Right now I have a '95 dodge 2500 with a v10/ 5 speed. It's an allright truck but it has given me some problems and I could use a regular cab for plowing. I'm looking at replacing it with an 73-87 3/4 ton chevy. I think I'm going to look at an 83 with a 454/ 4 speed. Any thoughts on replacing a newer truck with an older one? I'm pretty sure it will get a junk yard TBI setup. I live at 9300 feet and will mainly use it for plowing, a work truck, and ocasionly towing an s10 blazer trail rig.

I currently tow with a 2000 C3500, This summer I will be towing with my 88 Sub.
The older stuff is a lot easier to fix!!!

IMO i would stick with the Dodge V-10 for the power and i am sure it will get better gas milage than a TBI 454 especially when towing. The Dodge's themselves are very easy to fix if you know what you are doing. Dodge kept all their wiring and diag very simple and all Dodges are basically wired the same until the 2005 or so. The Dodge will ride much nicer too than an old leaf sprung truck.

Get your self a cummins! i have a 95 reg cab dually w/cummins and a plow, it will tow anything and its alot more reliable than any gasser ive had. not to mention better MPG's and you can pull a quite a bit more power out of it with a few free/cheep mods to the fuel pump.

I'm just not a fan of my Dodge. A cummins would be nice but is out of budget. I've been having 241 issues with my dodge and I'm sick of it. It's also a texas truck and every time you touch a vacuum line it cracks. The v10 power isn't all that impressive. Mileage varies from 15 going down hill to denver and babying it to 7-8 DDing with the plow on the front. I'm just going to part out the dodge and be done with it. The dodge is an extended cab/ long box and it's a little long for some of the spots I plow.

I talked to the guy about the 83. It's a "heavy 3/4 ton", 427, rebuilt sm465/ t-case, pretty straight body, good mechanical condition, steel flat bed. He's asking $1600 and is out of work so $$ will talk. I'm thinking down the road a cummins and nv4500 would be a nice swap into the chevy.

It's a "heavy 3/4 ton"

This just screams I have no idea what I realy have other than it says 3/4 ton on the sticker :shaking:

I would verify that 427 too..

You can buy my old rig.

1995 chevy k2500 (it's heavy.....8 lug axles)

454 TBI 4L80 4x4

Reg Cab Long bed. 8k winch on the front

I'd take 3,600 for it

I wouldn't want to plow with a stick. I plow too and just can't imagine all that shifting and clutch work on top of running plow controls. Otherwise the truck would probably be a solid base for what you need. Just my 2 cents.

The older stuff is a lot easier to fix!!!

The older stuff may be a lot easier to fix, but I've found that you seem to have to fix it more often. Then again, it may just be because everything that is older than about 10 years old around here is a cobbled together piece of shit that you'd have to fix everything on before it would be reliable anyway.

I'm just not a fan of my Dodge. A cummins would be nice but is out of budget. I've been having 241 issues with my dodge and I'm sick of it.

Is this the main reason you're thinking about getting rid of it? If so, take the 241 apart and fix it. There is likely little to nothing wrong with it anyway and parts are cheap for them.

Personally, I'd go for as new and as low mileage as you can afford on a tow rig, but that's because of my aforementioned findings.

EDIT: By the way, if you're really serious about parting out the Dodge PM me and let me know what shape the body is in and what you're thinking it is worth.

I've battled the 241 for a while now, pretty much it needs a new case which is $450+ and I'm sick of putting $$ into it. I'm not much of Dodge guy either and I took a gamble on the V10.

I also like the idea of an older truck for many reasons. I've had a fair amount of tow rigs, everything from an '04 duramax to a 1990 F150 with a 300 6. I'm ready for something stupid simple and a little different.

find out for sure what the t case is. sometime early 80s was the switch from the old course spline 465 tailsahft(10
) and 205 to the fine spline tailshaft(32). usually you get a 208 on the other end,but a 32 spline 205 is possible.

nothing really wrong with the 208 in a tow rig IMO,but its a chain driven case just like your 241.

if the truck still has the old 10 spline 465,id look else where or start looking for a replacement tranny as it will eventually twist off the course male splines if its worked hard.

personally,id also avoid the 700r. i hate autos and the 700r is a piece of crap,even when you "build" them.

other than that nothing wrong with the old junk. i spent quite a bit of time behind the wheel and in front of a trailer with my 87 burb and it was OK. its springs were too soft for the loads i towed,and it lacked the stability of a dually,but i could have fixed it up to handle the trailer better.

i currently tow with a 96 CTD dually,but im also partial to the old chevys,and my project tow rig is an 84 crewcab that will eventually have its own cummins. :)

Find a new t-case. They are available just harder to find. There are a lot of older 3500 Chevy's around right now, but problem is that most of them are junk.

You can buy my old rig.

1995 chevy k2500 (it's heavy.....8 lug axles)

454 TBI 4L80 4x4

Reg Cab Long bed. 8k winch on the front

I'd take 3,600 for it

Does Heavy somehow imply strong? Why is it that something has to be heavy in order for it to be strong?

The problem with older stuff is, well, progress. In general, you'll get a worse ride, worse handling, poor brakes, weaker flexible frame, more cab noise, blah blah blah.

I'd never do it, myself, but its more of a personal opinion. Don't see anywhere you are gaining anything, though.

Going to be getting rid of my 96 dodge V10 myself, sometime this year, but to get a 2008/9 silverado.

If someone would buy/trade my 02 crewcab dually (www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=743670), I would get something older....

I used to have a 78 Chevy dually with a 454BBC,TH400, 14 bolt, 4.10 gears. I just sold that back in sept. I bought a 99 Dodge 2500 CTD, loaded, auto. etc..

To be honest the 454BBC had more power than this stock 5.9ctd. But it was old, ugly, and got about 8 mpg towing and 9 in the city.

The Dodge isn't much less in power and I could easily get a Edge to make up the differance. But it sure is a lot nicer ride, and I dont need to have 2 hands on the wheel at all times. I can tow with 1 finger on the wheel. Plus the comfort... Oh man. I'm glad I kicked that old truck to the curb.

But it did the job and did it well.:smokin:

I ended up buying an '01 2500HD Regular Cab/ Long Box 6.0/auto/4x4 w/ 164k on it for $2,000 Today, it needs the flex plate to torque converter bolts replaced (4 of the 6 are sheared off), a blower motor reistor, and a good cleaning. The box is rough but otherwise it's pretty decent. I figure I can get my $$ out of it if I don't like it and it'll work fine. It was cheap enough, it's not an old truck compared to what I was going to look at but I think it will do the job as well as my dodge did.

Nice find!!!

Why not a 1st gen cummins? They can be had for a couple grand. Have the cummins. the pre 91.5's have a stought 727 tranny and they have a NP205. and get good fuel milage (low 20's)

My 89 wont tow as good stock as my 06 does but it will tow fine.

You will like teh ride of your truck alot better though. :D

There's a chance one day a cummins/ nv4500 ends up in this truck if I keep it around that long. I'm also not sure how much I want to deal with a diesel up here. -20* is not un common.

There's a chance one day a cummins/ nv4500 ends up in this truck if I keep it around that long. I'm also not sure how much I want to deal with a diesel up here. -20* is not un common.

IMHO, a diesel in cold weather isn't bad as long as you have the ability to warm them up prior to starting. My diesel will still start in those temps without a block heater, but it is NOT happy. A gasoline powered vehicle for use in sub zero temps is definitely nice if you don't have the option to leave the truck plugged in.

I like the power and torque of my Cummins, but I really start to question if I really need the diesel power that bad when it starts getting that cold.

IMHO, a diesel in cold weather isn't bad as long as you have the ability to warm them up prior to starting. My diesel will still start in those temps without a block heater, but it is NOT happy. A gasoline powered vehicle for use in sub zero temps is definitely nice if you don't have the option to leave the truck plugged in.

I like the power and torque of my Cummins, but I really start to question if I really need the diesel power that bad when it starts getting that cold.
Same here, my truck has never given me a lick of trouble starting in the cold, even without the block heater (but it SURE helps!). I just can't see going back to a half ton truck, and a gasser 3/4 ton just doesn't get the milage :laughing:

At some point, the pre 07 trucks are going to be all worn out though, and then I'm going to have to figure something else out...hopefully by then there will be something better then a DPF

Nice find!!!

Why not a 1st gen cummins? They can be had for a couple grand. Have the cummins. the pre 91.5's have a stought 727 tranny and they have a NP205. and get good fuel milage (low 20's)


Where can you find a 1st gen for a couple thousand, I'd buy several!

Michael

Where can you find a 1st gen for a couple thousand, I'd buy several!

Michael

ive got one-93 2wd ram 250. give me the $2700 im askin and ill even deliver it to central ky :flipoff2:

ive been trying to sell it for months now(ive upgraded to a 96 and dont need 2 trucks) with no luck. id be happy to get the $2500 i paid for it,and might even take less if someone wiggled it under my nose.