A tale of two Cummins trucks... What would you do?

[redthies]

I am looking at two Dodges for use as a secondary travel, primary work rig. I am a builder and need something to haul materials, do dump runs and get firewood. The choices are: A '99 quadcab 2500 4x4 with 5 speed, or an '89 2500 4x4 reg cab 5 speed.
Both have 250k on the clock. Both come with 2 sets of tires and wheels. Both are between $5500 and $6000 asking price.

The '99 is a one owner, mechanic maintained truck with all the front end parts (bearings, tie rods, trackbar, brakes, calipers) done recently. It has had the injector pump replaced in the past two years as well. But, it has some rust. I am not wworried about body rust, as I can weld and paint with good results. Chassis rust is something I won't love... And I don't know if it is a #53 block yet. (If it is a 53, that makes the choice easier).

The '89 is diesel truck mechanic owned and does a 600 mile mountain pass drive twice a week. The ip has a 3200 gov spring and a bit of tuning to get best power and economy without a ton of smoke. I will have to do a tiny rust hole patch in the bottom of one front fender. The rest is mostly rust free. My worries with this one is the harsh ride. Will some Skyjacker 2.5" soft ride springs do wonders? I love the fact that I can fix anything on this truck in my driveway.

I guess it comes down to "comfort vs simplicity". Since I hate BOTH colors on these two trucks, that kills the "take the pretty one" option. What would you guys do???

 

[ExpoMike]

First question is, would a standard cab work as well for your travels/work? I know for us, there is not enough room in a standard cab, so that would make the choice very easy and that's coming from a guy currently owning a standard cab ('65 C10) and extra cab truck ('97 Ram).

Another thing to look at is parts availability. Many times a lot of the little parts (switches, interior, etc.) become harder and harder to find, the older the vehicle gets. The 1st Gen Rams never had a huge following in the aftermarket world so some of this stuff could be harder to find.

The '99 will definitely ride nicer out of the box but if you are going to upgrade suspensions, that can become a mute point. Figure in your time and money if you are going to "have to do this" on the older one as that might make it not as good of a deal in the long run.

I do understand the simplicity factor and getting into the '99 you lose a lot of that. That's why I specifically looked for a '97 Ram, which I found.

Just make up a pros/cons list and factor in any costs to make whichever one the way you want it. In the end, that could help make the decision. Good luck.

 

[redthies]

I had a line on a '97, but they go real quick... And the quad cab is nice, but not a deal killer. We have the 4dr Rubicon that is the primary travel rig these days.

I am not worried about parts for the '89. There are lots of used parts around here for the interior etc, and the mechanicals are easy to re-build or find parts for.

 

[Rot Box]

Man that's a tough choice for me. I told myself I'd never buy another regular cab truck or a VE pumped Cummins. My 92 rode terrible on dirt roads, but wasn't bad at all with the tires aired down.

I'd go with the newer truck if I was going to spend a lot of time in it. They are much more comfortable, extended cab, and with 250k the 53 would have let loose a long time ago if it was ever going to. Honestly though it is sixes for me I like and dislike them both for different reasons. 5 speeds are a BIG plus here though :bike_rider:

 

[DoMiNiC1]

89, Those things have a soul. lol...


Plus you just don't see them all the time.

 

[gahi]

1st gens are beasts, and ride horribly. But, super simple to work on and for a work rig, they're pretty good. I just hauled 4840 lbs of gravel yesterday, and was still a couple inches from even touching the bumpstops. Didn't go over 30mph though.

If I were looking now I'd hold out for a late model 12 valve. they switched to 24v '98.5? I think. There's a lot more aftermarket support for them. More modern interior, nice ride.

 

[teleturns]

Go with the 1st gen!!!!

I say go with the 1st gen. The suspension and steering components are alot better compared to the '99 24v. The front axle is also bullet proof on the 1st gen. Unit bearings on the 2nd gen trucks are junk.

Th biggest bummer about the '99 2nd gen is the lift pump and the damage it can do if it fails.

 

[lstzephyr]

I'm surprised that they are about the same price. I'm also surprised they have comparable mileage. I've been shocked, and sometimes annoyed by how much newer of a truck I could have gotten than what I paid for my truck. That may factor in if you tend to look at things from a value perspective. Is newer better though? I know that many of the girls I have dated would have preffered that I had a newer truck(one outright demanded I sell it lol) but other than that I can't say I care about having an "old" truck. That is a personal preference but I can see that factoring in if that is something you care about.

Vp44s scare me but with a fuel pressure gauge should be fine. The VE is older so may have more wear from idling, etc.

The ride actually isn't bad with the skyjacker 2.5. It is much much smoother than the stock springs. I prefer the interior, trim, and wing windows of the older trucks to the newer trucks. Wing windows do whistle though, and almost all of the 1st gens I have ever seen had many cracked interior plastics. I really didn't like the second gen I drove, I just found the suspension, interior and steering to be crap but it had a 500 gallon water tank in the bed(mountain fire truck) so that opinion may not apply to anything. The newer truck hasn't been sitting out in the sun as many years so its trim may be in better condition. Although I have heard about many cracked dashes in 2nd gens.

I like its tough, battered, old, don't-pull-out-in-front-of-me, nothing-valuable-here, invisible to cops, work truck ness of my 1st gen. I bet a 2nd will have most of that, but will always look a bit more "expensive".

I dislike the length of extended cabs, and prefer reg cabs so I would probably go with the 1st gen(big surprise right?)

Is smaller, simpler, and maintenance friendly more important to you than more space, more refined, more electronics(easier to make power?) and "newer"? I think that is really the difference.

 

[chasespeed]

My 53 was found cracked, under 100k. 96 IIRC.... Found it when I was going to p-pump it... so, instead, freshened the 12v from the donor, and plopped it in....

I wouldnt got from a 2nd to 1st gen... no way. Much more available goodies. At a minimum, get an aftermarket lift pump, and a light to alert you when/if fuel pressure drops..

Either way... if I had it to do again, I would have swapped the engine into a Ford F350 or a diesel Suburban....

 

[Scott L]

cummins choice

Go first gen. My 91 has almost 300,000 on it and spent most of its life as a drywall company truck( nobody cares how they treat the company truck). It runs good and easy to fix.

 

[redthies]

Wow... Shocked... Istzephyr would go Gen 1! Whoda thunk it!:elkgrin: But seriously, I posted this same thread on Cummins Forum in both 1st Gen and 98.5-02. The only place that said '99er was 2 gen... Go figure! 10 - 5 in favor of the '89. I have to say I am leaning that way mostly because it is $500 cheaper, which buys the soft ride springs, and because it has less rust. I am going to drive both and see how they go. I know a 24v with 5 spd is FUN to drive, but have yet to drive a 1st gen with a stick. I'll keep y'all posted. Thanks for the input!

 

[Saiyan66]

I would go with the 1st gen personally, but the Skyjacker springs won't help the ride (trust me I have them on my 91). Go with Deavers and some Bilsteins and you will love the old girl for life.

 

[lstzephyr]

I would put the ride of my truck with skyjackers, and some old worn out shocks on par with the 08 f250 crew cab I used for work. Its a 3/4 ton truck, it rides like one. Although "help" the ride is of course rather subjective. I may not be qualified to comment on ride quality anymore after owning my truck for a few years lol!

Welcome Saiyan! Post a pic of your 91 over in the full size thread please, I'm sure we would all like to see it.

 

[redthies]

Heck, post a pic here if you like...

 

[bftank]

1st gen. with springs. i could never get decent mpg out of my vp44 dodge. max was 14. and it still wasn't a very comfy ride.