need advice on van purchase

[glynnis]

https://pensacola.craigslist.org/cto/d/dodge-ram-van/6254682045.html
I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on whether this van might be a good purchase or maybe give me some questions to ask when I call to ask the owner about it.  Any advice would be welcome and thanks in advance :shy:

 

[user 423]

If it has spent it's life near the sea, you need to check for rust damage underneath and at the steering box. Dodges are bad for that. Also, many of the late 80's and early 90s Dodges had bad odometer gears so the mileage may not be accurate.  "Tires in great shape" may mean they have good tread but they may be old; anything over 6-7 years should be replaced if you will be doing much highway driving. To check for age, see the pic below ( the last 2 digits are the year they were made). If Florida has a state inspection, the cracked windshield may make it fail. A new windshield might be expensive or maybe not even available for that old of a van. Other than that it's a typical $700 van. You may be lucky and get years of use out of it or you may have to spend thousands on it.

 

[glynnis]

If it has spent it's life near the sea, you need to check for rust damage underneath and at the steering box. Dodges are bad for that. Also, many of the late 80's and early 90s Dodges had bad odometer gears so the mileage may not be accurate.  "Tires in great shape" may mean they have good tread but they may be old; anything over 6-7 years should be replaced if you will be doing much highway driving. To check for age, see the pic below ( the last 2 digits are the year they were made). If Florida has a state inspection, the cracked windshield may make it fail. A new windshield might be expensive or maybe not even available for that old of a van. Other than that it's a typical $700 van. You may be lucky and get years of use out of it or you may have to spend thousands on it.

Thanks for the advice I will definitely check it out.  It is located about 18 miles from the bay so will check for rust.  the ad says there is rust on the roof could an rv roof sealant be used on that?  the windshield is not a problem because all insurance in fl covers window replacement at no deductible.

 

[Ballenxj]

Honestly? It looks pretty dang good for $700. Check for rust obviously, and drive it, but $700?
The person that placed the AD doesn't know much either. A V8 150?
For that price you can live in it till the wheels fall off, by which time you'll have hopefully saved a bit of money.
Speaking of money, have some set aside for tires, just in case.

 

[user 423]

^
Yes,some people are confused about what engine they have and this might be a V6. You can tell by the 8th. character in the VIN; if it's a "Y" then it's a V8. The V6's are actually V8's with 2 cylinders lopped off so they are basically very similar but the 318 V8s have proved to be very good engines. Not so sure about the V6's.

I can tell it doesn't have overdrive because there's no switch on the dash, so it's a 3 speed transmission. On these old vans that may be a plus as the OD transmissions are expensive to have rebuilt.

The roof wouldn't require RV roof sealant, just repainting.

Ask them if they have a spare tire for it...

 

[user 423]

BTW: You have to know what you're looking for when it comes to rust that would affect the frame structure. It really would need to be put on a lift and inspected by a mechanic who is familiar with Dodges.

Also: These old Dodges are known for having sloppy steering because of a worn steering coupler. But actually it could be caused by other parts of the steering/suspension and that could be dangerous and expensive. Try to find someone to drive it that has owned one of these older Dodges if you can. If there is a lot of play in the steering, both when it's parked and when you drive it, the steering coupler and/or the steering box is bad. That may mean several $100's to fix that.

 

[glynnis]

thanks all I decided not to get the van after all.

 

[user 423]

^
Did you look at it at all? We're on standby for any other vans you might consider. Good luck in your search.