I am going to look at a 94 IDI turbo today. In the pictures the truck looks perfectly straight and the guy says the interior is perfect. He just new put a new windshield and tires on it. It has 165000 miles. It is 250 ext cab. My 91 i have right now runs perfect but i have never been able to register it. Been driving it that way for 2 years now. I figure this way i have a good parts truck and a truck for work around our 1000 acres. Was there any major problems with the 94 that is should now about or look for while i am there.
Yesterday morning when i left it was -10 with -27 windchill. plugged the truck in the night before but didn't realize the other end was not plugged into the house. I was very surprised when it started on the second glow plug cycle. This old truck continues to amaze me day after day.

 

Look around and under the truck, drive it, see if everything operates fine.

ASK owner if he knows anything about SCA's or DCA (Coolant Additives to prevent cavitation) if he looks at you like your nuts, run away from that one.

With 165k if it wasn't kepted up with SCA's, it can cavitate any time now!



When you get there, ask him if it was run or pluged in before you got there, you want to see this truck absolutlly DEAD COLD!

Cold injectors, and glow plugs never lie!!


To make sure it wasn't run before you got there, put your hands on the exhaust manifolds, if you feel like slightest heat, tell him!

Anything you can use to lower the price is at your advantage!

 

Just got back from looking at the truck. it was dead cold. had not been started since august. covered in 10inchs of snow and there where not even any foot prints around it. It was very tough to start the glow plugs are shot. The light only stayed on for about 3 seconds. One shot of starting fluid and it fired right up. Blew black smoke for about 2-3 seconds and leveled out great. he has owned this truck for 3 years and only put 2000 miles on it. The previous owner to him told him about sca's and said the coolant was ready to go. He said that he had touched the coolant ever but as far as he new it had the addatives in it from what he was told. He seemed to be very honest and up front with everything on the truck. It has a newly rebuilt tranny and shifts very smooth. four wheel drive is tight and it has a limited slip rear end with 4:10's It also needs ball joints on the drivers side. He is asking $3500 but knowing it needs gp's and ball joints he said he would take $3000. I am going to offer $2800 and see what happens.

 

Try 2500$, and even that is alot depending on area ofcourse.

Especially that it's been sitting mostlly for the past 3 years....

 

i am in montana and these trucks are tough to find around here that are not all beat to crap and have 300000 miles on them. I will start at $2500 and see what happens the worst that could happen is that he says no.

 

i got mine for around that price(not the condition it is in today of course lol).she started HARD! but for the money,of course i didn't care lol.that's easy enough to fix provided there's good compression.
pretty good for a 4x4 diesel by the sounds of it.id be concerned about SCA's as well.4:10's a pretty steep working gear though,not the cheapest of mods to convert with a 4wd.keep that in mind.
not the best for a DD,but great for a working truck.
gearing means so much today with fuel prices out of wack in relation to everything else.its important to get the right truck for your intended use.

 

People buying trucks often forget there buying a truck....

I've never complained about mpg in trucks!

Some trucks are more desirable than others as DD's. But still, my '89 F150 gets 11mpg highway, I ain't complaining, it is pretty sad considering i'm getting more out of my motorhome, but oh well, I don't mind it to much. It's gets me where I wanna go, that's all I care about!


Besides, that '94 hes looking at, no matter what tranny, auto or standard, will have OD, so 4.10's with OD aren't bad at all.

 

I have 4:10's and I get about 16-18mpgs, I'm glad I have 4:10 considering what I have to tow sometimes, though. I have a friend who tows for a living and has a 97 power-stroke with 3:55 gears and I'm almost sure I could out tow him with the turbo and 4:10's. He has blown 3 transmissions (E4OD's) probably getting as much as 12-13 mpg highway and he is only at 170K. I smile at my truck every time I think of him.

BTW: Anyone know what 94-97 power-stroke's boost?

 

I always loved my 4.10's also for some of the stuff I've towed with mine to!

I wouldn't bear 4.10's in the motorhome though.... especially not with the C6 3 speed.... lol

 

My whole thought process of getting another IDI is because my 91 that i have right now i can't get registered. I have been driving illegally for 18 months now. Everything on my truck works great but one of these days i am going to get pulled over. this way i have a parts truck and one that i can drive legally. I have 3.55's in my 91 so if i don't like the 4:10 setup i will just swap axles one weekend. The only difference is my 91 is a 5-speed and completely beat up. also i got the 91 for $500 and have driven it for two years i don't think it really owes me to much

 

Why can't it be put on the road?

No matter how beat up your vehicle is, if everything safety wise is fine, should pass.

Does it have rust holes in the body or something?

 

Yeah, why won't it pass inspection?

 

no it will pass every inspection with flying colors except for the lien inspection. The guy i bought it from said the title was clear and then bailed town the next week i have had no luck finding him since. The body is not very bad at all. a little tiny bit of rust in the cab corners that is it. it is the interior that is scary.

 

how much is owed against the truck? too much worth paying off i guess?
that's why id never buy a truck with a lien.carfax is so worth the extra bucks to run a vin on when buying.
i bet you'll run the vin on this truck first?

 

Guess there was to much owned on it?