Posted on 08/26/2012 6:00:09 PM PDT by Chickensoup
OK FR Men! My Son Wants to Buy a GMC One Ton Diesel C3500 with 140K on it and New Brakes.
It is big. It is heavy. It goes vrooom vrooom. He wants it to upgrade with some friend's help. Near as I can figure out from the Net this thing must get about 10 miles to the gallon. It does not have the double wheels in the back. If that is the case it is 9.00 every time he drives to town. 2+K to insure and at least 4k annually to feed.
Price 3K. Edmunds says it is worth 2400. He has other transportaion, his school commuter car is Taurus that I chose after FreeperSummit on used cars.
The kid says he wants to mow lawns, we have other means and the reality is that he wants a toy. Vroom Vroom. He has worked all summer to save towards something special. I just didnt expect this would be it. He has no regular job, and is in school at a voc where many other kids have dads who own excavating companies or rigging companies and the kids drive a company truck.
What is a mom to do?
It is big. It is heavy. It goes vrooom vrooom. He wants it to upgrade with some friend's help. Near as I can figure out from the Net this thing must get about 10 miles to the gallon. It does not have the double wheels in the back. If that is the case it is 9.00 every time he drives to town. 2+K to insure and at least 4k annually to feed.
Price 3K. Edmunds says it is worth 2400. He has other transportaion, his school commuter car is Taurus that I chose after FreeperSummit on used cars.
The kid says he wants to mow lawns, we have other means and the reality is that he wants a toy. Vroom Vroom. He has worked all summer to save towards something special. I just didnt expect this would be it. He has no regular job, and is in school at a voc where many other kids have dads who own excavating companies or rigging companies and the kids drive a company truck.
What is a mom to do?
Get A Job, Son.
It’s his own money? Let him go for it. That’s not a lot of miles for a diesel.
I just reread everything. Yes, let him get it. Even if it turns out to be a disaster (for him) he’ll learn a valuable lesson. And if it’s not a disaster - vrooom vrooom!
He has worked real hard learning to tile, doing tiling jobs, and mowing and furniture moving.
Not many miles for a diesel.
Automatic transmission though.
Actually, if the lad has already saved up the dough and has realistic prospects for earning its upkeep... (where’s Dad?) then while you could advise him it’s wiser to look for something a little more sensible, if he still wants the bad-@$$ country cadillac then I’d say wish him well and tell him to take care of it (and himself) so he can enjoy it a good long time. A diesel, at least, will not lend itself to drag racing. (Mud pulling would be another story.)
Have a good mech check it out, check cylinder compression,
what shape is the injector pump in, etc.
3G is pretty cheap, but repairs are expensive on diesels.
Good Luck.
Have a good mech check it out, check cylinder compression,
what shape is the injector pump in, etc.
3G is pretty cheap, but repairs are expensive on diesels.
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Good to know. I feel like I have been raining on his parade.
Good idea... don’t know if that puppy has been babied or tortured, either. If it has an automatic tranny, the slushbox should be verified that it is working perfectly.
They’re a pain to park but if you have stuff to haul, mighty nice. Hard to say. Does he have a use for this thing other than transportation, that is, is there a chance it will help with its own upkeep?
He could get 15 or better mpg.
Mine is worn out and gets 15.
But I’m so old I remember when diesel was cheaper
than gasolene.
$3.95 here in Ga or more in town.
$2K to insure and another $4K just in fuel? If he pays the $500 a month for this then I say go for it :-)
He certainly doesn’t need such a vehicle to tote around a couple of lawnmowers though.
10 MPG is going to drain his wallet pretty quickly, too. What the heck does he need a one-ton diesel pickup truck for? If he's mowing lawns and he's towing a trailer with landscaping equipment, then maybe he needs a 3/4-ton (C2500, F-250, etc.).
Is this a "toy," or what? LOL.
What year is it?
Lawnmowers? Couldn’t a whole Bush Hog fit in one of these?
They’re a pain to park but if you have stuff to haul, mighty nice. Hard to say. Does he have a use for this thing other than transportation, that is, is there a chance it will help with its own upkeep?
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Theoretically but I think he could mow lawns with my Xterra and my trailer and my riding mower. Not my gas though.
Is it a Duramax diesel? They can get up to 20 mpg or so if you’re not towing something. 140k is not a lot of miles for a diesel.
How much money has he saved?
If he has the money to buy it...It’s his to own.
If he has the money to drive it...It’s his to own.
If he has to borrow money from you for either of the above...No deal.
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