[Jakenbake13]

I have a few questions for you guys and I hope I am in the correct forum. First off I am considering purchasing a used cummins, from 04.5 to 07, with precedence toward the 06-07 trucks. I also want a G56 and quad or mega cab 4x4. As you all know it is becoming hard to find good 5.9 manuals and it is even harder to find one near my loacation. The goal is to determine whether or not this is practical for me at the moment, as the trucks I am finding are >50,000 miles, mostly around 70,000 and would possibly need some work in the future. So I have a few questions:

1. What have you all typically done as far as finding trucks 200-300 miles or greater from where you live, in respect to looking the truck over and what not, making multiple trips, and did you negotiate over the phone before traveling. Also to add I will most likely have a trade, my current 1500. So for those of you that have traded, did you attempt negotiations over the phone prior to taking the trade to the dealer.

2. I have been compiling a list of things to inspect for when looking the truck over that are diesel/ cummins specific, I have others that are for a used vehicle in general but wont bore you with that. So we have: check 4th injector line for wear, watch a cold start and check for smoke, hard start, and rough idle. Also after driving the truck and reaching opperating check for blow by using the oil cap. I also want to check for signs of a pressure box such as a mp8 but am unsure of what to look for so I'll have to research that some more. Also just looking at what if any modifications that have been done. I also intend to look for evidence of a gooseneck/ fifth wheel, I wouldn't overlook a truck that has either of the two, I would jsut prefer one that doesn't and would use it to my benefit. However I have noticed a high number of truck from that age that do have a trailer brake harness, is this something that you would stray away from, approach with caution? Also if I am forgetting something please feel free to add.

3. I am mostly trying to determine what kind of costs that I could be in for if I decide to go this route, so I have created a list of things I could be looking at in the near future post purcahse. First is the injectors, looking at ~$400 a piece and I dont like the idea of remans, but it looks like thats my only option if I want the 124 degree, I'm not sold on the 143 yet with the 04.5-07 piston, and totally confused about going with the SAC over the VCO. I have been looking at the carli or thuren track bar to replace the worn stocker, then you have ball joints, tie rod ends and others will be considering the usuals like moog ( I heard their quality wasn't the best anymore) and also Carli. I would also be looking at adding additional filtration but am undecided on the best route for that.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, I have been researching for a while and feel like i am on the right track but would like to verify a little so that I dont Know the incorrect knowledge so to speak. Also I feel like I probably forgot to add some things, but anyways, thanks again.

 

[rdaviemt]

Ok ill throw in what i know. With the gooseneck hitch might not be a bad thing that one is there i live in NC and there are alot of guys around here that use them for long halls so they take much better care of their trucks due to not wanting to be stuck out of town. On the break control and someone corect me if i am wrong (spent most of my time with a powerstroke and duramax) to my knowledge some are a option from the factory. Would check the oil color, smell, texture. Check for surge i am dealing with this problem now just bought mine two weeks ago. But these are good trucks and im ok with putting money in this one many of my buddies have 5.9 liter cummins and they are stout trucks. Love the 6 speed transmission lot easier to work on if problems ever do occur.

 

[Jakenbake13]

I would assume in checking the oil i am smelling for diesel from the injectors, or antifreeze from HG issues or both? And thanks I am adding that to my list, and makes sense on the goosneck and brake controller, didnt think about being a factory option.

 

[rdaviemt]

Yeah would smell for diesel look for seperation and discoloration. The gooseneck will be aftermarket instilation but the break control can be factory.

 

[cerberusiam]

A lot to deal with there and unless you have the truck it is hard to plan for.

Typically, if you want to make sure you get what you are paying for you will need to take the truck to an independent shop to verify things. Finding a trustworthy shop away from your home town is hard. Its a crap shoot to even expect useful info.

If you are buying the truck with no waranty all you can do is offer appropriately for what you think will be needed. Likely they will want more than you think, they always do when I look at one. When I detail out the problems and the cost to fix they get mad. :rof

Trying to find a 6 speed truck is tough. Trying to find a good one is tougher. They aren't all they are cracked up to be and can be a disappointment in the long run. Don't discount the auto, they are much easier to fix with high availability of choices.

Good luck, dealing for and buying a used truck is so painful I quit. Hope you fare better.

 

[Jakenbake13]

Thanks rdaviemt adding that to the check list. Would the discoloration show up on the dip stick when pulled out or would I need to use a white paper towel in order to make the discoloration visible? And thanks cerberusiam I agree completely on there being more options with the auto, cars goes from 500+ when all trans is selected down to <100 when I go to manual only lol. I would love to get back into a manual (had an 04 5 speed mustang gt before the 1500) but will look back into an auto some more. As far as the manual tranny what term disappointments are you refering to? I really like the idea of $1200 clutch versus a > $4000 transmission rebuuild.

Also would you expect better more honest service from a truck only dealer? Or would that type of dealer be the one to watch more, I consistently find "possible" trucks from the same dealer on cars.com but wasn't sure about how that dealership would be and of course they happen to be about 300 miles away from me, lol.

 

[cerberusiam]

I expect ANY dealer to maximize their profit not the customers value. I am gratified to find one that is amenable to dealing. Doesn't happen too often. You have to get a believable independent assessment or use your own and see what falls out of the dealing.

Given an auto and manual are the same quality, the cost to get them to hold the same power is roughly the same, around $1500. For a solid DD that is more than adequate. Only when you want to crank up the power and compete do costs start getting out of hand. The positive side of the coin is you can build an auto to hold 1000 HP and 1500 TQ. With a manual all you can do is add a trans brace, there are few to no readily available performance parts.

For DD use and normal towing the auto will run away and hide form the manual while saving your knees and fuel bill. A 6 speed with ratios available to the autos would be a different story. Alas, that beasty does not exist so we have to settle for what there is and be happy.

A G56 with 3.73's on 35" tires is a good combo, but, you can't bag on it, force it to shift, etc, or it just destroys the synchros. It is not a DD for everybody and frankly they suck in traffic.

 

[Jakenbake13]

Thanks, something to think about. It would be my daily driver and toy. As far as performance goes; I would like to be around 450 to 500 hp at most, but I would be content with a tuner and exhaust for quite a while. I would deffinetly want to go with a 3 inch lift and 35's though so I could deffinetly do the G56 with 3.73's and g56. An auto would deffinetly make backing the boat up the hill into the drive way easier.

 

[ReverseThreads]

As far as the negotiation part goes, I would do as much as I could to nail down an out the door price down firm, working under the assumption that the truck being sold is represented by the seller in good faith. If you can't get to a comfortable price over the phone, you'd be waisting your time traveling to look at it. Don't let them lure them in with the 'ol come on down and we'll make a deal bit.

If you decide to trade, treat the trade as a separate deal in your mind. That is, negotiate the price of the new truck down to the lowest possible price first. Then I would get a trade appraisal and work from there. This limits a dealer trying to "wear you down" playing with numbers on both ends (price of new truck, payout for trade-in). They try to make you think you are getting a good deal on a new truck, but then try and make up for it by lowballing you on your trade.

Also, if you owe on the trade, I would not tell them the payoff on the loan until they come back with an appraisal. Just another way to keep them honest in the event you have positive equity in your truck. Keep in mind also trade value is dependant upon market for the area you end up dealing in. Your truck would most likely appraise higher in say Texas or the South than it would in Beverly Hills. Supply and demand.

I always prefer to have independent financing ready up front. The more cards you can hold, the more leverage you will have in negotiating. If you want a lower price or some throw-ins, ask. You have nothing to lose and all they can say is no. Be prepared to hang up the phone or walk away. They'll come back to you if they want to deal. Good luck, it can be a PITA. Oh, and of course, get the seller to send you a CARFAX on their dime.

 

[TJ_mopar]

I got a good deal from a private party. The original owner pulled a 5th wheel with it, but only clicked right over 100k on the truck. The stick on these are nothing close to your mustang, if you are looking for that feeling you will be disappointed. Clutches are much cheaper than a trans, the issue is when 3rd gear grenades from boosted launches. Now if you drive you manual like its a truck not a dragster it'll last the life if the truck and I enjoy shifting gears still.


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[rdaviemt]

If the truck has been sitting for a bit (long enough for seperation to occur) look on the dipstick itself normally can see discoration there. These other guys are giving some great info as well. I am newer to dodge can tell some of the normal diesel things to look for but some of these other guys can probably give you more specific info on model and associated problems.

 

[sptbkfn01]

I bought my truck from a member on here. I live in PA and he was in OH. I figured, "what the heck? It's only 1 state over. I can get to Pittsburgh in no time." Didn't realize that he was in Dayton. 480 miles one way.

We talked extensively over the phone about the truck. He sent me a TON of pictures from every angle imaginable. I am pretty good about feeling people out and determining if they are trustworthy (it's still a gamble, I've been wrong before). I felt that he was honest and we negotiated a price sight unseen with the stipulation that if it is misrepresented when I get there, we either renegotiate or I just leave.

I rented a car and drove out. We met and I checked it over. Checked the suspension (tie rod ends, ball joints, etc), checked for blow-by, checked the color of the oil, crawled under/over/between/through it, and verified his receipts for what he claimed was done to the truck. I was satisfied, we went to the bank and did the deal. I then dropped off the rental at the local Enterprise and off we went.

*I will say, the one thing I didn't think to check was that all the blend doors worked properly. Turns out when I got home, that I didn't have defrost at all. Just the vents. So, check EVERYTHING.

I drove that far primarily because quad cab, long bed, 6 speeds are either a premium here or they can't be found. Am I happy with the 6 speed? Meh. I came from a Duramax and loved the 6 speed for about 30,000 miles. Now as a daily driver, I kinda miss the automatic. Like cerberusiam said, autos aren't really more expensive unless your looking to make big HP.

I bought the truck with 170,000 miles and now have about 215,000 miles. I still runs like a top. Just had a few suspension issues. But hey, it's a Dodge.

Sorry for the long post. Hope this helps you at least a little.

 

[tigertank]

blow back ck for that and unless u want to keep spending money just get the auto keep it stock and u will enjoy the truck for 100,000 of miles m ine had the cat off anf and airraid dry filter and it runs good toes great and get 20 mpg avg

 

[jerrodlk]

Here is my 2 cents. When you find what you want, don't let a a few hundred buck keep you from buying it. Dealers only have about $2,000 built into the price and they need to make a profit. After you have been driving it for 6 months it won't matter that much anyway.


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[Jakenbake13]

Thanks guys, all great info. I have some thinking to do. I do realize that the truck will not shift like my gt but I do enjoy rowing through the gears and your only young once. However I also try to think intelligently and perhaps I'll give some more cosideration to the auto and look more into beefing them up a bit to help with additional power.

Also I am going to have to re-read all of your buying experiences again, its getting late and I am having retaining what I read lol. I will have more questions for you all, so thanks again I really appreciate it as I have learned a lot on here.

 

[TJ_mopar]

I do realize that the truck will not shift like my gt but I do enjoy rowing through the gears and your only young once. However I also try to think intelligently and perhaps I'll give some more cosideration to the auto and look more into beefing them up a bit to help with additional power.

I wouldn't count out a stick yet. Even though my truck shifts nothing like a car, it is still fun to go through the gears on it and with a clutch upgrade it is nice a sturdy.



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[sptbkfn01]

I wouldn't count out a stick yet. Even though my truck shifts nothing like a car, it is still fun to go through the gears on it and with a clutch upgrade it is nice a sturdy.



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Don't get me wrong. I love my stick. It's just that some days I find myself wishing I would have gone auto. Never thought I'd feel that way.

Sent from a fancy talking device

 

[Jakenbake13]

I dont typically do much stop and go city driving I have 5 stop lights on my 10 mile one way drive to class everyday, but I guess I do need to consider after school aswell. So lots to think about.

TJ, if you had to classify what is different about your g56 and a manual car what would it be? I have rode in one 08 with a g56 a few times but havn't had the chance to drive it, I may ask to drive it once or twice to get a feel for it. I do know the throws are quite a bit longer but it didn't seem that he couldnt shift it pretty quick considering. I also have only seen him down shift to slow, not to build speed, but I would assume it would be similar to how I did in the mustang, get the rpm's up to close to where they would be at that speed in the desired gear and it would slip right in.

sptbkfn01: would you care to name a few of those times that you wished you had that auto? I would guess stop and go traffic but I am sure there are others too.

 

[TJ_mopar]

TJ, if you had to classify what is different about your g56 and a manual car what would it be? I have rode in one 08 with a g56 a few times but havn't had the chance to drive it, I may ask to drive it once or twice to get a feel for it. I do know the throws are quite a bit longer but it didn't seem that he couldnt shift it pretty quick considering. I also have only seen him down shift to slow, not to build speed, but I would assume it would be similar to how I did in the mustang, get the rpm's up to close to where they would be at that speed in the desired gear and it would slip right in.

I have a slight over stock single disc, but I've seen guys comment that when they get a dual disc set up it almost ends quick shifting. I went from a beater nissan with a 5 speed that i could hammer the gears with no issues, to my truck. The throws are longer like you said and a little firmer. I take it easy when its cold, but when the fluids are warm it shifts nice. With my nissan I would do my best to keep up my RPMs when I shifted, with this I let them drop so it goes in smoother. If needed I can still get decent shifts from 3rd to 6th. I really don't use first much, I'd have to shift to 2nd by 5 mph and I try not to hit 3rd too hard cause it seems like that is the one most guys talk about blowing. If you are looking not to have bad mpgs with a stick you have to live with slow starts from stoplights, once you hit 4th it starts coming on nice and you can give it more fuel earlier, but mpgs go down. Also, I still find it weird to be in 5th before I hit 40 mph.

 

[Jakenbake13]

ReverseThreads: That sounds like a good plan on nailing it down as much as possible over the phone first. I do however have a question: if I am doing negotiations over the phone would I mention the trade over the phone or wait till I am there in person to do so? Also that is a good idea on the independent financing up front, gives them less leverage and gives you more control on the timeline of things. Seemed that when we bought my halfton that they were using the time during financing to try and sell warrenties and what not.

rdaviemt: how long would the truck need to set for the seperation to occur: overnight, week, etc. And would the oil from a diesel have the scent of diesel without the injector failing?

TJ: would those boosted lauches that destroy 3rd are in 4wd? Also I do not have any desire to take the truck to the track or anything like that I would use it as a truck mostly DD and pulling our boat, but I do like to get up to speed on on ramps or get through a gear or two when accelerating but not like I would not drive it the same as I would the mustang. Also most of anything I would do would be from a role I never liked "Dumping the clutch" all that much in the mustang and would assume I owuld feel that way in the truck as well. So I would assume this type of driving would not be as damaging to the drivetrain, but I am still reseaching and learning as much as I can.

sptbkfn01: I appreciate that story as it gives me some more ideas on the negotiation process. I'll definetly need to re-read all of this stuff and take notes on it before proceeding with the negotiations.

Thanks again guys, I understand this type of stuff can be boring in comparrison to other threads, but I really appreciate the help, I am taking a lot in.