30th droptop

Hi,

New to this forum. I hope you guys can help me out. This is not exactly a performance question, but it does concern a race car!

I've been looking for a truck to tow my Duster race car and found a 1997 Dodge 2500 Cummins 4X4 priced at $3,000. It has a new transmission and runs fine, although it has 350,000 miles on it. The paint is badly faded, it has dents and needs interior work. I'm not all that concerned about how it looks. I'm a mechanic and have no concerns about fixing things. The main thing I'm concerned about is whether the engine is ready to fall apart. The guy said he took pretty good care of the truck, but he towed a heavy trailer with it. I've heard these motors can last 500K miles if cared for. I would hope it still has some life in it. If I do get problems with the engine, are the parts crazy-expensive?

I've always liked the idea of having a Cummins truck (mainly for the torque and fuel economy). But if it's a major PITA, maybe I should go with a gas truck.

Thanks for your thoughts.

gamble686

iTrader: (3)

$3000 is less than most people pay for a similar gas truck. My brother in law bought a 93 with 275 on the clock for 5500 and turned around and sold it for 6000 3 months later. So yeah I would say its a good deal as long as it hasn't been abused. Lots of people love modding these oil burners. If you can find out exactly what has been done to it that will help. Also have a good diesel mechanic look it over for you. Seen a few over a million miles so why not.

Chevy_King1500

iTrader: (7)

check the head for cracks, #1 cylinder will have coolant running out the side