As some of you know I'm looking for a built truck. Well one I found for a decent price is a salvage title. I keep saying "no" .... but the price is fairly attractive.If I was planning to keep for some time - not concerned with resale issues - what would I look for ?Any experiences yourself - good or bad ???

There are many reasons for a salvage title, ask the owner if he knows what the damage was. Wife and I are going to be in your area again in Dec for another 8 day vacation. Liked the trip down to southern fl and the keys in July so much we decided to go again will stay on the gulf side but don't yet know where we will all go..

So apparently it was hit on drivers side. Front door, rear door and bed were replaced. The truck in the pics looks immaculate. Its been resprayed/repaired obviously.The guy has no proof of the above he bought it already repaired.:shrug:When you come you should let us know ....... stop off for lunch !! More than welcome.

I wouldn't be too concerned with body damage if all was replaced and cab work was performed by a competent body man, look over the bottom side and make sure there were no frame repairs. If the frame was damaged I would be leery.

I wouldn't be too concerned with body damage if all was replaced and cab work was performed by a competent body man, look over the bottom side and make sure there were no frame repairs. If the frame was damaged I would be leery.

How do you tell if the frame was damaged though apart from obvious weld spots. Also just found out the truck is actually a 1500 MEGA CAB. And a 2500 Megacab cummins was put in it. But looking at http://www.turbodieselregister.com/05chicago/Ram_Mega_Cab_Specifications.pdf doesnt seem the GCWR or other loadings are that different.

I'd look for scrappings on the frame, may be a way of telling if they hooked in any spots and used a straightener on it.If you see they just recently undercoated it with black undercoat that you can't see the frame, to me that's trying to hide something. Open the doors and look in around the firewall where the seem comes down from the bottom of the windshield and is sealed from factory to see if they gobbed it shut from being split open when it was hit. Stand back and look for the obvious..side to side is the cab sitting on correct, off to one side more? Look at the gaps in the doors and fenders, the hood..see how the gaps line up and differences from side to side. A good repairman will take the time to get them correct, a bad repair will be sloppy to get it out the door. Quite possibly it was twisted bad enough the gaps can't be set properly. Last but least, drive it. Go down the road and let go of the wheel..see how bad it takes off on you or if the steering is stiff. Stiff could mean something is bent out of place and causing tension on moving parts that you may not see. I know when I got mine home I went to have it aligned and they couldn't get camber in specs on the drivers side. I thought it was from where it was hit but after some reading I see if was a problem for some of these trucks , must be why they started making adjustable ball joints I guess. I put a set in and it fixed the issue.

I'd look for scrappings on the frame, may be a way of telling if they hooked in any spots and used a straightener on it.If you see they just recently undercoated it with black undercoat that you can't see the frame, to me that's trying to hide something. Open the doors and look in around the firewall where the seem comes down from the bottom of the windshield and is sealed from factory to see if they gobbed it shut from being split open when it was hit. Stand back and look for the obvious..side to side is the cab sitting on correct, off to one side more? Look at the gaps in the doors and fenders, the hood..see how the gaps line up and differences from side to side. A good repairman will take the time to get them correct, a bad repair will be sloppy to get it out the door. Quite possibly it was twisted bad enough the gaps can't be set properly. Last but least, drive it. Go down the road and let go of the wheel..see how bad it takes off on you or if the steering is stiff. Stiff could mean something is bent out of place and causing tension on moving parts that you may not see. I know when I got mine home I went to have it aligned and they couldn't get camber in specs on the drivers side. I thought it was from where it was hit but after some reading I see if was a problem for some of these trucks , must be why they started making adjustable ball joints I guess. I put a set in and it fixed the issue.

The man is spot on with this...

1500 HD with a cummins transplant....................I would just keep looking at that point, accident damage is one thing but having a cobbled vehicle all together is another.

1500 HD with a cummins transplant....................I would just keep looking at that point, accident damage is one thing but having a cobbled vehicle all together is another.

I have to agree with you, but that being said I do have a buddy that did one for a friend of his, he took the time and did it properly and it turned out to be a decent truck. All in the mechanic doing it I guess

1500 HD with a cummins transplant....................I would just keep looking at that point, accident damage is one thing but having a cobbled vehicle all together is another.

Here's the truck http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/cto/4002844611.html

What are your plans for it? I would look it over with a large magnifying glass and not miss anything. Then see if he would let you drive it for a minimum of an hour or so to see if any issues pop up after it is warmed up good.Why would he install an awesomely built Sun Coast tranny and then throw an ATS "Awefull tranny shop" converter in front of it?

Honestly bill ..... My plans are just a DD 600-700HP truck. Clean. I'm thinking about getting into a little bit of track racing ..... but nothing serious. I just like the power. Its unbelievably hard to find a clean one. They are either owned by young kids that make be feel dubious, owned by someone who bought it that way ..... or they want an arm and a leg for it. Yes on the ATS TC.

So did you scrap the idea of buying the other truck, or are you buying both? Dude, are you loaded? :spend:Spread the wealth!

This was a backup option .... I think I am scrapping it though. Right now still hoping to do the first truck .... If not .... A p- pumped 92 1st gen with a built 47rh

This was a backup option .... I think I am scrapping it though. Right now still hoping to do the first truck .... If not .... A p- pumped 92 1st gen with a built 47rh

Keeping your 2nd gen?

Keeping your 2nd gen?

sold it

sold it

Sincere condolences. But then again, is it Toy Truck time then? Neat!

Yeah honestly I sold it as I wanted a 650hp truck .... And I thought selling it gives me more options .... Eg anything from 1990-2006 .... It's just been harder to find than I thought as I won't buy a truck off a 17yr old kid .... Generally speaking I have found 3 trucks out of literally 100's .... Fully built ppumped 2ng gen $18k after respray of some paint and rust issues 110000 miles. Converted ppumped and semi built 1st gen for $11500 but less history/paperwork on build 04 3rd gen with a newly built billet trans for $19k. 210000 miles. Scrapping the idea of the 1500 salvaged title .

Yeah honestly I sold it as I wanted a 650hp truck .... And I thought selling it gives me more options .... Eg anything from 1990-2006 .... It's just been harder to find than I thought as I won't buy a truck off a 17yr old kid .... Generally speaking I have found 3 trucks out of literally 100's .... Fully built ppumped 2ng gen $18k after respray of some paint and rust issues 110000 miles. Converted ppumped and semi built 1st gen for $11500 but less history/paperwork on build 04 3rd gen with a newly built billet trans for $19k. 210000 miles. Scrapping the idea of the 1500 salvaged title .

Cool deal! Thats kinda what I did with my 02, but ended up giving up the search too soon. I am sure you have been doing the searches better than I likely would, but one thought in my mind would be helpful would be to check on the local craigslist listings in the energy basins. Right now, many of the guys with coin to drop on these trucks would likely be in North Dakota (Minot, Williston, Dickinson), Utah (centered on Vernal, UT), S. Tx (Midland), and parts of Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Lots of rig hands abuse the crap out of them, but now and again you find a guy with a "collection" and he thins the herd. Good luck! It should be a fun hunt! PS. I screwed up on the whole "built trans" thing. I supposedly bought a built transmission, but in the end you notice I have an ATS unit in now. If I had it to do again, I would have dropped the pan at minimum. I wish I had. Yeah, I know, stupid. For just about everything, if it isn't documented, then assume its stock and shelled.

Cool deal! Thats kinda what I did with my 02, but ended up giving up the search too soon. I am sure you have been doing the searches better than I likely would, but one thought in my mind would be helpful would be to check on the local craigslist listings in the energy basins. Right now, many of the guys with coin to drop on these trucks would likely be in North Dakota (Minot, Williston, Dickinson), Utah (centered on Vernal, UT), S. Tx (Midland), and parts of Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Lots of rig hands abuse the crap out of them, but now and again you find a guy with a "collection" and he thins the herd. Good luck! It should be a fun hunt! PS. I screwed up on the whole "built trans" thing. I supposedly bought a built transmission, but in the end you notice I have an ATS unit in now. If I had it to do again, I would have dropped the pan at minimum. I wish I had. Yeah, I know, stupid. For just about everything, if it isn't documented, then assume its stock and shelled.

Yeah I'm pretty much prepared to fly anywhere within 25 hours of Tampa FL. I also have a $200 finders fee to anyone that finds me a truck I buy. I've started looking in TX and such similar to your thought above ..... wyoming and colorado are just a bit too far. Yeah saw your thread - that sucks - going to be good to have a trans expert here though as too many guesses comming from people on trans issues (myself included)

John, bunch of good looking trucks in Tx. You would have enough left over to build the trans and start on the motor http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/4068060271.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4043897947.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4061575642.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4067167401.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4008127137.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4050210277.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4066982262.html http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/ctd/4066980852.html

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