The advice to never buy a used truck that has been modded or chipped,I feel is right on.
Question is: How can you tell if the owner is not forthcoming with the information. All dealers and a lot of private sellers will return the truck to stock before selling.
Are there tell tale signs?
At the present time NY does not smog light duty diesals,but must pass a visual test to make sure all componets are in place.
If they ever do start smogging there will be no grandfathering and the truck will have to perform as it was on date of manufacture.
Look at the exhaust manifold(s) and exhaust elbow off of the turbo for a thermocouple being installed. Look on battery box or under hood fuse box for sticky residue of a tuner being velcroed to there. Loose A-pillar of holes in A-pillar.
2005 2500 Cummins/48RE/3.73, QCLB, 4wd, BigHorn, Edge Juice w/ CTS + Turbo Timer, ISSPro Oil and LP pressure gauges in cubby hole, GDP 20/2 filters on frame rail, Custom Diesel Steering Box Brace
'10 Forest River Shockwave Toy Hauler 21'
Honda EU3000I Genny
boogie_4wheel wrote: Look at the exhaust manifold(s) and exhaust elbow off of the turbo for a thermocouple being installed. .... holes in A-pillar.
When the dealer was working on their sales pitch on my used truck it was "totally stock". I looked in the drivers wheel well and could see the plug in the exhaust manifold where someone had an EGT thermo-coupler. Also had 2 holes in the A piller and still had some sticky tape there. I was able to use that to my advantage in negotiations.
FWIW I bought the truck knowing that I would be doing modifications to it, so non-stock was not a deal breaker for me. YMMV
KK4PFX
2010 Chaparral 322RLTS
2004 Chevrolet 2500HD D/A CCSB 4x4
Days camped in 2011: 22
Days camped in 2012: 34
Days camped in 2013: 6
Same here as Helmsly. I would not shy away from a lightly modded truck and had no problem selling my last one that way. I am more afraid of lousy lift kits and and huge over sized play tires that sacrifice towing and hauling manners.
My present truck has had the benefit of a programmer that has given it an extra 100 HP and a better clutch to handle the power. The combination is bullet proof and has served us well for many miles without any reduction in engine durability or life (actually runs cooler).
Scott, Grace and Wesly
2003 Dodge 3500 4x4, 6 speed Cummins (lightly bombed),
2004 Forest River 25RKS many, many mods.
H0NDA eu2000i
I don't understand the sweeping generalization that one should, "never buy a used truck that has been modded...." I installed a trans temp gauge, an egt gauge and a boost gauge in order to take better care of my truck ('96 PSD). I would think this would be a plus, not a minus.
ralphnjoann wrote: I don't understand the sweeping generalization that one should, "never buy a used truck that has been modded...." I installed a trans temp gauge, an egt gauge and a boost gauge in order to take better care of my truck ('96 PSD). I would think this would be a plus, not a minus.
My sentiments exactly!
When I bought the truck in my sig. it had 210,000 miles on it, had been set up to tow a trailer with air brakes (but the compressor and tank were gone, dang it!), had the boost gauge, vacuum gauge, and EGT gauge on the A pillar, the turbo waste gate was locked shut (still is), and it was obvious that the fuel cam in the injector pump had been changed. I suspect the truck was used as a "Hotshot" freight hauler. The truck now has 276,000 miles on it, and, except for the alternator and water pump, has been trouble free.
I have never regretted buying it!
It is too bad, IMO, that so many people pass up really good used trucks because of some silly generalization they read somewhere!
But then, it leaves a lot of good trucks available for those of us who don't believe in such generalizations!
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
FWIW, I bought mine with the Edge Juice/CTS already installed. Also has a turbo timer. I was a little shy but previous owner worked for company that makes the cables for Edge products, the alarms and backdown settings were set to some real-world numbers. I've put 18k on the truck with only a burned out taillight bulb.
boogie_4wheel wrote: Look at the exhaust manifold(s) and exhaust elbow off of the turbo for a thermocouple being installed. Look on battery box or under hood fuse box for sticky residue of a tuner being velcroed to there. Loose A-pillar of holes in A-pillar.
Yep don't buy my truck it has a hole in the exhaust manifold!!!
That would be from an EGT gauge, that is a triple on the A pillar along with Fuel pressure and boost.
These are gauges that tell me how my truck is running, has nothing to do with Hot Rodding.
I would be more concerned about the guy with no EGT gauge, that would be shutting with EGT too high when he turned it off.
Russ & Paula
The Beagles Hedwig and Precious.
Portland, OR.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS
2001 Dodge 2500 4X4, 5.9 Cummins 5 speed, 3.55 gears, Pacbrake, Power Puck, 258K
ralphnjoann wrote: I don't understand the sweeping generalization that one should, "never buy a used truck that has been modded...." I installed a trans temp gauge, an egt gauge and a boost gauge in order to take better care of my truck ('96 PSD). I would think this would be a plus, not a minus.
I also agree, I would have liked mine to have been done before I had to spend the extra $1600 to replace the exhaust and buy a tuner. The truck now is much better than before.
2008 Forest River Wildwood Le 27BHBS - 2010 Dodge 2500 Laramie Mega cab 6.7L Cummins diesel, Flo-Pro exhaust, XRT Pro tuner, Mygig Lock Pick, Access tonneau cover, Ranch Hand grill guard, KC daylighters.
Have to respectfully disagree; if I was looking at 2 identical used trucks- 1 bone stock, the other with gauges, tuner/chip, exhaust, intake, etc.- I'd buy the stock one every time.
A friend is a top mechanic who would tell you that modded trucks being less reliable is much more than a generalization. There's a good reason they don't come from the factory that way, and an even better reason your warranty will be void if you start modding.
Not every single one of course, but a very large percentage of modded trucks were owned/driven by a 20 year old with his hat on backwards that lived to "smoke out" people in convertibles at stoplights.
BManning baking in Phoenix
2008 Ford Super Duty F250 XLT, 4x4, crew cab, 6.75' bed
5.4L V8 300hp/365ft-lb, 5sp Torqshift, 4.30 AAM gears
9400lb GVW 11200lb tow
2007 Volvo XC90 AWD V8
4.4L 311hp/325ft-lb, 6sp Aisin, loaded
6100lb GVW 5000lb tow
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