Back when I had money I bought a brand new diesel 97 Dodge SLT and loved it. Didn't get to drive it long because it got destroyed in a wreck a little over a year after I bought it. I didn't buy another and have been regretting it ever since. Now I see a 98 Dodge with the 12v Cummins available locally for around three grand. It has 215K miles on it. Seems like the price is suspiciously low. Other than faded paint and general wear and tear it looks like it's in fairly good condition. The owner insists there's nothing wrong with it, just that he has been using it for a work truck and is ready to buy a new one. Assuming he's being honest and there are no major problems not involving legit wear and tear, what do you guys think? I'm not a mechanic, but is there anything I can look for or check on my own that might help determine if this guy is trying to dump a money pit on a noob? I'm inclined to walk away just because of the unusually low price--I was a police officer for some years and I'm suspicious of EVERYTHING--but I'd hate to do that if it was a decent truck someone was just in a hurry to get rid of. Even assuming that there's no major problems, those are high miles for the truck as a whole if not the motor, right?

I will be grateful for any guidance on this. Thanks.

 

if you are considering it as primary transportation then I'd shine on it. but for cores and parts if the block is good then go for it. might be a winner but very risky

 

Things you can check are. Lift the front end and see if you can move the tires up/down side to side. Wiggle the driveshafts to see if there's any play in the u joints. Look at the bottom of the engine and transmission (if there's oil there may be a seal gone). Check all the fluid levels and look at the oil to see if there's any contaminants (if it looks a bit like chocolate milk then there's water in the oil). Pull the intake tube off of the turbo and look at the blades and spin the wheel by hand and try to wiggle it back and forth at all. Look at the frame to see if anything is bent at all. There are definitely things you can check on the inside but I don't know what they are except wiggle the steering wheel for excessive play and pump the brakes

 

that does seem low. but 215,000 is nothing on a 12valve. i sold my 93 first gen. with 310,000 on it and the 96 i run now it fast approaching 270,000 both run strong. your best bet it to find a mechanic friend or something to take with you to check the truck over top to bottom and front to back.

 

Where is it ? I will go look at it and let you know