undecided

[supachaged]

i have a chance to buy a 1992 dodge 3500 club cab with a cummins. the truck is 4wd,auto and comes with a fisher 9ft.plow and an aluminum eby bed with a hidden trailer ball. i am undecided because im a ford guy and would rather have an idi instead but there are no clean idi's in my area in my price range.the only idi i had owned was my 92 superduty tow truck,which i just sold .and yes i know im probably asking the wrong question here, but i wanted two different opinions from two sides.so should i grab the dodge or wait for a ford.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

You won't find a Ford with a Cummins, and if you do the price may not fit your budget. Personally I'd get that Dodge...

 

[Rot Box]

^Agreed^

I only bought the IDI for the 4 doors otherwise I would have much rather kept my 92 Cummins...crap did I say that out loud?!

 

[GOOSE]

I would say its a personal preference more than anything. The best advice I can give you is don't feel as if you're settling for something that isn't really what you want. I bought my Logger (see signature) because that was the body style, engine, drivetrain layout I wanted. The truck isn't much to most who see it but I enjoy driving it and am proud of the economy it obtains and work I accomplish with it. I didn't want an auto, didn't want a '92 up bodystyle. Nothing wrong with that stuff, just not my taste.

My truck is like an extension of my personality to me. If you are like that, just make sure the truck fits your bill.

 

[jwalterus]

if nothing else, buy the dodge, pull the cummins, buy an idi with no engine, install the cummins and do the bodywork

best of both worlds then

 

[david85]

How strong are the dodge transmissions of that era? I remember reading somewhere the engines were detuned for some in the mid 90s because of the weak autos (some on correct me here, because I am not 100% sure).

If it were me, I would be patient and wait for a nice IDI but I am biased so take that with a grain of salt.

Never owned a dodge of that era, but the rear seats seem to be much more cramped than in a 80-96 ford.

 

[Diesel JD]

I have only heard good things about the early Cummins diesels. I don't know much about the autto tranny, I have heard it was not so hot. What do you want the truck for? Something to work hard for you? A DD? A toy? And are you one of these guys that sees the truck as sort of an extension of your personality? If so....don't settle for something you don't really want, if you just want a good truck however, you've found it, but with the understanding that auto tranny might not be so hot. Probably could easily build it up or swap in a getrag 360 or NV 4500 if that becomes an issue. If the price is right and you really have to have a Ford, buy a nice body F-series, maybe a C4C victim 3/4 or 1 ton and swap all the Cummins goodies over. That swap gets expensive only when you have to buy the Ford-Cummins or Destroked adapters and/or mounts. If you have a complete vehicle it is just an engine swap according to Midnight Rider who's actually done said swap, and what he says makes sense. In that case I would definitely get a better transmission though. Either a Dodge diesel manual or a Brian's E4OD if you wanted the auto, or a T18/19 backed by a brownie. Then again getting the Ford tranny to fit can get expensive. Ha, we can all spend YOUR money. In reality though it's simple, if you like that truck, buy it, you may be surprised how much you like the old Dodge and if not you have something you can easily sell or use in a Ford. Those 12V Cummins are popular and in high demand always. They are efficient, nothing to write home about in stock trim but can be easily and cheaply modd'ed to run rings around even a turbo IDI or even a PSD depending on how far you want to go.

 

[supachaged]

i just might get it and if i dont like it ill flip it. i need it for a daily driver and work/tow rig so.... my dd now is my 95 f250 hd(not in sig.)but it gets 7miles to the gallon(gasser-5.8) and i drive roughly between 500-700 miles a week.

 

[Exekiel69]

i have a chance to buy a 1992 dodge 3500 club cab with a cummins. the truck is 4wd,auto and comes with a fisher 9ft.plow and an aluminum eby bed with a hidden trailer ball. i am undecided because im a ford guy and would rather have an idi instead but there are no clean idi's in my area in my price range.the only idi i had owned was my 92 superduty tow truck,which i just sold .and yes i know im probably asking the wrong question here, but i wanted two different opinions from two sides.so should i grab the dodge or wait for a ford.

how is the body? How much? with out this info hard to say it would be

 

[supachaged]

sorry bout that. its been repainted(red) and the rockers are starting to rust through as the cab corners probably not to bad if its cought now. couldnt really look at it to good to much due to heavy rains.but the engine purred like a cummins should.mileage is a low 148xxx miles. 4000.00 for the truck.

 

[Devilish]

The plow is a BiG plus and the bed is a plus too. I'm sure if you live in an area that gets snow in the winter that you could make your money back quickly with the plow.
The engine block is a good one not the 1998.5-2001 block that has a high cracking rate. I'd try to chisel on the price a little more if you got cash. Maybe more snow will come around in the next month or so

 

[typ4]

buy the dodge and put a ford body on it. Rust problem solved.

 

[supachaged]

that sounds great but im on a budget. and this part of the country people are selling junk thinking they have gold,and the stuff that is gold is way out of my price range.

 

[GOOSE]

From what you say, the Dodge should fit your needs well. The Cummins will laugh at the mileage you throw at it and sip fuel doing it. That era truck has servicable wheel bearings and plenty of gassers should be in the bone yards to support your needs.

Dodges seem cumbersome and bulky compared to Fords. They do not usually turn as tight and ride a bit harsher. Just my opinion and I'm not saying that should deter one from buying a Dodge. The nice thing about diesels is they hold their value. My first diesel was a 1992 f250 reg cab 4x4. I put 40k miles on it over 2.5 years and sold it for the same price I bought it for. I am sure the Cummins can do the same for you.

 

[crashnzuk]

Sounds good to me, I'd buy it if that's what I needed. From all I have heard in the Dodge/Cummins forums, a good converter, valve body, and oiling mods to the O/D if you have it apart are all that's needed to make the trans good. Check around for the mod where you replace the TPS with an adjustable rheostat, I've heard that's the ticket. Expect the same issues from it as any truck of the era, worn door hinges, rust, minor electrical problems, etc. I have had mine for about 6 years now and have put just about 70k miles on it, including a 3 week, 8k mile round trip to Alaska in the summer of '08. No serious issues to report, just maintenance items that are to be expected of an older truck.
Travis..