question on purchasing an older cummins

[FLACK55]

im thinking about buying a 1999 dodge cummins off a guy he wants 9000 it has 200000 miles and has had oil changed every 3000 miles with the records its a 5 speed with a heavy duty clutch and has an airdog fuel system has a couple other extras but with that said is that too many miles for a daily driver

[Boomer6104]

I wouldn't worry about 200,000 miles with all the maintenance records, but not for 9 grand. 2nd gen trucks are priced too high as it is. Offer him 6 or 7 for it.

[FLACK55]

okay from what i hear the cummins is a great motor and will last forever but the truck can have problems what kind of stuff can i run into with that many miles on the body

[12valvedriver]

the front ends tend to get loose on them. at200,000 expect some play in the wheel.

I would say 9 is pretty close on that. I see them going for much more than that where i am from

[FLACK55]

if the steering is loose what am i looking at to fix it

[12valvedriver]

To make a solid front end, you would need a steering stabilizer, 3rd gen track bar, borgeson steering box, and some quality ball joints. These parts will run you a little over $1000. BUT here is the good side, you can still drive it the way it is until you can't stand it anymore. Yeah sure it may be loose but until you get REAL loose and risk the death wobble, you should be ok. you can use that to drive the price down on the pickup.

[phxjcc]

Flack

I own a 99 5 spd and here are my ideas...

Agree with others on the front end is a big problem with the heavy engine over the axle.

Other issues:
exhaust system, see if it has been redone; SS exhaust is best.
Tires, don't minimize this as a good set is ~ $1000 for 4 E rated tires.
Cruise controls have chronic problems on this vintage, usually a vacuum leak.
Ditto foglights--need to replace the headlight switch to get them to work; about $150 to r&r.
Ask if the rear axle ABS sensor has been replaced, not a big deal, but another $100 to do so.
Rear Axle seals; they tend to go out, dump lube on the rear brake shoes and essentially leave you with two wheel braking--about $200.
Check A/C heat exchanger (near radiator) to make sure its clean--if not, you will not get much cooling in summer, and run HVAC fan to make sure you get good airflow on all speeds; if not you are going to have to clean the system under the dash.

Windshields are CHEAP, ~ $200, installed.

Here is a used car checklist [generic] that is a good idea to use, so you don't "fall in love" with the truck prior to inspection.
AIS Used-Car Pre-Purchase Checklist - MSN Autos

Lastly, IMHO, these trucks have crappy (thin) paint. Use the checklist to perform inspection.

Good luck.