Why the 2nd gen Dodge Ram (1994-2001/2) is the best cheap truck! || 2 years & 17,500 miles later
Вставка
- Опубліковано 16 січ 2021
- Subscribe here -
ua-cam.com/users/subscription_c...
In today's video, we're having a look back at the past 2 years I've owned my 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 318/5 speed, and talking about why I think it's the best cheaper truck you can buy today. Enjoy!
[INSTAGRAM]
/ testdrive426
[TWITTER]
/ csweirdcars - Авто та транспорт
Probably (in my opinion) the most underrated truck dodge ever built.
The second gen dodges are so overlooked it’s ridiculous
@@lerg12 are they reliable?
@@cptchuff2741 mines been good to me, but you gotta have some know-how on them. Thankfully we have the World Wide Web with all kinds of info
Just like anything old it requires maintenance . Great trucks if ya can find a clean one
Over looked now, when they were new they tripled dodges truck sales
The styling of these trucks have aged like fine wine. Even yours, has a nice PATINA!
I’ve spent the last two years restoring my ‘96. I’d much rather put money into it than spending money on a newer one. Dodge had it right with the second gen.
I own an ‘98. Been restoring for the past 3 years. Great truck. Very reliable.
L
I have a 94, happily dumping money into it!
I have a 97 and get to put classic plates on it next year👍
Restoring my 94 ram 2500. 😎
Don't forget what a tectonic shock the exterior design of this truck was. Put it next to a contemporary Ford or Chevy and there is no comparison whatsoever. I don't think trucks ever got any better looking than this. Nothing ever stood out from its peers to the same degree at the very least.
I recall seeing early (Edward Hermann "The New Dodge") commercials for these and rolling my eyes--they want to make a pickup truck look like a Kenworth? That's stupid! Then I saw one in real life and I fell in love damned near immediately. Ultimately ordered a 4x4 sport quad cab 360 in November 1997. It was delivered in January 1998 and is still with me today, a couple weeks short of 24 years later.
Nice. I love the 318 engine.
I've got a 2002 2500 4x4 sport, the last of the 2nd gen body styles. I really think the desirably of these 2nd gens will pick up in the next few years.
Definitely for sure, currently miss my 2001 1500, but like my 2016 1500 Lonestar a little bit more. Hopefully in the future I can import a 3rd generation Mexican Dodge Ramcharger.
The year is 2024 now and I still have my 1996 Dodge Ram Sport 5.2 Gasser gone through one transmission 260,000 miles on the engine runs like a dream
got the same truck. a 98's with a quarter million miles on it. I still love it, looks showroom new under the hood, and obviously the outside, like any gen 2 needs paint help. haven't had any real issues yet, it starts first try every day, and does everything it did new, the dash has chipped away thanks to Dodge's wonderful formula for the dashboards on the gen2. 4wd still works, bed is perfect, no rust anywhere, a few dents from my dad abusing it literally driving over his girlfriends car to get out of the garage, lol. wonderful truck, tons of room, the 5.2l could use some bolt ons, torque is still ok, but hp is definitely down into the under 200 area. I inherited it, and paid off my dad's debt, so I guess I'm kind of stuck with it. they really are the best bang for the buck, BUT you have to shop around, they're in every range of condition, but finding a good one for around $2-3k is easy, there's SO many of them lol. Automatic with O/D is the def the way to go. will cruise comfortably at 80mph all day, I know because I've done it many times. you get about 13mpg on average, 15 if you're doing 55 for a distance, so yeah, not the best there at all. but for a local runner, it's unbeatable. yeah they're SUPER comfortable to drive ^^ that is true too hehe, and that back seat is plenty big to sleep in if you ever need it.
Now pushing $10k for just a 4x2. I've seen lower mile rust free 4x4s selling for 20-$30k+. The world's gone crazy lol
Dodge trucks have always been my favorite. All I've driven for 17 years. I love that 1500 long box. That front bumper is beyond hard to find. (Brush Guard)
The 2nd gens are my absolute favorite. The manual is just the cherry on top. However on the 2nd gen I'd go for an automatic because now a rebuild/replacement unit even with labor is not very expensive. As far as auto repair costs go. That a long with ball joints and the dashboard are the biggest problems. Everything else seems to be general maintenance. Just found your channel seems awesome can't wait to watch the intrepid video as it is my all-time favorite car. Hope the Dodge Ram is still doing well.
She’s long. But very underrated and over criticized. Good for fans, cheap!
I actually have an '01 2500 2×4. It has the 5.9 360 in it. It had only 92.000 miles on it and now has just over 100.000 on it. Runs 👍 great
How much can it tow? Thinking about getting one.
these trucks are good deals to buy. they do have there problems Dash, sensors etc but i see many issues are due to the owner not doing proper maintance. and not cleaning under it and . i see the engine and under the truck dirty rusty this can cause so many issues. when i lived in Wyoming i would clean under my trucks every month to keep the rust/salt off and always greased what needed to be both dif`s done every couple years (depended on miles) still have my 99 ram and just replaced the transmission other than that its been every sensor on the truck at one time needed replaced. and with 250,000 miles im not complaining.
dash cracking: it's "easy access", right around the time you go and try to fix or change your radio, or really anything that resides in the dashboard of your truck, you'd be wishing you had 10 gaping holes that'd let you just reach in and do what you need to do with it real quick.
sensors: if the check engine light isn't blinking, then everything is fine, the wiring only makes a small fire bi-weekly, nothing major.
rust: it's natures carbon fiber! increases gas mileage! (this is actually a problem, and is exactly why I undercoat all of my vehicles with fluid film. I don't give a shit, everything structural on a vehicle should absolutely 110% be made out of stainless steel, period.)
all in all, if you're using it like a work truck, and not a luxury vehicle, it's fine. my 2001 1500 with the 5.2 V8 is a clapped-out piece of shit, but it gets me and my equipment to point A to point B with infrequent breakdowns on it's regular maintenance schedule. furthermore, if I scrape the side of it with my excavator bucket loading logs into the back of it every once and a while, it's not an issue, that's what 99 cent cans of spray paint are for. all of the body panels and stuff are made of tin foil anyways, it's gonna get absolutely destroyed the second you go to do any real work with it, so what's the point in babying it?
I'm fixin to buy a 1998 5.2 automatic for $2600. It's a little beat up on the outside, but the engine and transmission are strong. Happy to finally own a second gen
I’ve had a 1998 12 valve Cummins and a 2000 ram 1500 manual with the 318. Still have my 318 and sold the Cummins. This truck is extremely reliable and the 318 will last forever if you do the standard maintenance and are willing to change a water pump once in awhile, but they are extremely cheap. I have almost 160k on mine and the only issues have been a water pump, wheel bearing and an abs sensor. A friend of mine has the 318 with almost 500k on it and the only issues have been water pumps and a sensor. Not a big deal though. They are easy to get to and cost like 50 bucks. The only down side is the gas mileage is way worse than what they advertise, but it’s a big truck so it’s to be expected. I lucked out and the paint on mine has held up but the dash was a different story lol
Nice truck to drive around in.
man I miss my teen and early 20 years. Only vehicle could be an old jalopy of a truck but no one cares because its just you. Drove my 1993 silverado 4.3 5 speed with well over 200k 4 hours to see my buddies at college. His face seeing me pull up in was priceless. Never missed a beat though there and back.
Have owned about 5 Second gen rams. Absolutely the most reasonable price compared to Chevy or Ford.
I love my 98 Dodge Ram 4 x 4 paid 2500 for it 2 yrs ago
Try LMC Truck for a new well build dashboard and bezel. That cupholder comes free. Geno's garage has a lot of great parts for your truck as well. My truck is an SLT with the V10 it has 248000K on the clock I have a 4th gen as my daily driver so the 2nd gen is something I drive for fun and enjoy learning to update and repair.
I just bought a 1995 Ram 1500.
Dash is in Peaces...has rebuilt engine with 230K miles on the clock.
.got a great deal..as you said 🇺🇲🍻
Okay so I bought a 97 Dodge Ram 1500 club cab with a 5.9 l in it from the original owner for $800 i love the truck it starts every time no matter what yes it has its problems but it is the most reliable vehicle I own the truck will still spin its tires the damn thing has it original ac compressor in it and the ac blows cold
Dodge are always good if they have the 5speed
Really good review 👍 not like every other person that complains dodge things every other company has thier issues as well but dodge seems to be picked at all the time 😂
Bro I’m not talkin shit but you can be a elf no lie I think it’s cool as hell
In my 96 I found out one good thing about where the cup holder is. It's a good spot to put a spectrum analyzer EQ
This truck impacted the truck forever
I have a 1997 SST. Hard to come by. Only manufactured in 97 and 98. 5.9L it has 205000 miles and going strong. Yes I can buy a new truck, but no way.
I’ve had my 2001 1500 with a 5.2L for almost 4 years now, and I’ve put almost 42K miles on it. I got it for 1700 bucks back then. Knock on wood, the trucks never let me down. It’s almost got 200K miles on it. I’ve gone a lot of places with it, done work with it, moved a lot of things for people etc. I’m definitely gonna keep it til it dies... if it dies that is, hell maybe I’d even cummins swap it.
Nice. I am probably going to get an 01 Ram as a truck for college in a few years as I own a 96 Bronco now that's too nice to put in a college parking lot. I want something dependable and cool looking with 4 wheel drive. How's the transmission
@@cptchuff2741 funny enough I had sold my Canadian 96 Bronco XLT with a 351w (regrettably) for my ‘01. My transmission is good knock on wood, I don’t beat on it to hard
@@lerg12 Mine also had the 351 W. I don't plan on selling it though. And I also plan to be easy on my Ram if I ever get one in the future so I think it will be fine
@@cptchuff2741 I regret selling my bronco for sure, that thing was wicked reliable too. I’d definitely keep both, they’re cheaper and easier to work on and get work done to it. And depending on where and who you get the ram from chances are you’ll have good luck with it depending on how the previous owners took care of the truck, so definitely look into everything for sure.
@@lerg12 Thanks for the advice
You say it’s rusty but where is it rust other then the bumper
if you're not hauling weight, go for the gen 2 1500 sport with the 5.2l magnum. if you need it for real work duty, you NEED to get one with a 5.6l mileage will suffer, but the difference in power is noticeable immediately, unless you're willing to do the work yourself, and add some power to the 5.2l, it's not that hard, but you need mechanical knowledge obviously. but imo, the best gen 2 find is a great condition 1500 sport with the 5.2l, you can drive them 250k miles and then across the country again if you want, the 5.2l magnum is a very under stressed, under rated engine, and parts are crazy cheap.
I recently just purchased one for 1600
Don't you mean 5.9?
Oh yeah cracked dash yup always a perk
Damn you live where I’m from I noticed the zx gas station then say the crystal city signs lol.
If you don't have one get a death wobble brace other than that there pretty good truck's
incredibly important! should be the first any gen 2 buyer does, fortunately most of them have then by now..that I've seen anyway.
2nd Gen Ram have good auto transmission too if you maintain right but bulletproof them with beefy transmission parts and it will last forever!
Which parts?
@@tasalandscapewastemanageme3193 same parts that make Allison transmission lol
@@rickydavis5541 So which parts?
@@tasalandscapewastemanageme3193 Servos, bands, seals and pistons I think.
Stay up on transmission fluid/filter service along with adjusting bands. If needs rebuild,rebuild to later 46 or 47 specs😊
Can you fetch a skid of concrete with thst truck, 1skid=56 bags of 60lbs=3340lbs
97 1500 4x4 284000 miles still going like an Energizer Bunny
How do you trade?
I want the 2nd gen only with the 5.2L
I have a rolled one.2001. I need cab n fenders. Lol 😮washington state 😮
I found 5 speed. 5.9 new tires.1900. Year 2024. Yahoo. I was jus looking for cab for my rolled one. Lol. Camp with junk camper on back I can use next summer. Lol . Could not find truck 🛻 under 4 grand. Before. Be patient. But look lots. 😮
Just picked up a 96 1500 magnum there was a family of mice in the top part of the hood
I love the truck
I miss driving stick shift
I have a 98 with 5.9 engine. Everything except the transmission is in excellent working condition. It's for sale! Seems the only transmission solution is to convert it to a 5 speed manual. It can be done, however way too much work & money for me. 😎🔥
Own 2 of them they are money pits your lucky to have gotten a 5 speed I had to swap mine went to a nv3500 but it was 2 weak for what I wanted and swapped it out for a nv4500
Your truck looks just like mine except mine is an automatic I had the transmission rebuilt and it runs and shifts like a Cadillac
Just bought a 97. What did the trans rebuild cost you?
@@dgage1776 a good trans rebuild will be around 5k
How much was the trans rebuild?
BRO THATS NOT EVEN RUSTY TAKE A LOOK AT MY 3RD GEN for example the bed is really rusted out lol, i love every part about it, the main fram is totally fine for some reason
How much r the trucks
140k on mine. Only thing mine needs is better gas mileage
2 years and 17,5k miles I put 15k on mine in 3 months going job to job and back home
Any transmission issues?
👍how is ride
Do you have it still? Want to sell it?
Have had my Ford do 10 years oil brakes one plugs 😂😂😂
Were is the rust ?
Would I regret selling my 2nd gene that has 90,000 miles but I put so much money in it should I keep it or no?
Keep it they’re hard to find with low mileage like that
Keep it bought my 1999 new, runs like a top with 200,000 miles on it. Love my truck.
Mine's coming up on 300,000 MI good that many miles you would think it was a diesel but no it's a 5.2 gasser
Best move trading a ford for a dodge smart
Love these trucks the 5.2 and 5.9 are urtra reliable with the love and basic maintenance, the only downfall of the second gen is rust problems if u live in the rust belt and dont do shit about it the whole thing would rust away in a couple years😂😂 lol
3
Considering listening to your story that you appear to want to restore it and put some love into it, you need to be aware of the infamous Dodge death wobble, look into upgraded aftermarket upper and lower ball joints, these trucks and notorious to eat them. Is a chassis stiffener that goes from the steering box to the opposite chassis rail that stiffens the front end also. Check every steering component and replace with upgraded aftermarket parts. Everything you buy needs to be made in America, your life depends on it 👍 I've got a 97 with a 360 four-wheel drive, but now has 200,000 miles and it's still going but with a lot of electric annoying problems. I use this truck for rough service use because I don't really care about it 😂 my everyday truck is a 97 GMC k3500 that in my opinion is much more dependable and much better put together. Ford on the other hand in that same generation is a complete pile of crap 👍 you did an excellent job in your review and keep up the good work and good luck with your truck ☮️🇺🇲
You got a lemon. My ‘99 5.2 SLT Laramie Quad has been the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. Still looks practically new, basic maintenance, I did replace my dash, 200,000 miles and I’ll never get rid of my truck. ❤
I got a ford ad
They have a greatest body style of any other truck and it's not even close. And they are very cheap. Really bad gas mileage. Not very reliable, but reliable enough if you're not hard on it. Ball joints go bad. Rockers and cab corners rust out. Steering can get so loose that it's dangerous. Oil sending units, heater cores, AC compressors go bad, brake cylinders, brake lines rust, vacuum leaks etc. etc. Thought my dash wouldn't crack, but it finally did a year ago. Mine uses oil (who cares) and mysterious loss of antifreeze. As long as the tranny holds up at least I can pull my boat with mine. Just check your fluids and your tire wear often and you can milk one of these old beast for a while. No reason to drive one of these to your office job when you can get a mid size care that gets nearly 34 mpg compared to like 13 with this thing.
you keep calling your truck rusty but I have yet to see any rust
Too bad it never came in 4 door
Crew cabs are for women
@@timkrueger8638 or people with family
@@LamontBoucherville ehh.
if you want to haul around more than 3 people, get a 4 door car.
I don't know why, but it's near impossible to find a regular cab, long bed two door (new) truck without specifically ordering one to be built from the factory that way. 1500, 2500, 3500, all of them are 4 door vehicles.
I'm serious, next time you go by a dealership, try and find a two door truck for sale, you won't find shit.
@@YR7A truck are now family vehicles for the most part
@@LamontBoucherville yea, that's the problem.
there is no such thing as a "work truck", they're all 4 door SUV's with a small little box.
I tried and tried to look around for a 2 door long bed 2500/3500 truck for my landscaping business, I couldn't find one.
There called trucks for a reason, gas Milledgeville isint one of them lol
that looks like my dad truck
his a v8