Well, my gas hog '87 is really killin me, so I want a diesel and an overdrive, and one of my friends told me he would sell me a late 80's (maybe early 90's) Dodge chassis cab for 1500. It has an auto tranny, and 300,000 miles

I really don't know anything about these trucks and need a few pointers.

 

I think it was 91 for the first year of overdrive automatics. The first few years were not lockups, just were a modified version of the non-overdrive 727's that were used on the first diesel models. These trannies will do the job, running one myself in the 92. Main thing to keep in mind is that with no lockup, you can heat the tranny more when towing, and also give up a few revv's as well, but they do pretty good as well. Mileage wise, if it has had decent care the motor and trans will be fine, can't say much about that, not overly impressed with their chassis and body...

 

the '90's dodge auto trannies were junk behind the cummins. i just had to put one in my '97 2500 van with 360 gasser. cost me about 3K. i would run away, not walk. that saying nothing about the rest of the truck with so many miles. sounds like a money pit but who knows.

 

The motor will outlast the rest of the truck by far, with decent maintenance. The motor I am running now has over 200,000 on it, but you wouldn't know it to look at it, or drive it. Many of them go an easy 500,000 miles with regular basic maintenance.

 

If the truck made it to 300k, then theres a good chance it will last a bit longer. The tranny is probably about to let go, but if the engine is in good order, you could probably sell the engine alone for quite a bit if the truck failed.

 

Well I looked at the truck last night, and its an 89 and it's turbo'd (When did cummins get a turbo). The Odometer isn't workin anymore, or it has turned a million miles already, because it was showing 150,xxx. The owner (a buddy of mine) thinks the truck has made over half a million miles already. The truck was used by a plow shop to deliver plows all over the nation.

 

The Cummins 6bt's have always been turbo, the t in the name designates a turbo... Sounds like it has been mostly used up, not sure I would proceed...

 

I would take a test drive in it. If the trans is still shifting good, then it may be worth it

 

Well, its on tranny #3, so as long as I don't haul the weight that the plow shop was making it, I don't think I will kill it.

 

Those older Dodges w/Cummins bring more money than almost anything comprable in that age class. I don't think he's abusing you on price. I am also more suspicious of trans than anything else but if it shifts OK than its worth the money. I'm wondering how much money you're gonna save on fuel through. Here diesel runs 25-40 cents over gas..... You can ask him what he gets for mileage and then take it with a large grain of salt becuase the odometer isn't working. Good luck

 

ask him what rear gear? that truck should get an easy 20 hwy mpg or slightly better depending on gearing etc

 

I have an 89', standard trans with 260,000 on it. I get 24mpg hwy. Still runs like a champ.

 

24mpg going how fast with what gears?