Dodge 24v ?'s ASAP

[Hossbaby50]

I need input from you guys about a truck I looked at. This is on towrig also but I need opinons and guidence ASAP and the topic.

Hey guys. I need opinions and questions answered about a 24v. I looked at it tonight and may need to buy it Monday.

It is a 1998.5 Dodge 2500 Quadcab, 4x4, longbed, 5spd, w/ 72000 miles. Price is $19500

I have been researching 12v's mostly and need the dirt on 24v's. I know they cost more to mod and that they have the VP44 fuel pump that is $$$ to replace.

The truck is at a Chevrolet Dealer on there used lot. It appears to be in pretty good shape. It has no signs of a snow plow setup and no 5th wheel or gooseneck hookups. It does have a 2" ball with a 4 pin wiring harness and a brake controller in the cab.

The truck appears to have a fair amount of options including power drivers seat, CD, quad cab, power windows, and power locks. It has a cloth interior with one minor cigarette burn on the rear seat.

The only problems that I noticed were the cig burn, the power motor in the drivers seat seamed a little weak, and the front bumper's chromo had a few flaws.

Questions:

What do I need to know about the 24v especially the 98.5 model?
Is it worth it to get a 3yr/36 warranty for a couple thousand extra?
Is the price fair. I think they will take $18000 maybe less.
How much would payments be with a $5000 down over 60 months?

My last question is this. I am supposed to leave for North Dakota for 3 months to work. I would have to leave the truck here and let my GF drive it occassionally. I had planned on using the ND trip to make the money for the down payment. I can probably get the money from my parents for the down though. Is a truck like this something I NEED to jump on now or is it something that I can probably find when I get back from ND?

Opinons? Thanks

Harley

 

[Seventy4Blazer]

if you pay 18,000 and down 5k then your payments will be about 270.00 at 8.8%

i looked for the same kind of truck. i ended up buying brand new. thats about the prices i was seing. around 19k. had to find one under that. with the second gen trucks and the NV4500 you have to watch for 5th gear comming off the shaft. i cant remember if it gives warning or not but i belive it does. other than that the lift pumps as yuo listed.

fit ad finish on dodges has always been lesser than with the newer trucks and im still not impressed. i have a slow motor on the pass side front window. they wont fix it.

buying an off brand ride at a major dealer is a good way to go as they want to get rid of it. ask them to see what they paid for it and go from there. honestly if they wont show me that then i personaly wont deal with them. sit on it a couple days. if the truck gets sold then it gets sold and you find another. start out by offering them less than they paid for it as it has already cost them money to sit and they may just got for it. i would advise a warranty. but dont spend to much. make sure you read the fine print two or three times on it.

Grant

 

[therobzilla]

Harley,

Call me, do not buy this truck until you talk with me on the phone. The second gen trucks had block issues, make sure you are not getting into a issue witht he block. Do a search on TDR or DTR for "Block 53", or "53 Block" and understand where the block casting motor number is located before you do anything. If you don't understand, then don't purchase it.

Second, the price is high, 19,500, is a little high for that year and model truck.

Mine was a 99, and I only paid 16,500 out the door with no down payment.

Call me on my cell, I pm'ed you the number.

Rob

 

[MTMike]

Do a search on TDR or DTR for "Block 53", or "53 Block" and understand where the block casting motor number is located before you do anything. If you don't understand, then don't purchase it.

I was going to say this.

Definatly watch out for the #53 block on the early 24v's. The long & short on it, there was a casting flaw in all of the early 24V's (98.5-02) that are stamped with the casting #53. The flaw caused (or can cause) a percentage of the blocks to crack.

Mike

 

[rjfguitar]

I was going to say this.

Definatly watch out for the #53 block on the early 24v's. The long & short on it, there was a casting flaw in all of the early 24V's (98.5-02)

From what I know, it was only 98.5-late 2000 trucks that may have the 53 block. IIRC, they finally ditched that block by early '01.

Hossbaby,

Check towrig.com. You've got a response.

 

[rjfguitar]

My last question is this. I am supposed to leave for North Dakota for 3 months to work. I would have to leave the truck here and let my GF drive it occassionally. I had planned on using the ND trip to make the money for the down payment. I can probably get the money from my parents for the down though. Is a truck like this something I NEED to jump on now or is it something that I can probably find when I get back from ND?

This is new, this isn't in your post over at TRC.

There are a lot of 2nd gen Dodge Cummins out there. BUT, there are not many that are loaded, and not many that are in prestine shape.

Whether or not it's ok to pass this one up is on you. How picky are you about the truck? When I was looking for my late 2nd gen Ram Cummins I was about as picky as it got and knew EXACTLY what I was determined to find. It HAD to be a sport, HAD to be loaded with leather, HAD to be either red/black/or silver, HAD to be 4wd, HAD to be a quad cab, and HAD to be a 2001-02 or I wasn't interested. Here is where this applys to your situation. It took me months to find the truck that I was after. I finally found it on the net at a dealership 120 miles north of me and as we were headed north I KNEW I was coming home with this truck, since it had been the only one I could find and was nearly everything I wanted except for lacking the flip out towing mirrors (in the mail ), and was prepared to pay good money if needed be.


You have to decide how picky you are. If you are like I was when I was on the hunt, and this is the truck then I wouldn't pass it up. If you don't really care on a lot of the options than pass it up, there will be plenty that will suit you.

 

[Hossbaby50]

It has to be this for me.

96+ Dodge Cummins, 4x4, manual trans, cab & half. Options are not a major issue with me. I would really prefer a 98 quad cab 12v but that is super rare and I probably will never find that. I like this 24iv. I think it would suit my needs for towing and cruising well with stock power. Once I get a trailer and start towing heavy I can always add the EDGE box and some other goodies to it.

I think I am going to pass on this truck and wait till I get back from ND to search for one. I was pretty set on a 12v prior to today but now I think that a 24v would be fine also. I am going to check it out again tomorrow probably but think I will let this go. This doesn't seem to be a once in a livetime deal. I wasn't sure about it because the mileage was so low but I have heard from several people that the price is a little steep.

I am not terribly picky about options. I am only picky about the drivetrain. It has to be a Cummins 4x4 with a manual.

Harley

 

[basing110]

injection pump suck but get an updated one or see if they have done that already and the 98.5 had the "kdp" or killer dowel pin that can break and destroy your engine so search up about that cause most people fix that themselves

 

[K30CJ]

Watch for the 53 block as stated.

Have them show you the fuel pressure going to the injection pump. The lift pumps on these 24V trucks can die (partially or totally), which leads to injection pump failure $$$.

Check the steering over for looseness.

That price is high for that truck, at least from what I've seen.

Good luck.

 

[micah]

With that year, you'll need to worry about the killer dowel pin (KDP), and the 53 block. A search of both those terms on Dieseltruckresource.com and you'll find plenty of info. I got my 2001 5 speed 24v quadcab (140k miles) for 10k plus a 96chevy 1500 w/120k miles, and my buddy got his 2001 6 speed HO with 80k for 18,000. my point? $19,500 seems high for a 98.5 ... have you referenced http://kbb.com for a pricing report?