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Former Lurker Now Member w/a Question Whether It's Time to Sell C2400

A

allonsye

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Location
Denver, NC
Greetings to the Collective.

I owe it to this site during the last few years for the help it's afforded me in keeping my '94 6.5 na (non-turbo) running. I wanted the simplicity of not having a turbo.

This C2400 has 202200 miles on it; in great shape and only has chassis surface rust - no body rust. It was a retired DOT truck and still wears it's bright orange, I bought it at a VA DOT auction 6 yrs ago (160k mi at the time). It's served me well as a daily driver which is what I wanted from it. I have inside of $6k in initial purchase price maint cost such as recent tranny ovrhaul, and prior along the way exhaust work, a PMD from Leroy, new AC compressor and condensor and this that and whatever along the way.

Presently the front-end is shot and needs new joints everywhere and a requisite wheel aligment to the tune of $1200 from my local wrench.

It runs great -- no funny noises, harmonic balancer is in excellent condition. Uses a quart in 2500 mi. The injector pump was overhauled shortly before I got.

My question: realisticly from a cost benefit stand point, should I have already gotten out from this truck? Generally how long do these motors go before major repair or replacement? Maybe it's time for something a little nicer which of course only I can answer.
 
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Welcome! :welcome5:

Hell, you're just getting broken in. ;) Much of what you ask is difficult on our end to give you an adequate response. There are a lot of variables that would need to be answered first. But it ultimately comes down to you. :D
 
Got an old friend that moved to your town named Butch Beatty a few years ago. Has a lowered white '76 shortbed Chevy with a big block in it.
 
Welcome! That is a nice looking truck.

I have over 10K in my truck and it still looks like hell. $2K in paint would fix that. Even a rattle can would improve it at this point. But you can always buy a new truck for $35K or so with a diesel engine and put up with emissions and higher repair costs out of warranty.

You can get a low mile military take out 6.2 NA engine complete for $1200. Rering and you drop it in for $2K plus labor if you don't do it yourself. In other words I don't see any benefit to worrying about a 'cheap' engine's life vs. a new $35K truck.

I suggest you ask for Moog front end parts. I assume from the cost the shop is using the Chinese cheap parts. You don't want to ruin the paint job if a Chinese tie rod comes apart
 
I'd keep driving it. should have a 599 block and with no turbo stressing the bottom end little to no towing it should be good for 300K easy.

What MPG are you getting?

I would order my front end parts from rockauto and get the moog problem solvers. They can put them in for under $500 usually.
 
tanman_2006 said:
I'd keep driving it. should have a 599 block and with no turbo stressing the bottom end little to no towing it should be good for 300K easy.

What MPG are you getting?

I would order my front end parts from rockauto and get the moog problem solvers. They can put them in for under $500 usually.
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Agreed Tanner.

I'm getting an honest 20 combined and closer to 22 hwy -- and that's burning Jet A that I get free at work. It gets slightly better on diesel. Dosen't pull loads worth a shit but it is a daily driver and does that very well.

The shop I"m dealinig with in Mooresville NC (Majestic) are straight shooters (deal w/Moog) and suggested I could source the parts from NAPA since cost was important to me. That did save me a lot of bucks. They quoted high because of the very rusting fittings and hoping it'll be well under if things go better. But as is so much in life, things often morph.
 
WarWagon said:
Welcome! That is a nice looking truck.

I have over 10K in my truck and it still looks like hell. $2K in paint would fix that. Even a rattle can would improve it at this point. But you can always buy a new truck for $35K or so with a diesel engine and put up with emissions and higher repair costs out of warranty.

You can get a low mile military take out 6.2 NA engine complete for $1200. Rering and you drop it in for $2K plus labor if you don't do it yourself. In other words I don't see any benefit to worrying about a 'cheap' engine's life vs. a new $35K truck.

I suggest you ask for Moog front end parts. I assume from the cost the shop is using the Chinese cheap parts. You don't want to ruin the paint job if a Chinese tie rod comes apart
Click to expand...

Excellent points. I like the idea of sourcing a military surplus.

Damn......I'm going to get flamed for having used those cheaper NAPA parts for only $245 which I dropped off at the shop today. I didn't check if they were cheap china shit!
 
My 95 is pretty nasty underneath too. I'd say keep the truck, it will be tough to find another 20mpg truck. I drive my 95 all the time for that exact reason. My DURAMAX cant consistantly get over 17mpg w/o trying, the times I got ~20mpg I was perfecting my hypermilling techniques and not letting the truck idle needlessly, I also can fix the 6.5L for less than 1/2 of what it costs to repair a DURAMAX.
 
Nice looking rig. I think I passed it a few times on 460, and 81, and 64, and 66, and 95 . . . :D

As some commented, keeping the ride alive is a personal decision and looks like you are already well down that road. I have a friend with a 98 K1500 gasser that is on its third engine, recently pulled the bed off to address rust on the frame, and no plans to get another ride even though he can afford it.

Starting to monitor supplies from RockAuto as the jury is out on quality of Dorman parts and RA is carrying more and more of them. Not looking to stir anything about Dorman, just do not know about a track record yet.
 
JayTheCPA said:
Nice looking rig. I think I passed it a few times on 460, and 81, and 64, and 66, and 95 . . . :D

As some commented, keeping the ride alive is a personal decision and looks like you are already well down that road. I have a friend with a 98 K1500 gasser that is on its third engine, recently pulled the bed off to address rust on the frame, and no plans to get another ride even though he can afford it.

Starting to monitor supplies from RockAuto as the jury is out on quality of Dorman parts and RA is carrying more and more of them. Not looking to stir anything about Dorman, just do not know about a track record yet.
Click to expand...

That's too coincidental Jay - you likely have "passed" me on either 66, 81 or 95 there's no doubt -- drove a lot in N. VA when I lived there.
 
BIGR said:
Welcome to The Truck Stop. After you bought the truck were you ever accused of being a VA DOT worker?
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As a matter of a fact why yes! One occasion was last winter just outside of Denver NC; I was embarking upon a freeway on-ramp and to my right, beyond the shoulder on the other side of the drainage ditch lie a BMW M6, facing me, wipers and headlights on and a face inside gesturing desperately :nonod:at me to come help or pull him out. Evidently he floored it as he got on the icy on ramp, did a 180 and wound up in the weeds. There was a time that this truck would have stopped to render assistance - when it was owned by the state. But not this time. I gestured back :hello: .......and moved along, nothing to see here.;) Surely someone w/a big-rig will come along not long after me my thinking.
 
keep it, fix it up, keep running it. you wont find something that low of upkeep and efficient very easily. and with no body rust, that makes the decision even easier.
 
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