Thoughts on buying a 12v cummins

E

ed1

New member
I'm 16 years old and want a cummins. I want an old 12v and I just wanted all thoughts on buying one. Milage to buy at prices everything you can think of. It would need to be 4x4 and an extended cab. I found one for a good price that was close but my dad wouldn't go for it because it had 260000 miles. What do y'all think?
 
Well first off, I'm 17, so we probably have the same opinions on things. :Cheer: Haha, I got my first truck when I was 16 too.
I think it would be fine with 260k on it. The motor would be for sure. Is it auto/manual? When's the last time everything was gone over? ( front end, bearings, fluids all changed)? Of course, the less miles the better, but with this being your first truck I wouldn't worry about it being a show truck or anything.

-Dakotah
 
260 is nothing if it's been well maintained... My old director has a 97 with 460k on it, and it looks/runs/drives like it has 60k on it. I've also seen trucks with 120k on them that were ready for the scrap yard.
 
ha ure dad sounded like mine when i was 16 and wanted this 24 valve with 220 thousand miles my dad has a 6.0 so he dont know wut ''durable'' means lol. if ya got a pic of the truck and all the info on it post it so we can see the truck... prices very from state to state and f its an auto i hope you can afford a valve body and torque converter cuz the power is addicting :rockwoot:
 
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be aware of the condition of balljoints, wheel bearings, axleshaft ujoints and transmission... the rest of the truck should be fine but the things i mentioned are the ones that can cost you unexpected money if you dont check them before you buy a truck.
 
Blown 5.9 said:
ha ure dad sounded like mine when i was 16 and wanted this 24 valve with 220 thousand miles my dad has a 6.0 so he dont know wut ''durable'' means lol. if ya got a pic of the truck and all the info on it post it so we can see the truck... prices very from state to state and f its an auto i hope you can afford a valve body and torque converter cuz the power is addicting :rockwoot:
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Don't do it. They nickel and dime you to death. Everyone is always all " it a cummins it's bullet proof" which is true, but it's surrounded by a 13 year( I you fid a 98) piece of junk. I'm a hardcore dodge guy but I will never again buy an old 12v as a daily driver. It sucks.
 
Bus is right.

There I said it...

Engines are great, trucks, not so much. I want a new truck because the package is falling apart. I have no worries about the engine.
 
In the last year I've had to replace alot of **** on a one owner damn clean truck. Don't matter how many miles or how well it's taken care off stuff WILL break.
 
I agree. My truck had 276K on it when I bought it. For what it was, clean truck with most things tight on it. Now with 301k it is showing its age more and more everyday at a rapid pace.
 
It's been more stuff going out with age.
Batteries
Starter
Rotors
Wheel bearings
Shocks
Cruise control
Seat motor
Seals
Gaskets
Lift pump
Shut off solenoid
A/c
Sending units


Just odd and end stuff
 
SCHOOL BUS said:
Don't do it. They nickel and dime you to death. Everyone is always all " it a cummins it's bullet proof" which is true, but it's surrounded by a 13 year( I you fid a 98) piece of junk. I'm a hardcore dodge guy but I will never again buy an old 12v as a daily driver. It sucks.
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displacedtexan said:
Bus is right.

There I said it...

Engines are great, trucks, not so much. I want a new truck because the package is falling apart. I have no worries about the engine.
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What these guys said^^^.

Be fore warned A-hole rant follows (you'll probably be offended):soap::

Note- I am not a brand *****. I dont go around telling everyone to get a Ford or what have you. Just my opinion. I got into engines and vehicle because of Mopar muscle cars to begin with. When I was a kid all I wanted was a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T with a 426 Hemi or 1971 Cuda 426 Hemi or 1969 Plymouth RoadRunner 440 Six Pack. You get the point.

If I could go back in time I would NOT buy my 2nd Dodge again. I want to push this pile of a cliff. I wish I would have just done it right the first time, put a Cummins in my Ford Super Duty.

Cummins engine fugk ya!! No more needs be said.

Dodge...nope......nope...

I bought a GREAT condition '97 extended cab long bed Laramie truck, 150,000 miles. 2 owners- A construction company boss and a old timer. The truck was (is in) excellent condition cosmetically.

The problem...it was a POS from the second it rolled off the factory line. I am so sick of gettig nickled and dimed by this pile. I know guys who have spend more than $20K on there 2nd gen. to get it to be half way driveable/liveable. Still a POS 2nd gen. Dodge Ram in my mind.

I was raised on some pretty fine automobiles so maybe im just a spoiled bratt, but this Dodge doesnt cut it. If I could sum it up in one word it would be...CHEAP. This thing reaks of cheapness. When I shut the door...cheap. That rattle and shutter of a cheap piece of engineering. Like the things about to shake one final time and fall off. Interior...more cheapness. Plastic side panels you can pull off the wall partially with a finer nail alone..

The steering, brakes, and suspension...never have I seen so may corners cut by factory engineers....all trash, garbage, not fit for a tractor. ESPECIALLY pre-1998 2500's. The amount of money you have to throw at a 2nd gen. Dodge with, some miles on it, to drive straight, turn properly, and brake well is plain stupid. I park my two trucks together and look at both their front suspension. It takes less than a second to see how inferior my Dodge's is to my Ford's when I compare then side by side. The Ford has big beefy pieces than dont have any play in them. Solid suspension, kinda rides like an ox cart (leaves in front as well as rear), but it steers great, turns great, oh and actually brakes decent. The Ford is drive hard and fast on MI road with pot holes sometimes FEET deep and frost heave that buck the fat Ford in the air at 50MPH. Again, not trying to talk up the Ford, just my observations guys.

It sucks, because I love the looks of 2nd gen. Rams. Great looking truck, love it looks.

What really pisses me off is how foolish I was. Thinking an old ass truck was bullet proof. Thinking it was a golden god, because it had a Cummins in between the framerails. "The Cummins is great and ridiculously durable, so the Dodge Ram must be too" I thought. I was so pumped to finally own a Dodge Cummins...and now I am just filled with contempt for the thing. I should have known better.

Would I own a 2nd gen. Dodge Ram for a hot rod? Yes. A comitted puller or drag truck you bet.

Daily driver, towing rig, etc...never again.

End my A-hole rant.

Had to vent. Sorry if I offended anyone, that was not my intent. Just my opinion, maybe I am just a fool all around. I am sure I will get a lot of flack for this.
 
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I understand what you all mean. The poblem is that my budget is only 7000 so that's not really enough to get an early 2000s ford or chevy. And I know that the cummins is great and cam easily run over 300000 miles but I do agree completely of the trucks going to s*** real fast cause they are chepy
 
My '98 12v has been a great truck. Only real issues I've had with it is two alternators and two starters, and the the second one was a used one of my '94 engine with 400k km on it. Bought this truck at 200k km, and I just rolled 300k a couple weeks ago. Its by no means a perfect truck. Body wise, its in rougher shape. But it drives just fine, and just about every part on it that has been replaced has been because I upgraded, not because it quit working (alternator and starter excluded). I've got one loose tie rod, but other than, the front end has been solid. I put in locking hubs a year and a half ago to ditch the unit bearings, but those were good enough for my friends to use in their trucks.

My '98 24v was more of a problem child, mainly wiring issues. I attribute that to the last owner doing some hack wiring for 5th wheel trailer hook up.
 
Buy wat you want! But the Cummins engine is much better than the truck! My second gen has 260000 on an the engine is good but the truck is slowly falling apart! It seems i'm always working on it! But, for a first truck it will do ya great! Go get one an have fun!!! If you look around,7000 should easily get you a second gen truck!!!
 
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