ok had the truck quoted to get fixed with New doors (rust), new paint or Line-X (silver paint flaking off), new Hub conversions (unit barring Bad on driver side) from EMS-offroad, new tranny from dave, and new dons x-over steering (factory bad again) over $11,000 i really dont know if the truck is worth that much MOney and all the time and effort to fix it.

1) now would you guys fix it

2) would you buy a new 2nd gen

3) would you find a nice 1st gen to trade it in on

these are my only options as i want a 12v also what kind of power can I make in a 1st gen any where close to my 2nd gen thanks

BigBlue

I would build your 2nd gen. You've already got a nice truck that you've put some nice coin into and that runs pretty decent. I've put well over $11k into mine not counting the cost of the truck and I'm still adding more everyday. But I have an unnatural love for my truck. I know that that seems like a lot of money in one lump sum and it is. But only replace what needs replacing immediately such as the bearing and steering. Once that's done then save some money and build the rest of it. Also, I know that like most people on this board when something breaks you wanna upgrade it to the best thing out there but sometimes that's just not feasibly possible. So instead of doing the whole EMS offroad conversion why not just buy the factory part until you can afford the whole thing. And Don's x-over steering, while a work of art and something I'm dying for, is a pretty nice chunk of change considering that you can go to o'reilly's or napa and get the stuff with a lifetime warranty on it. Just something to think about.

westcoaster

Fix the essentials patch the rest to make it look good. The $11,000 you are going to spend on this truck is money you will not see a return on. While it is true the motor has barely been broken in, the rest of the truck is 10 years old and has been over the road for so many 100's thousands Km. You are just starting to spend money on it.

My vote is to dump this one and buy a new(er) one. Think of how much you can sell this one for with it's rusty doors and peeling paint, then tack on $11,000 to that. You should be able to get a '00-02 and be slightly ahead of the "repair daily" curve.


Edit: Sorry, just noticed your specifications.
If your bent on keeping this truck, do your upgrades one step at a time....

Cummins Freak

blue i already did go to NAPA and get lifetime steering parts and went in to get a new drag link and they said sorry but no we dont cover misused parts. the drag link is a little bent and loose but they said to bad so sad.......i should have just bought dons steering that time aughhhhhhhh

Gotlift01

I'm in the same boat as you......I love my truck but yet I'm looking at having to spend close to $7K on it here soon and I just don't think it's worth it. I've invested a ton of money in my truck as well........but I'm thinking of cutting my losses on this one and stepping up to a 3rd gen. It's a tough decision that I've been going back and forth on for months now.....but I pretty much have my mind made up to sell her and buy a new one.

Now if my truck was paid off...then that might be a totally different story. I could justify spending that money if I didn't have a truck payment on top of it.

~Nick

Scramblinman

If you are going to be running a big lift with big tires you are going to have to upgrade those steering and axle parts or accept accelerated wear and premature failure of the stock components on a different truck anyhow. Same with an automatic transmission if you are going to turn up the power. So to me, those issues are a wash.

The only real question is if the body and paint are worth repairing. If the truck otherwise runs and drives well, I would say that a different truck is likely to cost far more than just fixing and repainting your current one. And in buying another truck, you could just be buying someone else's problems. Who's to say that it won't develop rust and paint issues as well? You've already got a 1997, pretty much the best year of the 2nd Gen 12v trucks. What more do you want?

I say that barring stumbling onto a low mileage 1997 that some little old lady only drove to church on Sundays and is hoping to get $4k out of it, keep the truck you have and work with what you've already got and know what it's issues are.

Cummins Freak

i am excepting the fact that stuff wears out its just really annoying that when i thought i had lifetime parts that now i have to payfor them again its mainly the body wrk that has me thinking of selling this truck as its a MN truck with salt all its life. once i get the cab off and paint it who knows what else will be rusted through ie the frame ???? i hate the fact that this truck came from MN