How's this deal sound?

[RampageFSJ]

I'm looking for a tow rig for my Jeep and I've just run across a 94 Chevy 3500 SRW single cab 4x4 with a 6.5 turbodiesel and a 5 speed with about 135,000 miles on it. The owner wants $700 for it. He said that the PO ran into some problems with the heads and pulled them, so the seller replaced them with a good set. The seller also says that it has a surprizing amount of power to him and he says that it's just a little slower compared to his cummins powered dodges.

The only reason that I can see as to why it's so cheap is the fact that the seller started tearing the body apart for paint and cleaned off the old paint along with building most of a flatbed for it when he ran out of time to work on it. He wants to sell it because he's gone too much to finish it. All it needs is some primer, paint, the flatbed finished and some of the body parts put back on from what I saw.

What do you guys think about it? I'm wanting to finish it and use it as an over the road hauler for my Jeep and it seems like a great deal to me. What problems should I check on it the next time I go see it? What should I look out for if I buy it?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

 

[towcat]

I'd buy it.
for $700 a running pickup you can't go wrong. Even if you figure "renting" it at a $100 a month, if it makes it past 7months, it's better than shoe leather.
One the same note though, I wouldn't ask too much of it other than being a commuter and a light duty hauler. Ask too much of it and it will quickly bite you in the ass.

 

[chrisk1500]

Do it...

 

[Dave Barbieri]

X2

The 4WD drive train is worth more than that. Even if find that this isn't the truck for you, you can still bail out and easily recoup your $$$.

 

[RampageFSJ]

I'm planning on it. I've got a friend who wants to pay half for it so he can use it as a DD, then I can use it when I need to tow something. Seems like what I have to look out for is the cooling, exhaust, and electronic injection pump from what I've been reading.

 

[Dave Barbieri]

Yup, you can go to the thread "Which pump, which supplier" to get an overview of my fun & games with a non-running 94 dually. I'm getting it sorted out, and I gotta tell ya, I'm impressed with the performance. I don't regret the time or money or beer invested in this project. (Specially not the beer....) Do a search for cooling system, and I think you'll find that the stock setup actually works very well if maintained. That means a clean (inside and out) radiator, good pump and straight fan. From what I've seen, the best place to start spending money is on the exhaust system. I'm really lucky, because the PO had installed a 3" straight-thru muffler that split into two 2.5" pipes that exit out the back. Very clean and straight; all I had to add was the 3" downpipe. Great system, quiet rumble, SUPER (inital) turbo response. My next investment will be a turbo master to sustain the boost levels and get rid of the 'drop-off' that accours pretty quickly with the stock setup.