Would you buy a 30 year old truck with 51 miles on it?

[Hay Dude]

An old trick, roll the odometer... One way to help tell is look at clutch/brake/gas pads. They should look brand new...

Here is the original floor mats and pedals they look unworn.
My local dealer said it was originally speced as a government or military truck. You can see it was painted white over the olive drab original paint in the lower door jamb area.

transmission hump and shifter look unscratched

Steering wheel still “rough”, not smoothed out.

It’s not exactly what I’m looking for, but it’s pretty close.
I will probably pass, but would make a perfect dump truck. Looking for a longer wheelbase and AC if possible. Also like the MT653 over the 643. The 653 came in later 90’s.
Roadworthiness of this truck would be suspect in first few years. Then it would probably be great. This series of trucks were pretty much bulletproof. Maybe participate in auction but set a predetermined budget on the low side.

 

[Tony H]

Like some of you, I‘m always looking for farm equipment, machinery vehicles and trailers. Whether to buy or just learn or fun when its raining, etc.
I have various websites I peruse and stumbled across a very nice mid 90’s IH 4900 tandem axle truck. I couldnt believe how nice the paint was. No rust. Showroom conditions. Its going up for auction in March to the highest bidder, regardless of price.
I spoke to the auctioneer a bit. He bought it from a company In Arkansas. The surviving owner was closing the business and explained he bought the truck in the mid 90’s and parked it in a shed. The odometer reads 51 miles. Thats right 51 miles. No hour meter to at least help somewhat verify the odometer. He started the truck and ran it with me on the phone. Claims it runs perfectly. He said the owner did start & run the truck periodically to keep it lubed.

So it got me to thinking, if any truck was bought new, then sat for 20-25 years, it has to have some damage and it does.

I am making a list of what could be wrong with it, adding up the costs of said issues and contemplating a bid. Heres what I’ve come up with:

1. All tires have 100% tread, but are dry rotted and thats been verified.
2. Valve guide seals in engine probably brittle?
3. Gaskets dried (valve cover, oil pan, transmission main seal and……..)
4. All fluids

What else is probably trashed on a truck that sat 20-25 years? Would it be worth a chance if it could be had cheap enough? I would think so, but what would it cost to fix all? THAT is the question(s)…..

Brake cylinders or calipers have rubber that may cause a brake fluid leak. Although I'm currently driving 23 and 33 year old vehicles that have over 200k miles on all kinds of temperatures and they have mostly original beak components. As well as starters and alternators.

 

[DK35vince]

Brake cylinders or calipers have rubber that may cause a brake fluid leak. Although I'm currently driving 23 and 33 year old vehicles that have over 200k miles on all kinds of temperatures and they have mostly original beak components. As well as starters and alternators.

its an air brake system.
If the air lines look OK and not brittle when you bend them its probably fine

 

[m7040]

I took part in preparing a ford coupe with rumble seat many years ago. It had been stored for 30 years in new condition and it had all the just out of the factory markings tags and such. It took very little effort to get back running

 

[GBB]

Like some of you, I‘m always looking for farm equipment, machinery vehicles and trailers. Whether to buy or just learn or fun when its raining, etc.
I have various websites I peruse and stumbled across a very nice mid 90’s IH 4900 tandem axle truck. I couldnt believe how nice the paint was. No rust. Showroom conditions. Its going up for auction in March to the highest bidder, regardless of price.
I spoke to the auctioneer a bit. He bought it from a company In Arkansas. The surviving owner was closing the business and explained he bought the truck in the mid 90’s and parked it in a shed. The odometer reads 51 miles. Thats right 51 miles. No hour meter to at least help somewhat verify the odometer. He started the truck and ran it with me on the phone. Claims it runs perfectly. He said the owner did start & run the truck periodically to keep it lubed.

So it got me to thinking, if any truck was bought new, then sat for 20-25 years, it has to have some damage and it does.

I am making a list of what could be wrong with it, adding up the costs of said issues and contemplating a bid. Heres what I’ve come up with:

1. All tires have 100% tread, but are dry rotted and thats been verified.
2. Valve guide seals in engine probably brittle?
3. Gaskets dried (valve cover, oil pan, transmission main seal and……..)
4. All fluids

What else is probably trashed on a truck that sat 20-25 years? Would it be worth a chance if it could be had cheap enough? I would think so, but what would it cost to fix all? THAT is the question(s)…..

So hard to say , for 25 year old truck my cut-off is 50 original miles, but if you like the color and paint finish - go for it!! What ya got to lose!

Remember, in the words of some famous person, you can’t take it with you, and s/he who dies with the most toys -Wins!

 

[George Mason]

Some people do and they pay a lot of money for them too. I have the exact same truck WITH a dump bed and only 43k miles so this one WITHOUT a bed (good luck on finding one) sold for $56,500.

Enjoy this site if you haven't seen it before, I just discovered it last month.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-dodge-ram-w350/

 

[GB540]

Expect to be replacing all the axle/hub seals.

Used to have these leak on trucks that only sat over a winter, much less 25 years.

Should be a solid truck if the money's right. Just plan on working the cobwebs out, esp. with anything rubber.

 

[Jstpssng]

My parents bought a new 1976 Chevy pickup in the fall of 1975. It was garage kept most of the time and only used occasionally. It would sit for months at a time. I learned to drive in it. In 2000 my dad gave it to me and I used it on and off and was mostly in my garage or barn. It had 70,000 miles and it was burning oil and blue smoke out the exhaust. We didn't have too many problems with it, rust here and there, same clutch, and I replaced the radiator before I sold it in 2016. My dad put a new carb in it in the late 90s. I wonder since it sat a lot without use, did it help wear engine parts (rust?) faster that caused it to burn oil before 50,000 miles?

I wish I had kept it, but I had no time to work on it at the time. Now my son is getting to driving age and it would have been a nice project we could have worked on and maybe kept it in the family another generation.

No, the problem was that it was a 1976 Chevy. Yet you could substitute Ford or Dodge for the brand. Those years were probably the worst years for Detroit reliability. Yet back then and until probably the late 1980s, a vehicle with 100,000 miles was considered rare as well as worn out.

 

[Hay Dude]

No, the problem was that it was a 1976 Chevy. Yet you could substitute Ford or Dodge for the brand. Those years were probably the worst years for Detroit reliability. Yet back then and until probably the late 1980s, a vehicle with 100,000 miles was considered rare as well as worn out.

Ford/Chevy/Dodge brand warfare? Seriously?

 

[Jstpssng]

Ford/Chevy/Dodge brand warfare? Seriously?

I was simply pointing out that none of them were very reliable back then. With a 12,000 mile warranty, they didn't have to be.