How many more miles out of this dodge?

[glocke12]

So I have this 97 dodge ram 2500 that has 97k miles on it. I inherited it from my dad, who took pretty good care of and kept up with even major service events (differential fluid change, etc). The body has a few specs of rust on it and some paint chips but thats about it. Underneath there is more rust in places but nothing through the body or the frame.

I was going to use it as a trade in towards a new 4runner I recently bought, but the trade in value was "only" $2500.00, so I decided to keep it as the $2500.00, while alot of money wasnt worth it to me to lose the truck over.

So far Ive pretty much been using it to absorb miles that would otherwise go on my new vehicle (commute to work, etc).

Im guessing that by keeping up with maintenance I should be able to get at least another 20k out of it before it just becomes too much of a problem to keep.

Any other guesses?

 

[renewed]

Hard to tell. Maintenance is essential with any vehicle and it sounds like it has been kept up. You could get 250,000 miles off of it if you're lucky. Me personally? I don't like Dodges (dodge a Dodge) but that's not to say that one couldn't last a while.

I guess the point is it could go well over another 250,000 miles. My dads friend has a 1999 Suburban with 240,000 miles on the original engine and I think the only thing he did to it other than routine maintenance was a rear differential and some transmission services but I could be mistaken.

 

[steve2112]

Do you know which engine is in it? If it is the 318(5.2L), those are pretty reliable and can run for a really long time. How is it running? If you don't have any issues like running rough or smoking, then it should be fine for 20k or more.

 

[glocke12]

It has the 5.9L engine. It really seems to run fine. Idling is smooth, seems to have plenty of pickup.

The main reason Im asking because Im thinking of having someone take care of the rust that is starting to develop. I figure that would probably be anywhere from 500 to 1000 dollars. If I can get another 4-5 years out of the truck Id consider that worth it.

 

[StruckANerve]

I know it's not exactly the same thing but my dad has a 97 2500 with the cummins diesel with 400k miles on it. With proper maintenance they are great trucks.

 

[jk111]

Dodge engines are great, will run forever if you maintain them. Dodge's are known for rusting so as long as you don't have a lot of rust that Ram should last you a long time.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Dodge engines are great, will run forever if you maintain them. Dodge's are known for rusting so as long as you don't have a lot of rust that Ram should last you a long time.

Yes, I was Mopar for a while, and while rust is unsightly, it is only cosmetic until it invades the passenger compartment. Then it must be fixed, due to exhaust fumes.

I would be more concerned with the gas mileage of a V-8, with gas prices continually rising. Plus insurance for a second vehicle, licence, etc.

 

[quagmire]

The Cummins will last no problem. The transmission though..... Chrysler doesn't make the best transmissions. Overall during that era, the one thing the Big 3 could do was make a good truck.

 

[iJohnHenry]

I would be more concerned with the gas mileage of a V-8 ...

The Cummins will last no problem.

So, it's established that the 5.9 litre engine is the Cummins turbo 6 cylinder??

 

[quagmire]

So, it's established that the 5.9 litre engine is the Cummins turbo 6 cylinder??

Oops. I thought the gas V8 engine was a smaller displacement, but it looks like it was 5.9 liters as well.

 

[puma1552]

Just sell it privately for more money.

A 4Runner is your typical run of the mill daily driver, so not sure why you would buy one if you weren't intending to drive it everyday.

I could see keeping the truck to keep miles off of something like a Mustang/Camaro/Vette/M3/Whatever--some type of dedicated summer weekend toy, but for a 4Runner, what's the point? A 4Runner is as daily driver as they come.

Just sell the truck for more money privately and enjoy your new car. FWIW, the truck will last forever, as will any car--just depends how much money you want to spend replacing parts. And I agree with rust, it's only cosmetic until the floors start rusting, or the frame rails rot away as then it becomes structural.

Truthfully $2500 sounds like a pretty good price for a rusty 100k mile 13 year old truck.

 

[steve2112]

Oops. I thought the gas V8 engine was a smaller displacement, but it looks like it was 5.9 liters as well.

Yeah, the 5.9L gas engine is a V8. It's the same 360 cubic inch engine that has been around since the 70s. It was replaced by the current 5.7L Hemi engine. The 5.9L Cummins diesel is an inline 6 cylinder.

If you want to just keep it around as a weekend truck or a winter commuter, I don't see a problem. The registration and insurance should be dirt cheap.

 

[glocke12]

Just sell it privately for more money.

A 4Runner is your typical run of the mill daily driver, so not sure why you would buy one if you weren't intending to drive it everyday.

I could see keeping the truck to keep miles off of something like a Mustang/Camaro/Vette/M3/Whatever--some type of dedicated summer weekend toy, but for a 4Runner, what's the point? A 4Runner is as daily driver as they come.

Just sell the truck for more money privately and enjoy your new car. FWIW, the truck will last forever, as will any car--just depends how much money you want to spend replacing parts. And I agree with rust, it's only cosmetic until the floors start rusting, or the frame rails rot away as then it becomes structural.

Truthfully $2500 sounds like a pretty good price for a rusty 100k mile 13 year old truck.

"Just sell it privately for more money."

Even privately Id still probably looking at $3500.00 max. Again, I dont see this as a significant enough amount of money to lose access to a vehicle that is in excellent running condition with a clear title.


"A 4Runner is your typical run of the mill daily driver, so not sure why you would buy one if you weren't intending to drive it everyday. "

Sorry, but at 36k I don't consider a new 4runner to be a run of the mill, daily driver, this is my camping rig/get-away rig. In addition, Im not interested in racking up miles on it by using it to commute to work and back every day, hence me keeping the dodge to help absorb some of those miles. Its a 32 mile one way trip through winding country roads that are in poor condition. Just my commute alone will be putting almost 15k miles a year on a vehicle.
My last 4runner was a 2003 and that had 176k miles on it when it died after 7 years. I am not looking for a repeat of that.

"Truthfully $2500 sounds like a pretty good price for a rusty 100k mile 13 year old truck."

14 year old truck. Bought in november of 1996. I also said there was SOME rust, not a significant amount (some on rear bumper and a patch on the left rear wheel well), it is otherwise in pristine condition for a truck of this age.

Insurance isnt that much either. Its like an extra hundred or so every six months.

 

[puma1552]

"A 4Runner is your typical run of the mill daily driver, so not sure why you would buy one if you weren't intending to drive it everyday. "

Sorry, but at 36k I don't consider a new 4runner to be a run of the mill, daily driver, this is my camping rig/get-away rig. In addition, Im not interested in racking up miles on it by using it to commute to work and back every day, hence me keeping the dodge to help absorb some of those miles.

But you said you were going to trade it originally, so it must've been the plan to use the 4Runner as the new daily driver if they would've given you a trade in offer more to your liking.

Either way, whatever you do, the truck will last forever as long as you keep up with the maintenance. 97k miles is basically nothing, especially if it's the diesel model. Just take care of it.

 

[Wyatt2323]

1999 dodge ram 1500 4x4 extended can
Every weekend I go riding off road in it.
247,xxx miles
Original everything. Besides tires, oil, plugs and wires